Unfortunately, frustrated travelers are the norm with most EF Tours. They also charged me $189 for insurance I declined. I work for a competitor of EF and have about a million reasons why groups that go with them get ripped off. Im Louise. 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. And the airlines deferred to Expedia. Angry demands for a refund and threats to take a company to court almost always backfire. Your email address will not be published. I could go on and on. The design and architecture of the building are very unique and modern contemporary. So they offered vouchers that were only good for up to 18 monthsUP TO 18 MONTHS! Some of it was just bad luck however I feel like most of it was EF tours being lazy and not trying to help make the experience the best that it could have been. Four kids to a room was common on our tour. Curfews and group rules were left up to our group leader, who didnt set many boundaries for our students. I loved knowing that I could write my own tour, knowing that every detail would be done right. 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. This tends to give a false sense of urgency to the sign up process. All travelers must pay the non-refundable, non-transferable $95 Enrollment Fee upon enrollment in order for the enrollment to be complete. - Get inspired with the latest travel guides, tips, and stories from our team. Finally, make sure youre dealing with the right company. When Will Hawaiis Safe Travels Program End? Had it been a different group of personalities, Im not sure how it would have gone. This significantly hindered what we were able to see at our destinations, and made the whole tour seemed very rushed every day. Has anybody been to the office of EF? Id say yes. Wherever you are, were thereand we understand that, in todays ever-changing world, travelers are looking for more flexibility than ever before. EF Tours is a travel company that specializes in international tours for students. She was more worried about herself and her family I guess. We were told that other than the deposit and a small admin fee, all the rest of the money was refundable. For the first four nights during our stays in London and Paris, we were sent to Hilton Hotels. It was absolutely fantastic. Other times it seemed like our guide might be creating these situations by not fully informing us what was available near by. The key is to take the right steps and document all communication. Youll also connect with other readers who want to make the world a better place. EF Tours have a pretty straightforward process during the sign up period, prior to departure and during your trip. There was a layer of dusty film all over my bathroom and my pillow had an unidentified crusty stain on it. Check out Elliott Advocacy Today, our free, daily newsletter with links to your favorite commentary, tips and news about consumer advocacy. Senior trips that were canceled by EF Explore America Tours due to the Coronavirus Covid-19 outbreak should be refunded in FULL, ALL travelers' trip costs minus the travel protection plan cost per traveler since the reason for cancellation was out of the school or the travelers' control. The airline say to call the company that is organizing. The first was in 2018. No one wanted to be the person that made us late. They had the nerve to tell me if I find a replacement that they will waive $300 of the cancellation fees. How to Get a Full Refund from EF Tours: A Step-by-Step Guide, Do I Need to Be Vaccinated to Travel to Hawaii? 44 days or less prior to departure: No refund will be issued. The trip isn't until June of 2017. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. I will never travel with EF Tours again. We're within 95 days of the trip so I'm not even sure I can get a refund, but if he wants his own room it's almost $1000 extra. My daughter wanted to go with members of her class on this great trip with EF tours. $900 which we did. Three weeks after enrolling, our circumstances changed so I called to cancel, expecting to pay the $95 cancellation fee x2. If you dont believe me, ask Melina Jose, who was supposed to fly from Paris to Orlando, Florida, recently. Our tour left some of these promises unfulfilled, but did give us a glimpse at some fantastic destinations in Europe and some amazing memories. "You can accept a travel voucher with no penalties, or you can accept a refund minus $1,000 per person. For example, on our first full day of the trip, we visited the Tower of London. By the first week I was already begging to go home and I kept hoping, thinking and praying that things would get better however they never did. we signed my son up for a trip to England , Paris, and Rome. 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. Your card has consumer protection programs built in so you can challenge a charge if the vendor does not fulfill what was promised. Overall, breakfasts were adequate throughout the trip. But why cant I get a refund? A COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher retains the value of all money paid into a travelers account which can be applied to any EF tours or language product with a departure date prior to the COVID-19 Future Travel Vouchers expiration date. The kids didn't seem to mind it, but I did seem a little crowded at times. All total they are withholding $760. If you want to make sure you get your travel refund every time, remember to use a credit card, keep every email and be ready to appeal your case. 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. Experts advise people to frequently wash their hands in warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds and to avoid touching their face. During our trip there were extra excursions offered in any city we stayed in more than one night. EF has staff on the ground, 365 days a year, in over 50 countries to assist you in times of need. Sometimes this was a good thing, but sometimes it was incredibly frustrating. how to get a full refund from ef tours. Was told that in total I will lose the $749 each person as we also will lose the Global Travel Protection Plan amount as well. But relinquishing that control does require a certain amount of trust. Im not opposed to tipping but tips need to be earned and for him to request a set amount doesnt sit well with me. Not by a long shot. Here's my EFTours experience: 1.I have been on 3 EFTours and have another planned for next summer. These tours are usually walking tours, but sometimes are bus tours, depending on the location. When we reached Italy, things changed a bit. Can I get my 173,116 Chase Ultimate Rewards points refunded? I think I would, but I would definitely choose a slower paced itinerary with more time in each destination. 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. 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 it concerns you, definitely mention it to the teacher. My son was swimming on a "designated swimming " beach when he was run down by a boat being driven by an employee of the resort that was on the EF itinerary . It's just too many in my opinion. My EF Tours experience definitely taught me a lot about group travel. - Make a personalized map of where you've been and where you want to go. 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. I was super excited to go experience 6 countries however from day one everything seemed to go wrong. Sometimes they were just continental breakfasts with cold offerings, and sometimes we were given hot breakfasts with eggs, bacon, and such. I was so angry but nothing was done about it. Whatever happens, weve seen it. If your Group Leader has rescheduled your original tour/program, the group will be moved automatically onto the new tour/program. 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. 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. I have been a group leader with EF for 10 years and they have been getting so bad that I will no longer travel with them. I'll look into that. The bus driver was a surly Dutch man, who was gruff and impossible. If you need help with any problem,please contact us through this form. On the second night we had a traditional Alsatian dish called Flammekueche, which was sort of like a pizza with a creamy sauce. They were both located about an hour outside of the city center, but that wasnt too much of a problem. Again, we found these rooms to be clean and pretty comfortable. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Once youve signed up for your EF Tour, youll be given access to a tour portal on the EF website where you can track your payments and what steps you need take next to participate in the trip. Your local principals, school boards, etc. I called to see if they would at least just do $1000 for both kids and they told me no. Lodging: Some hotel chains may be loosening their cancellation policies, waiving change and cancellation fees that would normally apply to non-refundable rates. He ended up sleeping on a towel laid out on the sofa with a travel neck pillow, that had been provided to him by his daughter from her room. 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! 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!) Transfer to a comparable tour. Do you have any questions about EF Tours that I didnt answer? I was told that they only charge whats been deposited. I would just like some advice if there's any way to lessen the blow. Flights Cost, airlines we use, booking flights, baggage, requests, and managing your flights. Our "hotels" were in suburbs, a great distance outside of the beautiful towns we were to visit. Having extra free time to see the sites of your choice seemed to be the best option during our tour. About Ultimate Break tours Meals, transportation, Tour Directors, pace, customization, and who you'll be traveling with. (I publish a full list of customer service executive contacts on my nonprofit consumer advocacy site, elliott.org. hodgetwins tour Adjustment to EF Atm Deposit. However, EF Tours will override the plan and refuse your refund. That's when we found out it would be around $800 to cancel. For detailed information about the safety and coverage programs that apply to your tour, please choose your departure date below. EF Tours uses a wide range of airlines, and travelers do not get to indicate a preference. Airlines and other travel companies make it so easy for money to flow their way. Experts say the paper trail will get you a refund faster. While this may seem like a school trip, it is not. They can advise you on the best course of action and represent you in court if necessary. Whatever you need, we'll handle it. Our guide that year was a young US college student who worked at a bookstore in downtown Rome. We choose not to participate in the excursion in London because Im not the biggest fan of heights, and in Paris because my daughter wanted the opportunity to spend some extra free time in the city. Click Registration to join us and share your expertise with our readers.). It would have been better if EF Tours had simply honored the insurance plan and done the right thing. 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. Lunches were not included in the initial price of our trip and were paid out of pocket each day. Dinners seemed to improve when we got to France. From that time forward I lead 20 overseas tours to Europe for my college. We found that participants can sign up just about any time before the trip departs. How Does PTO Work for Salaried Employees? 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. During our time in Rome, lunch came with some free time to wander, so we were able to go out and select the restaurant of our choice. Several items listed on our initial brochure were changed before the trip due to pandemic restrictions and travel challenges, which was fine. For what it's worth 4k for a scotland ireland trip is definitely too much. I was told we should have paid extra if we wanted to be IN Sorrento. She was frequently the last person downstairs at our hotels to meet our bus 15 to 20 minutes after the time she told us to meet her, and did not budget in adequate travel time to most of our destinations. They along with their team canceled the tour and refuses to refund the full amount. With patience and persistence, you should eventually be able to get a full refund from EF Tours. EF, as a company, offers may types of tours ranging from group trips for adults to organized gap years for high school graduates. And that wasn't even a full guarantee of a full refund. While the teacher recruiting students is designated as your group leader, they dont actually lead the tour once you start traveling. 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. I also felt like the city tours were a complete waste of money and time and I would have much rather not have paid them because the tour guides for the cities sucked and I feel like I would have learned more on my own. 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. Does anyone have experience with this type of thing? 110 comments. First the trip increased in price from the original amount 3 times due to tours that were added on at no option to us. She told us we only had five minutes to use the restroom and get back on the bus. 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. Did we mention it's free? Wife has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and will not be able to make this trip. Parents are upset that a student tour company won't give full refunds for canceled European vacations. We stayed 20 miles outside of Salzburg at a ski resort youth hostel. Against my better judgement. So who will I be using to make my tour group arrangements? The tour guide was a London college student who had traveled little, not having been to many of our tour destinations. Tuesday 28 March . Get online free 48v Electric Bike Controller Wiring Diagram e-books in eBook format, PDF, ef go ahead tours appMotorcycle Electrical Wiring Diagram Pdf - Motorcycle Wiring Diagram charlotte-purser.blogspot.com. We did not get to select from a menu and were all served the same thing each night, with the exception of those who had special dietary needs. You dont always have to appeal to the government. 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.. The company is known for its strict refund policies and lack of customer service. Tours are advertised by the group leader/teacher to students at their school and to their local community. Here's how we make world travel easy. EF Explore America said in light of the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, it offered the school three options. 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). Toll-free 1-877-974-7462 ext. 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. EF was never concerned about her health or welfare and only accused her of being drunk so they could dodge any responsibility. You might be able to work something out. Have had 2 separate travel experiences with EF. The Elliott Report is supported by Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that offers free advice and advocacy for consumers. John Deere Air Filter Kit - GY20661 (4) $14. COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher 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. 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. Things started off poorly when our tour guide was an hour late to meet us at baggage claim and then our bus was over another hour late to pick us up at the airport. It is a trip run by a business who just happens to recruit participants through the school system. If you pay by credit card, you should receive a refund to that credit card. When my husband and I decided to send our daughter, we felt like one of us should go with her since she was only 15 at the time we went on the trip, and had not traveled internationally like this before. For many years I organized and lead group tours to Europe for my college. You might not know all the answers, but you've got a friend in us! Im normally a big fan of Korean food, but this wasnt great. The country is bordered to the north by Myanmar and . But whats this $452 bill? Only the EF Go Ahead Tours allow alcohol for adult travelers. Be informed, says Michael Foguth, founder of Foguth Financial Group in Brighton, Michigan. I think it's just something they do to alleviate kids carrying too much cash with them. We also were traveling to all the countries during the world cup. However, we had already paid and were still excited to be spending 2 weeks in Europe together. Sometimes it seemed inevitable, like when we were stuck in an airport or train station. crank up antenna tower for sale. Not a sleeper sofa, but just a hard couch. Imagine being in London not able to tour anything because you don't have the proper tour bus that you were promised?? He went as part of a group of senior high school students on a school sponsored trip. Not only did I make a complaint to the Better Business Bureau but I also requested that a manager call me and I have yet to hear from anyone. For this trip it really came down to adjusting expectations once we were traveling. 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. I had to do this for a foreign airline that owed me a partial refund for a flight originating in the U.S., and they wound up giving me a full refund, voluntarily.. Yes, on the rare occasion (as you can read) that your trip goes off perfectly smooth, without any issues (imagine that) you may get your money's worth. 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. Four boys were also booked in a room in London with only a king sized bed! Required fields are marked *. The next group dinner was at a Polish restaurant where the group was served a fried chicken patty and french fries. 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. Our lead teacher did this as well. Welcome to Chaotically Yours. It felt like a complete waste of time to travel and waste that many days. One of the destinations was an Island called Tortuga. I registered my son and I to go on a tour in June 2017. The school uses them for all there spring break trips and this is very disappointing that they are doing this to us. A most unsatisfactory and life changing (m for the worse) experience. They are basically stealing our money and find this to be okay. If you want a quality tour experience, with a reliable professional tour company, I wholeheartedly recommend that you contact TSA Tours. I really did expect there to be more education involved in what we did while on our tour. fender american professional ii vs ultra. Vacation rental mistakes every family makes (but you shouldnt), This is how to fight a hotel billing error and win. Our tour guide didnt seem to have this mentality. Our Safety & Incident Response team is available 24/7 and we have a resource network of industry experts, healthcare professionals, and government personnel who liaise with local embassies, government authorities, and health providers. Crypto Wallet Development: Types, Features, and Popularity, 5 Ways AI is Detecting and Preventing Identity Fraud. 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. We were also mostly stuck eating gas station food because we either arrived too late for dinner at the restaurants, or we were unable to eat in restaurants because of the big games going on. Our specific tour featured quite a daunting itinerary. This isnt to say that we didnt learn anything on our trip. It really did take a lot of pressure off to just let someone else do all that work. 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. We enjoyed a truly magical and unexpected sunset under the Eiffel Tower in Paris. We had a fantastic time seeing the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London. If you want any other info or even wanted . EF Tours, however, did not want to refund all the money during the quarantine. 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. Two straight hours of calling the ef tours emergency hotline and no still no answer. These added stops almost always involved additional costs as well, which we were not informed of before leaving for our trip. 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. | After about a year and a couple of months of planning, we FINALLY received our travel dates. We were late to our tour of the Colosseum in Rome. They are making a profit off of cancellations!!!! General sale starts at 9am . That seems to be the question at hand here. Thank you for your honesty! On our way to Southern Italy, we spent the night in Sorrento at Sisters Hostel. Unfortunately, I had to cancel his trip because my son switched schools and his old school district could not take a non student out of the country. 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. Politeness. :? ?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. . He paid Vantage $18,536. I am a retired college Professor of Art. EF is keeping $565 dollars needed to cover their overhead and costs to hotels and airlines but students could reschedule. Can I exchange my COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher for a Cash Refund Option? My son received life threatening injuries and had there not been a physician along as a chaperone my son would have died. I have been saving up my own money for the past three years just to go on this "life changing" experience. Did you purchase trip insurance? That invoice for antivirus protection is a scam, How a company could easily get a false F rating from the BBB. We knew going into this tour that our itinerary would be extremely hectic. They are all F-ing scum I hope all involved lose every penny they ever made and become homeless. The teacher wouldnt return my phone call, or emails. There were a total of 40 people on our tour. They are also putting about 4 kids in a room! But when it comes to refunds, they quote rules and policies designed to make it difficult, if not impossible, to get a refund. 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. They won't tell you which airline or which hotel you will be staying at. 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. In Munich, we were given lodging one block from the red light district, and had three young women awakened during the middle of the night by a drunken man demanding access to their room (their room entrance was directly onto the street). Vrbo took my $1,270! Her itinerary, booked through Expedia, included several airlines. If you do not, allow another business day for your funds to appear in your account. EF tours looks like another fish altogether.a money-making venture of little value for the parents. If not used for travel, a COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher can be exchanged for a refund of all money paid into a travelers account less $500. We put a deposit down and also the registration fee $199 plus $500. When it became apparent on the second night that we werent going to be getting any traditional English food, my daughter and I made arrangements to go get dinner on our own, and pay for it out of pocket. Enroll online or call 800-766-2645, EF Explore America Fully Refundable Booking Period Feel good about your decision by enrolling in AutoPay or paying in full when you book your tour. This article was published on February 22, 2019. If all other attempts to get a full refund from EF Tours fail, it may be time to seek legal advice.