The Cologne travel provider itravel has been in crisis for months, bookings have collapsed and holidaymakers have been stranded at the holiday resort. Now the boss is in custody and the company can no longer be reached. Customers ask what they can do now. A consumer advocate provides answers.
We report in almost every day star-Editorial team of customers of the Cologne travel provider itravel. He had been reporting for months star again and again about the online provider for individual luxury trips that has gotten into trouble. In April, many customers at stern.de learned that the colorful itravel managing director Axel Schmiegelow had been arrested. Schmiegelow, 51, has been in custody since April 2, 2024 and the future of his group of companies seems more uncertain than ever.
His closest employees left the company shortly after the arrest and the travel provider can no longer be reached by phone. The itravel website is now offline, and emails to itravel.de addresses can no longer be delivered. Several customers reported this star agreed to have received a mass email with the same message last week. She began by saying, “We are sincerely sorry for not contacting you until now. If you are receiving this email then you have most likely booked a trip with us that cannot go ahead.” The email did not answer what happens next for the customers who have booked and paid for supposed dream trips worth tens of thousands of euros. It ended with the note that the itravel travel advisors “neither bear responsibility for the situation nor can they do anything to change it.” Schmiegelow’s lawyer answered questions star unanswered.
Source: Stern
