I'm keeping an eye on this thread and am wondering if it's a misnomer that the US and UK agents charge more than in-country or continent reps.
Why, after all, would a S.Africa rep. charge less than a US rep. for a Bots. safari?
When I priced out my Tanzanian trip thru a US agent it came up less than all the Tanzanian operators I contacted including the land operator that my US co. contracted with for our safari.
Also, Lynn has stated that she booked her last couple of Bots. trips thru a US rep. b/c the price was the best. Can't speak for her, but in my case it doesn't matter where the rep. is based as long as price and quality rule.
My 2 cents;
Sherry

"Someone might want to use a US based agent if s/he lives in the US because they feel comfortable that they have consumer recourses not otherwise available"- bat

That's my main reason for using an Australia-based agent. It's certainly a good reason for starting off with a reputable and experienced home-based agent; as others have said, there's nothing like peace of mind during a new adventure. It has always been more important to me than cost, even though I can't be classed as 'well off'.

John