Attorney General Michelle Henry announced a settlement with Sundance Vacations that requires the Wilkes-Barre-based travel company to pay half a million dollars to consumers who were harmed by bait-and-switch pricing, high pressure sales tactics, and misrepresentations about “sweepstakes” programs.

Going forward, Sundance Vacations must clearly disclose, upfront, all costs associated with travel packages, according to the settlement.

Per the settlement, Sundance will also provide certain consumers with an opportunity to cancel their contracts — eligible consumers must act on this offer within 30 days.

In sales pitches, which included slideshow presentations for potential customers, Sundance hid full costs by advertising “30 vacations for $15,000,” and other partial package costs, duping consumers into agreements. Consumers later found out the full costs of the vacations.

“Sundance misled Pennsylvanians into thinking that they were getting significant bargains on pricey vacations, when, in reality, Sundance was just hiding the final bill,” Attorney General Henry said. “Bait and switch pricing will not be tolerated in Pennsylvania, and this settlement ensures the deceptive practices employed by Sundance end today.

The settlement arose from allegations that Sundance’s sales practices violated the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law by, among other things: misrepresenting the overall price of its vacation packages; misrepresenting product values in comparisons to competitors; failing to provide consumers adequate opportunities to review written materials and otherwise engaging in high-pressure sales tactics; misrepresenting sponsorships from various third-party entities; and misrepresenting the characteristics of sweepstakes prizes.

The Office of Attorney General will be providing money back to certain consumers who have already filed complaints against Sundance, and certain other Sundance consumers may be eligible for restitution if they file complaints with the office before May 16.

The settlement further requires Sundance to provide certain eligible consumers with the opportunity to cancel their contracts and any related outstanding financial obligations to Sundance. Sundance is required to send written notice to consumers who are eligible to cancel their Sundance contract and any outstanding financial obligations to Sundance. Eligible Sundance consumers who wish to cancel their contract must take action as described in the notice no later than 30 days from the date they receive their Cancellation Notice.

Customers who choose to cancel will be relieved of all outstanding financial obligations to Sundance, and their loans will be reported as paid in full to the credit bureaus. Any future vacation bookings these customers have with Sundance will be canceled and any booking fees and taxes will be refunded.

The Office of Attorney General is urging any consumers who believe they may have been victimized by Sundance’s business practices and wish to be considered for restitution to file a complaint online, by calling the Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-441-2555, or by emailing scams@attorneygeneral.gov.