Lansing, Michigan – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has reached an agreement with a Texas-based corporation that was accused of tricking travelers with fraudulent Mackinac Island ticket websites. The settlement, called an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance (AVC), settles accusations that MTVRS, LLC broke the Michigan Consumer Protection Act by running fake sites that looked like real ticket sellers for major island attractions.
The action follows a cease-and-desist order issued earlier by Nessel’s office, demanding the company remove or correct the misleading online content. The Attorney General said that these webpages confused both visitors and real Michigan businesses.
According to reports, one of the websites, fortmackinactickets.com, replicated the design and feel of the official Fort Mackinac ticketing site run by the state organization in charge of preserving history. People who went to the fake site were said to have paid too much for tickets that should have been sold through the real mackinacparks.com domain.
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Another site, mackinacticketing.com, is said to have gone after people who were looking for ferry tickets to the island. It looked like Shepler’s Ferry’s official website, sheplersferry.com, with the same schedule, address, and design, which made people think they were making real transactions. It is said that the site added a $7.95 fee before users could buy the tickets through Shepler’s authentic website using their own payment information.
The AVC says that MTVRS must close all of its websites that sell tickets to Michigan tourist spots. The corporation is also not allowed to open any new sites related to attractions in Michigan or sell tickets to citizens for events in other states.
Attorney General Nessel said that the agreement shows how serious her office is about safeguarding consumers and making sure that tourism-related businesses are open and honest.
“Deceptive websites not only harm consumers but the legitimate businesses and agencies that preserve and promote our attractions,” she stated.
As the holiday travel season approaches, Nessel’s office encourages people who live in or visit Michigan to make sure that websites are real before buying tickets or services online. The settlement’s goal is to make sure that guests can plan their trips to Michigan’s attractions, especially historic Mackinac Island, with confidence and faith in real sources.