While the travel world was abuzz with the news that Bob Dickinson took a seat on the Board of YTB and then recanted, some new news emerged about the rogue RTA in Tennessee. Apparently she now has an arrest warrant for an unrelated charge of bouncing a check--at a Walmart! Now, the last time I heard, most RTAs were rolling in so much money, that shopping at Walmart was beneath them, so I have to wonder.
Apparently, she went to the schools and promoted the trip. I believe this is one of the tactics YTB encourages its RTAs to do to gain business. Granted they do not recommend them to steal the money, but without a vetting process, they cannot be surprised that it happens
I love the comment by the husband when asked if she may have done something with the money that he did not know about. I think his response was telling in that he was totally involved as well. Apparently they are waiting until the trip does not materialize before charging her. I wonder if YTB is going to bail out this RTA in the name of good PR?
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Dozens of Midstate high school students said they were scammed out of thousands of dollars.
Police have issued a warrant for the woman the students said promised to book their senior trip.
Police in Rutherford County said the trip money remains unaccounted for, but the arrest warrant is for an unrelated bounced check.
Students said Cynthia Anderson and her husband Kenneth Anderson stole their Caribbean vacation. Police said it doesn't look like the trip is going to happen later this month.
Sixty-one students paid about $700 each to Anderson, a travel planner, for a trip to Jamaica. She and her husband were supposed to book the trip.
But police said $48,000 is now unaccounted for.
Anderson said his wife is hospitalized with stress.
Recently, police took out a warrant for her arrest stemming from a bad check she wrote at a local Wal-Mart.
Straight A Tours, a national travel agency that caters to students, said the Andersons still haven't paid for the trip. In fact, two checks bounced.
"I've been assured on a daily basis that the money will be here and to this date it has not been wired yet," said Michael Holladay of Straight A Tours.
"That's something my wife done. I really can't comment on," Kenneth Anderson said.
When asked if it's possible his wife did something with the money that he wasn't aware of, Anderson said, "No, she wouldn't do that."
The police aren't so sure. Police said they would like to question the Andersons.
Criminal charges could be filed if this trip doesn't happen later this month.
Kenneth Anderson insisted that the trip will take place. The students are supposed to leave May 24.
Right now, no one seems to know where the money is to pay for it.
Right now, police cannot press charges in this case, but the trip doesn't happen later this month, detectives will consider filing theft and fraud charges.
The vacation was not sanctioned by the Rutherford County school district. However, several parents said the local high schools allowed Cynthia Anderson to pitch the trip to students on campus. The school system director is looking in to whether that happened.
OK--the woman is wanted on a bounced check charge from Walmart and has already bounced two checks to the TO that is supplying the trip?????
ReplyDelete$100 says this trip is a goner for these poor kids. I bet old Kenneth is scrambling to come up with $48K in a matter of weeks. Maybe he needs to join YTB.
So, if YTB does bail out the woman, what does that say. Seems to me to send a message to all RTAs that if you are not making enough money, just take it from clients and YTB will make it all right!
They don't kid around with that Yale to Jail and Penn State to State Penn stuff do they?
I thought it was a cruise? Is this a land vacation?
ReplyDeleteIt is a cruise calling on Jamaica. It is with Carnival and it apparently was run through the Straight A Tours. Straight A Tours may have a unique agreement with CCL to address the age issue...
ReplyDeleteBut that still does not answer to why she bounced two checks to them and where is the money. Regardless of the age, if Carnival did not get paid, they ain't letting the kids on the boat! And also we are within 30 days of sailing--so if Carnival is holding space I have to think it is under deposit and under penalty, if not under deposit, I imagine they are trying to sell it.
I can;t see how this trip will be a go. But stranger things have happened. Maybe Scotty will fly them all to MBJ in the YTB Shuttle!
Why did she use her own checking acccount? If she is with YTB, wouldn't she submit the money to them and they send the TO a check? Something is wrong with this.
ReplyDeleteBecause she was stealing. Duh!
ReplyDeleteIf you use your own checking account, you can write off the bounced check fees as a tax deduction.
ReplyDeleteSo that's what this is all about - the tax deduction!
ReplyDeleteIs that a mug shot? Or her Official Travel Agent ID photo?
ReplyDeleteTo the TA detectives -
ReplyDeleteSorry for not keeping up on this like I should.
I have been out soliciting TTAs in my own area. Not to join YTB, but to see if I can use their detective skills to find out who has been siphoning off money from the soda machines operated by our Booster Club.
I understand now that TTAs get extensive detective training with all of their other travel training.
Columbo Travel may just be the agency I am looking for.
I know that TTAs understand how to build a $4000 trip up to $6000, but it has been enlightening to realize the extent of their detective skills.
YTB and TRAVEL: A Great Mix!
Hey if a YTB Rep can be a travel agent, a florist, a car salesman, a camping equipment salesman,m a website reseller, an internet pioneer, a mentor, a coach, a minister, a mother, a wife or husband, a convicted felon, and a scam artist....
ReplyDeleteplease let us TTAs have the detective
Hey I AM a real detective! I sent 495.00 into BAD (Be a Detective) and I have the certificate signed by Elliot Ness AND Joe Friday attesting to my abilities to track down the bad guys and fling them into the slammer! The website is an additional 49.99 a month and I am saving up for that. By next year my travel commission payments from YTB might be enough for a couple of months for the really groovy website.
ReplyDeleteLet me know if anyone needs my expert help!
String em up and MLMs - a Blessed Mix
John -
ReplyDeleteYTB does not have a corner on the scam artists or convicted felons.
There are some of them lurking around the TTA world.
It's an equal opportunity industry.
YTB and TRAVEL: A Great Mix!
John said...."Regardless of the age, if Carnival did not get paid, they ain't letting the kids on the boat!"
ReplyDeleteI think you're wrong there, John. Here is Carnival which respects, no - adores YTB and all the business they bring them. So it would just make sense to pick up the tab and then YTB can promote how wonderful Carnival is and maybe do another Sale-a-Thon. With the vast amount of bookings the RATS are doing with Carnival, how could this particular ship not be sold out? By the way, it's been a few months since RCCL dumped YTB and I see the ships are still pretty full and sailing.
Is it just me or does anyone else think that photo of the rogue agent looks exactly like what we expect an RTA to resemble, lazy eye and all?
YTB and TRAVEL - WE'LL TAKE YOUR CASH AND RUN.
YTB has made good on several RTAs that have scammed people---Houston Bus Drivers and the group form here in Baltimore. How much more can they afford to subsidize and what does that say to the RTAs that are legitimately doing business? If I were an RTA I might be pissed that YTB is bailing these guys out. If I was a shareholder, I would be even more pissed.
ReplyDeleteBut remember what was the catalyst that lost RCCL for Joystar---their agent screwed up on the pricing for a group.
Maybe this is just the wake up call that the cruise suppliers need. Is it worth paying 16% to a company that will drag your name through the mud along with their own?
Funny how John, with a loud voice, cries finding 2 or 3 rouge RTA's since last August or November. It appears the rouge TTA count, however, is much higher here in the US. I have found TTA shenanigans to be at least 2 or 3 times higher. Shameful.
ReplyDeleteTTA's = 80,000
RTA's = 130,000
Very strange indeed especially when there are so many more YTB folks vs TTA's. A person’s religious belief may well have something to do with this. I wonder.
OleScorekeeper
Ole--just like I told Rod---religion really has no place in here.
ReplyDeleteBut if you are looking for fault on your logic....those 80K TTAs have been in the industry a long time. YTB only recruited those 130K in the last year. Give them time to realize that YTB is not going to make them any money as promised and once they get the opportunity, you will see it increase. It already has, and it is not a bunch of little stuff either.
YTB preaches all about skirting the law at every turn--tax deductions, anti pyramid laws, and so forth. Why should anyone be surprised when the RTAs are walking that line or crossing over it.
There already have been RTAs on this blog that admitted cutting YTB out of the picture! And if you keep recruiting illegal gambling kingpins, known scammers, and common criminals, please don't feign any surprise!
I find the 'religion' card to be a defensive move. When nothing else works...
ReplyDeleteBring it to light. All the errrant and nefarious TTAs are exposed. I think that's good. On the other hand, I have been too trusting as well and paid the dues.
Clean your own house. If HQ needs to pay, so be it. It's an assumed risk, is it not?
Bring this up at the Foam Forum.
No disrespect intended ytbnomore, but how much did you have to drink tonight?
ReplyDeleteOk, this is what I don't get....
ReplyDeleteThis rogue RTA and by definition of rogue means she acted alone....
rips off some people, YTB has already stated they are working with the people to try to work out the refund, the supplier is NOT ADI, not affiliated with YTB, she was terminated....so, how does this make YTB look bad?
If anything, it shows that YTB is getting rid of the bad, and helping those that are ripped off.
By the way, lets make it clear that nowhere does it say that YTB will bail out this RTA, John just likes to add in mistruths to "blend" in with the story.
I apologize for using the term "bail out" I realize that for many in YTB it may mean a completely different thing. I did not mean that YTB would post BOND for her release from jail. I meant that she has done wrong and YTB will "save" her by paying for these kids' vacations. Which still remains to be seen...there is a difference between "talking" and "doing"
ReplyDeleteYes the term "rogue" is used correctly, I do not think there is a concerted effort to gang up and rip off people. However, the program itself is flawed and produces no returns for the people in the program, that the temptation is certainly there creating a large number of "rogue" agents. Just look at the potential---do you think that 131K people signed up last year expecting to make nothing? I don't and when the 105K of them realize they got duped, given the opportunity, a percentage of them will rip people off.
If YTB has nothing to do with the vendor or the RTA, why then are they stepping in? Maybe it is because they "trained" this person and encouraged her to solicit schools and churches? Maybe because it was with your primary supplier--Carnival Cruise Lines?
Maybe because they know the liability of having 131K people roaming the streets and that they are making enough money off of them to afford to buy a resolution? Isn't that what happened with Ted Lindauer...he opened a can of worms that YTB did not like so ole Coach opened the checkbook?
It's "Penn State or the State Penn"......
ReplyDeleteCTA in MD
You really can't call these people "rogues" - you'd only have a "rogue" if there were some system or rules/laws that there were breaking! The truth is that YTB does no backround check and does no monitoring......
ReplyDelete