Can a Vrbo take $31,995 from your bank account and leave you with nothing? It happened to Gerry Bauer. Here’s how to make sure it doesn’t happen to you.
Our visit to Northwest Florida took us to Grayton Beach State Park near Seaside, Fla., a place known for its beautiful sand dunes and beaches.
But there’s another side to the park with century-old pine trees, dune lakes and exotic-looking plants. That’s where we went.
We had the privilege of spending the morning with Snookie Parrish, a nature-based certified outfitter with the Beaches of South Walton.
I think it’s best if I get out of the way and let the pictures do all the talking.
Half the East Coast is stuck in a blizzard. We are not.
But don’t feel too envious. It’s 34 degrees in Seaside, Fla., and the powerful wind gusts coming off the Gulf of Mexico make it feel even colder.
The beach looks deceptively warm and inviting, but you have to bundle up to really enjoy it. There is something to enjoy, though: The solitude of being at a summer resort during the off-season, when you can practically have the entire place to yourself.
Seaside, Fla., may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of a holiday destination. Maybe it should be.
Alright, the weather was cool and rainy when we arrived yesterday. I took this picture almost exactly a year ago, on clear but equally chilly day. But it’s just as empty.
Only a few people have trekked down here from even colder places to spend the holidays. Smart choice.
Remember Revelex, the Boca Raton, Fla.-based online booking company whose name came up a time or two during the Palm Coast Travel episode earlier this year?
Palm Coast Travel, you’ll recall, was fined $2,500 for selling unlicensed travel insurance through a company called Prime Travel Protection. Some observers alleged a connection between Revelex, Palm Coast Travel and Prime Travel Protection, although a link was never proven.
Well, this afternoon, a source with the state of Florida sent me a settlement agreement (PDF) that suggests there may have been a link between Revelex and Prime Travel Protection.
Looks like Palm Coast Travel, the Boca Raton, Fla., agency accused by the state of Florida of selling unauthorized travel insurance, while at the same time trying to sue one of its own customers and me into silence, has quietly negotiated a settlement with insurance regulators.
A fresh round of public records released by the state of Florida’s Department of Financial Service this morning reveals a “medal count” of complaints against travel agencies alleged to have sold illegal travel insurance, as well as the number of claims and their estimated value.
Florida’s Department of Financial Services is in the early stages of a far-reaching investigation into the activities of Palm Coast Travel and its affiliated companies, according to documents released this week under the state’s Public Records Act.
The documents also raise new questions about the relationship between Access America, the largest travel insurance company in the world, and Palm Coast Travel, which also does business online as Smartcruiser.com.
In a prepared statement, Access America yesterday suggested its current and future relationship with Palm Coast, which is accused of selling unlicensed insurance, is an internal matter.
“Thus far we have been contacted by both customers identified in the Florida investigation and we are working to resolve each matter appropriately,” a spokesman said. “Access America will continue to take steps consistent with providing ongoing care for its customers.”
