Changing names without knowledge

[oscar21]

My friend paid for a holiday a couple of months ago, about £200, there is about 4 or 5 of them going. The person who my friend and the others gave the money to to pay for the holiday works in a travel agent and he booked it all for them.
At the last minute my friend decided he cannot afford to go and asked his friend, if he could get someone else to go in his place, would it be possible to change the ticket, he confirmed this was possible with a £30 name change charge. My friend said that he would try and sell the ticket for £70. It now transpires that the travel agent friend has got someone else to go in his place and changed the ticket name without my friends knowledge. So effectively someone has a holiday for £30.
As the travel agent was incharge of the tickets, has he got any right to do this, I suspect not as my friend has paid for a ticket indirectly or not, it is still his ticket. Is this a case of obtaining goods by deception, or theft and whats the best thing to do about it. The flight leaves on saturday and is with first choice.

Cheers

[cathy2907]

The main question here, is Who is the lead name of the booking. If your Travel agent friend is travelling, and he is the lead name, then I am sorry to say he has every right to do this.

If he just booked it, and is not the lead name, or not travelling, then he has no right. The only way any amendments can be made is by that of the lead name. This doesn't make any different as to who paid what.

It can be very difficult for anyone else who is travellling on the booking, but likewise, if anyone else defaulted on payment further back on ther booking, it is the lead name that would get approached for this money, not the other parties.

If the travel agent was the lead name you can only question his friendship, why would he do such a thing, and if he is travelling, why would he want to travel along with people he obvioulsy Peed Off.

Good, luck if you need any further help PM me. Let me know if he is the lead name.

I also know that if its a staff booking the amendemnt fees are different....

Good Luck.

[oscar21]

Yes, he was definatley the lead name, is it possible to take a civil action against him?

[cathy2907]

That I can not comment on, I have no training in that area. I am sorry I can only advise you on the situation. It may be worth threatening him, and asking him to prove the charge was £30.00. You could always try calling head office, and complain saying you think hes abusing his position in the branch, and hasn't been honest, and its a bad reflection on the company. I don't reckon it will change anything, but he may get a few questions about it, and it may make him change his mind,. who knows.

[oscar21]

ok, cheers