In a recent article on Kitchenertoday.com, Writer Phi Doan states that “many travel agencies are falling back on their terms and conditions, making it difficult to impossible for a refund” and that Canadians still dealing with cancelled plans “may have to accept a travel voucher over a full refund.” He went to to report that even the Better Business Bureau of Ontario may not be able to do much about it.
In the article, Doan states that the BBB has already received 262 formal complaints in just the last week about not being able to get a refund for cancelled trips. The president of the BB Patrick McKeen told Kitchener Today that “Although there’s been lots of information in the news around getting full refunds, it’s still within the terms and conditions of the ticket that were booked, for the travel operator to offer a voucher instead of a full refund.”
Originally some travel agencies did offer refunds, but soon after it became apparent that more and more countries were closing their borders, most of them stopped due to the heavy loses the travel and hospitality industries started to suffer.
McKeen said that “it was best to be flexible and reschedule your trip, or take the travel voucher for now.” He even said it is important to always read the terms and conditions whenever you make travel plans.
One things customer’s don’t have to worry about however is losing their compensation if the travel agency falls under. McKeen said that “as long as that agency was registered with the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO), they can take advantage of their compensation fund and be fully reimbursed.”
If you still want to file a complaint about your travel plans with the BBB, you can contact them at bbb.org, or by phone at 519-579-3080.