Danny Sullivan: Registered Traveler Meltdown: Fraud Action Against Clear? Investigate the TSA?
With an administration that’s trying to crack down on corporate abuses, such as misleading credit terms — shouldn’t someone consider punishing those at Clear for pushing a consumer product that seemed to have TSA backing when it had to be known the company was about to collapse?When exactly did Clear realize it was in serious danger of closing? At that time, did it have any obligation to cease operations earlier, in order to issue refunds to those who’d purchased cards? Was the company acting prudently in continuing to sell passes with lengths of up to 10 years? Should it have still been selling cards on the day it closed?
Meanwhile, another Registered Traveler company — Flo — continued to sell its own passes, still making it seem on its site at the time I write this that its card are accepted at more than 20 airports nationwide. In reality, there are only three “Registered Traveler” locations left. Two are operated by Preferred Traveler, and one of the Preferred Traveler lanes may have just closed today at Jacksonville, following the Jacksonville Aviation Authority asking the Florida attorney general to investigate customer complaints.
Where’s the TSA in all this? Acting like it has nothing to do with the mess. At first, the TSA said nothing to the public. After a week, it finally got public statement out on its site and blog, mainly to act like it wasn’t connected with the meltdown.
