ROCHESTER, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) — Escapes Inc. and its owner, Constance Catanise, will pay $60,000 in restitution after allegedly conducting deceptive business practices, New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced.
Catanise charged consumers for international travel, including plane tickets, hotels and tours. Subsequently Catanise allegedly failed to make some of the bookings. In one specific case, consumers were purportedly stranded at the airport in Italy after learning at the last minute that Catanise had failed to make return bookings. In another instance, Catanise allegedly failed to secure round trip tickets for a group traveling to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
“Travelers who choose to employ the services of a booking agent do so for increased security, convenience and peace of mind,” Schneiderman said. “Because Catanise failed to perform the basic functions of her job, her customers forced into scary, stressful and very expensive situations. This settlement sends the message that business owners who do not provide the services for which they’ve been paid will be held accountable.”
In addition to the monetary restitution, Catanise can no longer operate as a travel consultant or travel promoter.
Assistant Attorney General James M. Morrissey in the Buffalo Regional Office handled the case.