But the worst experience in this hotel went to a dad on our trip, whos single room contained only a sofa. They along with their team canceled the tour and refuses to refund the full amount. When Chicago Public Schools canceled all district-sponsored international travel for the upcoming spring break because of the threat of coronavirus, Derek Dattner assumed he would be refunded the. That EF 12-Day tour was called "Europe with an Alpine Flavor." According to their website, EF Tours has been in operation since 1965 and offers trips for students and teachers designed to provide immersive, life-changing education., Basically, EF Tours organizes international trips for students to a wide variety of destinations, promising compelling itineraries full of experiential learning.. His high school in the Parkway school district decided to book the tour through EF Educational Tours. But on her return flight, one of the legs, on Flybe from Paris to Manchester, England, mysteriously vanished. The school uses them for all there spring break trips and this is very disappointing that they are doing this to us. 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. how to get a full refund from ef tours; how to get a full refund from ef tours. 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. Half staying for exchange program arrived to our destination early. I am out of $4,200.00, what is EF Tours out of??? 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. For the first four nights during our stays in London and Paris, we were sent to Hilton Hotels. But the idiotic folks at EF Tours says since this was "unforeseen", we are not covered. If you want a quality tour experience, with a reliable professional tour company, I wholeheartedly recommend that you contact TSA Tours. If EF Tours does not respond or refuses to issue a full refund, the next step is to file a complaint with the BBB. Instructions on how to request a refund are located on the COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher page, which can be found on the traveler secure site. If you have a consumer problem,please contact our team at Elliott Advocacy through this form. If all other attempts to get a full refund from EF Tours fail, it may be time to seek legal advice. I just put a downpayment for our trip to Europe next summer. This is exactly the type of honest review I am searching for as I consider enrolling my son in a 9 day tour of Japan next summer, and also go myself. Also told cancellation fee is now $400 not the $300 listed. 2/22/2022. How do I fix this $499 mistake? Things like this happened over and over again throughout the trip. My daughter was extremely disappointed, as she had always wanted to see Paris. 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. Whatever you need, well handle it. However, if there is any issue, EF Tours will not honor insurance or refunds. HOW CAN THIS BE LEGAL??? I am self employed so I had to send a letter stating that my business went under and this had created a hardship. EF Tours have a pretty straightforward process during the sign up period, prior to departure and during your trip. Our tour guide didnt seem to have this mentality. 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. 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. how to get a full refund from ef tours. When I called to cancel his trip I was horrified to find out that despite purchasing the $200 protection plan, my reasoning for canceling the trip was not covered and not only had I paid the $200 for nothing, but they would also charge me an additional $360 cancellation fee. That way, when a company drags its feet on a refund, you can file a chargeback. You dont always have to appeal to the government. I feel like everything was rushed. This hotel was a bit older than the Hiltons wed stayed in, but it was clean, spacious, and comfortable. We found that that number was not quite accurate for us, especially if we ever wanted to stray from the planned meals that EF Tours had set up for us. I booked a trip with our homeschool "trip club" to do EF's Great Britain tour with a 2 day extension to Paris. | I think it's just something they do to alleviate kids carrying too much cash with them. 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. About Ultimate Break tours Meals, transportation, Tour Directors, pace, customization, and who you'll be traveling with. Before or at 110 days prior to the departure of the rescheduled tour: Travelers may cancel and elect to have their COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher reissued in the same amount of money that was applied to their rescheduled tour. If you dont believe me, ask Melina Jose, who was supposed to fly from Paris to Orlando, Florida, recently. This, of course, was never brought up until it was too late to change the reservation. The tiramisu cooking class in Rome was not optional for our group for some reason. Vol 1, #2. She and her husband, Jerard, had to pay $437 for new tickets. Our help is free. If your original tour needed to be postponed but you have not yet been notified of your Group Leader's decision or been issued a voucher, you may request a voucher or choose the available refund option by calling our Traveler Support Team at 800-665-5364. She did make sure we were always wary of our passports and where we were keeping them during our travels. Here's my EFTours experience: 1.I have been on 3 EFTours and have another planned for next summer. Would I travel with EF Tours again? I've decided that I'm not going to go for financial reasons and feeling that it's too expensive for what I'm getting. Travelers should expect to receive a refund approximately 4-6 weeks after it is requested. Sometimes they were just continental breakfasts with cold offerings, and sometimes we were given hot breakfasts with eggs, bacon, and such. lakewood board of education address; hyde park skatepark london; obituaries humphrey, nebraska Menu Toggle. However, EF Tours will override the plan and refuse your refund. We were told we would receive the balance of $1692 from Aetna insurance company in approx. Travel Company efeducationaltours eftours eftours Photos See all Videos See all 1:02 Read 131 . In the meantime, I received notice that I would be required to attend a mandatory training evolution with the military and learned that the dates overlapped. EF has the group leader/teacher set up deadlines for signing up to go on the trip, sometimes including small discounts to encourage enrollment. 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. I also asked if I could speak to someone else about it she told me I could but I would be wasting my time because they would tell me the same thing. But learning seemed to take a back seat to just being in another country in most circumstances. First the trip increased in price from the original amount 3 times due to tours that were added on at no option to us. He refused to take us anywhere on our free time. She was more worried about herself and her family I guess. Your email address will not be published. I think communicating with the group more about where were going could have avoided some sticky situations that a few of our travelers found themselves in when they were left behind. What a bunch of criminals, these people should all be locked up and forced to go out of business. If your original tour needed to be postponed but you have not yet been notified of your Group Leaders decision or been issued a voucher, you may request a voucher or choose the available refund option by calling our Traveler Support Team at 800-665-5364. Dinners are are pre-arranged with a preset menu by EF at local restaurants. The kids didn't seem to mind it, but I did seem a little crowded at times. So, Hignite and other parents contacted EF Tours to learn they could get only vouchers, or pay the penalty to cancel. And that wasn't even a full guarantee of a full refund. (Note: Is this article not meeting your expectations? Theme: Newsup by Themeansar. My moms stairlift has a big problem it does not work outside! Sometimes this was a good thing, but sometimes it was incredibly frustrating. Pricing of products and services. General sale starts at 9am . When will I be issued a COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher? Well isn't that what insurance is for??? throttle thumb display electric . Students and parents can then sign up directly through the EF Tours website, and submit all payments directly to the company. I would NEVER stay at a truck stop, nor would I deceive students into thinking they were going to be safe on a trip and then place them there. (I publish a full list of customer service executive contacts on my nonprofit consumer advocacy site, elliott.org. I registered my son and I to go on a tour in June 2017. Before or at 110 days prior to departure: Travelers may cancel and elect to have their COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher reissued in the same amount of money that was applied to their rescheduled tour. Id say yes. Following these steps should give customers the best chance of getting a full refund from EF Tours. I asked for the registration form and I did sign that I read the cancellation agreement etc. Call 800-665-5364 to enroll, EF Language Schools We were assured that our tour director would be with us around the clock, handling local transportation, hotels, and meals while also providing their own insight into the local history and culture.. We also didnt have a way to contact our Tour Guide directly. Youll also connect with other readers who want to make the world a better place. My mom had to put hotel rooms for 30 students in her credit card. Prefieres leer en espaol? - Make a personalized map of where you've been and where you want to go. Consumers who booked domestic trips through the EF Explore America tours program should call 888-333-9756 to request a refund. The brochure promised that participants would be surrounded by the people, the language, the food, and the way of life of the destinations on our itinerary. As a result, the plaintiffs and thousands of others have suffered "direct and consequential financial damage . Flights Cost, airlines we use, booking flights, baggage, requests, and managing your flights. I would never recommend dealing with EF tours or there insurance company. The trip total came to around $4,000. As a parent considering an EF Tour for my teenager, I know safety was a big concern for me. My daughter wanted to go with members of her class on this great trip with EF tours. Pre-sale tickets for Ed Sheeran's tour go live on Wednesday, March 8 at 9am for anyone who has preordered the new album via the Ed Sheeran website. Patience. Two straight hours of calling the ef tours emergency hotline and no still no answer. CHICAGO (WLS) -- Countless study abroad trips have been canceled due to COVID-19, leaving many families out thousands of dollars. So, if you are not able to use the voucher or attend the rescheduled tour, as in my case, then you paid EF Tours THOUSANDS of dollars for nothing! My daughter insisted on being signed up for her school trip in 2020. She had us walking everywhere (1 1/2 mile from our hotel to the bus stop each day. If I cancel, I lose about $400 in cancellation fees. Overall, the meals on our trip were pretty good, but could definitely have been better. Menu. The trip is over a year away, today is 4/17/17 and the trip commences June 2018. Call 888-333-9756 to enroll, EF College Study 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. I would just like some advice if there's any way to lessen the blow. Adults can expect to share a room with one other person. 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. Give the system a chance to work before filing a chargeback. Original scheduled departure was from May 15, 2020 September 30, 2022. Here's how we make world travel easy. Wife has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and will not be able to make this trip. Would I go on another EF Tour? Empowering Lives with Nutritious and Delicious NDIS Meals! Trip management Picking a trip, how . Crypto Wallet Development: Types, Features, and Popularity, 5 Ways AI is Detecting and Preventing Identity Fraud. Three weeks after enrolling, our circumstances changed so I called to cancel, expecting to pay the $95 cancellation fee x2. While they still stuck with four students to a room, several of the student rooms had enough beds to sleep up to 12 people. We did not have enough free time (which we were promised). Unfortunately, frustrated travelers are the norm with most EF Tours. When you travel with EF, you get the benefits of our 55+ years of experience and our unmatched global network. We did have some great cultural experiences while we traveled. There are usually two or three optional excursions that can be added to any tour. Anyone was allowed to sign up for the trip. * (Smithsonian Student Travel repeat travelers will receive a I just hope the tour goes well. What is a COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher? 321. We were quoted a price and told the insurance was a great thing to have because with it you could cancel up to 24 hrs before the trip for a full refund minus the cost of insurance. It is a total scam! COVID-19 required everybody to be quarantined. One student got up in the middle of the night and tripped on the mattress and smashed her head into the wall. I am a retired college Professor of Art. The Elliott Report is a consumer news site supported by Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that offers free advice and advocacy for consumers. Since the legal drinking age in the areas we visited was 18, student who met this requirement were allowed to drink alcohol on our trip, but were asked to limit it to one drink with dinner. Upon arrival in my room, I found it to be extremely dirty. My son had a very poor experience with the Grecian Odyssey EF tours. Press J to jump to the feed. This was saddening but completely understandable. Were always here to help. No one wanted to be the person that made us late. How to get your money back from a Zelle scam or accidental money transfer, This PayPal invoice scam almost got me. A Comprehensive Guide, Is Hiring a Travel Agent Worth It? They make go in circles and have excuse after excuse. EF Tours is definitely a budget tour company, and for the price, you do get a good experience. For many years I organized and lead group tours to Europe for my college. These Britrail England Flexi Passes are taking forever to refund. It was an equally devastating experience. I feel I paid twice as much as the tour was worth with the lack of amenities and accommodations that were promised by EF as those that were . 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. If you booked a trip like this as an adult, you would scream from the rooftops for a refund but since these are kids, apparently EF doesn't have to listen because there will be another crop of unsuspecting students waiting to go next year. Though not quite as refined as the Hiltons, and a little slap-shot with the furniture, we found this place to be clean and welcoming. Parents have paid thousands of dollars for student tours abroad -- and those refunds aren't coming. They both were on the higher end of what I expected based on the descriptions provided by EF Tours of what our hotels would be like. For what it's worth 4k for a scotland ireland trip is definitely too much. "All travelers with trips through April 30 will automatically receive a transferable travel voucher for the full amount paid (including all non-refundable payments) good through September 30,. why is there a plague in thebes oedipus. But they are excited to travel with their friends. I could honestly go on for 10 pages about the terrible food and the fact that you will only be given warm milk, cereal, coffee and last night's rolls for breakfast every day! Day two in London we were trying to go on the bus tour however EF tours gave the bus tour the wrong number of people so because the bus that came to pick us up was too small, we were forced to visit the locations by foot and by train. EF Tours is a travel company that specializes in international tours for students. We were never given the names of the restaurants or addresses of where they would be unless we specifically asked for them. Even if every single person had to buy a ticket, I cant imagine that the cost for a group tour and the transportation to get the group there cost an additional $84 USD per person. Between Florence and Rome, we spent the night at the Hotel Villa Ricci (not pictured). Sears couldnt deliver my appliances. He went as part of a group of senior high school students on a school sponsored trip. Im not sure if the lunch situations were like this because of our tour guide or because of EF itself. EF Tours charged $114 USD to each participant. There were no medical facilities available on this resort, and it was necessary to have my son medically evacuated back to the states to receive treatment. Friday 24 March - London, The O2. 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." Often, a brief, polite written appeal to someone higher up can do wonders. Start by contacting EF Tours directly, then file a complaint with the BBB, dispute the charge with your credit card company, and seek legal advice if necessary. Four other members of our group chose to join us. That was during our terrible last night in Rome when we had to walk from our hotel to our dinner restaurant through some pretty sketchy areas of the city. 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. The EF Go Ahead Tours app supports and connects our global community. However, we understand the existing account on file may be inactive, or that you may prefer a check to be sent to you by mail instead. For detailed information about the safety and coverage programs that apply to your tour, please choose your departure date below. There is a $95 non-refundable deposit + $300 cancellation fee (totals to around $400). We were late to our tours in London, Florence, and the Vatican. Settling with a debit card, a check or even a wire transfer means the money is gone. We've got you covered. The fee for this service is $145 if requested upon enrollment. Each meal came with water, but we were allowed to order additional drinks at our own expense if we choose to do so. If not used for travel, a COVID-19 Voucher can be exchanged for a refund of all money paid into a travelers account less $565. The deduction of $500 includes items such as the non-refundable deposit and other non-refundable fees. Absolutely not. (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.) You can call EF Ultimate Break at 1-800-766-2645. The first was in 2018. They even claim you can earn credit for going on these tour. So, no refund. Why is no one investigating them for fraudulent business practices, deceptive practices, false advertisement, etc, etc, etc?? EF Tours Return & Refund Policies. We found that participants can sign up just about any time before the trip departs. Here are some of the most effective coronavirus refund tips: Negotiate politely. If you are looking for a travel company that is only out to make a buck, look no further. We were promised experiential learning activities during the trip. I work for a competitor of EF and have about a million reasons why groups that go with them get ripped off. EF books all travelers in economy class seats for all transportation methods. So talking to the customer service representative, I asked how if we hadn't paid so much into the trip that they would be receiving that much back in fees. I was told to call EF to see what my options are. You may wish to spend time at your destinations before or after the scheduled tour. When we reached Italy, things changed a bit. 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. 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. Be aware of high-touch surfaces, such as handrails, arm rests, and security bins at the airport, and be sure to wash hands thoroughly after coming in contact with such surfaces, or before any meal. We waited for an hour-and-a half for him to return to the motor coach. Full list of UK dates. Despite these frustrations, the itinerary did take us to some fantastic places and we had some absolutely unforgettable experiences. On May 1st I lost my job and we immediately contacted Ef Tours to cancel. Foguth says details matter. I will say that the class was a fun experience at a great location, and we all enjoyed the desserts we made together. What should I do? This has caused many customers to feel frustrated and helpless when trying to get a full refund from EF Tours. Most of the time we had no idea where we were headed when we were walking to different locations. . Only the EF Go Ahead Tours allow alcohol for adult travelers. That is INSANE. What options or Cancellation Terms apply to a traveler who has rebooked their tour with a rescheduled departure date between October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022 using a COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher? But COVID-19 canceled those plans. IS this the only forum about this place? Also, keep every email and receipt. This Tour Director is supposed to handle just about everything on your tour, including all your pre-booked accommodations, meals, excursions, tickets, and transfers. We also were traveling to all the countries during the world cup. Usually if you haven't paid in full you could get a cancel for any reason insurance which will give you about 75% back. Outside of Heidelberg we stayed in a gymnasium dormitory (German high school) that was out for the summer. Lodging: Some hotel chains may be loosening their cancellation policies, waiving change and cancellation fees that would normally apply to non-refundable rates. This is the biggest scam ever. The trip isn't until June of 2017. The Return & Refund Policies may vary widely among different types of products and sellers. 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. EF seems to take the money and doesn't provide much other info. If not for her, 30 of your kids would be sleeping in the airport for two nights in a row since their new flight to London has a huge 13 hour layover. Lunches were always a gamble. Be sure to document all communication with EF Tours so that you can refer back to it if necessary. Why am I being charged a total of $550 in cancellation fees? In spite of these two disastrous group travel experiences with EF Tours, I LOVED organizing and leading tours to Europe. Authors Channel Summit. Thanks. Our tour left some of these promises unfulfilled, but did give us a glimpse at some fantastic destinations in Europe and some amazing memories. Students can expect to room with one to three other students, and possibly have to share beds. But he did recommend that our group stop at an Austrian "crystal factory" for "a short 30 minute" visit. What kind of money the travel company wants to send you, for starters. We were encouraged to invite friends and family to join us on the tour, whether or not they were associated with our school or even local to our area. 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. Saturday 25 March - London, The O2.
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