My sister and her husband booked a prepaid Tourcrafters package they saw written up in the Budget Travel newsletter — 7 days on the Riviera (Rapallo and Nice) including hotel, RT air and rental car, for just over $2000. All went well until they arrived in Nice to find that, despite their voucher from Tourcrafters, the hotel had no record of their reservation.

The hotel did find them a room elsewhere, but it was more expensive. We feel that since Tourcrafters had contracted to provide a hotel, they should refund the full price she had to pay the hotel out of her pocket. They have only agreed to refund the price of the original hotel and are ignoring her emails, letters, and phone calls (which go unanswered to voice mail.)

Any suggestions as to the best way to pursue this?

That doesn't sound right, I agree, if they are selling products and dealing with certain hotels, they should guarantee that the reservation will be held.

I have a couple suggestions as to what I'd do. First, they are headquartered in Napier, Ill from their website -- I'd contact the Better Business Bureau for that area and file a complaint (if they are a member of it, even better, as they are then required to respond to a complaint and try to resole it, I think). I think you could also pursue something with the Illinois Dept of Consumer Affairs or something like that.

Next, they are a member (even touted as a top member) of ASTA, who claims their members must adhere to a code of ethics, ie,
http://www.astanet.com/about/codeofethics.asp

I would contact ASTA and find out how to complaint about one of their members.

I would also notify Budget Travel - they do ask for feedback from travelers who book trips they post.

Consult a lawyer.

Also, did they pay Tourcrafters by credit card? Consider disputing that charge, because the paid-for service clearly wasn't provided.

Thanks -- those are all excellent suggestions. I will pass them on to my sister.