NEW YORK -- An agency with a debit memo dispute has seen its case
satisfactorily resolved, and another is pointed toward court.
As reported, Triple S Travel in Rock Port, Mo., was facing a
$350 debit memo from Continental in connection with bookings that
looked to the carrier like a group.
Two family bookings appeared to be a disguised group because the
reservations were made within minutes of one another, but the
agency showed it had been rebooking clients in batches after the
customers were caught in the Vanguard failure. As a result,
according to Carole Shallenberger, owner/manager of the agency,
Continental canceled the debit memo.
In the case of Ultimate Dive Travel in Woodridge, Ill., the
agency, according to vice president Laura Scarbrough, had ticketed
two groups for travel on American based on instructions given by
the carrier over the phone.
But those instructions did not take into account a 5% discount
American had agreed to provide to compensate the agency for losses
stemming from the reduction of commissions to zero. Therefore, the
agency took the discount in the form of commission, and the airline
debited Ultimate Dive for $1,450.
Ken Scarbrough, agency president, vowed to give up his American
plate rather than pay the debit memo. However, Laura Scarbrough
said, reality had to prevail. There are times when the dive group
specialist needs to use American's services for clients, she
said.
Therefore, the agency paid the debit memo, but, she said, she
included a note to American to the effect that the matter is not
settled. She told American, "Here is what you stole from us. I will
see you in court."
She said the agency will make its case in small-claims
court.
Stay tuned.