Indiana AG Files Complaint Against Florida Travel Firm
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowHoosiers who thought they were taking the vacation of a lifetime were simply “taken,” according to a civil complaint filed by Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill against a Florida-based travel company.
The complaint filed in Marion County accuses Executive Tour and Travel Services Inc. of deceptive and unfair business practices that “harmed hundreds of Hoosiers and violated Indiana laws.”
The AG’s office says the company offered travel certificates designed to make consumers believe they had been awarded a free vacation.
However, to activate their “award,” consumers were required to pay hidden charges, such as a $50 activation deposit, a nonrefundable booking fee and a non-refundable agency fee.
“This company severely misrepresented the nature of its ‘awards’ and cost Hoosiers – most of whom never took the vacation they believed they would receive – thousands of dollars,” said Hill.
They Attorney General said many who submit their preferred destinations and dates never hear back from the company or were told their requests are “unavailable.”
According to the complaint, after consumers paid fees and chose a city and date for their vacation, they learned that most dates were unavailable or are subject to further charges due to weekends, holidays and peak seasons.
Of the nearly 500 Indiana consumers who paid the company an activation fee between Jan. 1, 2017, and Oct. 31, 2019, 48 had hotel rooms booked for their use.