But when it comes to refunds, they quote rules and policies designed to make it difficult, if not impossible, to get a refund. In most cases, refunds can be issued electronically with the funds being sent directly back to your current account on file. Our tour consisted of 26 travelers from our high school: three teachers, seven adults and 16 students. "You can accept a travel voucher with no penalties, or you can accept a refund minus $1,000 per person. The front desk attendant seemed more than annoyed anytime someone from our group would approach them, and insisted that we all leave our keys at the front desk when leaving the hotel for dinner that night. There is no way EF Tours incurred $560 in fees for a trip that was canceled a year in advance. This may or may not be true or all groups that are traveling with EF. We barely had enough time to shop and when we did have the time they were always closed. Why is Good UI/UX Design Imperative for Business Success? This Arizona based company has been organizing dozens of tours for teachers and college professors all across the country for 30 years. You can call EF Ultimate Break at 1-800-766-2645. EF Tours was contacted today also and there response was they aren't responsible for the insurance company. Their initial flight was cancelled at 645pm and no one from ef tours was available to book overnight rooms so they could make their 6 am flight. I sent the letter and will contact them again Monday to try and get answers. She usually did a count to make sure everyone was there when we were ready to leave, but she did leave people behind at least twice during our trip and have to go back and get them. Education First Class Action Says Tour Company Canceled Trips Over EF seems to take the money and doesn't provide much other info. The front desk did not seem to care and we were told no one was available to come clean the bathrooms. In addition the insurance company retained by EF initially declined to pay to have my son evacuated from Cost Rica. Several items listed on our initial brochure were changed before the trip due to pandemic restrictions and travel challenges, which was fine. Vol 1, #2. PLAN. Four students are continuously placed in rooms meant for two people. I have traveled extensively with Expedia, always buy travel insurance, and am covered for any thing, from war to terrorism, to a pandemic. My son is (or perhaps was) traveling on an EF tour this summer with a very small group from our high school. So, no refund. Sometimes this was a good thing, but sometimes it was incredibly frustrating. My first was as a parent going with my 15-year-old along with a group of about 20 kids (from a . Consumer Alert: No more automatic refunds for skipped ports? the unforeseen. 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. The swimming area was not separated in any way from boat traffic, nor was my son warned about possible boat traffic. Usually if you haven't paid in full you could get a cancel for any reason insurance which will give you about 75% back. 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 was over $8,300," Hignite said. Flexible Options | EF Explore America Required fields are marked *. 321. This has happened all over the US and people are not standing down. I didn't think sharing was a big deal until I found out that he's expected to share a ben with a complete stranger. On October 22, 2020, Boston-based co-counsel for McGrane PC send a demand letter to the EF Defendants (including EF Explore America Inc., which runs domestic tours) demanding a full refund under Massachusetts consumer protection law which Massachusetts consumer protection law appears to more directly address the requirement that such full . 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). Our first group dinner in London was at a Korean restaurant where the group was served a hot stone bibimbap with chicken. A minimum number of 35 or 55 participants (varies by tour) is necessary to qualify for the group rates on which the Discovery Tour is based. Before we left on our trip, we were told by our group leader that we shouldnt need more that $25 US dollars per person per day for lunches and snacks. I really did expect to spend some quality time at these major historic sites. Overall, unless an excursion is of special interest to you, I wouldnt recommend participating in them, simply because they seem overpriced. hodgetwins tour Adjustment to EF Atm Deposit. Accommodations and rooming Hotels and hostels, rooms and roommates, amenities, and upgrades. I had some incredible experiences in some amazing locations with my only daughter, and I wouldnt trade that for the world. Its always best to book any tour, hotel or activity for your trip with a major credit card, explains Claire Soares, founder of the travel company Up in the Air Life. 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? 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. Often, a brief, polite written appeal to someone higher up can do wonders. Tickets can be purchased individually at the ticket booth for just $42 USD or for groups ahead of time for just $24 USD. The deduction of $565 includes items such as the non-refundable deposit and other non-refundable fees. You're in!) CPS high school students missing overseas school trips due to TSA Tours, of course. Two straight hours of calling the ef tours emergency hotline and no still no answer. Explain the situation and why you are requesting a full refund. By skipping the London Eye, we were able to have a bit more time to explore and plenty of time to enjoy our pub dinner that we mentioned earlier since the London Eye excursion was timed to happen right before dinner. About 3-4 months before our trip, and after we had already paid IN FULL, we were notified that because of our small group, our group leader had only signed 5 people up..hindsight tells me people saw what a rip off it was and didn't sign up to take it in the rear from EF. I got in touch with Expedia, and it finally refunded her $437. My mom had to put hotel rooms for 30 students in her credit card. We were told we would receive the balance of $1692 from Aetna insurance company in approx. 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. About Ultimate Break tours Meals, transportation, Tour Directors, pace, customization, and who you'll be traveling with. 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 will not let this go if need be I will take them to court and sue there asses. Our Tour Director said it was because London is a melting pot of cultures, but our group didnt buy that. That means that I will receive less than half that amount back! I was told we should have paid extra if we wanted to be IN Sorrento. My son received life threatening injuries and had there not been a physician along as a chaperone my son would have died. Dont accept vouchers or points. We enjoyed a truly magical and unexpected sunset under the Eiffel Tower in Paris. 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. The brochure also claimed that students could earn educational credit while on tour, and that all tours feature experiential learning activities.. Had it been a different group of personalities, Im not sure how it would have gone. Here's my EFTours experience: 1.I have been on 3 EFTours and have another planned for next summer. ?we were then offered a tour of a castle which was supposedly a make up gift from ef tours for the bus situation however, once we got there we only had about 45 mins- an hour to tour the entire castle. COVID-19 ruined my travel plans. Now what? | Consumer Advice That EF 12-Day tour was called "Europe with an Alpine Flavor." But he did recommend that our group stop at an Austrian "crystal factory" for "a short 30 minute" visit. 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. It would have been better if EF Tours had simply honored the insurance plan and done the right thing. Original scheduled departure was from May 15, 2020 September 30, 2022. With the backing of a major credit card you can even dispute part or a percentage of the services provided.. We found that there wasnt that much education attached to our tour. 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. 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. 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. EF Tours - complaintboard.com While on tour, there was only one time that I felt like our group was taken to an unsafe area. Is there any way I can get around it? COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher And honestly I'm a little sad about canceling, but even trips on groupon are more affordableand a little less PG haha. Overall, Id say that the hotels provided were quite good, with the exception of Hotel La Pergola. He went as part of a group of senior high school students on a school sponsored trip. Our help is free. If you have a consumer problem,please contact our team at Elliott Advocacy through this form. But in Florence, visits to San Miniato al Monte and Piazzale Michelangelo were dropped off the itinerary with no explanation. how to get a full refund from ef tours - tmt-aba.com If EF Tours does not respond or refuses to issue a full refund, the next step is to file a complaint with the BBB. Three weeks after enrolling, our circumstances changed so I called to cancel, expecting to pay the $95 cancellation fee x2. Can a vacation rental host cancel my stay and keep my money? Would I go on another EF Tour? 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. Get Involved; Contact; Donate! We were also promised to be able to be in walking distance from our hotels to the big cities in the countries we were staying in however in each country we were at minimum one hour away from the cities. crank up antenna tower for sale. Thanks. There were no linens or towels available to him whatsoever. DO NOT travel with EF TOURS!! Horrible company - Fodor's EF EDUCATION FIRST - 23 Reviews - 1755 Blake St, Denver, CO - Yelp But on her return flight, one of the legs, on Flybe from Paris to Manchester, England, mysteriously vanished. Frequently Asked Questions about Educational Travel | Explorica As a working class family that was attempting to give our child a wonder experience, I am outraged that a company would gain such a profit off of a cancellation! It's just too many in my opinion. By clicking "submit" below, you are requesting to have your refund issued by check, which will be made out in the travelers name and mailed to their primary address on file. Parents understand why CPS canceled the trips. The tour guide was a London college student who had traveled little, not having been to many of our tour destinations. Curfews and group rules were left up to our group leader, who didnt set many boundaries for our students. 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. Travel Company efeducationaltours eftours eftours Photos See all Videos See all 1:02 This isnt to say that we didnt learn anything on our trip. This company is a fraud and steals money from families. My son didn't create this problem, and it's not his fault. Can I exchange my COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher for a Cash Refund Option? B)there are about 1,000 people in the building and I have yet to see anyone that wasn't white as the driven snow. Consider hiring a lawyer who specializes in consumer protection and travel law.