Judge Refuses to Curtail O.C. Travel Firm

Dealing a setback to the multi-state crackdown on travel industry abuses, a San Diego judge refused to curtail an Orange County travel company’s operations or freeze the assets of its operators. Superior Court Judge J. Richard Haden decided that the state had failed to show any immediate, irreparable harm to the public by allowing Nu-Concepts in Travel Inc. in Irvine and its Jetaway Travel Corp. ticketing subsidiary to keep operating. The ruling is a stumbling block in the national effort by a dozen states and the Federal Trade Commission to crack down on deceptive practices and do-it-yourself come-ons by travel marketing networks and other firms. The FTC and the states recently filed 36 lawsuits against 20 companies, including Nu-Concepts. James Massoli, the company’s president, praised the crackdown but said his company did nothing wrong. “There are some bad apples in the industry, but we shouldn’t be lumped into that group,” he said.