A Richmond-based travel firm has closed its doors leaving customers in the lurch and thousands of dollars out of pocket.
With no warning, Alameda Travels Ltd. shut up shop Monday morning at its office in Admiralty Centre on McKim Way, just southwest of the Cambie and Garden City roads intersection.
Lights were on in the office, files were scattered across tables, but the blinds were closed and no one was inside or answering the door Tuesday.
At least nine worried customers have already alerted Consumer Protection BC about the sudden closure.
The consumer watchdog, which is responsible for enforcing consumer law and issues travel firm licences, said it received a call from Alameda Monday morning to say it was "ceasing operations immediately."
Consumer Protection BC's vice president of corporate relations, Manjit Bains, said she doesn't yet know why the firm folded and how many customers are affected.
"We have a compliance inspector working on it right now and hopefully we will find out what happened," said Bains, who added that Alameda has held a licence for many years.
"Some customers have contacted us to say they've booked travel with Alameda. It's too early to tell how many people are out there, but I suspect there could be many more to come.
"We need to make sure consumers are aware of this as quickly as possible."
If you have booked travel services through Alameda, Bains said you will need to fill out a travel assurance claim form as soon as possible. "People should contact the airline or whatever service they've paid for to make sure it's been booked and paid for," said Bains.
"If they paid by credit card, they should contact the credit card company to see if the charge can be reversed. If they paid cash, there is a fund that can help as long as they have their receipts."
No website is listed for the firm, but their office window suggests it specialized in trips to Thailand and Hong Kong.
It also has two "Cathay Pacific Preferred Travel Partner" certificates in the window, the most recent being from 2009.
If you feel you need to claim through the BC Travel Assurance Fund, log onto www. consumerprotectionbc.ca.
All claims to the fund must be filed within six months from the date the travel services were not provided. The fund is a last resort and provides possible compensation for consumers who did not receive the contracted travel services they bought through the licensed agent.
