(Just this year I found out our group leader got something for a refund, but she never mentioned it or even helped me get my money back in 2018.thanks for that.) 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. All dinners were set up at local restaurants before our arrival. If your original tour needed to be postponed but you have not yet been notified of your Group Leader's 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. As a result, the plaintiffs and thousands of others have suffered "direct and consequential financial damage . The COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher cannot be used for: When I redeem a COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher, can I split the value across multiple accounts? Tours with scheduled departures from October 1, 2020 September 30, 2022, If at 44 days or less prior to departure of your tour, travel restrictions, governmental orders, or other conditions related to the COVID-19 pandemic make it impossible or impracticable for EF to operate your tour as scheduled, or any of the COVID-19 travel related events referenced in the. Dinners seemed to improve when we got to France. You can also call 800-665-5364 to request a refund on an international tour; for bookings of domestic trips through EF Explore America, call 888-333-9756. On our way to Southern Italy, we spent the night in Sorrento at Sisters Hostel. But the idiotic folks at EF Tours says since this was "unforeseen", we are not covered. Although she sent Expedia all of her receipts, the online travel agency refused to refund the unused leg or the new ticket she had to buy. 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. Call 800-992-1892 to enroll. But use a credit card, and you have the full force of federal law (the Fair Credit Billing Act) and your credit cards resolution department in your corner. 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. The front desk did not seem to care and we were told no one was available to come clean the bathrooms. Why is it taking so long to get a cruise refund? There are usually two or three optional excursions that can be added to any tour. He paid Vantage $18,536. by | Oct 29, 2021 | ark center hidden underwater base locations | john mccririck falling out of a boat | Oct 29, 2021 | ark center hidden underwater base locations | john mccririck falling out of a boat Flights cancelled, rerouted. They make zero effort to please traveller once fees paid. And that wasn't even a full guarantee of a full refund. 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. | They are making a profit off of cancellations!!!! 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. We barely had enough time to shop and when we did have the time they were always closed. We were told we would receive a check from Ef Tours in 2 to 4 weeks for approx. For cancellations and refunds, call 1-800-USA-RAIL. Check out Elliott Advocacy Today, our free, daily newsletter with links to your favorite commentary, tips and news about consumer advocacy. We were encouraged to invite friends and family to join us on the tour, whether or not they were associated with our school or even local to our area. It took me to every floor and A) the offices are gorgeous! Your email address will not be published. Usually if you haven't paid in full you could get a cancel for any reason insurance which will give you about 75% back. 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!) That EF 12-Day tour was called "Europe with an Alpine Flavor." The Versailles excursion seemed overpriced as well. That means that I will receive less than half that amount back! 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. But when it comes to refunds, they quote rules and policies designed to make it difficult, if not impossible, to get a refund. I think our group leader made that choice when she set up our trip. We also found that we frequently needed to buy water to stay hydrated in the high temperatures of Italy during the summer, and at most of the locations we visited, water was marked up quite a bit. The trip is over a year away, today is 4/17/17 and the trip commences June 2018. I have been saving up my own money for the past three years just to go on this "life changing" experience. They canceled my flight. You may wish to spend time at your destinations before or after the scheduled tour. A freaky feel to it. (Love to travel? He or she is super excited about all the cool things they get to do and is just begging you to let them go. 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. Between Florence and Rome, we spent the night at the Hotel Villa Ricci (not pictured). 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. Jose had approached her online agency and every airline in her itinerary. Two meals a day are included in the cost of a trip with EF Tours. She was more worried about herself and her family I guess. PLAN. Consider hiring a lawyer who specializes in consumer protection and travel law. 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. They could fully refund if you find someone to take your spot and let them know, Yeah I'll have to talk to the leader of it and see if she knows anyone, but it isn't likely. Lost one full day of 8 day tour. 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. Not a sleeper sofa, but just a hard couch. Read 131 . Worry-free guarantee; If you cancel the booking within 60 days from the reservation date, you are entitled to a full refund. 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. Hi! Edited: 11 years ago . Trip Cancellation coverage This plan includes Trip Cancellation coverage. One thing is guaranteed. This has caused many customers to feel frustrated and helpless when trying to get a full refund from EF Tours. Breakfast is provided each day at the hotel, usually continental style, but sometimes with hot offerings just depending on your hotel. lakewood board of education address; hyde park skatepark london; obituaries humphrey, nebraska Menu Toggle. Once EF has processed and notified you of this move, you may opt to receive a COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher valued at 100% of monies paid toward your original tour/program. Airlines hate it when you get a third party involved, and may respond favorably. We publish the names and emails of customer service managers. When something goes wrong, you thing you are covered. Outside of Heidelberg we stayed in a gymnasium dormitory (German high school) that was out for the summer. She told us we only had five minutes to use the restroom and get back on the bus. - Get inspired with the latest travel guides, tips, and stories from our team. Welcome to Chaotically Yours. 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. Foguth says details matter. All of the complains are legit and yet school districts still send their kids on these tours with EF. While this may seem like a school trip, it is not. Check out Elliott Advocacy Today, our free, daily newsletter with links to your favorite commentary, tips and news about consumer advocacy. Im normally a big fan of Korean food, but this wasnt great. Electric Bike Thumb Throttle 12-84v LED Display Voltmeter & ON OFF Kil torquetech.co.uk. Also, keep every email and receipt. Also told cancellation fee is now $400 not the $300 listed. Menu. For the first four nights during our stays in London and Paris, we were sent to Hilton Hotels. We had a wonderful group of kids who took their personal safety pretty seriously, and didnt take unnecessary risks that would put them in jeopardy. They also promise to have the lowest price on the market for this type of travel. 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. Airlines and other travel companies make it so easy for money to flow their way. There were some areas that I would definitely trust EF to arrange again, and other areas where I really think they could do better. I think communicating with the group more about where were going could have avoided some sticky situations that a few of our travelers found themselves in when they were left behind. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Enroll online or call 800-766-2645, EF Explore America I was so angry but nothing was done about it. This has happened all over the US and people are not standing down. I am out of $4,200.00, what is EF Tours out of??? 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. 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. Sometimes they were just continental breakfasts with cold offerings, and sometimes we were given hot breakfasts with eggs, bacon, and such. Since the legal drinking age in the areas we visited was 18, student who met this requirement were allowed to drink alcohol on our trip, but were asked to limit it to one drink with dinner. how to get a full refund from ef tours. 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. crank up antenna tower for sale. Get the best deals for oil filter for john deere l110 at eBay. Whatever happens, weve seen it. 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. Im extremely glad we made those decisions. TSA Tours, of course. 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. Each was wonderfully successful! Our guide was able to secure tickets (for an extra fee) for those who wanted them to a performance of Wicked during our free evening. On May 1st I lost my job and we immediately contacted Ef Tours to cancel. EF Tours says the vouchers can be used until Sept. 30, 2022 for any of the company's tours and can be used by students, their immediate family members or other students or faculty members in the . The Global Travel Protection Plus plan provides a refund of the Program Price (minus the cost of the plan and other non-refundable fees) if your child needs to cancel their tour up to 24 hours prior to departure for any reason. 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. EF is keeping $565 dollars needed to cover their overhead and costs to hotels and airlines but students could reschedule. These Terms and Conditions apply to any COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher (COVID-19 Voucher) issued by EF Educational Tours (EF) in connection with EF tours scheduled to depart after February 24, 2020 (and EF tours traveling to China after January 28, 2020) through September 30, 2022. The local tour guides who showed us the sights of each city were the most informative folks on this trip, with extensive knowledge of the history and culture at each stop, but we were forced to use amplifying devices called Whispers in order to hear the guides. All breakfasts were served at our hotels. And honestly I'm a little sad about canceling, but even trips on groupon are more affordableand a little less PG haha. Cancellation Terms when Rebooking with a COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher. Tickets to the entire estate are free for those under 18 years old and cost under $30 USD for anyone else, and thats without a group discount. Half staying for exchange program arrived to our destination early. The airline say to call the company that is organizing. Often, a brief, polite written appeal to someone higher up can do wonders. have zero control or influence on these trips. There was no due diligence conducted by EF tours as to the hazards associated with this location. EF tours looks like another fish altogether.a money-making venture of little value for the parents. 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! My AT&T bill is wrong. EF Tours uses a wide range of airlines, and travelers do not get to indicate a preference. Our first group dinner in London was at a Korean restaurant where the group was served a hot stone bibimbap with chicken. When Will Hawaiis Safe Travels Program End? The first thing to keep in mind is that there are alcohol restrictions with these tours. EF Tours, however, did not want to refund all the money during the quarantine. 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. May 9, 2 EF is withholding $500 in administration fees, plus the $95 deposit, plus some other fee. 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. The next group dinner was at a Polish restaurant where the group was served a fried chicken patty and french fries. 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. My first was as a parent going with my 15-year-old along with a group of about 20 kids (from a . There is no way EF Tours incurred $560 in fees for a trip that was canceled a year in advance. used speakers for sale craigslist; pioneer woman carne guisada; how to get a full refund from ef tours; By . 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. How to Get a Full Refund from EF Tours: A Step-by-Step Guide, Do I Need to Be Vaccinated to Travel to Hawaii? 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. how to get a full refund from ef tours. IS this the only forum about this place? 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 don't even know how it is legal to have these moron bastards do business. Check with the hotel for your options. EF TOURS IS A COMPLETE FRAUD. 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. It felt like a complete waste of time to travel and waste that many days. Whatever you need, we'll handle it. So Hignite and other parents contacted EF Tours, to learn they could get only vouchers, or pay a penalty to cancel. Did EF Tours create the trip of my dreams? to a single room. Our tour guide didnt seem to have this mentality. Your card has consumer protection programs built in so you can challenge a charge if the vendor does not fulfill what was promised. In most cases, refunds can be issued electronically with the funds being sent directly back to your current account on file. 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. We did have some great cultural experiences while we traveled. My son is (or perhaps was) traveling on an EF tour this summer with a very small group from our high school. My kids are going on an EF tour in March. The Elliott Report is a consumer news site supported by Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that offers free advice and advocacy for consumers. I was told that they only charge whats been deposited. The only options available to us were food trucks along the river right next to the Tower complex. - Keep a travel log of your adventures. Kinda defeats the whole concept of insurance. Call 888-333-9756 to enroll, EF College Study We learned that this hotel had once housed men studying to join a monastery, which explained the doritory feel of the place. Wife and daughter were planning to go on a trip to Italy in over a year. how to get a full refund from ef tours. I really did expect to spend some quality time at these major historic sites. Email insurance@riskstrategiestravel.com. The EF in EF Tours stands for Education First. She collected it before we left. Frugality is the mental approach we each take when considering our resource allocations. Get Involved; Contact; Donate! By using this website you agree to our Cookies Policy. A Comprehensive Guide, Is Hiring a Travel Agent Worth It? The school is only involved in the process as far as whether they allow teachers to hand out information in schools or not. Jose waited three months before contacting me. Having extra free time to see the sites of your choice seemed to be the best option during our tour. 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? It really did take a lot of pressure off to just let someone else do all that work. I registered my son and I to go on a tour in June 2017. Four kids to a room was common on our tour. I am outraged and helpless. 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." Consumer Alert: No more automatic refunds for skipped ports? There are mice in my vacation rental! 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. When Chicago Public Schools canceled all district-sponsored international travel for the upcoming spring break because of the threat of coronavirus, Derek Dattner assumed he would be refunded the. It includes time, money, convenience, and many other factors. While the London Eye excursion seemed to go well for those who went on it, it was over priced. Whatever you need, well handle it. As for hotels, travelers know very little about where they are staying ahead of time. The deduction of $565 includes items such as the non-refundable deposit and other non-refundable fees. They along with their team canceled the tour and refuses to refund the full amount. Lunches were always a gamble. Thus far I've paid off $1,500. 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. This resulted in our group being habitually late to most of the tours we went on, and significantly cut into our time at some really important places. Were always here to help. They were giving us the runaround, says Jose, a medical technologist from DeLand, Florida. I just felt like it should have been planned better. A Comprehensive Guide, Do Travel Adapters Change Voltage? . fender american professional ii vs ultra. Trip management Picking a trip, how . . She did make sure we were always wary of our passports and where we were keeping them during our travels. Vol 1, #2. That is INSANE. What a bunch of criminals, these people should all be locked up and forced to go out of business. 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. EF Tours is definitely a budget tour company, and for the price, you do get a good experience. 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! The fee for this service is $145 if requested upon enrollment. If you do not, allow another business day for your funds to appear in your account. It is a total scam! So, even the itinerary is a lie! how to get a full refund from ef tours Experts say you can overcome those hurdles by using the right payment method, creating a paper trail, and knowing how to appeal your case. how to get a full refund from ef tours; how to get a full refund from ef tours. He went as part of a group of senior high school students on a school sponsored trip. The country is bordered to the north by Myanmar and . I decided to give them on more try, as they promised a better experience..my bad. The vast majority of the other students spent most of their time getting drunk and vaping. Give the company at least a week to respond to your refund request and two credit card billing cycles to pay you. OH man! 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. All opinions are my own, and all costs were paid out of our pocket for this experience. Overall, the meals on our trip were pretty good, but could definitely have been better. Has anybody been to the office of EF? Trminos y Condiciones de los Crditos de Viaje Futuro, Beverages and meals (when not indicated in itinerary), Customary gratuities (for your Tour Director, bus drivers, and local guides), Porterage or any applicable baggage-handling fees imposed by the airlines, Expenses caused by airline rescheduling, cancellations, or delays caused by the airlines, bad weather, or events beyond EFs control, Passport, visa, and reciprocity fees or any other fees associated with entry to or exit from a specific destination. From that time forward I lead 20 overseas tours to Europe for my college. We enjoyed a truly magical and unexpected sunset under the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The company may refer your case to its legal department, where it could linger for weeks or months. Getting a full refund from EF Tours can be a difficult process. Be nice! When you travel with EF, you get the benefits of our 55+ years of experience and our unmatched global network. I was super excited to go experience 6 countries however from day one everything seemed to go wrong. EF Go Ahead Tours also allows you to change the date of tour or destination up until your final payment day. For a fee, a single room can be requested for the tour. 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. Also out of all four excursions throughout the trip, THREE OF THEM WERE CANCELLED! Explain the situation and why you are requesting a full refund. They can advise you on the best course of action and represent you in court if necessary. $900 which we did. I am now leaning towards not going with this tour and planning our own itinerary and trip. I checked our beds for bedbugs and thankfully did not find any. Did you purchase trip insurance? how to get a full refund from ef tours. How do I fix this $499 mistake? Each meal came with water, but we were allowed to order additional drinks at our own expense if we choose to do so. Curfews and group rules were left up to our group leader, who didnt set many boundaries for our students. Patience. 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. 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. On the second night we had a traditional Alsatian dish called Flammekueche, which was sort of like a pizza with a creamy sauce. Pricing of products and services. What a waste of time and money. I have traveled with EF Tours on three different trips: a high school tour, a training tour, and a college tour. I sent the letter and will contact them again Monday to try and get answers. Fully Refundable Booking Period Feel good about your decision by enrolling in AutoPay or paying in full when you book your tour. Each participant in our tour was required to submit a copy of our passport to EF to insure that we had the proper documentation to travel. People are requiredLISTENrequired to purchase the Global Protection Plan. But COVID-19 canceled those plans. We are currently preparing to issue the refund you recently requested. Our specific tour featured quite a daunting itinerary. 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. The trip was booked for June of 2019. Two years later they called and talked me into a 9-Day tour to Rome. This was the only true hostel on our trip. However, I was never allowed to speak with management. What can a COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher be used for? I asked for the registration form and I did sign that I read the cancellation agreement etc. Unlock new opportunities and expand your reach by joining our authors team. 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. Even when customers provided evidence of their dissatisfaction, EF Tours refused to issue refunds or only offered partial refunds. 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. I just put a downpayment for our trip to Europe next summer. I booked a trip with our homeschool "trip club" to do EF's Great Britain tour with a 2 day extension to Paris. Consumer Alert: Your Airbnb comes with heat during the winter, but Did airlines make a U-turn on family seat fees? For example, airlines love to send you vouchers, but that funny money expires after a year. Vrbo offered a refund after my husband lost his job. We got to listen to an orchestra perform in Piazza della Signoria in Florence. General sale starts at 9am . 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.