Dozens up trip creek Travel agency collapse costs pensioners $330k
FORTY-SEVEN people, many pensioners, have been left in the lurch with the collapse of a Gold Coast travel agency, with one couple revealing they have been bailed out by friends to pay for another holiday after losing $23,000.
A report by the liquidator, RSM, reveals Travel and Cruise Centre Runaway Bay owed $332,320 to creditors.
The Bulletin reported this month that customers had been left in the dark about the business collapse.
Coombabah couple Bob and Jan Kelly said they had lost $23,000 as a result of the business collapsing.
Mr Kelly said the pensioners had relied on “a little help from friends” to pay for their European cruise all over again.
“This was something for our 50th anniversary and 70th birthdays,” he said.
“We weren’t going to miss it but we’re only doing half the cruise because we can’t afford to pay for the whole thing again.”
When the Bulletin reported the agency had closed, disappointed customer Alex Hoskins said he and friends had booked a cruise to Japan for six people, but their plans had been ruined and they were chasing their money back.
The liquidator’s report now shows there are 47 who say they booked and paid for cruises, flights and accommodation, and are owed money.
The Bulletin interviewed eight of the customers. All say their entire payments to the travel agency were not passed on to the cruise companies.
Some said deposits reached the cruise lines while their full payments did not.
Liquidator RSM and the owners of the agency have not returned Bulletin calls.
The customers said they had not been given assurances they would get their money back.
The liquidator’s report also claims 88-year-old Hans Wurzel is owed $12,000.
“I have some dealings with (the agency) before where I have booked a river cruise on the River Rhine,” he said.
“There was always trouble.”