Dance school in TN is scammed out of $60,000 for WDW trip

[Katman1356...Jason 1,140]

This school in TN was scammed by a travel agency for $60,000. You should never be making payments directly to the travel agent. They should be processing the payment to Disney for you. If they want you to send the money to them that should send up a big red flag. 

 

http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/disney-vacation-scam-cheats-kids-out-of-more-than--60-000--how-to-avoid-a-fraud--195528574.html

 

[Beckers 1,136]

Whoa.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

The dance school is in my town.  I know people who take their kids there....don't know if they were impacted. 

[ftwildernessguy 778]

Another travel agency, Fantasy & Dreams, lists Melanie Swoap as a Disney expert on its website. Her profile reads, in part, "My job is to help families create memories that will last a lifetime.

Mission accomplished, Melanie.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

That is just awful.

[Katman1356...Jason 1,140]

The dance school is in my town.  I know people who take their kids there....don't know if they were impacted. 

 

I saw that it was in Franklin and thought of you Dave. 

 

Another travel agency, Fantasy & Dreams, lists Melanie Swoap as a Disney expert on its website. Her profile reads, in part, "My job is to help families create memories that will last a lifetime.

Mission accomplished, Melanie.

 

Yeah really. 

[Tigger 33]

I don't think a travel agency is needed to make memories that last forever. The mouse can do that all by himself.

[photogal06...Sommer 10]

I didn't know that about not making payments directly to the travel agency.  Good info.  When we had DD's dance trip last year, all payments were made to the travel agency and had to be by check (no credit cards accepted), and the final payment was due 5 months in advance of the trip.

 

I was very uncomfortable writing those checks, knowing that we had no recourse if they turned out to be scammers, and hoping beyond hope that the dance studio had done their research before signing on with them! Luckily it all turned out fine for us.  I was nervous right up until check-in though, wondering if everything would go as promised.

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

May the scammers rot in hades slowly.

[rdancemom... Pam 113]

I didn't know that about not making payments directly to the travel agency.  Good info.  When we had DD's dance trip last year, all payments were made to the travel agency and had to be by check (no credit cards accepted), and the final payment was due 5 months in advance of the trip.

 

I was very uncomfortable writing those checks, knowing that we had no recourse if they turned out to be scammers, and hoping beyond hope that the dance studio had done their research before signing on with them! Luckily it all turned out fine for us.  I was nervous right up until check-in though, wondering if everything would go as promised.

 

As an old dancemom who's planned more than a few of these type trips, and a long-time TA, that's usually how it's done on youth trips for dance/band/chorus/sports. Magic Music Days, Festival Disney, the now defunct Grad nights, and the regular youth education programs are usually run thru one branch or another of wdw group sales, and packaged by a travel agency specializing in groups or youth travel. It makes perfect sense when you consider that these are not normal tickets and often rooms are shared by up to 4 students/chaperones.

 

Plus there's the added expenses in many cases of renting a private bus or other transport to get to/from backstage areas in which the performance venues are located if it's to be inside a park. A performer can't just take themselves to the stage in many cases, nor can they always leave on their own. I could be wrong, but the last charter bus I remember reserving for a small group was like $600 for a 3 hour period, just to get the dancers  from the Poly to backstage MK so they could perform. Parents and others may be able to enter the park thru the main gate and walk to the stage, but performers are not allowed to, especially those in costumes like the bands and dance groups we often assisted.

 

Add in the optional meal ticket components, special events like tickets to private after hours parties & group events, and private transport that needs to be arranged - not only for the special events but even to get the groups from their town to wdw - and you've got way too many little things going to different companies to just send one payment to wdw like a normal family vacation.

 

There are agencies that specialize in only this type of travel, regular TAs can also coordinate this type of thing, so can non-disney wholesale travel providers, and also some groups may appoint a parent to do it or have the director handle all of it. Either way, it's a lot of details and potentially a lot of room for honest, but costly, mistakes. It's also a great area for fraud and periodically you hear of this type of thing happening. It's horrible -  and so very sad for the families involved.