Agent members of Global Travel Group have hit out at the consortium’s unexpected plea for commission repayment plans at a time when it has yet to repay all refund monies owed to their customers.
The consortium sent out a generic email to members which still owe commission on cancelled bookings, asking them to let head office know how and when they would repay these monies.
Traditionally, Global members owing commission on lost bookings have the sum deducted from the commission made on the next bookings they take.
Agents said they were shocked to receive an unpersonalised request for payment plans out of the blue from head office, particularly as Global was continuing to take at least eight weeks, and in some cases 16 weeks, to refund their clients, with many payments still outstanding.
Lee Hunt, owner of Deben Travel, said members knew commission had to be paid back but that many had at first thought the consortium wanted the funds immediately.
He said: “My initial shock was if they want all this money now that will send me out of business. Like a lot of agents, we have had so many cancellations my deficit is huge. I was stressed to the point of tears when I saw the email.”
He has since arranged a payment plan with Global but said he had been particularly angry to receive the email as the consortium has more than 60 refunds outstanding to Deben Travel clients.
“Global is taking so long with refunds. Customers are screaming at us and it’s damaging us as a business,” said Hunt, who initially refunded clients out of the agency’s own funds because of the long wait times.
He added: “I can no longer risk doing that, I am still waiting for some of that money back from Global.”
Mike Silford, managing director of Suitcase Travel, which has given notice of its intention to leave the group, said: “We all know we have to pay back the commission, the concern was the way the email was written.”
Nick Harding-McKay, managing director, Travel Designers, said he was sent the email even though he does not owe Global any commission, and is in fact owed money by the consortium.
He said: “It’s the way it was done; if it had been personalised or if they had picked up the phone it would have been better.”
He said the slow processing of refunds through Global had already impacted his business, with one major client now threatening to go elsewhere because of the delay .
He said: “They have put business with that client in jeopardy. This is something that is not my fault.
“I have never been treated so badly in 32 years’ business and I have never seen so much ill will in my life.”
Silford added: “We have not been happy with the way Global has handled the refund process. It has caused us damage.”
Global, whcich is in the process of being acquired by The Travel Network Group, defended its decision to send out the email, saying it was never its intention to “upset or worry members” and that it simply wanted to “put the matter on their radar”.
A spokesman said: “The communication’s purpose was really to ask members to start to think about an approach to repayment and get in touch with the team to discuss.”
On refund delays, the group said it was still awaiting payments from a number of airlines and tour operators.
“We are doing everything we can to secure those funds so they can, in turn, be passed on to members. We are trying to do the right thing in the most sensible order and as the parameters continue to change we are taking different actions. The link between the refunds and the negative commissions, although being made by members, will not be able to offset each other,” said the spokesman.