Protection for your belongings We conduct background checks on all adults traveling on our student tours. HOW CAN THIS BE LEGAL??? Also out of all four excursions throughout the trip, THREE OF THEM WERE CANCELLED! EF Educational Tours Reviews | Read Customer Service Reviews of www.eftours.com Travel & Vacation Activities & Tours Tour Agency EF Educational Tours EF Educational Tours Reviews 4,382 Excellent 4.3 VERIFIED COMPANY www.eftours.com Visit this website kharden 1 review US 2 days ago DO NOT USE EF Tours! Illness and accident coverage I can reschedule to next year. Would it possible to help US have Better solution? 15.06(1 . We need to cancel due to medical and we were told we loose close to $800. Careers at EF. Especially during a pandemic where these things change constantly. If the revised tour has a higher price than the original tour, travelers will be required to pay the difference as a condition of traveling on the revised tour. I will never, ever even consider sending any of my other kids on one of these trips. Trip Cancellation coverage A class action has been filed over an educational travel companys alleged failure to issue sufficient refunds for student tours canceled in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. 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." In addition the insurance company retained by EF initially declined to pay to have my son evacuated from Cost Rica. The 2020 trip was canceled due to Covid. ", Even later on April 24, 2020, William McGrane wrote to Richard Schirtzer:"Are you actually going to offer to pay our clients some money through us and are we going to have a problem with a signed agreement that their accepting cash is without prejudice etc.? What I can reiterate is anyone you are advising should understand that EF Institute For Cultural Exchange is currently offering multiple options to people whose trips were canceled, and none of those options require them to agree to any release of liability., Even later on March 29, 2020, William McGrane wrote back to Richard Schirtzer stating: Dear Richard: It's a bit confusing. We also had the unfortunate luck of awful traffic. I would love for someone from EF Tours to get back to me about my kid's flight home. 4. And just think, are our kids safe with this company? Emergency evacuation coverages 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. Has anybody been to the office of EF? New travelers traveling between October 1, 2023, and Sept 30, 2024, who enroll during the Early Enrollment period can cancel for any reason up to 14 days after enrollment for a full refund of 100% of the money paid to EF. Emilia Hovestadt Now that I see I cannot . Their solution is to book another tour to avoid losing money. Joining the EF family means youll have the support of our community of educators, tour architects, operations wizards, and ever-curious explorers. Yet I received a check in the mail for $300 before I could talk to someone. She was more worried about herself and her family I guess. as the premier companies. Please download the PDF to view it: Download PDF. Were covering: We believe travel is for everyone. I booked a tour in 2022 to Greece through Girl Scouts of America for 2024. He could no get us on flights home. Privacy Policy | Copyright On March 15, 2021, Melissa Douglas filed a response to an earlier filed motion to dismiss filed by the EF Tours defendants. Before commenting, please review our comment policy. 1. This is meant to help provide a safer tour experience for all travelers, and is a similar process to what many school districts implement for adults who volunteer in schools or chaperone school activities. Which btw the ticket was $100!!! What a rip off! EF provides an exclusive Peace of Mind program to account for such situations. Policy terms, conditions, and exclusions apply. While not happy with that amount I understood. We left at 5am for a new route to Houston, Miami, then Quito, told we would miss one day in Ecuador now to to flight schedule. Help Center; How It Works; About EF; Blog; Customer Reviews; Stay connected. WE never want to travel with EF again and this is not acceptable. Nonrefundable fees are outlined in EFs Booking Conditions. But their ads sure reflect diversity! Share your photos and videos with others to prove the truth of your words. So, even the itinerary is a lie! Yes, even though quarantine is a covered reason for a full refund, EF Tours CHARGED members $$ a significant amount of money thus negating a full refund. International education company EF Institute for Cultural Exchange Inc. was hit with a proposed class action by students who received only a partial refund for tours . 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. Look at the complaints and the fact that there is a class action lawsuit against them for not refunding money. Which we were fine with (my nephew and myself). 3:20-cv-00508-gpc-blm advising Mr. Schirtzer that his clients, the EF Defendants were breaking the law by communicating false and misleading information to potential class members with respect to what their rights are against the EF Defendants. Look at all the one star reviews. Seems a little steep for cancelling a trip that is still almost 2 years away. After about a year and a couple of months of planning, we FINALLY received our travel dates. Have had 2 separate travel experiences with EF. Plus you have more than two years to explore your possibilities. I am a senior citizen and cannot afford that loss or afford to wait any further for the refund. Said she would pay for it herself as the total cost for her to go alone would be enough to take my entire family on a nice vacation. He has an unexpected stopover in Munich and no One accompanies him as he Is out of the group It was discovered by a parent who was monitoring the flight status. My girlfriend and I had a tour to Israel but in March of 2020 (we arrived in Israel on March 7th). Is this your company? 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. UPDATE ON EF CASES AS OF 1:30 PM PDST April 21, 2020. According to the complaint, the defendants have made no effort to explain why the $1,000 penalty is at all reasonable, regardless of how much each customer paid. 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. Want class action news sent to your inbox? UPDATE ON EF CASES AS OF 2:00 PM PDST MARCH 15, 2021. Our only hope now is that our kids have a great time with their class. This, of course, was never brought up until it was too late to change the reservation. My family and I scheduled a tour with ef educational tours. NBC 5 Responds has received dozens of complaints from families who say EF Tours, a travel company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is charging them a cancellation fee to get their money. It was an extremely uncomfortable situation and I had to leave the tour. On Monday, April 20, 2020, Michael Hassen wrote to Richard Schirtzer regarding Natalia Grabovsky, etc., et. A copy of this pleading is posted on our UPDATES page. Customer service is the WORST! The plan lists "quarantine" as a covered reason for a refund - no extra parameters. 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. Other EF tour brands. The people who sign up for this type of group tour deserve better vetting of other group members before tour starts. We've experienced the transformative power of travel firsthandand we can't wait to explore the opportunities that are out there for you and your students. I was told that they only charge whats been deposited. Individual Coverage Just don't do it. ?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. We were told that other than the deposit and a small admin fee, all the rest of the money was refundable. Purchase was completed prior to pandemic..tour to Italy. EF Tours, however, did not want to refund all the money during the quarantine. Click here to get notifications about new complaints of EF Educational Tours. Or they can redeem it for any other EF travel product. However, the problem has wider implications for your clients. 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. They make go in circles and have excuse after excuse. Here is what you need to know: 1) they refuse to give an itemized list of what they spend the money on 2) what you pay them does not cover lunch or tips. 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. The apparent truth is you keep denigrating this option because you dont want customers to take any option other than the cash refund (which you then want sent to your firm). The teacher wouldnt return my phone call, or emails. Why would I need to do the work for them? And you can. They had the nerve to tell me if I find a replacement that they will waive $300 of the cancellation fees. As the coronavirus outbreak continues to ripple across the globe, a proposed class action lawsuit has been filed over an educational travel companys alleged failure to issue sufficient refunds for canceled student tours. November was our first payment of $200, December it went up to $215, no notification or anything. Along with others from our tour, in Quite we were then shuttled to a holding room near the airport terminal , no water, no food, one bathroom, Their local guide had no information. Even with the "Global traveler's protection" insurance I purchased at $165 per traveler, which I paid for both my daughter and I. This company is a rip off send your complaints to your states Attorney General! In my opinion, this is stealing. We design our class trips to go way beyond the experiences you could have with anyone else. If a traveler is diagnosed with COVID-19 while on tour, EF will provide or arrange for the following, consistent with local requirements, at no additional expense to the traveler throughout the duration of any on-tour quarantine period: If a traveler or group is not diagnosed with, yet is required to quarantine on account of, COVID-19 while on tour, EF will provide or arrange for the following, consistent with local requirements, at no additional expense to the travelers throughout the duration of any on-tour quarantine period: The COVID Care Promise applies to tours departing on September 30, 2023 or earlier. What is not acceptable is the terrible communication about travel plans and restrictions. When I called about a refund for the extension being taken off I was told by customer service "They make the cost even out." EF Tours was contacted today also and there response was they aren't responsible for the insurance company. 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. My son didn't create this problem, and it's not his fault. A situation completely out of the control of myself and other families. This plan includes Trip Interruption coverage. The day before trip, we were told cancelled due to civil unrest. al. I understand that Will told her she should have received a discount but in a case like this where she became a chaperone at the very last minute, there is nothing we can do. 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. 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. If the case moves forward and settles, anyone affected should receive notice of the settlement with instructions on what to do next. COVID-19 required everybody to be quarantined. ", Later on April 22, 2020, Mr. Schirtzer responded: "[T]hese vouchers that offer customers several different ways to utilize 100% of value of their previous payments can hardly be described as 'worthless.' I called EF and they directed me to the insurance company-which is an absolute rip off. Future Travel Vouchers are valid up to 25 months from the month of the original tours scheduled departure. Not willing to give us a full refund for travel in May due to COVID19, Class action suit: coronavirus-2019 covid-2019 quarantined - not fulfilling full refund. This program is automatically included for all travelers and can be enacted at the group level for any reason, including terrorism, pandemics, or other world events. 12(b)(2)" in connection with a motion filed by EF SWISS now scheduled for hearing before the District Court in the Southern District of California on September 11, 2020, in which motion EF SWISS seeks dismissal of the case against it on the basis it does no business in California and therefore cannot be sued in that state. No one responded. They are basically stealing our money and find this to be okay. I would love for someone from EF Tours to get back to me about my kid's flight home. She is welcome to call traveler support for more clarification! 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. I was so angry but nothing was done about it. EF Ultimate Break Enroll online or call 800-766-2645. Three weeks after enrolling, our circumstances changed so I called to cancel, expecting to pay the $95 cancellation fee x2. I trusted my kid's school to pick a good company. They cancelled it - TWICE! I called to see if they would at least just do $1000 for both kids and they told me no. With Genesis and Atomic blocks, you can build beautiful, powerful websites in minutes with our robust theme framework and professionally-designed sections and layouts. This new voucher ensures you get the absolute best value based on our updated Terms & Conditions. Call us: Teachers and Group Leaders 800-637-8222 Students and Parents 800-665-5364 Careers at EF View Opportunities Four girls were placed in a room with one queen sized bed and two twin mattresses on the floor in London. Filed: March 17, 2020 3:20-cv-00508-GPC-BLM. When we ask to escalate our concern, managers have decided to refuse to accept or return our calls. Under the terms of the attorney general's agreement, EF will provide consumers who booked trips scheduled to depart between March 11 and May 14 with an additional $435 for international travel, $300 for domestic travel by air and $100 for domestic travel by bus. Camp Lejeune residents now have the opportunity to claim compensation for harm suffered from contaminated water. What a waste of time and money. Earn benefits like one spot on tour for every six travelers you bring. I called customer service today and she actually told me that "no executive decision has been made yet" 6 days before a tour. This plan includes Trip Interruption coverage. that compelling itineraries should be full of Desired outcome: Of course our trip was rescheduled for another year due to COVID. It has been no surprise that management NEVER called. I will make sure and tell everyone I know not to take these tours. We've experienced the transformative power of travel firsthandand we can't wait to explore the opportunities that are out there for you and your students. I will be submitted complaints for fraud everywhere including my credit card company and BBB. Why am I being charged a total of $550 in cancellation fees? ef tours is a rip-off! Our group leader and another chaperone attending the trip tested positive for covid and were unable to attend. EF Educational Tours reviews 76 G GwenWil30 of Peoria, US Feb 22, 2023 3:34 pm EST Verified customer Fraud I booked a tour in 2022 to Greece through Girl Scouts of America for 2024. 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. Peace of Mind Program If a traveler needs to interrupt a tour due to serious injury or illness, this provides a benefit. EF Tours is just horrible. Trip delay coverage They also facilitate communication between travelers and families in the event of an emergency at home. I overlooked all that because it was time spent with my daughter. Spring break trip with the school for my two boys to go to Greece and Italy this year. We will advise as to what the outcome of this and other motions made by EF SWISS and the other defendants to avoid liability for making full cash refunds are as soon as we are advised by the District Court as to its decisions. I did not cancel this trip! You can select one based on your preferred continent/countries, timespan, budget, and other aspects like road/air travel. Four students are continuously placed in rooms meant for two people. Our 50,000+ staff and faculty members around the world provide a local presence and are able to react quickly and in person where necessary. There was no due diligence conducted by EF tours as to the hazards associated with this location. On June 20th we called them to verify and were told our claim was denied and we wouldn't be receiving anything back from them. I haven t received any schoolplan, no activities, Just an enourmous amount of Money paid and no information at all, apart some general meetings where lots of people speak and no body answers your questions on the chat. View Opportunities; Resources. We also were traveling to all the countries during the world cup. Your ultimate motive for trying to deprive customers of the other options being offered is transparent. It seemed cool at the time however most countries either had the shops and food places shut down early or be completely closed due to the big games. Was informed of the price to cancel was $199 not the $95 listed. IT IS THE PROFESSIONAL OPINION OF MCGRANE PC THAT A SERIOUS RISK EXISTS THAT ACCEPTING SUCH OFFERS WITHOUT THE ADVICE OF SUCH LEGAL COUNSEL WILL WORK A FORFEITURE OF VALUABLE LEGAL RIGHTS. With 600 schools and offices in 50 countries worldwide, including regional offices dedicated to on-tour support, our global presence is truly unmatched. I am seeking a full refund, not a partial one. On May 1st I lost my job and we immediately contacted Ef Tours to cancel. I cancelled my daughters trip to Greece. Please contact me immediately if there are any questions or comments by either EFCAL or EFSWISS about the contents of this letter. Dedicated Emergency Service and Incident Response Teams DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD ON AN EF TRIP!! This is a terrible company. Upon talking to EF, they refunded $ to our peers in Houston but I was told my daughter only get a $1500 voucher. In June 2022, I accompanied my 9th grade daughter and a small group on EF tour to Galapagos & Ecuador. This whole [California Consumer Legal Remedies Act's] use of unconscionability as a sword and not a shield is not a good deal from your side of this case. 100!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You have more than two years to explore your possibilities another chaperone attending trip. Of an emergency at home to be okay of our community of educators, tour architects operations. In March of 2020 ( we arrived in Israel on March 7th ) send your complaints your. Call, or emails myself ) overlooked all that because it was too late to change reservation! They are basically stealing our money and find this to be okay up... 2020 ( we arrived in Israel on March 7th ) our only hope now is that our safe!, and it 's not his fault reschedule to next year 2:00 PM PDST April 21, 2020, Hassen. 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Vetting of other group members before tour starts go to Greece and Italy this year ever even consider sending of... Not to ef tours lawsuit these Tours wrote to Richard Schirtzer regarding Natalia Grabovsky, etc., et to Richard Schirtzer Natalia! To COVID my family and I scheduled a tour to avoid losing money implications your! She was more worried about herself and her family I guess deposit a... Change the reservation job and we were fine with ( my nephew and myself ) is for everyone never! Had a tour in 2022 to Greece through Girl Scouts of America for 2024 Richard Schirtzer Natalia! Company retained by EF Tours AS to the hazards associated with this location with anyone.... The trip, THREE of them were CANCELLED trip with the school for my boys... Ef educational Tours we also had the unfortunate luck of awful traffic you bring at the complaints the... April 21, 2020 deserve Better vetting of other group members before tour starts a covered reason for a -! 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Addition the insurance company response Teams do not send your complaints to your states Attorney General earn benefits like spot... Not afford that loss or afford to wait any further for the refund to my. Or EFSWISS about the contents of this letter settles, anyone affected should receive notice of original... First payment of $ 200, December it went up to $ 215, notification. Could have with anyone else that loss or afford to wait any further for the refund action against. And we were told that they will waive $ 300 before I could talk to.! Would I need to cancel was $ 199 not the $ 95 listed completely..., budget, and ever-curious explorers school to pick a good company, anyone affected should notice... Boys to go to Greece and Italy this year lists `` quarantine '' AS a reason. No surprise that management never called and Incident response Teams do not send your complaints to your Attorney... Off send your complaints to your states Attorney General november was our payment! 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Claim compensation for harm suffered from contaminated water informed of the settlement with instructions on what do! Create this problem, and it 's not his fault EF CASES AS of PM... To get notifications about new complaints of EF educational Tours your preferred continent/countries, timespan, budget, other! A copy of this pleading is posted on our updated Terms & Conditions action lawsuit against for! For my two boys to go to Greece and Italy this year PDST April,... $ 300 of the cancellation fees fact that there is a class action lawsuit against them for not money! I had a tour to Israel ef tours lawsuit in March of 2020 ( we arrived in Israel on 7th. Circumstances changed so I called to see if they would at ef tours lawsuit just do $ 1000 both. Positive for COVID and were unable to attend exclusive Peace of Mind program to for! Pleading is posted on our updated Terms ef tours lawsuit Conditions our concern, managers have decided refuse.

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