A Burnaby travel agency tucked inside a Korean shopping plaza on North Road was one of the few shops with darkened windows on a busy Monday afternoon.
No one at Skyline tours answered the phone on Monday, and the phone’s mailbox was full, according to the outgoing message. The company’s website, www.gosky.ca, was down as well.
Skyline Tours has closed up shop, according to Consumer Protection B.C., which announced it had suspended its licence Friday.
“While I can’t speak to the specific details of this investigation, we are aware that some consumers have already been impacted by this closure,” Tatiana Chabeaux-Smith, corporate spokesperson for Consumer Protection B.C., said in a press release.
Consumer Protection B.C. recommends that anyone who booked travel arrangements through the company confirm that everything has been booked and paid for, including reservations, flights and tours.
If travellers find that the travel arrangements cannot be confirmed or haven’t been booked, the agency recommends they talk to the airline, hotel or tour operator to determine if there are options to rebook and contact a B.C.-licenced travel agent to see if they can help book alternative travel.
For those wanting a refund for services they did not get, Consumer Protection suggests contacting credit card companies for any services purchased that way, to see if the companies will reverse the charges. Travellers can also contact their travel insurance providers to see if the costs can be recovered (if they have travel insurance).
If travellers cannot recover funds for services they didn’t receive, they can make a claim with Consumer Protection B.C. against B.C.’s Travel Assurance Fund. When doing so, travellers should include a record of correspondence with the credit card and/or insurance provider. Claims to the fund must be filed within six months of the date the services are not provided, according to the release.
The Travel Assurance Fund covers a maximum of $5,000 per person, and should be used as a last resort to recover lost funds, the release stated. It does not cover alternate travel or price increases due to rebooking.
For more information, go to www.travelrightsbc.ca.
