Clients Seeks Refunds From Bankrupt Travel Agency

While fraud investigators determine whether Apollo Travel Service of Ranch Palos Verdes broke any laws before declaring bankruptcy in July, scores of the company’s former clients are trying to get back at least some of the $340,000 they paid for vacations they were unable to take.

Calling themselves the Victims of Apollo Travel, the irate ex-clients are to meet tonight with travel law expert Susan Tanzman-Kaplan to see what recourse they have. The meeting will start at 7 p.m. in the Doubletree Hotel in San Pedro, a representative of the group said.

Tanzman-Kaplan, a Marina del Rey attorney, is the owner of a travel agency and a director of the American Society of Travel Agents, a watchdog national trade association. She previously chaired the society’s national consumer affairs committee.

In addition to explaining criminal and bankruptcy laws that may apply in the Apollo Travel case, Tanzman-Kaplan said she will spell out legal options available to the former clients in civil court.

Apollo Travel, owned by Karen Sue Reindle of Rancho Palos Verdes, shut its doors July 3, leaving about 140 customers in the lurch.

Angry South Bay clients reported that only days before the closing, Reindle was taking in money and booking reservations. But when clients tried to pick up tickets and travel documents, they found the doors locked and a sign posted saying the company was filing for bankruptcy. Dozens of vacations, at least one honeymoon and two 50th wedding anniversary cruises were canceled as a result.

Hardest hit by the closure were a group of 66 relatives and friends who planned to join Froilan and Nell Fernandez on their 50th wedding anniversary cruise through Alaska’s inland passage. Nell Fernandez reported that the group lost at least $85,000 to Apollo.

Reindle had operated the travel service successfully for nearly 15 years and for most of that time was a member in good standing in the travel agent society. She let her membership lapse a year ago, a society official said.

Apollo’s attorney, Henri Rick Schuller, had no comment on tonight’s meeting. He said the company had fallen on hard times and was forced into bankruptcy. He advised Apollo clients to file their claims with the bankruptcy court.

Detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department have seized all of the travel agency’s records and are investigating whether any criminal laws have been violated, officials said.