To date I paid $1063 on this trip to Peru and canceling it over 1 year in advance due to unforeseen circumstances has cost me $560. 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. Call 800-992-1892 to enroll. Id say yes. The next group dinner was at a Polish restaurant where the group was served a fried chicken patty and french fries. Was informed of the price to cancel was $199 not the $95 listed. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Proudly powered by WordPress Parents are upset that a student tour company won't give full refunds for canceled European vacations. however, in the 2 weeks that we were enrolled we had made payments amounted to $800. Children are not monitored, left to find their own way in cities across the . On May 1st I lost my job and we immediately contacted Ef Tours to cancel. Trip management Picking a trip, how . We put a deposit down and also the registration fee $199 plus $500. Kinda defeats the whole concept of insurance. She and her husband, Jerard, had to pay $437 for new tickets. The vast majority of the other students spent most of their time getting drunk and vaping. How to get your money back from a Zelle scam or accidental money transfer, This PayPal invoice scam almost got me. PLAN. They are making a profit off of cancellations!!!! As you can imagine the difference between 0 and 55 is immaculate and only caused problems throughout the entire trip. At the time of this publication, EF Tours has been notified of this unacceptable hotel and has yet to respond. EF Tours inflexible, would not accommodate my request. They give gifts and perks to the teachers who organize these trips to get them to sign up students then end up stealing a portion of the mine with no trip. 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. If you want any other info or even wanted . fender american professional ii vs ultra. They also promise to have the lowest price on the market for this type of travel. While we were aware of this upfront before the tour, it really did feel like they didnt allow enough time in any location to really see the cities we were in. I am not canceling the trip, but yet I am the one. In Paris our group had to travel by Metro clear across town for our dinner. So, Hignite and other parents contacted EF Tours to learn they could get only vouchers, or pay the penalty to cancel. Additional fees may apply if requested between 129-90 days before departure. - Make a personalized map of where you've been and where you want to go. Whatever you need, well handle it. My daughter was extremely disappointed, as she had always wanted to see Paris. It was kind of like a tasting menu, where you got a little bit of each destination. We didnt go to Westminster Abbey or St. Pauls Cathedral while we were in London, and there were too many things to count in Paris that we didnt even glimpse. My daughter and I have a lot of great memories from our trip, despite the difficulties. EF Tours is definitely a budget tour company, and for the price, you do get a good experience. Foguth says details matter. One of the techniques Ive developed as a consumer advocate is called the three Ps. It works great on refunds. We were told we would receive a check from Ef Tours in 2 to 4 weeks for approx. This has caused many customers to feel frustrated and helpless when trying to get a full refund from EF Tours. Here's how we make world travel easy. 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. Four other members of our group chose to join us. But in Florence, visits to San Miniato al Monte and Piazzale Michelangelo were dropped off the itinerary with no explanation. By using this website you agree to our Cookies Policy. The original discount amount will apply. If all other attempts to get a full refund from EF Tours fail, it may be time to seek legal advice. I hope your child knows that they will be sharing a bed with their roommates even if they are traveling with another school. IS this the only forum about this place? 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! . But they are excited to travel with their friends. I just felt like it should have been planned better. It was absolutely fantastic. EF will book with whatever airline has space available for the lowest price for the group. We enjoyed a truly magical and unexpected sunset under the Eiffel Tower in Paris. What EF products can a COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher be applied to? 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. We toured Europe for 12 days, visiting sites in London, Paris, Florence, Rome, Pompeii and Capri, with no more than two nights in any destination. Sometimes this was a good thing, but sometimes it was incredibly frustrating. My first year to Europe with a group was through EF Tours. 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. Did EF Tours create the trip of my dreams? If you have a consumer problem,please contact our team at Elliott Advocacy through this form. When you travel with EF, you get the benefits of our 55+ years of experience and our unmatched global network. 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. Electric Bike Thumb Throttle 12-84v LED Display Voltmeter & ON OFF Kil torquetech.co.uk. Fully Refundable Booking Period Feel good about your decision by enrolling in AutoPay or paying in full when you book your tour. Our lead teacher did this as well. Hence the lawsuit (in CA 2020, look it up). Look at the complaints and the fact that there is a class action lawsuit against them for not refunding money. Transfer to a comparable tour. COVID-19 required everybody to be quarantined. Against my better judgement. 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. 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. About Ultimate Break tours Meals, transportation, Tour Directors, pace, customization, and who you'll be traveling with. EF claims that they are the least expensiveYou get what you pay for. Vol 1, #2. We had a fantastic time seeing the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London. 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. The company is known for its strict refund policies and lack of customer service. They are so many other excellent companies out there. I will say that the class was a fun experience at a great location, and we all enjoyed the desserts we made together. All opinions are my own, and all costs were paid out of our pocket for this experience. All breakfasts were served at our hotels. On the rare occasion when this requirement is not fulfilled, participants are given one or more of the following options: 1. We waited for an hour-and-a half for him to return to the motor coach. EF tours looks like another fish altogether.a money-making venture of little value for the parents. Meals on the tour ran the gamut from weird to stellar, but overall were not to bad. After travel is completed on the fi rst tour, repeat travelers will receive a $100 Repeat Traveler Discount off future tours. Did they create a good experience for students who havent done a lot of international traveling? 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. Frugality is the mental approach we each take when considering our resource allocations. Full list of UK dates. Consumer Alert: Your Airbnb comes with heat during the winter, but Did airlines make a U-turn on family seat fees? These refund policies cover only a partial amount of the costs EF has already incurred for each . We did have some great cultural experiences while we traveled. Cancellation Terms when Rebooking with a COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher. Once we arrived in Rome, the Villa Aurelia was our home base for two nights. The traveler can then utilize the remaining portion of the COVID-19 Voucher on another EF product for themselves or a member of their immediate family or community. Im a wife, a mom, a crafter, a Disney fan, and a french fry connoisseur. My daughter insisted on being signed up for her school trip in 2020. 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. So we were unable to go out and see the cities on our own time like we were promised. That invoice for antivirus protection is a scam, How a company could easily get a false F rating from the BBB. There were some areas that I would definitely trust EF to arrange again, and other areas where I really think they could do better. Several items listed on our initial brochure were changed before the trip due to pandemic restrictions and travel challenges, which was fine. Usually if you haven't paid in full you could get a cancel for any reason insurance which will give you about 75% back. 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. In Rome, it was a tiramisu cooking class. Is there any way I can get around it? All travel needs to be departing prior to the COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher expiration date. Is The Royal Caribbean Key Program Really Worth It? They want to keep $1000 each child therefore I will loss $2000. Most of the time we had no idea where we were headed when we were walking to different locations. For example, you can shoot an email to an executive of a hotel chain when one of the properties refuses to offer a refund you deserve. 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. 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. But COVID-19 canceled those plans. The trip was booked for June of 2019. There was a layer of dusty film all over my bathroom and my pillow had an unidentified crusty stain on it. . 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. Give the system a chance to work before filing a chargeback. A COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher cannot be divided into multiple accounts, unless the traveler applies the voucher to a future tour and the voucher amount is higher than the price of the new tour. Be nice! She had been paying for the trip in installments since 2018. Well, lucky for you we took a 12 day visit to Europe with EF Tours, and have all the details to decide if taking an international trip with this company is right for you or your teenager. Your password has been sent to the specified email address. 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. 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 North American headquarter of Education First (EF) locates in Cambridge Massachusetts US. Original scheduled departure was from May 15, 2020 September 30, 2022. For a quick overnight in Milan on our way to Florence, we stayed at and AS Hotel in Limbiate. We were so late to our tour of Pompeii. 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. 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. She signed up October 1 and we had to cancel Oct 14 due to conflicts with my work schedule. Our award-winning daily newsletters keep you posted on our random acts of consumer advocacy. They make zero effort to please traveller once fees paid. 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. While the teacher recruiting students is designated as your group leader, they dont actually lead the tour once you start traveling. According to their website, EF claims to design tours to help educators teach, and so students can learn moreabout tolerance, other perspectives, and themselves.. You might not know all the answers, but you've got a friend in us! We did not have enough free time (which we were promised). The front desk did not seem to care and we were told no one was available to come clean the bathrooms. Can I get a refund for my Marriott Vacation Club Points? All transportation arrangements are made by EF Tours, including flights, buses, trains, etc. Wheres my airline ticket refund from GotoGate? I'll look into that. We were promised experiential learning activities during the trip. Tune Up Kit Oil Air Filter Kit for John Deere L130 G100 G110 SABRE 2554. Lost one full day of 8 day tour. It all depended on where we were and what was going on whether or not wed get to select a restaurant on our own or if the group would be directed to eat at somewhere specific, and if wed have lots of great choices or really limited options. EF Explore America said in light of the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, it offered the school three options. By enrolling on an EF Educational Tour pursuant to a COVID-19 Voucher redemption, the traveler is agreeing to the most current version of the Booking Conditions, which is available at www.eftours.com/bc.
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