This is happening now to a friend of mine.and I am interested ih how AR members think it should be handled.
A friend of mine booked an Alaskan bear hunt thru a booking agent and paid the booking agent the required deposit. The booking agent then contacted an outfitter and arranged the hunt. Later the outfitter sold the business to another outfitter who will not honor the booking made by the outfitter from whom he purchased the business. ( Iam not certain if the new purchaser bought the business or just the assets.)
Anyway, my friend is out his deposit and wants to hold the booking agent responsible. The agent says that what happened was beyond his control and will not give him a refund.
Now what?

Sue both the original booking agent and the original outfitter. Then they can cross-claim against each another and fight it out in court. I would also suspect that the original booking agent or original outfitter spent the deposit and that is, in part, why the second outfitter will not recognize the hunt.

I would sue all three of them. That gets all three in front of a judge and they can argue among themselves about who owes the money -- because one of them sure as hell does. The judge will have little patience for that sort of finger pointing.

On second thought, sue all three of them, and let them fight it out. Someone will most likely want to settle it before the true facts become known.

First contact the AK Guides and Outfitters Assoc and the overseeing State agency and file a formal complaint. This may save you a lot of legal fees.

I also would like to hear who the booking agent is. What reason does one go thru an agent if not to be protected from this sort of thing?

The booking agent is a crook. To be protected from this sort of thing is one of the reasons to use an agent. I'd sue all three of them.

Who are the parties involved (agent and outfitters)?

A phone call to the Attorney Generals office might be a place to start?

quote:

sue all three of them, and let them fight it out.

Sounds like a marine "shoot em all and let God sort them out." That being said, I agree with the suggestion.

Please post the name of the outfitter and agent.

What did the contract say about the agent's responsibilities? Was the agent to retain any of the money until the hunt took place?

The Alaskan guide's association and law enforcement might be a good start.

Here is some contact info where your friend will get some answers .....

Contact Information
Mail: P.O. Box 110806
Juneau, AK 99811-0806

Karl Marx (A-K)
Licensing Examiner
Karl.Marx@alaska.gov
Phone: (907) 465-2543
Fax: (907) 465-2974

Cynthia Spencer (L-Z)
Licensing Examiner
Cynthia.Spencer@alaska.gov
Phone: (907) 465-2691
Fax: (907) 465-2974

Investigations/Complaints

To file a complaint or to bring a matter pertaining to the actions of a licensed, or unlicensed, professional to the attention of our investigative staff, please send an email to: investigations@alaska.gov

I agree with the advice. But do the least expensive thing first and file the complaint with the licensing agency. And please post the Names and contact information of the Booking Agent and Both Guide services involved.

Tim

Bwana1:
Hey!! What's the latest?
Bear in Fairbanks

I would say the booking agent was responsible as I have had booking agents who I did not know call me from out of the blue and tell me they had sold one of my hunts and that they were sending me a deposit. Since I seldom use a booking agent i just told them no deal.
Booking agents are middle men taking a cut out of someone's pocket book. Some are good and earn their money by doing a lot of leg work for both the outfitter and the client but all too many simply play both sides against the other and always blame the other party when something goes wrong.
I also put part of the blame on the hunter as well as he should have received a signed contract explaining the deals of the agreement.

quote:

Originally posted by larrys01:
A phone call to the Attorney Generals office might be a place to start?

The above is a good idea.

1. The Alaska Guide and Outfitter assoc' will not do squat about this. You may get lip service, nothing more.

2. If they stole your friends money and this is true, and you want to help your friend and I hope you want to protect others from having this happening to them. Then why are you not naming the two outfitters and the booking agent?

So much for booking agents protecting you. Now you know why I do not use booking agents.

3. File a complaint with the AK. Guide & Outfitter licensing board.

4. File a Police report for larceny, or grand larceny, fraud, etc. You did not even say how much the deposit was.

It seems to me if you want help, like you said you did, then you need to provide facts and the detailed pertinent information, so we can help you and protect others at the same time.

5. Find out if who the insurance co. is for whomever your friend paid the money to and try to file a cliam, quick.

6. if the money went thru the boking agent, find out who licenses him (Sept. of State?) and make a complaint, if he is required to have insurance to be licensed. Get that information and file a claim to his insurnace co.

7. Spread the word on the internet and use the power of the web to force them to pay.

8. Get a lawyer and sue all invloved parties, let the judge decide who has liability. Someone must.

9. Your friend should notify The Hunting Report Newsletter about what happened. If he is not a member and is a traveling hunter, then shame on him. They will go to bat for him and exert pressure as they have done in these cases so many times in the past.

10. File Negative hunt reports with the N.R.A., S.C.I., N.A.H.C., A.R. and The Hunting Report Newsletter.

11. The current outfitter will be damaged by this whether he likes it or not. Get him to go to bat for you with the unknown guy who he bought the business from. If he won't play ball, then hang him too.


Don't ask me how I learned this stuff.

If that does not help. You may P.M. me for other ideas, provided you provide all facts, nothing left out.

Good Luck.