The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has announced that Voyageurs International, Ltd., will refund a total of $636,500 to 335 Wisconsin consumers for payments made for the company’s 2020 European tour.
The Colorado-based company canceled the trip on March 17, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the cancellation, they withheld a $1,900 cancellation fee from each high school music student and adult chaperone who had prepaid for the trip.
Voyageurs claimed that this fee was withheld due to non-refundable amounts paid to third-party vendors, as well as general operating costs of the business. After receiving complaints from consumers and conducting a thorough investigation, DATCP found that Voyageurs received substantial refunds from these third-party vendors but failed to pass these recouped fees on to their customers.
