Finnish travel agency under investigation after customers left without paid services

A Finnish consumer authority has asked police to investigate Jyväskylä-based travel agency Melissa Travel over suspected violations of travel package regulations and fraud.

The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (KKV) has received multiple complaints since March from customers, including Julia Kapletskaja, who paid for a summer holiday in Turkey only to discover two weeks before departure that her hotel booking had not been paid.

Kapletskaja’s family of three had booked through Melissa Travel, which markets packages primarily to Russian-speaking clients via Facebook. Despite paying months in advance, she was forced to book and pay for alternative accommodation at short notice, costing over €4,000 for two weeks. She has since filed a police report.

Melissa Travel’s owner, Melissa Lahtinen, told Yle she could not comment on ongoing investigations but described the situation as serious and personally distressing. She suggested multiple factors contributed to the issues and expressed hope for a resolution.

Police in Central Finland confirmed they are examining the case, with at least 14 customers having filed criminal complaints. The KKV’s investigation focuses on whether the agency sold packages without the legally required financial security, which protects customers if a company becomes insolvent.