Settlement recovers $766,765 for 391 in KY after student Europe trip canceled
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Attorney General Daniel Cameron on Monday announced a $766,765 settlement with the company Voyageurs International, Ltd. to reimburse 391 Kentucky students and chaperones seeking refunds on a canceled European trip.
The students and their chaperones were unable to participate in the Voyageurs 2020 Kentucky Ambassadors of Music Tour after the company canceled the trip due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We were able to secure a full refund of the cancellation fee for Kentucky students and chaperones who had paid their deposit and planned to participate in the Voyageurs International trip to Europe,” Cameron said in a news release. “The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented hardships for many, and our Office of Consumer Protection worked to ensure this money is put back in the hands of Kentuckians through this settlement.”
Voyageurs International offers music students and chaperones scheduled trips to Europe for the students to perform music and to have cultural experiences.
Madison Case, a Harrison County High School student seeking a refund, told the Herald-Leader in a December letter that she thought Cameron should try to get a settlement.
“Attorney General Cameron should investigate the company and get an accurate accounting of true expenditures as well as refunds received from airlines, hotels, and other companies,” Case said in the letter.
The 2020 Kentucky Ambassadors of Music Tour also gave students the option to extend their trip to Greece for an additional fee. The company canceled the 2020 trip on March 16, 2020, following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 391 Kentucky students and chaperones had paid “significant” seat deposits to reserve their place on the trip, the news release said.
When Voyageurs International canceled the trip, the company retained $1,900 per participant as a cancellation fee.
“The company also deemed non-refundable the Greece extension deposit of $765 or $775, depending on the amount each participant paid,” the news release said.
Voyageurs International and the Office of the Attorney General resolved all claims surrounding the cancellation fees. Each of the 391 Kentucky participants will be directly refunded the full amount of the trip deposit they paid to Voyageurs International through the $766,765 settlement amount.
The attorney identified in the agreement as representing Voyageurs International could not be reached for comment Monday.