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. We need to cancel due to medical and we were told we loose close to $800. When will I be issued a COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher? This Tour Director is supposed to handle just about everything on your tour, including all your pre-booked accommodations, meals, excursions, tickets, and transfers. "You can accept a travel voucher with no penalties, or you can accept a refund minus $1,000 per person. The country is bordered to the north by Myanmar and . Thank you for your honesty! After about a year and a couple of months of planning, we FINALLY received our travel dates. Do you have knowledge or insights to share? She told us we only had five minutes to use the restroom and get back on the bus. Yet I received a check in the mail for $300 before I could talk to someone. And that wasn't even a full guarantee of a full refund. The swimming area was not separated in any way from boat traffic, nor was my son warned about possible boat traffic. This may or may not be true or all groups that are traveling with EF. The key is to take the right steps and document all communication. We were never given the names of the restaurants or addresses of where they would be unless we specifically asked for them. We were late to our tour of the Colosseum in Rome. 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. It was necessary for a family member to go to Costa Rica. Even when customers provided evidence of their dissatisfaction, EF Tours refused to issue refunds or only offered partial refunds. Four boys were also booked in a room in London with only a king sized bed! Those options were usually something like a burger, pizza or a cold sandwich. His high school in the Parkway school district decided to book the tour through EF Educational Tours. Adults did need to pass a background check in order to participate in the trip, since adult tour participants are traveling with minors. What is a COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher? I did purchase it actually! While the London Eye excursion seemed to go well for those who went on it, it was over priced. How to get your money back from a Zelle scam or accidental money transfer, This PayPal invoice scam almost got me. 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. Ms. Alaina Kommer from Grant High School does only think about herself and her travelling experience. 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.. What we didnt expect was the significant amount of wasted time and changes to our itinerary that happened on our tour. This person is there to direct the group and handle any problems with logistics you may encounter along the way. Ours just didnt seem quite ready to handle all the pressures and logistics that are required for managing a group of 40 people for 12 days. 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. Hi, I recently made a deposit to my bank of 12,400. EF provides a Tour Director to accompany your group through the entire trip. Anyways, we were told the new trip was "similar/almost identical" to the one we had signed up for, but there would be no extension to Paris and it would be 2 days shorter. In addition the insurance company retained by EF initially declined to pay to have my son evacuated from Cost Rica. 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. EF Tours charged each participant $60. So who will I be using to make my tour group arrangements? But when it comes to refunds, they quote rules and policies designed to make it difficult, if not impossible, to get a refund. Upon arrival in my room, I found it to be extremely dirty. 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. That way, when a company drags its feet on a refund, you can file a chargeback. While they still stuck with four students to a room, several of the student rooms had enough beds to sleep up to 12 people. Students And Parents Who Paid Thousands For Canceled Spring Break Trips The Return & Refund Policies may vary widely among different types of products and sellers. 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!) Worry-free guarantee; If you cancel the booking within 60 days from the reservation date, you are entitled to a full refund. Oil Filter John Deere L110 - schafpudel-vom-eichwald.de I booked a trip with our homeschool "trip club" to do EF's Great Britain tour with a 2 day extension to Paris. I was so angry but nothing was done about it. Persistence. . 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. how to get a full refund from ef tours - tmt-aba.com 2022-2023 EF Discovery Tours Booking Conditions The tour dates are as follows: Thursday 23 March - Manchester, AO Arena. When we did get on the city bus, she told us we had to pay our own fares (the tour was to include ALL transportation), but then told us to NOT pay the fare, as we would never get caught, and even if we did, the fine would only $20. EF Tours - Home | Facebook 80% Off Ef Tours Coupon | Verified Discount Code | Feb 2023 - Couponannie The Elliott Report is supported by Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that offers free advice and advocacy for consumers. On the rare occasion when this requirement is not fulfilled, participants are given one or more of the following options: 1. posted by: 23rd July 2021; No Comments . how to get a full refund from ef tours how to get a full refund from ef tours There were also some pretty significant changes to our itinerary. EF TOURS IS A COMPLETE FRAUD. 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. When something goes wrong, you thing you are covered. The original discount amount will apply. 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. This article will provide a step-by-step guide on how to get a full refund from EF Tours. oil filter john deere l110. 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. There was a layer of dusty film all over my bathroom and my pillow had an unidentified crusty stain on it. Make sure to include all relevant information, such as the date of the transaction, the amount of the refund requested, and any evidence you have of your dissatisfaction with EF Tours. On May 1st I lost my job and we immediately contacted Ef Tours to cancel. If you wanted a refund, there was a fee. Unfortunately, our family was naive enough to believe that this was supposed to be an educational tour. hodgetwins tour Adjustment to EF Atm Deposit. They have tarnished their reputation and people are not as comfortable traveling with them anymore. 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. how to get a full refund from ef tours - anmolsahota.com At the time of this publication, EF Tours has been notified of this unacceptable hotel and has yet to respond. Does anyone have experience with this type of thing? If you want a quality tour experience, with a reliable professional tour company, I wholeheartedly recommend that you contact TSA Tours. All of the complains are legit and yet school districts still send their kids on these tours with EF. 44 days or less prior to departure: No refund will be issued. However, EF Tours will override the plan and refuse your refund. Miguel Suro, a Florida attorney who writes a personal finance blog called Rich Miser, says if no is the answer, you need to appeal to someone who can turn it into a yes., For airlines, if you get nowhere with the airline itself and have a valid claim, file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation, he says. We found that there wasnt that much education attached to our tour. That's when we found out it would be around $800 to cancel. We were late to our appointment at the Louvre. For many years I organized and lead group tours to Europe for my college. This tends to give a false sense of urgency to the sign up process. We did have some great cultural experiences while we traveled. EF has the group leader/teacher set up deadlines for signing up to go on the trip, sometimes including small discounts to encourage enrollment. But COVID-19 canceled those plans. 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. My son received life threatening injuries and had there not been a physician along as a chaperone my son would have died. The kids didn't seem to mind it, but I did seem a little crowded at times. Dinners seemed to improve when we got to France. I hope your child knows that they will be sharing a bed with their roommates even if they are traveling with another school. Well isn't that what insurance is for??? 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. If all other attempts to get a full refund from EF Tours fail, it may be time to seek legal advice. 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. Out of that $550, $95 is the none refundable deposit but come on, the rest if ridiculous, especially when the cancellation request is made OVER A YEAR in advance. I find that unreasonable - they initially said another roommate, now I am finding 4 kids in a room. For detailed information about the safety and coverage programs that apply to your tour, please choose your departure date below. 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. A money grab. "You can accept a travel voucher with no penalties, or you can accept a. The only options available to us were food trucks along the river right next to the Tower complex. They split group in half. Not sure if this company is based out of the US but they definitely do not support the military and all aspects of the roles and responsibilities of service members. . May 9, 2 It was a disaster. If it concerns you, definitely mention it to the teacher. If you do not have a claim in process but have general questions about plan benefits, please contact the plan's producer - Risk Strategies Eduction. Technics in Management Transfer inverness animal clinic. Read more, Copyright 2023 Chaotically Yours | Birch on Trellis Framework by Mediavine. This was saddening but completely understandable. Im extremely glad we made those decisions. My son didn't create this problem, and it's not his fault. Would I go on another EF Tour? We are currently preparing to issue the refund you recently requested. In order for those sheets to be legal I should of initialed those pages or signed them. So, Hignite and other parents contacted EF Tours to learn they could get only vouchers, or pay the penalty to cancel. In Paris, it was a trip to Versaille to tour the palace and the gardens. The airline say to call the company that is organizing. Also, I want to upgrade my kids' flight on the way home - EF passes the responsibility to their "booking" agent in Switzerland or they say to call the airline. 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. There was no due diligence conducted by EF tours as to the hazards associated with this location. What should I do? The cancellation was due to a National Emergency not voluntary of the travelers. The company may refer your case to its legal department, where it could linger for weeks or months. Patience. You dont always have to appeal to the government. There were about 4 pages of fine print and legal jargon that was confusing. lakewood board of education address; hyde park skatepark london; obituaries humphrey, nebraska Menu Toggle. The deduction of $565 includes items such as the non-refundable deposit and other non-refundable fees. Before we get into that, it must be said that EF Tours operate fully independently of the local school district, and are not endorsed or supported by them whatsoever. There were some areas that I would definitely trust EF to arrange again, and other areas where I really think they could do better. Did EF Tours create the trip of my dreams? Wherever you are, were thereand we understand that, in todays ever-changing world, travelers are looking for more flexibility than ever before. Lunches were not included in the initial price of our trip and were paid out of pocket each day. | Do your trip make a suggestion about tips? But in the most frustrating example, during our time in Paris a visit to the Frogonard Perfume Museum was added to our itinerary. 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. Frugality is the mental approach we each take when considering our resource allocations. Authors Channel Summit. We were assured that the stop there would only last 30 minutes, but it ended up taking three times that, leaving us only an hour and a half to visit the Louvre before we had to be back on the bus to catch a flight to Italy. That seems to be the question at hand here. then how you pay matters. EF Tours inflexible, would not accommodate my request. We learned that this hotel had once housed men studying to join a monastery, which explained the doritory feel of the place. 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. The rooms at these Hiltons were very new, immaculately clean and extremely comfortable. Our award-winning daily newsletters keep you posted on our random acts of consumer advocacy. 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. 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. A most unsatisfactory and life changing (m for the worse) experience. By using this website you agree to our Cookies Policy. The brochure also claimed that students could earn educational credit while on tour, and that all tours feature experiential learning activities.. Most of the time we had no idea where we were headed when we were walking to different locations. It was an equally devastating experience. He or she is super excited about all the cool things they get to do and is just begging you to let them go. EF Educational Tours | Refund method That's the advice of Laurie Guest, an author who specializes in travel and customer service. She had us walking everywhere (1 1/2 mile from our hotel to the bus stop each day. Tickets can be purchased individually at the ticket booth for just $42 USD or for groups ahead of time for just $24 USD. 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. The teacher wouldnt return my phone call, or emails. The Elliott Report is a consumer news site supported by Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that offers free advice and advocacy for consumers. used speakers for sale craigslist; pioneer woman carne guisada; how to get a full refund from ef tours; By . Flights Cost, airlines we use, booking flights, baggage, requests, and managing your flights. Parents have paid thousands of dollars for student tours abroad -- and those refunds aren't coming. Overall, breakfasts were adequate throughout the trip. 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. I just hope the tour goes well. how to get a full refund from ef tours - animeandgameslife.com These usually include some special activity or visit to an additional landmark. Our Tour Director said it was because London is a melting pot of cultures, but our group didnt buy that. I would just like some advice if there's any way to lessen the blow. 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. Our guide that year was a young US college student who worked at a bookstore in downtown Rome. As you can imagine the difference between 0 and 55 is immaculate and only caused problems throughout the entire trip. Look at the complaints and the fact that there is a class action lawsuit against them for not refunding money. Between Florence and Rome, we spent the night at the Hotel Villa Ricci (not pictured). 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. 824. 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. We waited for an hour-and-a half for him to return to the motor coach. I have been pretty disappointed with EF when I call for questions. However, we had already paid and were still excited to be spending 2 weeks in Europe together. 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. Vrbo offered a refund after my husband lost his job. Several items listed on our initial brochure were changed before the trip due to pandemic restrictions and travel challenges, which was fine. It really did take a lot of pressure off to just let someone else do all that work. 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. Her itinerary, booked through Expedia, included several airlines. We also didnt have a way to contact our Tour Guide directly. Image courtesy: EF Go Ahead Tours Benefits of EF Go Ahead Tours. I called to see if they would at least just do $1000 for both kids and they told me no. In most cases, refunds can be issued electronically with the funds being sent directly back to your current account on file. 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. How Does PTO Work for Salaried Employees? Submit a Claim - Risk Strategies Travel Three weeks after enrolling, our circumstances changed so I called to cancel, expecting to pay the $95 cancellation fee x2. Electric Bike Thumb Throttle 12-84v LED Display Voltmeter & ON OFF Kil torquetech.co.uk. 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. Check out Elliott Advocacy Today, our free, daily newsletter with links to your favorite commentary, tips and news about consumer advocacy. Dont accept vouchers or points. 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. Exploring the Pros, Cons, and Benefits of Utilizing Professional Vacation Planning Services. While this may seem like a school trip, it is not. EF claims that they are the least expensiveYou get what you pay for. What's the matter with EF Ultimate Break? Full review [2023] We were told that other than the deposit and a small admin fee, all the rest of the money was refundable. But relinquishing that control does require a certain amount of trust. Be sure to document all communication with your credit card company so that you can refer back to it if necessary. The fee for this service is $145 if requested upon enrollment. 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.