Travel agencies use deceptive marketing techniques to rip off students looking to travel over spring break, according to a report by the New Mexico's Public Interest Research Group.
The report, "Spring Broke: How to Avoid a Spring Break Ripoff," which came out this month, examines spring break packages and how students can be duped into paying hidden costs.
A spring break trip can end up costing up to 62 percent more than the advertised price, and fees buried in the fine print end up charging on average $367, the report states.
The study also found that students often overlook additional costs of international taxes, processing fees, late fees and insurance fees because they are in the fine print of advertisements, if they are there at all.
Vickie Cannavale, a travel agent for 23 years, calls that gray advertising.
"There are some agencies in town that advertise a price without some of the amenities you have to have like airfare and lodging," Cannavale said. "It's illegal, and it should not be done. It's a bait-and-switch, is what it is."
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Cannavale, who runs A-1 Travel: The Cruise Shoppe out of her home, said travel companies don't mislead only students, they do it to everybody.
"They advertise it and then say 'we sold out,' but it probably never existed," she said.
Paradise Parties, a national travel agency, had the biggest discrepancy - the advertised fee was $499, but the actual price was $1016, according to PIRG's study.
Aside from hidden costs, the report states some travel agencies reserve the right to change travel or accommodation plans, or "require travelers to sign contracts in which they must waive or limit their legal rights to file disputes with the travel company."
Andrew Sanborn, a representative for the national online travel agency StudentCity.com, said there are two kinds of companies - tour operators who have their own contracts with airlines, clubs and hotels, and resellers. Resellers take reservations and start calling the operators, he said. If they can't make money on the customer's request, or if they can't get it booked at the right time, they look for a replacement and make that a part of the package instead.
The report recommends companies display all mandatory fees, like departure taxes and processing fees and that potential increases also be listed.
Sanborn said inconsistent prices often come from bulk advertising. But travel prices vary from state to state, and New Mexico is especially hard to fly out of, he said.
"It's just like buying a car," he said. "There's taxes, and you pay for the extras, but that's not the price listed in the newspaper."
He recommends students research a travel agency before they commit to anything by going to the Web site and looking for the business's accreditation.
Cannavale said students could avoid hassle by pricing out the trip on their own, and then comparing the results to what the agency comes up with.
"Buyer beware," she said.
