Two unregistered agents in Ontario get jail time: TICO

Two unregistered travel agents in Ontario have been sentenced to jail time after pleading guilty to multiple offences under the province’s Travel Industry Act, 2002.

The Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) shared the update in a bulletin Thursday (Dec. 4), calling it a case “that affected the travel plans of dozens of consumers.”

Bobby Singh has been sentenced to 60 days in jail and two years of probation; Rajsri Modhvadia has been sentenced to 60 days in jail and two years of probation; and RM Legal & Business Services Inc. has been fined $43,750, inclusive of the victim surcharge.

These sentences follow guilty pleas for operating as travel agents without TICO registration, and in Rajsri Modhvadia’s case, failing in their duties as an Officer and Director to prevent the corporation from committing offences, TICO says.

Consumer losses related to Singh, Modhvadia and RM Legal & Business Services Inc. total $62,660, according to TICO.

While a small portion of this amount has been repaid, Bobby Singh, Rajsri Modhvadia and RM Legal & Business Services Inc. have been ordered to pay $58,160 in restitution to the affected consumers.

The Justice of the Peace noted the ongoing and intentional nature of the misconduct, which demonstrated a heightened level of moral blameworthiness in this case, TICO says.

Singh, Modhvadia and RM Legal & Business Services Inc. promoted themselves as ticket brokers, offering discounted airfare to consumers, TICO says.

They collected consumer funds for both domestic and international airfare, without providing the travel services consumers had purchased or issuing refunds.

Consumers would find out last-minute that their flights had not been booked, requiring some consumers to rebook expensive last-minute flights.

In one instance, this conduct disrupted the travel plans of 85 individuals who were unable to travel to a destination wedding.

TICO is urging consumers to beware of travel deals that seem too good to be true.

It offers a free online directory here where consumers can verify if they are booking with a TICO-registered travel business.

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