Ask about the licence, the real supplier, what is refundable, and who answers when something goes wrong. A good agent answers each plainly and in writing. The ten questions below are in the order you would use them.
They sit in our trust and enquiries topic, which is about checking before you pay.
Which questions check the agent is real?
- What is your tourism licence number? Then look it up yourself. Our guide on how to check a MOTAC licence shows how.
- Which company name will I pay and receive a receipt from? It should match the licence holder.
- How do I reach you, and when? Ask for the channel and the hours, not a promise of “always”.
- Who will be my contact for this booking? A named person or team, so you do not start again each time.
A clear answer gives a number, a company name and a channel. A vague answer gives reassurance and no detail.
Which questions check the supplier?
- Which hotel, airline and ground operator are you using, and are these booked directly or through someone else? Layers add delay when things change.
- Can I see the hotel’s own confirmation? This is separate from the agent’s reference. See what a hotel confirmation number proves.
If the agent says a detail is “a request”, ask for the difference between requested and confirmed in writing.
Which questions protect our money?
- How much is the deposit, when is the balance due, and what is refundable at each stage? Ask for the dates.
- Which account do I pay into, and how do I get a receipt? The answer should be a company account. More in safe ways to pay a travel agent.
- If the hotel or airline changes something, what do you do and what do I pay?
Anything about refunds should be in the booking terms you can read before paying.
What about support during the trip?
- If I have a problem at 10 pm in another country, who do I message and who replies? Ask for the channel and the hours. A real answer names both.
How do we use the answers?
Put the answers in a note beside each agent’s name. Mark each one clear, partly clear or missing. Count the missing ones.
Missing answers are not proof of bad intent, but they are gaps you would be paying to fill. Compare them with our list of travel agent red flags.
What should we do next?
- Copy the ten questions into a message and send them to each agent you are considering.
- Ask for replies in writing, in one thread.
- Mark clear, partly clear and missing answers.
- Choose the agent whose answers you could repeat to a friend without guessing.