Travel agent allegedly does a runner with client money

A travel agency owner has reportedly disappeared without a trace leaving customers thousands of dollars out of pocket.

The Victorian police have been called in to investigate Colac-based Ace Travel owner-manager, Jordan Dittloff, after receiving dozens of customer complaints of fraud and deception.

27-year old Dittloff has reportedly been missing since Monday, but not before allegedly taking client funds with him, leaving holiday bookers in the lurch.

The agency has since shut its doors, its website is offline and Dittloff’s twitter account has been deactivated and thus could not be reached for comment by Travel Weekly. Disgruntled customers or those in the community have taken to posting their views on the company’s Facebook page.

Ninemsn reports “tens of thousands of dollars” paid by customers for flights, hotels and tours has gone missing, with holiday makers complaining funds had not been appropriately transferred to suppliers.

Ace Travel had previously been a Jetset member up until 2012, but then was taken over by Dittloff.

AFTA confirmed to Travel Weekly the Colac-agency was not a member under Dittloff ownership and does not hold ATAS accreditation.

ATAS gm, Gary O’Riordan told Travel Weekly they have “spoken to the police at Colac who are investigating the alleged fraudulent activity” and have also reported the situation to ASIC.

“Apparently the staff were contacting affected suppliers and dealing with customers as recently as yesterday (Wednesday),” O’Riordan said.

“We have spoken to some of the affected suppliers and consumers.”

Among them are 32 members of the local Colac-Scout group who spent 18 months fundraising for a volunteering trip, according to Ninemsn.

“We paid our money, and even though we had indications it had been paid to Fiji Airlines, that wasn’t the case,” Venturer Leader Geoff Delarue told the paper.

Meanwhile, AFTA Board members met on Wednesday to tighten ATAS accreditation criteria.

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Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

Latest comments

Anthony G says:
June 11, 2015 at 4:19 am
Catch Me If You Can, All over again. I cannot understand why all Travel Agencies are allowed to handle other people’s money without a compulsory Insurance Policy to cover insolvency. Food for thought? I personally no longer use “Third Party Merchants” For any of my extensive travel plans. I stay with the direct Airline dot comes & Hyatt.com. and , I stay well informed of the changing market. Just because a travel agent hands you a printed itinerary does not mean the supplier got their money. “Caveat Emptor”. TG
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Ashamed to be human says:
June 5, 2015 at 4:49 pm
please ask Mr Gary O’Riordan – what would ATAS have done?
The answer is very very simple – precisely nothing!!!!
It is beyond me as to why the industry and the public are not getting the fact that ATAS does absolutely nothing other than give out shiny window stickers. Pathetic organisation.
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Nicolas Delacharlerie says:
June 5, 2015 at 12:54 pm
ATAS makes no difference, the industry is raving on about that alternative, there is no need for that nonsense. One cannot run away with one’s money or run its business account with clients money either. ATAS is armless in any case, it’s just a load of jokes!!
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Nicolas Delacharlerie says:
June 5, 2015 at 12:31 pm
ATAS makes not difference, the industry is raving on about that alternative, there is no need for that nonsense. One cannot run away with one’s money or run its business account with clients money either. ATAS is armless in any case, it’s just a load of jokes!!
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