Copyright M Live Michigan
LANSING, MI – Ticketing websites that dupe Mackinac Island visitors into believing they’re purchasing official tickets for popular attractions will be removed, officials announced. The Texas company, MTVRS, that runs the websites agreed to take down the websites in an assurance of voluntary compliance with the Michigan Department of Attorney General. This comes after the AG’s office sent a cease-and-desist notice in September. “Deceptive websites not only harm consumers but the legitimate businesses and agencies that preserve and promote our attractions,” AG Dana Nessel said in a statement. “My office will continue to pursue companies that mislead tourists to ensure Michiganders and visitors can trust the sites they use to plan their vacations.” MTVRS operated two websites that allegedly sought to dupe visitors by mimicking official websites that sell tickets to Fort Mackinac and Shepler’s Ferry. Nessel says they misled consumers into believing they are purchasing official tickets. Operators of both Fort Mackinac and Shepler’s Ferry reported multiple incidents of visitors arriving with only an email from MTVRS suggesting a purchase had been made, which was not valid for entry onto the ferry or into the fort. Mackinac Island welcomes more than 1 million visitors a year. USA Today recently named Mackinac Island the No. 1 Best Place to Visit for Fall for the first time, and the No. 1 Best Summer Travel Destination for the third year in a row. RELATED: Mackinac Island named best fall travel destination in U.S. Fortmackinactickets.com allegedly mimicked the official website that sells Fort Mackinac tickets, mackinacparks.com. The MTVRS website used a misleading logo and charged marked-up prices. While the MTVRS website did contain a disclosure that the website was not connected with the fort, it appeared far down the page, well after multiple opportunities to purchase tickets, and allegedly failed to meet requirements under the Michigan Consumer Protection Act. A separate website operated by MTVRS, mackinacticketing.com, allegedly misled consumers looking to purchase ferry tickets to Mackinac Island by copying the schedule information and address for Shepler’s Ferry, creating the impression that tickets were being purchased directly from Shepler’s official website, sheplersferry.com. MTVRS also allegedly charged an additional $7.95 fee before using the customer’s payment information to purchase tickets from Shepler’s official website. Under the terms of the agreement, MTVRS must take down the websites and is prohibited from creating any new websites related to Michigan tourist attractions or ticketed events in the state. The company also cannot initiate or participate in any new sales with Michigan consumers for tickets being offered to tourist attractions in other states.
