Dugan's Travels review: Fraud and scam 151

I have been working for Dugan's for a little over a year now. Prior to signing on with Dugan's I was with another host agency for 2 years and had nothing but problems. I paid a lot of money to be an agent and got absolutely nothing in return. The company filed for bankruptcy and I never received a commission check from them. I sold enough to qualify for an IATAN card but couldn't get any proof from the agency. Talk about getting no support..no return emails or phone calls. I started searching out other agencies and found Dugan's. I emailed agents before signing on and got nothing but positive feedback from them. Jennifer was extremely helpful as well and offered to do what she could to try to get my information from the other agency. After getting the positive feedback from the agents and the quick and efficient responses from Jennifer and Barbara I decided Dugan's was where I wanted to be. The agency as a whole has been a wonderful experience. I feel that Jennifer runs the agency the way it needs to be run. When you are dealing with 600 agents in a home based industry and not in a building where you can manage in person there really isn't any other way to run the business besides utlizing the email tools and chatlists that are available. An email can be taken out of context however, I don't feel that Jennifer has ever given any reason for anyone to think she is being rude.

If there are any potential agents reading this compaint board I for one will attest that this Betty person is throwing a lot of mud. It is too bad that this has to be taking place and that the reputation of Dugan's may be tainted by this negative banter.

There is a reason why this agency has been in business for as long as it has. There is a reason why Dugan's is at the top of the commission tier with their suppliers and there is also a reason why Jennifer has won awards and accolades. The reason is because she runs a top notch organization and has the support of her staff and her agents behind her. An agency can stay on top without everyone's support and there wouldn't be so much support if Jennifer didn't care enough about her agents.

I hope that this can be laid to rest now.
Jennifer and Barb I think you both do an excellent job and don't let this get you down!
Denise

Barb is not twisting things nor making false assumptions. You keep changing your story. Anyone who reads this can see that.

Barb never said that she didn't sell those things. You are jumping to conclusions because you didn't see when she sold them. You are just grasping at straws to continue this nonsense.

I have been with the agency 2 years now. Prior to being with Jennifer, I was a member of a few other agencies. This one by far is the best! Everyone is helpful. Jennifer and Barb are never rude to anyone.

Commissions are paid on time as well.

Jennifer

I have to agree with the idea that this needs to stop. I have my definite opinion of Dugan's and it is based on my dealings.

They have their opinion of me and some is based on dealings and some is spiteful. I'm sure they will say the same.

Regardless, none of us will change our opinion here so this is pointless. I think enough damage has been done already.

Those reading these posts will be able to see through the bull and will form their own opinions. That is the purpose of the site.

The defense rests!

I think everyone is totally missing the point. The original post says that Dugans Travels is a scam and a fraud which is totally untrue.

Scams and frauds are when people take your money and run. They aren't businesses that have been around for 10+ years and are paying their agents every month like they should. Dugans Travels is doing what they say they do.

Only those who are mad because of personal issues are posting negative things. No one here says they have not been paid. Betty is complaining but she has no real complaints other than she feels she is right about personal attitudes. She had personal issues not business issues with the agency. It is clear in her posts. It wasn't that Dugans took money from her. It wasn't that Dugans didn't deliver what she signed up for. She was with the agency for 6 years! She can attest that for 6 years she got paid.

This forum is just where people can come and rant and rave. People don't have to be truthful. They do not have to treat others with respect. They can do whatever they wish and say whatever they wish. People are commenting on the business who don't know a thing about it.

Anyone who comes here to bash others better realize the same thing can happen to you!

Betty - do you get that? Do you know someone could start a post that says Places To Go Travel (I think that is what you go by according to your past messages on the chatlist) is a scam and a fraud. She took my money and the trip I received was wrong. She booked me at the wrong hotel and will not return any of my phone calls. Just like that.. your business reputation is ruined. You have no recourse.

In 10 minutes there could be 50 posts from people who just want to ruin your name. That is what it is all about. They use fake names and post untrue things and it is okay.

I am glad Jennifer is ignoring you now so that maybe you will move on. If not, maybe someone reading this needs to start a thread about Places to Go Travel so that you are busy trying to fix your reputation and leave Dugans alone. You were mad and posted untrue things and keep saying you are done but keep posting. Move on with your life because you said you were done.

Julie

What's your interest in all this? I didn't make he original, second or third post. I don't know the other people who didn't like Dugan's.

I was not aware that chatlist posts are available for general knowledge. I thought they were private. Other agents need to be careful of this. Anything you say can and will be used against you!

My point is I didn't like Dugans and that is my opinion. You are welcome to yours.

I have been interested in joining Dugan's Travels for awhile now. I did an internet search and found this site. Let me tell you, seeing what is written here has made me want to join her agency more than ever!

There really are very few complaints here based on the amount of years she has been in business. There is a common theme of people angry/upset that they were terminated. Then there is this Betty person who just seems to take everything said as attackful and hurtful to her.

Jennifer currently has over 700 agents with her and I have spoken to many of current agents and even past agents who have sung her praises. A few of the past agents are now working on their own and owe it all to Jennifer and her team for where they are today! Many of them even told me that when they decide that they no longer wish to be on their own, they will go back to her agency in a heartbeat.

I really like that this agency is like a family where all of the agents work together.

Shannon

One more time for those reading with blinders on. I was NOT terminated. I requested my termination papers (what Jennifer calls them. They are papers saying that the contract is terminated by either party)

I left as a result of my own reasons. Jennifer just decided to not give me the termination date that I requested. She didn't "fire" me. I started the process myself without any contact with her for two years or so. There was no fighting and arguing until I decided to leave. Neither of us was satisfied with the other. Period!

Jennifer's business is above board. She makes a percentage of the commission plus a very small monthly fee. I have no problems with that. I just didn't like othe aspects of the business. You are right though, we as independent agents, make the sale and just share the profit with a host. The thing is that one could get the insurance, join CLIA and start his own agency for around $1000. That's what I did and I'm good enough at it that I no konger needed to ask for help so a host agency wasn't necessary. If you know nothing about travel, however, you need someone to guide you.

I started out with a storefront agency and the owner trained me. That is still a possibility for new agents. You can get the owner, in some cases, to lead you through your first few sales and she/he will then make the booking to be sure you did it right or she will watch you do it.

Betty-

You need to get over it.. and stop attacking everyone.

When you began attacking me, I went to the past chatlist files and typed in your name to find posts you made. I wanted to see what kind of person I was dealing with. I found posts asking how to book cruises, complaining that the chatlist made too much email for you, and one that even said agents spell bad and that you wanted to correct everyone's work.

I go off of facts not emotions. I investigated what kind of person you were so I knew how to handle you. I can see from your posts that you really want to be thought of as someone who we should all like and admire. However you did bring this on yourself by posting your original 2 messages.

If you didn't want conflict, you should have said okay I accept your decision and moved on. But for some reason that month really mattered to you or the fact that Jennifer told you that she wanted you to leave now instead of Sept. Who knows if she had just let you have your way you might have gone off with no issues (sorry Jennifer!) Something there triggered this rant and rave session. I know my posts made you upset too but all I was doing was trying to give another point of view. I am really a neutral party other than I do feel that Dugans has been good to me.

I was trying to point out to you that you could have this same thing happen to you and try to get you to see that. Treat others they way you want to be treated type of scenerio. I see that didn't work so I will take Jennifer's lead and stop trying to get you to see someone else's point of view. Sometimes people just can't see things thru someone else's eyes and it is a shame because you miss a whole different way of thinking.

Julie

Maybe I missed something but I only see that Jennifer replied to your comments. She didn't say anything about you.

Betty hadn't done business with the agency in two years according to her and it was because she had her own CLIA number. She was making booking under her agency and not Dugans. Dugans was not making anything from her making bookings.

So Betty was costing the agency money actually since the agency would have to pay for her because things are billed per agent - bookkeeping, the programs we use to submit bookings etc.. I don't know the cost per agent.

Betty wanted to terminate. Betty wanted to terminate at the end of Sept. Jennifer just had her leave now. Everyone at the agency has access to our accounts that all the agents use. If Betty was leaving the agency she could go in and screw up things for everyone. Not saying at all that Betty would do that but have you ever been a manager/owner of a business where a disgruntled person has caused a mess? I have and I understand you don't want to risk it.

Betty used the agency for 6 years for her benefit. She asked questions, got answers. She used that information to start her own agency. An agency that she says that is doing well.

Why should Jennifer keep her on when she isn't making the agency anything? When she is using the tools and resources but only for her own agency?

Shouldn't Betty do that herself if she is reaping all the benefits of her own agency? I give a cut of my commission because I use the tools and resources that the agency provides. I like the idea that when there is a problem I have some clout because Dugans matters to the suppliers. They don't want to lose the agency's business. What I receive from Dugans is worth it to me. That is a personal decision.

That month that Betty would have stayed would not have been profitable for the agency since she was not making bookings - she was making thru her own agency according to what she has said here. She also clearly stated that it was Jennifer's decision. Jennifer made the decision.

I guess it is hard to explain to someone who is not in the business.

Julie

I used to work for a company name Joystar. This is the company that you all should be talking about for scams and fraud.

I am not an agent with Dugan because I am with another host agency though I am looking into other options because I haven't been too happy. I am also only getting 60% commission.

There are scams out there and there are many reasons to have a host agency. The key is to do research! I have now been with 2 companies which I thought were going to be it.. now I am back to research.

FYI, Jennifer this doesn't scare me. It just looks like you had a few people who got upset and are making postings along with a few people who just want to make comments. I figure I will be the next one to be commented on!

Good luck with your agencies everyone. The industry needs more agents especially when you read the reviews on this website about the online travel websites!

Wow.. not sure how I became your target!

Julie

Nonniemouse and Betty -
I don't understand why this nonsense needs to continue. Betty - you have made your point. Now why don't you go back to paying attention to the business you have built and put your efforts into that. NonnieMouse - you are now attacking innocent people and saying extremely rude things for what?! Do you feel better now?
This cat and mouse, constant back and forth posts are just clogging up the complaint board.
Do everyone a favor and put it to rest now.
Denise

jennifer Nonniemouse is a loser she loves to start with people. the only way to rid her off this board is by never anyone answering her.

FTLOG!

I've been a member of enough online communities to know that when the trolls come out to play, the OP's stick around and lurk. I hope I'm right in this case, because the last page of this thread really went downhill, and I think I have something important to add - both to Jennifer and to pastagent:

I am in the process of searching for a new host agency. I found Dugan's originally on NACTA's website. I was liking what I was seeing at first, although the amateurish website was a turn-off. I've am a long-time business owner and rule #1) of any business, is you have to put out money to make money, and honestly, I didn't see a lot that was put out there to attract quality agents. I estimate that I paid probably ten times as much for my agency's website. Not an insult, but an observation. If I'm noticing it, others are too.

What finally made me click the back button after reading the material, was when I read that the owner was too busy to take phone calls, and that they needed to be scheduled in advance and kept to a minimum. Not for me! If I'm paying for a service, that's what I expect. The monthly fee may be nominal, but it is not the only fee gained by Dugan's. They also get a percentage of my commission if I sign up. No other host agency in NACTA's website had anything even remotely similar in their website. All want to stress training and support, but none gave restrictions like that. I've been in the business for awhile, but I consider myself never done learning, and when I have a question, I don't want to worry about stepping on someone's toes to get it answered. That sets a bad precedent. If you're too busy to handle your business, get enough people to help you, and change your marketing materials. You wouldn't say that to a client wanting to book travel, and you shouldn't say it to people paying to work under your name, that will pad your pockets.

Fast forward a week - I got referred to Dugan's by an employee of a supplier, so I decided to give it another look. I can't honestly say that I saw the same comment in her website that I mentioned above. Either she removed it when she opened up her new site, or it's still there and I didn't see it. Whatever - what I did decide to do, and what a LOT of other potential agents are going to do, is google your name.

Jennifer I'm sure you're aware of this, but this site came up as one of the top hits, when I searched for 'reviews on Dugan's Travels as a host agency'. I have sat here and read through six pages of passive-aggressive BS. Whether you're right, or pastagent is right, it really doesn't matter to me. It's the way this was handled. At the risk of offending pastagent, and only based off of what I've read here, I would be PISSED if I heard some talking to my mother the way she's been treated here. Do you have a mother? An older aunt? A grandmother? Since when did being older, become a put-down? I really hope you, and those commenting on her age, realize that one day, you're going to be the older one, instructing younger people. Respect is earned, not a given - I don't care how old you are.

A true business women would have defended herself, but would never have stooped so low as to respond in the manner that you've responded. Does the saying, "she doth protest too much" ring a bell? It's one thing to want to defend your business, but it's like you went a level further and sent in the troops to do your dirty work for you. I have to ask myself: is this someone I want handling my income? Since anyone can see this same crap via Google, do I want my name attached to it?

The answer is no, and really, it reaffirms my original reservations about your company. My mother told me to always trust my gut instinct, and in this case, boy was she right. She may be old, and telling someone younger how to conduct themselves, but she was correct. You may be totally innocent, and you may run the best host agency ever, but this was a true eye opener for me. I have enough drama in my day-to-day life without worrying about paying to have more of it.

And FWIW, don't put so much stock into someone's post count (said in the general sense). This is my first post. That doesn't mean I'm clueless, a troll, or sent in by someone else. I think I've made it evident that I have no stake in this BS, other than to try to give some much needed advice. Best of luck to you, and to pastagent. It appears that both of you will need it.

Also, if terminating agents is bringing your company this much grief, you might want to rework your strategy.

~ Micah Sorinson

Micah Sorinson-

You have made your judgements and feel you have advice to give. However you are just adding to more of this and you don't know the person Jennifer is. I think if you took the time to get to know her you would find she didn't deserve any of these attacks. Everyone has an opinion and people seem to think they can judge others before they even know them.

You chose to not join the agency. That is your choice. Why you had to jump on the band wagon of bashing Jennifer is not clear to me but I can tell from my experience that Dugan's Travels is a great host agency with an owner who does care.

As far as her not having time for us - you are very wrong. I get help anytime I need it. She just doesn't take random calls from people who want more information on joining the agency since so many people call without reading the website. Appts are set up for those who want to call after viewing the information on the website.

So before you judge, you might really get the facts. I highly doubt you have ever tried to contact Jennifer because if you had, you would not be so quick to judge and attack her.

But from what I can tell, I think you aren't a good match with our group of agents. So it is better for everyone you decided to not join us.

Julie

Micah Sorinson-

Also I tried googling your name as a travel agent but I don't find you. Nothing comes up at all for your name so maybe you are using a fake one I don't know. You mentioned you paid 10x as much for your website but if you did, you need to invest in getting it listed with the search engines since your name doesn't come up.

So although this message board might come up in a search - there are also many other websites that come up including

http://www.travelagentcentral.com/home-based/agent-profiles/home-based-agent-makes-her-dream-come-true-17075

Hopefully people who do read this will see that agents who are ACTUALLY a part of the agency are here posting our experiences with the agency. I can tell you that if you join the agency you will find our network of agents to be supportive and caring. I care enough about Jennifer to post here and even get abused by complete strangers! Other agents have also posted in support of her and the agency.

Dugans has a great group of agents and it all wouldn't have happened without Jennifer taking that leap.

Julie

Julie, my name is real. It is not my full name, but the name is real. The last time I looked in the mirror, I was me. It is also not the name of my agency.

My post was far from bashing Jennifer. That was not my intent. I would liken it far more to constructive criticism. I'm pretty sure an important part of her business portfolio, is her host agency. If I saw these posts, others are too.

Like I said, I wish her the best of luck. You as well. It was never my intention to 'pile on' and if that's the way I came across, I apologize. It sounds like she has some very loyal agents working with her, and yes, that does speak volumes.

I have no horse in this race, so I'll bow out.

Again...good luck.

If you don't mind some "constructive criticism" as you put it, your comments aren't anymore than helpful to anyone than what was already here. Because you are speaking your opinion based on not knowing anything about the agency. You are assuming things based on what you do not know. You don't know what the agency offers. You don't know what type of business woman Jennifer is.

Have you ever heard the term "You add fuel to the fire" This is what I felt you did and really what did it accomplish? You might say you wish us luck but what you said is permanent. Of course Jennifer knows about this website since she had to spend so much time dealing with it. Now your post is just another in many that paints a picture that really is totally wrong.

You might not have a horse in the race but you threw something from the stands that might hurt one of the horses. Just because you don't care who wins doesn't mean you can't do damage. Maybe next time you can think about whether you should get involved or stay on the sidelines and watch the race. You never know when you want to be part of the race. Now that is not an option as if you are using your real name.

Julie

You do not have to have a seller of travel license in every state to have a website. You can have a website and advertise that you only do business in a certain area, state, region, etc. Just because you have a website does not mean you are soliciting business from every state. If you actually run your business professionally you will know where each and every travel lives and you will keep records so you don't violate any laws.

Jennifer, every time you respond you just hang yourself more. The emails between you and Betty show that you and Barb are unprofessional. Companies have ongoing seminars and classes to teach their staff to not behave like you and Barb do. You should look into those classes. Rightnow, many people are getting desperate for income and those that choose to join the travel industry will come across your company and all the stuff that is said against it. You and only a handful of others are singing your praises while hundreds talk about all the negative of your company. You post emails that should be kept confidential. You bad mouth your past agents. You attack agents who voice their opinions on these message boards. Why would anyone in their right mind want to put themselves in a position to be attacked and have their personal business aired?

If you're an agent looking at Dugan's Travels, please do your research. Contact current and former agents. Find out why they left, what type of support they received. Ask if they were paid in a timely manner. And most important, ask if they would ever return if given the chance.

Trvl_luver-

You are very incorrect in stating that only a handful of people are happy while hundreds are not. Look at this message board - there are 3 people who have issues. "David" who started this by saying the agency is a scam and fraud which is totally untrue. He just didn't make money at his business so he was upset.

Then there is Alex123 which you can tell from his posts he has personal issues with Jennifer. He was attacking her not for business issues but personal ones.

Then Betty which happened due to her not getting what she wanted after being with the agency for many years.

No one can say that the agency failed to pay them or scammed them. It just isn't true. I get paid every month on time. I have never had issues with anything. There are many posts here from people saying the agency is fine and their experiences. There are testimonials on www.travelathome.com from real people proving that the agency is not a scam.

Again you are someone with no personal experience with the agency just putting in your "two cents".

People do need to do their research when they associate with any company. If people contact agents with the agency, they will see that agents are happy. And if need be, I will be happy to post to the agent chatlist that we need to come here and post they are happy. There are 600 or so of us and we could fill this up rather quickly if needed!

People need to take their personal agendas and move on. Unless you have facts to present, you really have no value to add.

Julie

I didn't think nooniemouse could stay away for more then two hours. It's her no doubt about it.

Why don t you dont you run along and play with Jason Tillo. noonie

julie watts -2 Votes
sure is, want ever change either

I have been doing some research on Dugan's and have seen many good and bad remarks. But I have to say that I find it strange that most of the postings here from different log in id names sound a lot like the same person. Also I have found that the very same subject that was started here from DAVID is also on [redacted] from a poster named RYAN from Beverly Hills, Florida...hmmm strange don't you think? Here is the link /URL removed/
I know it can be frustrating to be in the middle of something with a client and look for help and want immediate gratification but that is just not always possible. $130 and $10 bucks a month to start something or even just try it out is not a lot of money compared to other Host Agents I have found. For that mater theirs not a whole lot of Home Based Businesses you can start for that and actually feel comfortable with. If nothing else the experience itself is worth that! I am not taking either side here! Just saying you get what you pay for!
I have seen the website and seems to me that its pretty straight forward. Anyone looking into this company should take the extra time and read everything good and bad. You be the judge of what you are willing to deal with! I myself with most likely be going with Dugan's due to the fact that I am new at this and don't want to spend to much to soon! The way I see it this would be a good starter company!
Most here are hiding there identities I am not cause I have a backbone and can take the good and the bad that comes my way! To those that have posted on here saying you work for them I looked up the available agents and have only found 1 of you so you may want to check and be sure you paid your bill...or yes it could be that SOMEONE has made up a name to make POSITIVE replies to fight back. Who knows and who who really cares! The complaints here seem to be more on the support side with phone calls and email. You get what you pay for! This does seem to be the big issue I have read all over the internet. So maybe charge extra like $15 a month and hire someone to HELP WITH SUPPORT if you can not justify it in your budget! It would be worth your while to save and turn around your company reputation. This could be the breaking point for new agents simply cause if you have a potential client and they need help and I need help I would want support fairly quickly not in a day or two.
This is just my opinion...I am not a TA yet...but with a lot of hard work and patience I will be soon!
-Steph :)

I am finding valuable information to those interested in getting into the travel industry. I discovered this site after my last post and wanted to share it with those interested in choosing a host agency.
http://www.choosingahostagency.com/Host_Agency_History.asp
Steph :)

I have been an independent agent of Dugans Travels and so far I am very happy. It is great opportunity to get involved in travel sales with a great deal of business research already supplied. Any time you work as an agent with a company supplying you with things such as E& O insurance and suppliers, etc. already lined up, you should expect to pay some type of fee or percentage of commission. As far as support, all my email questions were answered in a very timely fashion with a network of other agent on your side.

Cathy Germann
Navigate To Paradise Travel

To whom it may concern:

I have been an agent with Dugan's Travels for a couple of years. As with any business, you will get out of it what you put into it. You must complete all of the training they require and actually push yourself further to branch out to online courses. To stay on top of things you must do a lot of researching and studying, making sure that you know the travel products you are going to sell. The training is there for everyone, in the form of Dugan's Travels own training or for that matter a Google search will bring up thousands of opportunities for free training. Everyone is encouraged by the agency to take other specialty courses as the product knowledge will help you be more comfortable in speaking with the clients, booking the vacation and helping plan an itinerary. It is up to each agent how much or little they do.

To speak the truth on another matter, they don't charge you to join the chat list as you mentioned. There is a charge for E&O insurance $50, which any respectable agent would have and an initial set up fee with the agency which I believe is around $80 for a total of $130. To renew your E&O insurance it is $50 a year, nothing else. For those agents that sell $3000 in travel a month, they waive the $10 monthly support fee. Honestly, $10 a month as a support fee with all of the important business contacts that we have is a deal! Again, avoid the fee by selling a trip or two that month. You have to put the effort into it for you to see a profit, as with any business. The chat list is what the agents make it, many will post needing help and have several other agents respond. It is very useful to have people knowledgeable about various destinations right at your fingertips when you need it! For that matter all of the files that are available to you at any time are a huge resource.

As far as calling the office and never any answer only voicemail, that may have been due to the office staff being on the phone with suppliers. Suppliers will call for a thousand different reasons, other agents will call in with questions, and remember they do sell travel as well. So, the office staff is very busy with the number of agents on board. I have personally gotten responses from various office personnel, including Jennifer. I have read every post that has been made on the list and have never felt that Jennifer or her staff has ever been hateful or out of line. Many times you may just get a short response so that she has time to answer another email from someone else, I can't imagine this offending people. Be thankful she has a thriving business especially in today's economy.

On your last note of "I think if people are paying a company to sell their product they would be a little nicer to their people." you have misspoken again. It is implied that she pays us to sell her product. This is false, as travel agents you are paid a commission through the suppliers that you deal with. You decide the supplier to book with, you make the booking, submit the proper forms and when the travel is complete and the supplier pays the commission to the agency, the agency in turn pays the agent their commission. At no time are you considered selling her product, you are selling the product(s) of the particular supplier you are working with. You do always have the option of going through all of the steps to have your own travel agency, IATAN, ARC, etc., Jennifer has worked very hard and has proven time and again that she is top in the field.

So; for the record, for the 1 person that is upset, there are 599 more that are extremely happy.

Wendy B

Pastagent: Trust me..not trying to stir the pot but I feel you need to realize something about a post you made. Everyone has a right to their own opinion and under the Constitution has a right to express them. I'm going to copy and paste so that it is word for word...

"The real reason I wanted to keep the affiliation was that I earned a IATAN card from Dugans and it expires in Sept. I KNEW that immediately upon learning that, Jennifer would have it invalidated. I also didn't think they needed to know that I have used Duans as an insurance policy for any bookings I wanted to close with vendors who don't accept a CLIA agency. I could run those bookings through Dugans. There is nothing illegal about doing that. It isn't like being a realtor where you have to have an affiliation with one company."

The problem I find with the post is that if you are making a booking with any vendor and are using Duans as you typed it, I'm sure a simple typo to mean Dugan's, insurance policy you may want to be aware of fraud issues. Meaning if you were making a booking for Dugan's Travels with all of the company information, it would be fine for you to use the policy as reference. However; if you are not associating the booking with Dugan's Travels you are not allowed to reference their policy. I say this because, should you make a booking, and heaven's forbid you make a mistake and the client wants it corrected at your expense and feels that it is your fault; you would not be able to use the E&O policy as the booking wasn't a true Dugan's Travel booking being attached through the vendor to Dugan's Travels. At this point you would need a policy of your own to cover yourself. Should a situation arise and the vendor find out you supplied them with false information, big issues. Not to mention if the E&O insurance company was contacted by the supplier or client to try to work out a resolution, they could bring fraud charges against you. In any situation it isn't a good business practice to give false information to anyone, think of yourself and business and realize the repercussions.

The phrase, "I could run those bookings through Dugans. There is nothing illegal about doing that. It isn't like being a realtor where you have to have an affiliation with one company." is incorrect as in order to benefit from the E&O policy rider with virtually any company, there are certain terms and conditions. You would have to run the booking through Dugan's Travels or use your own credentials to include referencing your own E&O insurance.

My hope was to inform you of correct procedure so that you and others reading don't set themselves up for a lawsuit from a vendor, client or E&O insurance company. With that being said, I hope the information is taken with kindness as it was meant.

Wendy B

Just checked this site after quite a while and saw the post from Wendy about using IATA and E&O. I just want to assure everyone that whatever I booked through Jennifer was done legally and when I booked it on my own, I used my CLIA and my E&O. I never needed to use E&O but I certainly wouldn't have sent a claim in to Dugans for something I booked independently. I'm not a crook. Besides that, the only way one could claim through Dugans would be to go through the administrators of her firm and they wouldn't give the info for something that they had no record of. And yes, Wendy, I know I worked for Dugans, not Duans. Just a typo! :-)

Dugan's is a SCAM I use to work with her company! I was lucky to leave and go on my own!
Jennifer is rude and talks to you like a child. Her website looks like so unprofessional I think a 5 year old could do a better job! She keeps the monthly fee down because she has a large turnover that is how she stays in business. Notice she never has her own booth at the trade shows because her company can't hold a candle to the big ones! She has nothing to offer because Jennifer has no new technology which you need to make your business run with more efficiency and have more time with your clients! Jennifer ropes you in with her stay- at- home- mommy routine and this works wonders on getting more woman onboard! She always has other people do her work for her also and Yvette and Barb follow her like a puppy!
I have to say they do a better job than her and she knows it. Stay away and if you can and find another host with more technology...! You may pay more a monthly fee but you will get more in return ! Also, she charges you a fee if you make a mistake on your commission statement and her e-mail she sends with it makes you feel as though you will get no dinner tonight and be sent to your room! LOL

Wow you sound like a angry person, Mommy Dearest. For someone who said they have moved on, you still seem to be very bitter. Have you ever looked into the cost for having a tradeshow booth at the events? They are very expensive. And it looks to me like Dugans is doing fine without paying for a tradeshow booth. I guess if they were doing booths, you would accuse them of using agents' money to pay for them. It sounds like a personal attack.

It looks like you messed up and got mad for being charged for it. Anyone can read through the lines on a post like this. You are bitter and angry. You have personal issues with the agency and instead of moving on like you said you did, you are attacking saying something is a scam. Do you know what SCAM means?

A fraudulent business scheme; a swindle.

If you are going to use words like SCAM.. you should know what it means. Does Dugans pay their agents? Do they promise you that you will make millions of dollars? Do they take money from you and not give you anything in return? Are they under investigation? Are they in trouble with any of the organizations or government? Have they done anything to you to qualify as a SCAM as you put it?

A scam is not someone talking to you like you do not like. If you get offended by how someone speaks to you, that does not mean it is a scam. If you get upset because you get charged a fee becuase you made a mistake, that is not a scam.

A website like this is meant for people to inform people of scams. This post is just junk. It provides no valuable information. It is just rantings from someone who got their feelings hurt because someone talked to you like a child. This post makes you look like a child. That might be why you were treated that way. You might consider taking your energy for personal attacks and do something with your time that is more useful.

If something is a scam, they need to be brought to people's attention. However just because you get upset because someone doesn't talk to you the way you want them, you can't say it is a scam.

I am a former agent with Dugan's Travels. I agree with the complainant. At first, I was happy with Dugans because it was my first experience with a host agency. However, I found that there is very little agent support in the way of training (and I am a self-starter and do not need hand holding). There is a "training course" that is on her agent website and is enough to walk you through one of the search engines so you can book travel. If you want more than that, find another host agency. I have had "lost" commissions and had to do my own research only to find they miraculously found it. Commissions were paid in about 60 days after travel and after inquiry received a snippy, boarderlining rude email in response.

The fees for this host is also out of line with other hosts that I have found as well.

All in all, it just wasn't for me.

I have since moved on and am completely and totally happy with my current situation. I hope this comment helps someone.

I am looking for a host agency but after reading theses posts, I realize that this company is not for me. I can't deal with the drama, unprofessionalism, and immaturity.

Dugans Travels disputes these negative responses. We are happy to talk to anyone who has a dispute or issue. However this website does not require any documentation or proof like the BBB and other organizations so we can only offer to those interested in our company to contact us. We can give references to those who want to verify that we work hard to handle any issues that someone comes to us with.

We will not reply to any posts made on this website because of the hateful and unprofessional nature.

Dugans Travels

Before today, I had never heard of Dugan's Travel, and that is a sad thing for Dugan's Travel because I am the Director of Sales at a large hotel in the downtown area of a major city.

How did I hear about Dugans? Simple, I was responding to a HotelPlanner lead where a Dugan's Agent expected a commission paid to her, as well as the one paid to Hotelplanner.

If that's the training that is provided, then I would steer clear of Dugan's.

At the same time, this person is only one of several hundred Dugan's travel agents.

If I was affiliated with Dugan's at all, I would have a couple serious concerns here.

1.) Someone who works in a major tourism market, and has for two years, has never heard of them.
2.) When you search for Dugan's the top two results are their website, which does look sadly unprofessional, and then this forum.

Those don't seem like great credentials to have.

I guess it's none of my business, since I already declined to bid on the HotelPlanner lead from someone who expects me to pay 20% in commissions (10% to them, 10% to HotelPlanner).

Attn: Dugans travels
It is unfortunate that this forum has turned into an uneventful bashing session. Your site was the very first sight I came across and it was informative. I am a previous small business owner who after 10 years chose to sell at a very good time. While refinery work pays well, we move with economy. I am looking for a side business and this line of business peaked my interest. My time is valuable so after much research, I will be giving your company a try. I hope your co company is what you say it is.
Kevin P.A.

Dear Director of Sales-

Please let us know what hotel you are sales manager of so that we can let our agents know you do not want our business. I am sure what our agent was asking was if you pay a commission since some of the hotels available to agents do not pay a commission and therefore if we sell it, we need to either charge a service fee or do it as a courtesy booking.

As far as not knowing about us, are you going to know about every travel agency out there? No. There are many agencies in the United States. However, we do have high standings with many organizations including ARC, IATAN, CLIA, and Vacation.com

We are the ONLY Funjet500 Club Agency in New Mexico.

We won Royal Caribbean's 2006 West Account of the Year.

We won Carnival Cruise Lines' Pinnacle Club Award in 2008.

We are an Apple Vacations Golden Apple agency.

I think you attacking one of our agents who was trying to give your hotel business is very unprofessional. I would highly doubt the owner of the hotel or the chain operator would find this appropriate.

We are happy to let our agents know to not to try to give you business in the future if you notify us what hotel you represent.

Jennifer Dugan
Owner of Dugan's Travels

I have been with Dugans for over a year and they have always paid every cent on time. Now, if you were expecting to be spoon fed ... one should affiliate with a local agency and spend ten hours a day in an office. If you want a home owned travel business where you can make the most in commissions and are willing to pay the price of time and effort, Dugans is great! I have friends who have been in the travel business for many years and they still do not make the % of commission that I have made with Dugans from day one. And, I have a host of participating agents that will answer my questions 24/7. No complaints here.

I have read several of these "accusations" and they are just that, unsubstantiated, and unfounded! I have been with Dugan's for over 3 years and have had nothing but positive results at every turn. Jennifer and her staff have been extremely helpful every time I have asked, and extremely patient I should add! I started with Dugan's with a simple desire to one day break the boundary of the brick and mortar. Bottom line, we home based agents must work for our money. I have done very well and have always been paid on time. I look forward to a long lucrative career with Dugans, and before people go degrading someone, some homework should be done!

Sincerly,
Rick Simard
Home Based Agent of Dugan's Travels