Business ProfileforVoyageurs International, Ltd.

According to information in BBB files, this business is no longer in business.

Various State Attorney General's - In the matter of Voyageurs International Ltd.

The following describes a government action that has been resolved by either a settlement or a decision by a court or administrative agency. If the matter is being appealed, it will be noted below.

On December 29, 2020, State of Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr announced that the Georgia Attorney General’s office has entered into a Consent Judgment with Voyageurs International Ltd. (“Voyageurs”) and its owner, Gilford Mahaffy, to resolve allegations that the company unlawfully retained a $1,900 cancelation fee from numerous high school music students and their families who had prepaid for a trip to Europe that was subsequently unilaterally canceled by the company due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Consent Judgment, which was filed with the Court on December 29, 2020, requires Voyageurs to pay $231,560.00 in restitution to the Attorney General’s Office to be disbursed in its entirety to the affected Georgia consumers. 

On December 30, 2020, Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced that music travel company Voyageurs International must pay more than $464,000 for full refunds to 235 Washington students who signed up for the company’s 2020 European tours. The Colorado-based company, which organizes yearly tours to Europe for high-school musicians, unlawfully charged each of the 235 Washington students at least $1,900 in cancellation penalties after the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the company cancelling its July 2020 European tours. The company also illegally retained an additional $775 fee, for a total of $2,675 per student, from 23 students who signed up to extend their tour to Greece.

Where a travel agency like Voyageurs cancels a consumer’s travel, Washington law allows the travel agency to recoup its losses by charging consumers cancellation penalties if the company was appropriately transparent with the consumer about the potential for those penalties. When the travel agency cancels, the law prohibits travel agencies from charging cancellation penalties greater than those the company incurs from its third-party vendors — such as airlines or hotels. Voyageurs failed to lawfully disclose the risk of penalties and illegally charged consumers penalties greater than what the company incurred from its vendors.

Voyageurs deceived its customers by sending them a letter claiming the company “paid out more than $1,900 per student for the upcoming tour season that it cannot recoup.” That statement was false. In reality, the company was able to recoup more than 60 percent of what it charged consumers.

Under the consent decree, filed in King County Superior Court, Voyageurs is legally required to pay the full refund amount to the Attorney General’s Office. The office will then contact the Washington students and their families directly to set up their full refund.

Questions about this refund may be directed to Khalid Ali in the Consumer Protection Division at [email protected]. Consumers may report any unfair or deceptive business practices to the Consumer Protection Division by filing a complaint at https://www.atg.wa.gov/file-complaint.

On January 15, 2021, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison today announced that as part of a settlement with his office, travel company Voyageurs International must pay $664,835 to account for full refunds to 344 Minnesota music students signed up for the company’s 2020 European “Ambassadors of Music” tour. The Assurance of Discontinuance, filed in Ramsey County District Court, resolves an investigation by Attorney General Ellison’s office into whether the company, which organizes annual tours to Europe for high-school students, fairly and truthfully communicated with and charged fees against participants related to the cancellation of its 2020 tour.   

On February 2, 2021, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) 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. Under the agreement, Voyageurs will issue the refund to DATCP. The agency will then contact affected students and their families beginning in May 2021 to arrange payments.

On February 15, 2021, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron secured a $766,765 settlement with travel company Voyageurs International, Ltd. to reimburse Kentucky students and chaperones for 2020 trips cancelled because of the COVID pandemic.

On Feb 19, 2021, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt secured $426,000 in restitution for customers of travel company Voyageurs International Ltd. in a settlement of charges that the company unlawfully imposed cancellation fees for 2020 European trips for high school students cancelled due to the pandemic.

On March 2, 2021, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller settled with travel company Voyageurs International Ltd, obtaining $610,430 in consumer refunds and resolving allegations that it violated the Iowa Travel Agencies and Agents law, Door-to-Door Sales Act, and Consumer Fraud Act related to trips cancelled because of the pandemic.

On March 2, 2021, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring obtained more than $300,000 for Virginia students from Voyageurs International, Ltd. related to allegedly unlawful trip cancellation practices. The company’s 2021 summer European student trips were cancelled due to the pandemic and it allegedly retained $1,900 cancellation fees to which the disappointed travelers were entitled.

On March 8, 2021, Colorado State Attorney General Phil Weiser announced, Voyageurs International, will provide refunds to about 400 Coloradans after withholding fees for music trips to Europe that it canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the settlement, Voyageurs agreed to refund those withheld fees, which include $793,300 in cancellation fees to Colorado customers, and $59,925 to residents of other states.

On June 25, 2021, California State Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a proposed settlement against Voyageurs International, Ltd. (Voyageurs), resolving allegations that the Colorado-based travel agent offered only partial refunds for a cancelled European trip for California high school students and improperly pocketed their clients’ remaining fees. The settlement, once approved by the court, requires Voyageurs to provide a full refund to its 130 California consumers, for a total of approximately $247,000 in restitution. The terms of the California settlement also prohibit Voyageurs from charging consumers any cancellation fees in instances where they are unable or unwilling to provide the travel services purchased. Voyageurs must also comply with all provisions of the Seller of Travel Act and with all California consumer protection laws.

In each of these cases, Voyageurs did not admit any violation, nor was it required to pay civil penalties or costs and fees. Voyageurs has either repaid each Participant in full, sent payment, or paid the state so the state could pay the Participant, depending on the preference of the state.

For more information, please contact the Colorado Attorney General’s Office at https://coag.gov/ or (720) 508-6000.