Parents mad after bankrupt student tour

AUSTIN (KXAN) - "C'est la vie" will probably not be the phrase of choice for about ten Stony Point High School students and their parents about their upcoming school trip to France.

In fact, they are fighting hard for any money back from their tour company, Voyageur Educational Tours, after they recently discovered their trip would not happen because the company went bankrupt.

Those ten families paid upwards of $3,500 dollars for an upcoming summer trip. The trip, organized by the school's French teachers, was neither sponsored by the school nor associated with Stony Point High nor the Round Rock Independent School District.

Sheila Scarborough, a travel blogger and Stony Point mother has an unfortunate story to write about now. She learned about the trip cancellation by a text message from her daughter Wednesday.

"I pulled it out and the text said, 'France canceled. Company went bankrupt. See you later,' Scarborough said. "I think I was driving and I don't want to text her back saying 'OMG' (Oh my gosh) back to her," said Scarborough.

A voicemail for Voyageur Educational Tours said the company was sorry for any inconvenience and gave a bankruptcy filing number in Massachusetts. The company's Web site is gone as well leaving no one to call.

"One of my daughter's friends, has worked for two years, part time job, after school personally. saving up to pay for the whole trip herself," Scarborough said. "And now she's just devastated."

Scarborough said she bought trip insurance.

But she thinks it's from the company that went bankrupt.

"What a horrible experience for them," said Will Peckham, Chief Executive Officer of Round Rock Travel and Tours.

Peckham said it is always a good idea to buy trip insurance from a third party or to book with someone in person.

"If gosh forbid something does happen, you can come here and visit us in our office," said Peckham.

"He is absolutely right, and no I didn't," said Scarborough.

Now she can only dream of a French vacation for her daughter, that is, if a bankruptcy court gives her money back.

"I said, 'if suddenly the money reappeared in my bank account tomorrow. I would take my daughter and the girl who saved so hard. And we'd buy tickets to Quebec, and we'd go to Canada and do France," said Scarborough.