In case you've been completely in the dark, the United States is about to experience an incredibly rare, natural phenomenon. On August 21, a solar eclipse will plunge parts of the country into total darkness.
Eclipse fans have differing suggestions on where to go to get the best views, but one thing is certain. The eclipse will make its first landfall appearance along the western shores of Oregon and then quickly travel eastward across the state.
Needless to say, travelers are gobbling up Oregon hotel rooms like they're NYC high rises on New Year's Eve. Some estimates say that Oregon is expecting as many as a million visitors during the latter part of August.
If like the good travel citizen you are, you've already booked your Oregon eclipse getaway, the state's attorney general Ellen Rosenblum has a warning for you.
Confirm your room reservations.
Some hoteliers who are hoping to cash in on the state's tourism bounty have been canceling room reservations outright, while others have quietly upped the rates.
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According to the Oregon Department of Justice (DOJ), complaints about these practices have doubled and even tripled in some cases.
The issue has come to a point where the DOJ sent letters to all hotels within the path of the eclipse, as well as any others that have had a complaint filed against them, reminding them of Oregon's strict consumer protection laws.
Booking a reservation, then canceling it or raising the room rate is a violation of Oregon's Unlawful Trade Practice Act (UTPA), which prohibits businesses from making "unlawful, false or misleading representations concerning the offering price of or a person's cost for services."
The hotels have been notified that they must honor the original reservations at the agreed-upon rate, or the must pay at least $500 to affected customers.
"Travelers need to be able to trust that hotels will keep their reservation and honor the original price," said Attorney General Rosenblum. "While most hotels play by the rules, we are concerned that some could try to make money off of this unique event, and increase the price of the hotel room without telling the customer. We want to make sure travelers know that hotels must honor their advertised prices, regardless of whether the prices are advertised directly by the hotel, or with a third party."
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Specifically, 12 Oregon hotels have received enough consumer complaints that the DOJ has stepped in to try to resolve those issues. Seven of these businesses have since agreed to honor the original price on existing reservations.
Visitors who think they might be affected by price gouging or an unlawful cancellation are encouraged to contact the Oregon Department of Justice by phone at 877-877-9392. They can also file a complaint online at oregon.gov.
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