Holidaymakers claim they have paid a former Crieff travel agent thousands of pounds for trips – only to find out they were never booked.
Several customers of Conor Campbell say they have forked out for breaks that have never gone ahead.
One person claimed they had paid the 25-year-old for a £3,500 holiday to Dubai, only to find it did not exist when she turned up at Manchester Airport.
Others say they are concerned about future trips, claiming they have had a lack of communication from Campbell.
An investigation has now been launched by the company that processes the firm’s payments.
Conor Campbell’s Crieff travel agent shop now empty
Campbell, originally from Airdrie, opened a shop on Crieff High Street in 2020 but it is understood the outlet has been shut since at least July this year.
The unit is now empty.
Campbell’s firm, Travel Inspired Ltd, has its registered address at 16 High Street, Crieff.
The firm’s accounts are marked as being overdue on Companies House.
Campbell also trades under the names Conor Campbell Travel and Race Weekend Breaks.
Helen Coll, from Motherwell, claims she paid £1,770 to Campbell back in April for flights to Las Vegas.
She told The Courier that Campbell gave her a reservation number for the United Airlines app to book seats.
Three weeks ago she noticed the reservation had vanished.
She said it was a “nightmare” trying to contact Mr Campbell.
“When he eventually returned my call, he told me it was because once he confirmed flights, the reservation number changed,” Helen said.
“He gave me another number but the same thing happened again.”
Customer says communication with travel agent ‘has been a nightmare’
She says she was unable to cancel through the airline as it had been booked through an agent.
Helen ended up booking a last-minute trip to Mexico. She is hoping to get a refund for the Vegas flights through her bank.
She added: “I have used Conor on a couple of occasions before with no issue.
“But this time he has been a nightmare, with his poor communication.
“I was determined not to let him waste my holiday.”
Mairéad Mcadam posted on Facebook that she had paid Campbell £3,500 for a holiday to Dubai to celebrate her birthday.
But she claimed she had arrived at Manchester Airport, having travelled from Glasgow, to find her names were not on the list for flights.
In her post – which has been shared hundreds of times – she said she then contacted the hotel in Dubai to confirm her reservation, only to be told it had been cancelled online.
“What was meant to be a holiday of a lifetime turned into a nightmare,” she wrote.
Another customer, Gayle Russell, also posted on Facebook to say she had booked through Campbell several times without issue.
But she is now concerned about a £9,000 holiday to Dubai in October – saying she has not been able to contact Campbell for several weeks, and that her airline has told her there are no flights booked in her name.
Several online ratings criticising Conor Campbell Travel
Conor Campbell Travel has a rating of 2.2 out of 5 on Trustpilot, with at least eight reviews posted this week giving the firm a rating of one out of five.
Several of the reviewers claim they have paid Campbell for holidays that do not exist.
Other reviews from 2022 are a mix of one and five stars with some saying they recommend the company and others urging travellers to stay clear.
Campbell’s lease on his Crieff shop ran out in July, but it is unclear when the outlet shut down.
Piles of unopened letters addressed to Campbell can still be seen inside the shop.
Payment firm launches investigation
Campbell’s company is a member of Protected Trust Services (PTS), which processes its payments and ensures legal compliance.
A spokesperson said: “PTS are aware of several issues concerning Travel Inspired Ltd, also trading as Conor Campbell Travel and Race Weekend Breaks.
“We placed Travel Inspired Ltd on stop sale, some time ago, with our supplier partners whilst we hold our investigation.
“Consumer protection is of paramount importance to PTS. If customers believe they may be affected, they are urged to reach out to us at ask@protectedtrustservices.com.
“Our PTS team is working with those impacted to address and resolve their concerns.”
A number of social media accounts and a website connected to Campbell’s travel business are no longer available.
However, a LinkedIn page for his business says: “We truly care about your experience and take pleasure in looking after you whilst you’re away, we regularly track our client’s flights to ensure there are no issues with transfers and chauffeurs in the case of delays.”
Atol, which offers protection to holidaymakers for trips that include flights, said: “Travel Inspired’s Atol lapsed on 30 September this weekend and there has been no application to renew it – so in effect the company is no longer an Atol holder.”
The Courier has contacted Campbell for comment.
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