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Old May 26, 2012 | 5:44 pm
  #23  
Gambleballs
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: LAS
Posts: 113
Originally Posted by micooper
The link you provided takes you to the Secretary of State Division of Corporations. That just shows that they are a registered limited liability company in Iowa. It is not a license.

Moderator, you are correct that Cruise Compete claims it is not a travel agency, however Iowa law is clear in its definition of one: "Travel agency" means a person who represents, directly or indirectly, that the person is offering or undertaking by any means or method, to provide travel services for a fee, commission, or other valuable consideration, direct or indirect." It is a pretty broad definition.

Link to Iowa Code:
http://coolice.legis.state.ia.us/coo...ga=83&input=9D

Other states such as Florida, California and Washington have similar language.

Additionally, Cruise Compete registered a trademark with the USTPO and claimed they were a travel agency.
http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield...005:ddju51.2.1

Cruise Compete claims it is not a travel agency on its website, but markets cruises and makes commission on them (between 2 to 15%), sells shore excursions and travel insurance as well as other travel related services for which it receives fees or commissions.

Also, here is a link to the list of registered Iowa travel agents. Cruise Compete is not on this list.
http://sos.iowa.gov/business/pdf/TravelAgencies.pdf

I have an upcoming trip booked through them so I'm interested in what you have to say. However, as of now the only issues you have mentioned is that they seem to be a one man show operated out of his home, and may be bending the rules about travel agent registration. Can you please shed some light as to how they "burned" you?
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