Cook County State's Attorney's Office:
Press Releases

Richard A. Devine
Cook County State's Attorney
500 Richard J. Daley Center
Chicago, IL 60602
(312) 603-3423

The Cook County State's Attorney's Consumer Fraud Division filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the owner of a Chicago travel agency for failing to give refunds to travelers who were falsely told they were booked for Caribbean cruises when they were not.

Stacey Parish d/b/a Serenity Travel Services, located at 15637 Rose Drive, South Holland, Ill., is named in the suit, which alleges violations of the Illinois Travel Promotion Consumer Protection Act and the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.

According to the suit, Stacey Parish took deposits from consumers in connection with three separate cruises, but never booked passage on the cruises for these consumers, and gave no refunds. In one case, Parish falsely claimed she had booked passage on a Royal Caribbean cruise line set to sail on October 23, 2004. The customer traveled to Miami, met up with others who had also booked a trip through Serenity. But they were not allowed to board and were left stranded because they were not on the ship's roster. However, a charge of $1,737 appeared on the consumer's credit card statement for Carnival Cruise Line reservations. Parish promised to refund the monies of nine consumer victims in this case, but never followed through. Instead, she became unavailable and her telephone was disconnected.

Stacey Parish is also accused of failing to include statutory disclosures in contracts and failing to maintain an escrow account as required by law.

"Most travel companies are legitimate, but the public must be on guard against scams during the holiday travel season." said Cook County State's Attorney Richard A. Devine.

State's Attorney Devine recommends the following precautions when booking a trip through a travel agent or promoter:

- Check the reputation of a travel service, especially out-of-state businesses.
- Don't feel pressured by "act now" offers. Compare travel packages of several travel services.
- Be wary of travel solicitations by telephone, postcard, or letter that offer "free trips" or "special discounts".
- Be aware that travel vouchers or certificates may carry hidden restrictions or costs.
- Using a credit card may make it easier to get reimbursed.
- Get it in writing; obtain copies of all contract agreements.
- Prior to traveling, check out cancellation policies and get them in writing.
- Ask if a travel agency has a consumer protection plan, or an escrow account to cover reimbursements.
- Ascertain if your travel agency is associated with a professional association.

The Cook County State's Attorney's Office is seeking to prohibit the defendant from operating a travel agency in Illinois, restitution to consumer victims, and civil penalties of $50,000 for each violation of the Consumer Fraud Act and the Travel Promotion Consumer Protection Act.

If you have a complaint or questions, you can contact the Cook County State's Attorney's Consumer Fraud Division by calling (312) 603-8700, or by visiting them online at www.statesattorney.org.

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