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Original scheduled departure was on or before May 14, 2020. EF claims that they are the least expensiveYou get what you pay for. What can we do with this company? You can call EF Ultimate Break at 1-800-766-2645. Our dates were finally confirmed about two months before our departure. Whatever you need, well handle it. He refused to take us anywhere on our free time. SCUMBAGS!!!!! I can't believe they can demand reasons for dismissal even with all the Hippa Laws. A most unsatisfactory and life changing (m for the worse) experience. Although student were allowed to go out on their own during our free time, they were asked to go in groups of three or four and were left in pretty safe areas to spend their free time. - Keep a travel log of your adventures. Recently I was notified by EF Tours that my child was cancelled from the tour after paying off almost whole trip price. CHICAGO (WLS) -- Countless study abroad trips have been canceled due to COVID-19, leaving many families out thousands of dollars. hodgetwins tour Adjustment to EF Atm Deposit. While our tour guide was a very sweet, personable woman, she didnt seem to understand how to manage the timing logistics for a group of 40 travelers. Travelers remain able to exchange their reissued COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher up and until the originally stated expiration date for a refund of the amount on the original COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher less $500. Call 877-485-4184 to enroll, EF Ultimate Break EF told me that I could pay roughly $400 ish to come home earlier-this is on top of the $5,100 fee for the trip OR lose half my money and cancel. Do your trip make a suggestion about tips? Were going to start with the breakdown of how things work with EF and what to expect as a participant or a parent, and then move on to our specific experience with our tour. A COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher can be exchanged at any point prior to its stated expiration date for a cash refund option based on the original scheduled departure date of the tour program. Kinda defeats the whole concept of insurance. It will cover topics such as contacting EF Tours directly, filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), disputing the charge with your credit card company, and seeking legal advice. This has caused many customers to feel frustrated and helpless when trying to get a full refund from EF Tours. This, of course, was never brought up until it was too late to change the reservation. On the second night we had a traditional Alsatian dish called Flammekueche, which was sort of like a pizza with a creamy sauce. So your kid just came home from school with a gorgeous full color brochure about an upcoming trip to Europe with EF Tours that one of their teachers is leading. It was kind of like a tasting menu, where you got a little bit of each destination. how to get a full refund from ef tours. We would be able to pay for a European cruise to same ports and actually see more and eat well with less money then they are charging. EF Educational Tours He paid Vantage $18,536. then how you pay matters. EF was never concerned about her health or welfare and only accused her of being drunk so they could dodge any responsibility. We had ample notice and knew what to expect. To make matters worse, EF Tours often refuses to issue refunds even after customers have submitted evidence of their dissatisfaction. But whats this $452 bill? The design and architecture of the building are very unique and modern contemporary. Overall, breakfasts were adequate throughout the trip. I have a passion for learning and enjoy explaining complex concepts in a simple way. Here are some of the most effective coronavirus refund tips: Negotiate politely. These tours are usually walking tours, but sometimes are bus tours, depending on the location. I cancelled my daughters trip to Greece. Why is it taking so long to get a cruise refund? When will I be issued a COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher? EF Tours charged each participant $60. You can also call 800-665-5364 to request a refund on an international tour; for bookings of domestic trips through EF Explore America, call 888-333-9756. They said if we wanted to appeal we had to send them a letter from my company explain why I am no longer employed or show a death certificate that I died. Consumers who booked domestic trips through the EF Explore America tours program should call 888-333-9756 to request a refund. (Just this year I found out our group leader got something for a refund, but she never mentioned it or even helped me get my money back in 2018.thanks for that.) I think our experience would have been better with a more seasoned Tour Guide. We were frequently told we could just grab a bite to eat at the train station or the airport, only to be left with minimal time and very limited options. Call 800-992-1892 to enroll. EF has staff on the ground, 365 days a year, in over 50 countries to assist you in times of need. On our way to Rome, our guide added a stop in Ovierto, a beautiful small town with picturesque views, wonderful dining and great little shops which we enjoyed immensely. Vrbo offered a refund after my husband lost his job. We publish the names and emails of customer service managers. Check out Elliott Advocacy Today, our free, daily newsletter with links to your favorite commentary, tips and news about consumer advocacy. Not a sleeper sofa, but just a hard couch. I will not let this go if need be I will take them to court and sue there asses. We also found that we frequently needed to buy water to stay hydrated in the high temperatures of Italy during the summer, and at most of the locations we visited, water was marked up quite a bit. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced Thursday her office has reached a settlement with EF tours that resulted in more than $1.4 million in additional refunds for nearly 4,200. When I called about a refund for the extension being taken off I was told by customer service "They make the cost even out." The biggest problem I saw with safety was when our Tour Guide would take off walking at a breakneck speed, frequently leaving half our group stuck at crosswalks or a few turns behind. If you pay by credit card, you should receive a refund to that credit card. So Hignite and other parents contacted EF Tours, to learn they could get only vouchers, or pay a penalty to cancel. Global Travel Protection plans | Coverage & flexibility | EF Tours Help Center: Payments & policies EF's industry-leading safety & coverage programs When you travel with EF, you get the benefits of our 55+ years of experience and our unmatched global network. (Love to travel? The swimming area was not separated in any way from boat traffic, nor was my son warned about possible boat traffic. In my opinion they are if they hired them to insure these trips they should make good on there promises to get you to buy the insurance. All dinners were set up at local restaurants before our arrival. Adults can expect to share a room with one other person. 8 weeks.It has been 8 weeks so my son contacted the insurance company and was told the money would be put back into our account between June 20 to 25th. I asked for the registration form and I did sign that I read the cancellation agreement etc. Now it wont refund my $3,606. If requested after enrollment and up to 130 days before departure, the fee is $195. All opinions are my own, and all costs were paid out of our pocket for this experience. Now I've fought this as much as I could. On May 1st I lost my job and we immediately contacted Ef Tours to cancel. Four boys were also booked in a room in London with only a king sized bed! According to the folks on our trip who had special dietary needs, the dinners were pretty good for the most part. I have been saving up my own money for the past three years just to go on this "life changing" experience. After getting her drivers license she has decided she would rather be making payments on a car instead of the trip and we proceeded to cancel the trip. Settling with a debit card, a check or even a wire transfer means the money is gone. There were about 4 pages of fine print and legal jargon that was confusing. 2/22/2022. They could fully refund if you find someone to take your spot and let them know, Yeah I'll have to talk to the leader of it and see if she knows anyone, but it isn't likely. Enroll online or call 800-766-2645, EF Go Ahead Tours Well, lucky for you we took a 12 day visit to Europe with EF Tours, and have all the details to decide if taking an international trip with this company is right for you or your teenager. EF Tours makes a big deal out of their tours being focused on education. . If EF Tours still refuses to issue a full refund, the next step is to contact your credit card company. The brochure also claimed that students could earn educational credit while on tour, and that all tours feature experiential learning activities.. Each was wonderfully successful! Parents understand why CPS canceled the trips. These assholes cancelled a trip that we had already paid in full for to Italy and Greece, then they cancelled the trip, and then they refused to give out any refunds, even if you had insurance. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. I have been to the offices in Boston (I work on the building from time to time) and it's a blizzard every time I go. Things started off badly when we discovered that the lights in all the hallways were not on, and that we had to hunt around with our cell phone flashlights to find our way to our rooms. EF Tours are set up to be hosted by a local teacher who is then designated as the group leader. Teachers are incentivized with free and reduced price travel to recruit students to join their tours. Two meals a day are included in the cost of a trip with EF Tours. No one wanted to be the person that made us late. While I could not find information about individual class pricing, I highly doubt that EF paid that much per person for us to spend an hour making tiramisu. But in Florence, visits to San Miniato al Monte and Piazzale Michelangelo were dropped off the itinerary with no explanation. We also were traveling to all the countries during the world cup. Was informed of the price to cancel was $199 not the $95 listed. Wheres my airline ticket refund from GotoGate? Our guide that year was a young US college student who worked at a bookstore in downtown Rome. Vouchers are not redeemable for their full cash equivalent. In addition the insurance company retained by EF initially declined to pay to have my son evacuated from Cost Rica. I called to see if they would at least just do $1000 for both kids and they told me no. Three weeks after enrolling, our circumstances changed so I called to cancel, expecting to pay the $95 cancellation fee x2. That way, when a company drags its feet on a refund, you can file a chargeback. You may wish to spend time at your destinations before or after the scheduled tour. The school uses them for all there spring break trips and this is very disappointing that they are doing this to us. Meals on the tour ran the gamut from weird to stellar, but overall were not to bad. The country is bordered to the north by Myanmar and . A few days later, EF responded to an earlier complaint submitted by the plaintiff to the Arizona Office of the Attorney General in which the defendants allegedly offered the plaintiff a partial cash refund of $1,000 less than what she paid for her child's tour. We werent left with much recourse, since this was a group trip and we were on our last night, so we decided to just grin and bear it, and did our best to get some sleep. 109 to 45 days prior to departure: Full refund less $95 non-refundable deposit, all Non-Refundable fees, and 50% of program price. Our school will be traveling with three other schools from different parts of the country. How Does PTO Work for Salaried Employees? Persistence. My son is (or perhaps was) traveling on an EF tour this summer with a very small group from our high school. Things like this happened over and over again throughout the trip. EF TOURS IS A COMPLETE FRAUD. Travel Company efeducationaltours eftours eftours Photos See all Videos See all 1:02 So they offered vouchers that were only good for up to 18 monthsUP TO 18 MONTHS! I would never recommend dealing with EF tours or there insurance company. If you want a quality tour experience, with a reliable professional tour company, I wholeheartedly recommend that you contact TSA Tours. We simply got information from our Tour Guide when and where to meet up with the group after dinner and selected a nearby local pub so we could have a traditional English dining experience. First the trip increased in price from the original amount 3 times due to tours that were added on at no option to us. But use a credit card, and you have the full force of federal law ( the Fair Credit Billing Act) and your credit card's resolution department in your corner. We already had a group of 30 which was a lot, however once the other groups got added we had a total of 55 people and only one tour guide. Trips like this EF Tour require students to be pretty mature when it comes to safety. What a waste of time and money. Curfews and group rules were left up to our group leader, who didnt set many boundaries for our students. The deduction of $500 includes items such as the non-refundable deposit and other non-refundable fees. The COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher cannot be used for: When I redeem a COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher, can I split the value across multiple accounts? In Paris, those who went to Versaille told us the experience was underwhelming because of the limited time available inside the palace, and the lack of lunch options available to those who went. Did we mention it's free? My daughters room had the same layer of dirt in the bathroom, plus a shoe print from where someone killed a bug on the wall. Half staying for exchange program arrived to our destination early. Frugality is the mental approach we each take when considering our resource allocations. Well isn't that what insurance is for??? Despite these frustrations, the itinerary did take us to some fantastic places and we had some absolutely unforgettable experiences. So, Hignite and other parents contacted EF Tours to learn they could get only vouchers, or pay the penalty to cancel. During the tour, your group will meet up with various local guides who will give you some sort of tour of the city or historic site that youre visiting. Jose waited three months before contacting me. Breakfast and dinner every day were included in what we paid for our tour. They want to keep $1000 each child therefore I will loss $2000. Whatever you need, we'll handle it. If you have general questions about your enrollment in the travel . have zero control or influence on these trips. consumer advocate is called the three Ps., WHAT YOU CAN DO WHEN YOUR TRAVEL COMPANY WON'T SEND YOUR REFUND. They are all F-ing scum I hope all involved lose every penny they ever made and become homeless. Transfer of COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher. The rooms at these Hiltons were very new, immaculately clean and extremely comfortable. Dinners are are pre-arranged with a preset menu by EF at local restaurants. Experts say you shouldnt use a credit card dispute unless you have no other choice, which is to say the travel company wont refund your purchase even though its agreed to do so. But he did recommend that our group stop at an Austrian "crystal factory" for "a short 30 minute" visit. I registered my son and I to go on a tour in June 2017. Ms. Alaina Kommer from Grant High School does only think about herself and her travelling experience. I checked our beds for bedbugs and thankfully did not find any. My moms stairlift has a big problem it does not work outside! But learning seemed to take a back seat to just being in another country in most circumstances. I hope your child knows that they will be sharing a bed with their roommates even if they are traveling with another school. Parents have paid thousands of dollars for student tours abroad -- and those refunds aren't coming. We were told that other than the deposit and a small admin fee, all the rest of the money was refundable. - Make a personalized map of where you've been and where you want to go. Even when customers provided evidence of their dissatisfaction, EF Tours refused to issue refunds or only offered partial refunds. It took me to every floor and A) the offices are gorgeous! If you want any other info or even wanted to pass my company on to your leaders shoot me a message! We were combined with a group from upstate New York consisting of 14 travelers: one teacher, one adult, one child and 11 students. Tickets can be purchased individually at the ticket booth for just $42 USD or for groups ahead of time for just $24 USD. If EF Tours does not respond or refuses to issue a full refund, the next step is to file a complaint with the BBB. We got to listen to an orchestra perform in Piazza della Signoria in Florence. Full list of UK dates. In Italy, the dinners were quite good. Did EF Tours create the trip of my dreams? They are basically stealing our money and find this to be okay. And honestly I'm a little sad about canceling, but even trips on groupon are more affordableand a little less PG haha. Have had 2 separate travel experiences with EF. | There were a total of 40 people on our tour. Trips are usually initially introduced about two years before the travel date so that participants can make smaller monthly payments to cover the cost of the trip. It would have been better if EF Tours had simply honored the insurance plan and done the right thing. How to Get a Full Refund from EF Tours: A Step-by-Step Guide, Do I Need to Be Vaccinated to Travel to Hawaii? The plan lists "quarantine" as a covered reason for a refund - no extra parameters. They have tarnished their reputation and people are not as comfortable traveling with them anymore. used speakers for sale craigslist; pioneer woman carne guisada; how to get a full refund from ef tours; By . I won't go into detail about our trip except to say our tour guide left half the group on several occasions, got us lost, left us in a hotel that's fire alarm system was going off in (our group leader also left us behind. Trip Cancellation coverage This plan includes Trip Cancellation coverage. One of the techniques Ive developed as a consumer advocate is called the three Ps. It works great on refunds. How to get tickets. We were promised experiential learning activities during the trip. I worked on the building and had to be in the offices every 3 months for 2 years. I was told we should have paid extra if we wanted to be IN Sorrento. Echoing a similar suit filed against the operators of EF Tours, the lawsuit argues that WorldStrides has violated its contracts with the plaintiffs by collecting their money while failing to provide the trips for which they pre-paid. The Global Travel Protection Plus plan provides a refund of the Program Price (minus the cost of the plan and other non-refundable fees) if your child needs to cancel their tour up to 24 hours prior to departure for any reason. Thats why weve enhanced our already top-tier, industry-leading coverage programs to provide even more choices, and to give travelers, families, and school communities the widest range of safe and flexible plans. Visit the BBB website to find out how to submit a complaint. Check with the hotel for your options. She did make sure we were always wary of our passports and where we were keeping them during our travels. Airlines and other travel companies make it so easy for money to flow their way. Imagine being in London not able to tour anything because you don't have the proper tour bus that you were promised?? COVID-19 required everybody to be quarantined. Whenever I called and asked for a manager, I was told that non were available and that they would call me when they became available. General sale starts at 9am . But why cant I get a refund? If you need help with any problem,please contact us through this form. Hence the lawsuit (in CA 2020, look it up). It was absolutely fantastic. I just put a downpayment for our trip to Europe next summer. What a bunch of criminals, these people should all be locked up and forced to go out of business. They make go in circles and have excuse after excuse. One thing is guaranteed. Im not opposed to tipping but tips need to be earned and for him to request a set amount doesnt sit well with me. Only the EF Go Ahead Tours allow alcohol for adult travelers. Consumer Alert: No more automatic refunds for skipped ports? When we arrived there, I watched as he was escorted upstairs for a nice steak dinner, while the rest of us went hungry (not enough time to stop elsewhere). Yet I received a check in the mail for $300 before I could talk to someone. I am now retired, but have organized and will be leading another "Best of Europe" tour this September. Only a couple of people were given her contact information, which made communication confusing and difficult during our free time, especially when she got delayed during our free evening in Paris and our meeting time had to be pushed back significantly. The EF Go Ahead Tours app supports and connects our global community. During our trip there were extra excursions offered in any city we stayed in more than one night. Wife and daughter were planning to go on a trip to Italy in over a year. Toll-free 1-877-974-7462 ext. They even bragged later about being the first one's out on the street), the food SUCKED, and the time spent on the buses was more time spent in the actual locations. Tune Up Kit Oil Air Filter Kit for John Deere L130 G100 G110 SABRE 2554. Had it been a different group of personalities, Im not sure how it would have gone. You can call EF Ultimate Break at 1-800-766-2645. Students and parents can then sign up directly through the EF Tours website, and submit all payments directly to the company. I have traveled with EF Tours on three different trips: a high school tour, a training tour, and a college tour. Email insurance@riskstrategiestravel.com. So..after extensive research, I found a custom tour company who could arrange my own tours, with my itinerary, with my hotels, and with my schedule. Travelers remain able to exchange their reissued COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher up and until the originally stated expiration date for a refund of the amount on the original COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher less $565. But there were several instances where visits to certain locations were dropped off our itinerary completely, and visits to other non-advertised locations were added. Although it did seem that everywhere we went in Italy, anyone who was gluten free or dairy free was served watermelon for dessert. The best unexpected addition to our trip in my opinion was the opportunity to see a musical in the West End of London. The key is to take the right steps and document all communication. Flights cancelled, rerouted. EF will book with whatever airline has space available for the lowest price for the group. The deduction of $565 includes items such as the non-refundable deposit and other non-refundable fees. It sounds great, but as a responsible parent, you want to know exactly what youd be sending your child off to do, and how things would actually work on this trip. Whatever happens, weve seen it. Your Group Leader may choose from the following options: Work with EF to modify your group's current tour itinerary and dates, or find a new tour and apply all money paid to the new tour. Children are not monitored, left to find their own way in cities across the . I was told by the EF Tours representative that he could room with boys from other schools or upgrade (at an additional $90 per night!) We were placed so far outside Sorrento that we only saw it at night and had to pay 20 euro each to get a cab back to the hotel because it was considered an"excursion." Local 1-317-582-2658 or Toll-free 1-866-887-7148. But some days lunch was great. hearts shooters choice; clark county police scanner; elton john albums in order However, I was never allowed to speak with management. I called EF and they directed me to the insurance company-which is an absolute rip off. Whatever you need, well handle it. That seems to be the question at hand here. Each participant in our tour was required to submit a copy of our passport to EF to insure that we had the proper documentation to travel. This company is a complete scam. Information about our flights was not available until about a month before our departure, and information about our hotels was not available until we were about three weeks out from leaving. Vouchers are not redeemable for their full cash equivalent. Usually if you haven't paid in full you could get a cancel for any reason insurance which will give you about 75% back. I will never travel with EF Tours again. EF Tours says the vouchers can be used until Sept. 30, 2022 for any of the company's tours and can be used by students, their immediate family members or other students or faculty members in the . It can be used for all components of the tour booked through EF prior to departing on tour including the deposit, program price, the optional Global Travel Protection plan, optional excursions, optional extensions, and rooming supplements. And the airlines deferred to Expedia. I could go on and on. Empowering Lives with Nutritious and Delicious NDIS Meals! Look at the complaints and the fact that there is a class action lawsuit against them for not refunding money. Again, we found these rooms to be clean and pretty comfortable.