South Lyon parents fight for refunds after eighth-grade trip canceled due to coronavirus

Parents paid $850 for student trip

SOUTH LYON, Mich. – Parents in South Lyon are having trouble getting refunds after they paid $850 for their eighth-grade students to take a trip that was later canceled by the coronavirus outbreak.

Canceled vacations have left many people disappointed during the crisis, but having to fight for a refund has made the situation even worse for many parents.

Dozens of students were supposed to take an educational trip that cost parents $850. Amy Allen’s daughter, an eight-grader at Millennium Middle School in South Lyon, was one of the children scheduled to leave this week.

The trip was canceled because of the coronavirus, but the company WorldStrides isn’t offering refunds. Instead, parents can apply the money to a future trip or sell the package to next year’s eighth-graders, the company says.

“In these unprecedented times for the travel industry, we’re working with our groups to offer options that work for as many families as possible,” the company told Local 4′s Help Me Hank. “We know how hard families have worked to invest in their child’s experience, and we continue to make changes as the situation evolves.”

You can watch Hank Winchester’s full story in the video posted above.


About the Authors:

Hank Winchester is Local 4’s Consumer Investigative Reporter and the head of WDIV’s “Help Me Hank” Consumer Unit. Hank works to solve consumer complaints, reveal important recalls and track down thieves who have ripped off people in our community.

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.