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ABTA plans major changes over customer protection
ABTA has called a special General Meeting to vote on ways to strengthen protection for customers booking with ABTA members.
The meeting will be at its office at 30 Park Street, London SE1 9EQ at 12.00 hours on October 2.
Members will be invited to vote on proposals to change the Articles of the Association, which govern customer protection.
“This year has seen a large number of consumers affected when travel agents have failed and the suppliers of accommodation have refused to fulfil bookings that they’ve not been paid for,†said the association.
“This has resulted in very damaging press coverage for the industry as a whole, and in credit card merchant acquirers requesting additional security from travel companies.”
ABTA members will be asked to vote to ensure all members take responsibility for money paid by their customers to companies through whom they distribute their travel services.
ABTA is also inviting members to vote on a proposal to change the qualifications for membership so that applicants for membership or continued membership would be subject to greater scrutiny in respect of previous directorships of failed companies.
It is also proposing to provide a greater restriction on the use of trading names that have been associated with failed companies.
“This is an important point of principle, and the change will bring clarity to members and customers alike,” added chief executive Mark Tanzer.
“ABTA members operate a range of business models, and we are happy to let these flourish. But the principle that an ABTA member is responsible for money taken through an agent, or sub-agent, applies to all.
“These are challenging times and it has never been more important for consumers to have confidence in the travel companies they choose.“
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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