When consumers attempted to claim their prize, they were told that the vacation actually cost several hundred dollars. Hundreds of Idaho consumers received the solicitations, Lance said in court documents. In future mailings to Idahoans, the companies have agreed to disclose that consumers are being asked to buy a vacation. Deceptive travel promotions are a recurring problem in Idaho and elsewhere. Travel promotions continue to appear on our top ten list of consumer complaints.
Most complaints regard out of state operators who conduct heavy, promotional blitzes.
The best thing to do with these solicitations is to throw them away. In addition to concluding these four actions, the Consumer Protection Unit is investigating the business practices of another vacation promoter. The FTC alleges that its solicitation misleads the public and constitutes a deceptive and unfair trade practice. TDD access is available.