Hurricane Erin triggers evacuations: NC travelers' guide to securing trip refunds

Hurricane Erin is sending some would-be travelers scrambling
to cancel their trips to the coast.

On Monday, Dare County officials issued evacuations for visitors. Residents were
asked to evacuate on Tuesday morning.

WRAL’s 5 On Your Side shares what you need to know about
canceling your trip during a weather disaster.

WRAL’s Keely Arthur said the first thing people should know
is that the law is really on the side of the consumer in many cases.

Under North Carolina law, General Statute Chapter 42A, travelers set to stay in
an area under a “mandatory evacuation” are entitled to a refund, no questions
asked.

“So, if you booked in Hatteras and Ocracoke islands or parts
of Dare and Hyde counties, you can get a refund,” Arthur said.

But if your vacation spot isn’t under a mandatory refund,
Arthur said travelers must look at the individual policy.

Hotels tend to have flexible, consumer-friendly cancellation
policies, Arthur said.

“You can often cancel just a few days before your trip,” she
said.

But for Airbnb and VRBO, getting a full refund is a bit more
difficult.

Airbnb will allow cancellations if there is a widespread
power outage, but they consider hurricane season a foreseeable event.

So, it’s difficult to see a full refund unless the rental
falls in a mandatory evacuation zone.

VRBO’s policy is the same. Arthur said that after helping many
customers, VRBO has often been the most stringent and reluctant to issue
refunds.

WRAL’s 5 On Your Side asked the head of Visit North Carolina, the state’s official tourism organization, Wit Tuttle, and asked him how he would navigate booking during a hurricane season.

“I would contact them early on to find out their cancellation policy, and if they are flexible about allowing you to postpone in the event of a hurricane, even if there’s not a mandatory evacuation,” he said. “I would make sure to do all of that at the time I booked the trip, not at the time I was coming for the trip.”

When asked what Tuttle would do if
the landlord or hotel would not budge, he laughed and said he’d call 5 On Your
Side.

5 On Your Side has had success in helping consumers get
their refunds and is here to be a resource, advocate, saving money, avoiding
scams, and living safely. Send your story tips to 5oys@wral.com.