Complaint Review: REKO TOURS/SUNNY VACATIONS/CARIBBEAN ESCAPE

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to I inform you of illegal and fraudulent actions that a Travel Agency that has a current IATA and/or TRUE number and does business as Reko Tours/Sunny Vacations/Caribbean Holidays as well as the websites listed below at the end of this email. 

The agency is currently located in Brooklyn New York. It's " managers " are George Tsapelas  and Vicky Stephaneau. 

I had a contracted with Reko Tours for 26 rooms at the Riu Palace Aruba Resort May 24-28, 2012. After being in constant contact with the agency and the reservation specialist at Riu corporate and after making full payment of over $43,000.00, I was assured everything was in place for my group. 

Upon arriving at the resort and shortly after my group began to check in, I discovered thru numerous phone calls, emails, text messages, and faxes that Reko Tours' check payments to the Riu Palace Aruba for my group had bounced and my entire group had been canceled for non-payment. 

I paid Reko Tours in full and they never paid the resort.  I was made to secure the group's stay that weekend using my personal American Express Credit Card for which I am disputing, for the second time. I was in a foreign country with 48 clients, a wedding ceremony, and a anniversary celebration with the threat of being locked out of rooms for non-payment. I have emails, text messages and voice mail from George Tsapelas indicating he was having trouble with the resort, but him making payment to Riu Resorts on behalf of my group has nothing to do with me.  I have since retained an attorney, contacted the Better Business Bureau, the Brooklyn Attorney General's Office Consumer of Protection Affairs and the Attorney General's Office of Internet Fraud. I wanted to make the travel agent/agency/consortium/host agency community aware of this criminal activity.  He continues to do business using the above names and has also scammed others.  I am in contact with an agent who also had to repay once she arrived at the Riu Resort in Mexico. Ms Geraci and other agents were on a FAM trip booked by Reko Tours/Sunny Vacations/Caribbean Escape. They too filed with American Express to retrieve their money back. A Vice Principal from Tennesee booked air travel using Reko Tours for a group of students traveling to Europe. He was scammed out of $25,000.00 due to the agency not booking the flights/changes to the flight. Mr Kimbrough has filed a complaint with the Tennesee District Attorney regarding the agency. The agency is still doing business.

I am still pursing a civil case as well as a criminal case. I am seeking to involve the US District Attorney since he has scammed people using the internet and across state lines. His information is below, PLEASE WARN AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN about his criminal activity. The below is an email sent to me regarding his taking my $43,000.00 and trying to repay me. The $4,000.00 check that he sent to me bounced! I can provide documentation and other proof of the above charges. Please contact me if you are willing to help me with my case or need additional information to ban this agency from doing business with you or your clients.