In Reply to: making own arrangements posted by Angela on Thursday, 14. April 2005 at 17:03 Bali Time:
Last August we were in Bali for 31 days. We flew Air Paradise from Perth and pre-booked 6 nights at Bali Ayu in Seminyak and 4 nights at the Tjampuhan in Ubud. The rest of the time we made our own arrangements just like I have done repeatedly.
We called in to have a look at Bali Mystique and got talking to a Perth man who was staying there with his wife. They had been to Bali several times and were in their middle years. We got the impression that he was the kind of man who "knew his way around". Unfortunately he had accepted the advice of his agent.
He told us that he had tried to book 5 nights at the Bali Ayu to get a package deal for a month, so that they could make their own arrangements for the rest of the time at Bali Mystique.The agent had told him that this could not be done and sold him two full price return tickets. I would presume that this would have given the agent a generous commission.
This kind of dishonesty needs exposing. Agents who go on like this are like the dishonest money changers of Bali, they give the whole industry a bad name and make it more and more difficult for the efficient ethical ones.