Aug 18, 2007 12:54 am US/Pacific
Call Kurtis: Sour Suntrips Deal
by Kurtis Ming
(CBS News)
A viewer's plans for a trip to Cancun were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina but it was the travel company she used that really blew her out of the water.
Linda Lopes is a mother of five and a grandmother of seven. As her 50th birthday approached, she decided it was time to pamper herself.
"I thought this will be great. Let's treat myself and my husband to my 50th dream vacation," said Lopes.
The destination: An exotic Cancun resort called moon palace. Her travel agent booked the entire vacation with Suntrips with a total cost of about $3000.
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"We were almost there and then Katrina hit," said Lopes.
Suntrips offered to reschedule the trip at a different resort for more money. That didn't fit Linda's budget, so she canceled the trip and asked for a refund. But before she got the money, Suntrips went under.
"Suntrips was a good company. They started losing money, taking passenger's money, and then they started criminally keeping money. So they're not around anymore, they're bankrupted," said Alexander Anolik, travel analyst.
Linda contacted American Express, her credit card company. She had paid for the trip with a low interest rate check that comes in the mail.
"Using these credit checks or credit card checks still should be as valid as using their credit card," said Lopes.
But she may be out of luck since the credit checks don't offer the same protection as a credit card.
"The checks look good, but from the standpoint of federal protection, there is no protection," said Anolik.
Linda's lesson is a costly one. To avoid problems like this, book your trip with a reputable travel agency. Pay by credit card. Buy travel insurance through a third party. Linda's mistake was buying it through Suntrips.
Meanwhile, Linda continues to pay the monthly bill for a trip she never took.
"I paid faithfully to have a dream come true and that was taken away," said Lopes.
Linda could have applied for a refund from the travel consumer restitution fund, but she missed the one year deadline. The fund was set up to help California travelers in situations like Linda's.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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