Poster: A snowHead
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If you've followed the Reynard thread and "facts" reported turn out to be true it seems to be a bit of an eye-opener that the comfort as a punter you should be getting from a company bearing the AITO designation could well be zero.
Can anyone make sense of their website to see if they are offering any protection to punters themselves? They certainly appear to have been less than fussy in who they choose to have as members.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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fatbob, Quite -to quote from your post in the other thread:
From AITO's own website
"Companies admitted to AITO are all vetted and fully bonded for client's protection, in compliance with UK and European regulations. They are also bound by AITO's own Code of Business Practice."
and
"Holidays with AITO members offer 100% full financial protection
Financial protection is something that we don't normally think about until something goes wrong, of course - and that's the time when we regret not having looked into it properly. It's a complex issue, particularly in the travel industry - but you can relax when you book an AITO holiday because AITO members comply with the highest standards of consumer protection. Every AITO holiday is backed not only by AITO's Quality Charter but also by full financial protection.
Quite simply, as set out below, if an AITO member becomes insolvent and ceases to trade, you will (depending on your holiday dates) either receive a full refund from the bond or other financial protection or will be able to complete your holiday as planned, with repatriation arranged at the end of your holiday."
If AITO do not offer a full refund in the event that one of their members becomes insolvent and ceases to trade, then as you say they render totally worthless any other tour company's promotional literature proudly proclaiming their AITO membership.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Alastair Pink wrote: |
If AITO do not offer a full refund in the event that one of their members becomes insolvent and ceases to trade,and the member's bonding/insurance arrangements prove to be inadequate, then as you say they render totally worthless any other tour company's promotional literature proudly proclaiming their AITO membership. |
I think the bold addition is probably necessary.
[/b]
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Only ATOL is worth 'valuing' by customers imo for Tour Operators.
Only IATA full accreditation for airlines.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Bump seems like the answer to the question from AITO's new policy is yes.
If a mod wants to separate out relevant content from the Reynard thread feel free. It's been an education I suspect for the experts as well as us lay punters.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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website doesnt say "100% protection" anymore, in fact it doesnt seem to say anything
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fatbob, and if you see AITO's latest announcements you will see that the AITO 'coverage' is agreed as being useless, given they have suspended it. [url=http://www.e-tid.com//News-Home/AITO-suspends-protection-guarantee….aspx]See Here[/url]
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Interesting too that from this we have other insurers now jumping on the bandwagon trying to salvage their own business with a concern being expressed elsewhere that if insurance protection is not watertight other TOs who can't afford bonding could be taken down as well.
http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1148658.php
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