Company to refund unlawful fees for canceled student trip, Attorney General’s Office says
A company that charged high school musicians unlawful fees for a canceled trip to Europe will refund the families, the Attorney General’s Office said this week.
Voyageurs International canceled the July 2020 trip in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and then charged 235 Washington students cancellation fees of at least $1,900. It was $2,675 for 23 students who had planned to go on an extended trip to Greece.
At least 70 of those students are from Pierce County, the Attorney General’s Office said.
“Avoiding travel during a worldwide pandemic is the right thing to do,” Attorney General Bob Ferguson said in a statement Wednesday. “Deceiving consumers about the costs incurred is not. Today, we ensured these hardworking families will get their money back.”
Ferguson argued the company violated the Sellers of Travel Act and the Consumer Protection Act, and a consent decree filed in King County Superior Court now requires the company to pay $464,000 to fully refund the families.
“Under Washington law, if travel agencies like Voyageurs cancel a trip, they can only charge consumers for the cancellation penalties imposed by its third-party vendors — such as airlines or hotels — and only if those penalties are timely and properly disclosed in a written statement to the consumer,” the press release from the Attorney General’s Office said.
The 16-day tour cost $6,345, and the four extra days in Greece were an additional $2,075.
The Colorado-based company told families in March that it had paid more than $1,900 per student that it couldn’t recoup, but: “In reality, the company was able to recoup more than 60 percent of what it charged consumers,” the news release said.
Questions about the refund can be sent to Khalid.Ali@atg.wa.gov.
