Chris Elliott writes the Travel Troubleshooter column that appears in the Star Tribune's Travel section every week. We asked for his advice.
If you paid for a trip but don't know if it's still on:
Check with the airline, hotel or cruise line to see if Hobbit paid them. If so, you should be fine.
If Hobbit did not pay the vendor and you paid with a credit card:
Immediately dispute the payment with your credit card company, which should reverse the charges. You should be able to rebook, providing the space is available. Note that some banks have a 60-day limit from date of purchase to initiate a payment dispute.
If you paid in cash (some travel agencies offer discounts for cash payments):
You're in trouble. If the company goes into bankruptcy -- which had not happened as of Wednesday -- you'll become a creditor and stand in line for your share.
