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UA, FTC lawyers warn against possible travel company fraud

A college travel service that left UA students stranded last year is organizing spring break trips once again.

In the last three years, more than 30 students have filed complaints against College Tours, a travel corporation based in Phoenix. Currently, the Federal Trade Commission and the Arizona Attorney General's Office have lawsuits pending against the company.

But the litigation hasn't stopped College Tours, run by Cerkvenik-Anderson Travel Inc., from doing business as usual at the University of Arizona, and UA and FTC representatives emphasize caution in dealing with the company.

Susan Ferrell, ASUA Legal Services advisor, said she is wary of College Tours' advertising and business on campus.

"Anything that doesn't sound like it would be in the normal course of business should be questioned," she said.

A group of students vacationing in Mazatlan last year was stranded at the airport and had to buy one-way tickets at the last minute to get back to the United States, Ferrell said.

Anastasia Charlton, a marketing senior, bought a spring break travel package to Mazatlan through College Tours this year. She said she heard of some troubles with the company last year, but the company told her "they had shaped up their act."

Still, Charlton had her doubts.

"For example, (a representative of College Tours) said it would be a direct flight from Phoenix to Mazatlan, but when I called the airline we're using, they said they don't offer direct flights there," she said.

Ferrell said promises of direct flights when none exist is a red flag

Charlton also wasn't sure about the method of payment.

"We downloaded the application off the Internet, filled it out, faxed it to them with payment, and they said they'll send the tickets a few days before leaving," she said. As of Tuesday, she still hadn't received the tickets.

Charlton went to another travel company, Mexico Travel and Tours, to ask about College Tours reputation and procedures. She said Don Ledbetter, head of Mexico Travel and Tours, assured her these are standard industry practices and College Tours has been in business for more than three decades.

Charlton said Ledbetter did not tell her that College Tours was being sued, or that Mexico Travel and Tours operates under Cerkvenik-Anderson Travel Inc.'s corporate umbrella.

"I'm not nervous, though," she said. "I've got receipts and names in case something goes wrong."

The State of Arizona alleges that Cerkvenik-Anderson Tours misrepresented "the quality of hotels; availability of such essentials as beds, clean linen and running water; that there would be at least 10 days notice of departure times and dates; and failing to disclose that transportation delays of up to 48 hours were possible so that customers were stranded at airports both in Mexico and in the United States with no flights to their destinations."

College Tours could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Nadine Samter, an FTC attorney based in Seattle, said it is imperative that students are aware of the lawsuit before involving themselves with the company.

"They are being sued for violations of regulations provided in the Consumer Fraud Act," she said.

One of the main complaints has been that College Tours has not been providing proper notice about charter flights, Samter said.

She added that students told her they got something different than what they thought they were signing up for.

"Students said a lot of the activities centered around sex and alcohol, which wasn't what they were expecting," she said.

Samter recommends students should file complaints with the Better Business Bureau or with the FTC if they encounter problems on their spring break this year.

"We encourage students to complain because if they don't, we have no way of knowing what this company is doing," she said. "With very cheap trips, corners are going to be cut. All travel companies shaft kids to some degree, but some are worse than others."

Josh Hirons, a 1999 UA graduate, said he is still angry about his experiences with College Tours last year.

He said he was in a small airport in Cancun, Mexico, for almost a day waiting before the airline finally informed him which flight he was taking.

"When I heard about the flight leaving at 6 a.m. the next day, I was furious," he said.

The delay at the airport was just one frustration his group of about 20 students faced that week. They rode around on a bus for hours looking for hotels after their reservations had been canceled. Passes for cruises and drink specials they thought were exclusive turned out to be unnecessary and a waste of money.

"They told us the trip was going to be one thing and it turned out to be completely another," said Hirons, who has yet to receive even a partial refund.