Agents fined $150,000 for “inexcusable” behaviour
The conduct of two travel agents has been described by the Commissioner for Consumer Affairs in South Australia as inexcusable.
Father and daughter team Vasilios Koutropoulos and Mary Boufkas were fined $A150,000 after admitting to SA’s Supreme Court that they mislead and deceived 16 customers on 18 occasions.
When people pay a travel agent to book flights, they have every reason to expect the agent will live up to their end of the bargain, the Commissioner said.
The pair operated Olympia Express Tourist and Travel in Morphett Street, Adelaide.
According to the Adelaide Advertiser, customers handed over sums ranging from $600 to $16,500 for tickets and travel packages.
However itineraries had fake booking numbers and in most cases return flights were not booked.
Boufkas used her personal credit card in several cases.
One family of four missed two weddings in Greece because flights were booked with the wrong name. In January 2016 two women stranded in Dubai and had to pawn jewellery to pay for accommodation until new flights were arranged.
Boufkas was forced to sell the family home after the pair repaid more than $56,000. Both are now unemployed.
Written by : Ian McIntosh
