Agent busted for nicking client’s holiday money
The owner of a Charters Tower travel company has appeared in the Townsville Magistrates Court after leaving three clients $24,011 out of pocket.
Debra Lee Durrington plead guilty to five counts of wrongly accepting payment for flights and accommodation she never actually booked or provided refunds for.
Per a News Corp report, Durrington, the owner of Travel Experience Charters Tower, was fined $10,000 and ordered to pay over $24,000 in compensation, following the Office of Fair Trading pressing charges for breaking the Australian Consumer Law.
The court was told of how Durrington accepted the payments from three separate customers to book five holidays, including accommodation, flights, car hire and tours, between November 2015 and July 2016.
Per News Corp, Durrington failed to process the bookings of these clients prior to the business ceasing trading in August 2016, leaving the clients with no holidays, and no monies.
Of the $24,011 her clients were left out of pocket, one particular consumer paid nearly $17,000 for two family holidays, with all three customers requesting refunds after learning of the closure of Travel Experience Charter Towers.
While Durrington assured them she would issue refunds, she never followed through on her promise.
Per News Corp, the court heard that Durrington continued to take affected clients’ money, even though the holidays had never been booked, and as a result was slapped with a conviction and compensation of the stolen amount.
Executive Director of Fair Trading, Brian Bauer, told News Corp that the Office of Fair Trading welcomed the court decision and was “pleased that the affected consumers will recover their money”, adding that business traders who accepted payment with no intention of actually providing the product have no place in Queensland’s economy.
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
australian consumer law conviction fair trading office travel agent travel experience charter towersLatest News
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