11 January 2011
The Supreme Court of Victoria has handed down final orders against the travel company Australian Tourism Centre Pty Ltd, trading as Victorian Tourism Centre, and has ruled that it misled and deceived customers in its telephone sales of travel and accommodation vouchers.
The court found the company had breached the Fair Trading Act 1999, engaging in misleading and deceptive conduct and making false representations in relation to goods and services. The court also declared that the company’s sole director, Stephen Ian Glenister had been involved in those breaches.
The court found that, between 2004 and 2008, the company withdrew more money from customers’ credit cards than agreed to or authorised by the customer for travel packages and refused, delayed and failed to pay refunds to customers.
Victorian Tourism Centre also falsely claimed it was linked to the Victorian Government and misled customers about refunds.
The court also found the company had breached the requirements of the Act in relation to telemarketing agreements.
The court imposed an injunction on Mr Glenister, restraining him from failing to comply with the telemarketing provisions of the Act, and ordered him to pay refunds to a number of consumers plus court costs.
Mr Glenister was also ordered to pay the Director of Consumer Affairs Victoria’s costs for publishing public notices, detailing the court’s findings and orders, in The Age and Herald Sun newspapers.
The Supreme Court of Victoria has handed down final orders against the travel company Australian Tourism Centre Pty Ltd, trading as Victorian Tourism Centre, and has ruled that it misled and deceived customers in its telephone sales of travel and accommodation vouchers.
The court found the company had breached the Fair Trading Act 1999, engaging in misleading and deceptive conduct and making false representations in relation to goods and services. The court also declared that the company’s sole director, Stephen Ian Glenister had been involved in those breaches.
The court found that, between 2004 and 2008, the company withdrew more money from customers’ credit cards than agreed to or authorised by the customer for travel packages and refused, delayed and failed to pay refunds to customers.
Victorian Tourism Centre also falsely claimed it was linked to the Victorian Government and misled customers about refunds.
The court also found the company had breached the requirements of the Act in relation to telemarketing agreements.
The court imposed an injunction on Mr Glenister, restraining him from failing to comply with the telemarketing provisions of the Act, and ordered him to pay refunds to a number of consumers plus court costs.
Mr Glenister was also ordered to pay the Director of Consumer Affairs Victoria’s costs for publishing public notices, detailing the court’s findings and orders, in The Age and Herald Sun newspapers.