Information about our flights was not available until about a month before our departure, and information about our hotels was not available until we were about three weeks out from leaving. Students and parents can then sign up directly through the EF Tours website, and submit all payments directly to the company. On May 1st I lost my job and we immediately contacted Ef Tours to cancel. Where is it? 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. Frugality is the mental approach we each take when considering our resource allocations. However, we understand the existing account on file may be inactive, or that you may prefer a check to be sent to you by mail instead. This was saddening but completely understandable. 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. 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!) The kids didn't seem to mind it, but I did seem a little crowded at times. My son had a very poor experience with the Grecian Odyssey EF tours. Our group was quite good about being on time to meet up locations with a couple of small exceptions that could not be helped. Outside of Heidelberg we stayed in a gymnasium dormitory (German high school) that was out for the summer. Required fields are marked *. If you want any other info or even wanted to pass my company on to your leaders shoot me a message! Things took a turn for the worse on our last night of the tour, when we stayed at Hotel La Pergola in Rome. EF Go Ahead Tours also allows you to change the date of tour or destination up until your final payment day. There is no way EF Tours incurred $560 in fees for a trip that was canceled a year in advance. SCUMBAGS!!!!! I am not canceling the trip, but yet I am the one. 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. Breakfast and dinner every day were included in what we paid for our tour. The only options available to us were food trucks along the river right next to the Tower complex. If EF Tours still refuses to issue a full refund, the next step is to contact your credit card company. DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD ON AN EF TRIP!! The country is bordered to the north by Myanmar and . how to get a full refund from ef tours - HAZ Rental Center lakewood board of education address; hyde park skatepark london; obituaries humphrey, nebraska Menu Toggle. With the backing of a major credit card you can even dispute part or a percentage of the services provided.. 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. The key is to take the right steps and document all communication. They informed me that my type of service is not recognized and I would not be covered. Start by contacting EF Tours directly, then file a complaint with the BBB, dispute the charge with your credit card company, and seek legal advice if necessary. She had us walking everywhere (1 1/2 mile from our hotel to the bus stop each day. 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. 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. how to get a full refund from ef tours. Most of the time we had no idea where we were headed when we were walking to different locations. Airlines hate it when you get a third party involved, and may respond favorably. 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! Just another site how to get a full refund from ef tours This hotel was a bit older than the Hiltons wed stayed in, but it was clean, spacious, and comfortable. :? But he did recommend that our group stop at an Austrian "crystal factory" for "a short 30 minute" visit. It felt like a complete waste of time to travel and waste that many days. Local family fights for refund after student's Europe trip is - WBTV Finally, make sure youre dealing with the right company. 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. Call 800-992-1892 to enroll. Lunches were always a gamble. Visit the BBB website to find out how to submit a complaint. 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. About 3-4 months before our trip, and after we had already paid IN FULL, we were notified that because of our small group, our group leader had only signed 5 people up..hindsight tells me people saw what a rip off it was and didn't sign up to take it in the rear from EF. If I cancel, I lose about $400 in cancellation fees. Exploring the Basics, Benefits, and Policies, How to Contact Tesla: Customer Service Phone Number, Website, Social Media, Email & Live Chat, Bruce Willis Health Condition: Understanding the Actors Diet and Exercise Regimen, Exploring the Impact of Greg Gutfelds Vacation from Fox News. Cancellation Terms when Rebooking with a COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher. I worked on the building and had to be in the offices every 3 months for 2 years. Check out our directory. We were promised experiential learning activities during the trip. While this may seem like a school trip, it is not. I have been pretty disappointed with EF when I call for questions. What can a COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher be used for? Welcome to Chaotically Yours. Why am I being charged a total of $550 in cancellation fees? Jose had approached her online agency and every airline in her itinerary. If you do not, allow another business day for your funds to appear in your account. 321. Yet I received a check in the mail for $300 before I could talk to someone. It is very expensive, and I'm just hoping for a positive experience. The deduction of $500 includes items such as the non-refundable deposit and other non-refundable fees. We stayed 20 miles outside of Salzburg at a ski resort youth hostel. We were so late to our tour of Pompeii. How to Get a Full Refund from EF Tours: A Step-by-Step Guide, Do I Need to Be Vaccinated to Travel to Hawaii? Read 131 . Would I go on another EF Tour? They were giving us the runaround, says Jose, a medical technologist from DeLand, Florida. She was more worried about herself and her family I guess. That EF 12-Day tour was called "Europe with an Alpine Flavor." . 109 to 45 days prior to departure: Full refund less $95 non-refundable deposit, all Non-Refundable fees, and 50% of program price. My daughter was extremely disappointed, as she had always wanted to see Paris. Your local principals, school boards, etc. Get the best deals for oil filter for john deere l110 at eBay. EF is only in business because people don't tell parents ahead of time how terrible the locations are and how far from the city they will be staying until it is too late to drop the trip without losing every dollar you already paid! Three weeks after enrolling, our circumstances changed so I called to cancel, expecting to pay the $95 cancellation fee x2. Accommodations and rooming Hotels and hostels, rooms and roommates, amenities, and upgrades. And, this hotel was a truck stop on the M1. Cancelling an EF Tours trip, How can I maximize money back? This all changed, as soon as I offered to pay him extra, per person, for his help. 44 days or less prior to departure: No refund will be issued. That way, when a company drags its feet on a refund, you can file a chargeback. Lodging: Some hotel chains may be loosening their cancellation policies, waiving change and cancellation fees that would normally apply to non-refundable rates. crank up antenna tower for sale. If you happen to wander around the Charles River, it is worth of walking toward the Zakim Bridge and stopping by North Point Park. The school uses them for all there spring break trips and this is very disappointing that they are doing this to us. the unforeseen. 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. This significantly hindered what we were able to see at our destinations, and made the whole tour seemed very rushed every day. Will this be the busiest spring break ever? Edited: 11 years ago . Be sure to document all communication with EF Tours so that you can refer back to it if necessary. You may wish to spend time at your destinations before or after the scheduled tour. 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.. So your kid just came home from school with a gorgeous full color brochure about an upcoming trip to Europe with EF Tours that one of their teachers is leading. 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. Hi, I'm Happy Sharer and I love sharing interesting and useful knowledge with others. Education First Class Action Says Tour Company Canceled Trips Over To request a refund, consumers who booked international trips through EF's Educational Tours program should call 800-665-5364 to request a refund. For this trip it really came down to adjusting expectations once we were traveling. This company is a complete scam. 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. Be nice! 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. The Education First class action seeks at least $5 million in restitution damages and injunctive relief preventing the company from refusing full cash refunds. I am now leaning towards not going with this tour and planning our own itinerary and trip. You can definitely have a positive experience on the trip. And pay attention.. I cant guarantee this Ive advocated many cases where a company promised a refund in writing but it can help. You might not know all the answers, but you've got a friend in us! 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. We found that participants can sign up just about any time before the trip departs. Those memories are truly priceless. When we reached Italy, things changed a bit. 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. Toll-free 1-877-974-7462 ext. I don't even know how it is legal to have these moron bastards do business. When I called about a refund for the extension being taken off I was told by customer service "They make the cost even out." "All travelers with trips through April 30 will automatically receive a transferable travel voucher for the full amount paid (including all non-refundable payments) good through September 30,. We waited for an hour-and-a half for him to return to the motor coach. OH man! 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. We werent left with much recourse, since this was a group trip and we were on our last night, so we decided to just grin and bear it, and did our best to get some sleep. The Versailles excursion seemed overpriced as well. Our dates were finally confirmed about two months before our departure. Im extremely glad we made those decisions. 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. Overall, unless an excursion is of special interest to you, I wouldnt recommend participating in them, simply because they seem overpriced. The reviews of the food were always " not enough food and mediocre food". 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. Despite these frustrations, the itinerary did take us to some fantastic places and we had some absolutely unforgettable experiences. Five families who are very angry with EF Educational Tours have. He went as part of a group of senior high school students on a school sponsored trip. EF Tours not a good company - Paris Forum - Tripadvisor Press J to jump to the feed. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. EF, as a company, offers may types of tours ranging from group trips for adults to organized gap years for high school graduates. Fully Refundable Booking Period Feel good about your decision by enrolling in AutoPay or paying in full when you book your tour. Education First Tour Companies Refuse to Issue Full Cash Refund for Have had 2 separate travel experiences with EF. I've been paying off a trip to Ireland/England from EF Tours for Girl Scouts for about a year. What is Travel Protection? - Help Center 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. Imagine being in London not able to tour anything because you don't have the proper tour bus that you were promised?? Menu. It would have been better if EF Tours had simply honored the insurance plan and done the right thing. EF EDUCATION FIRST - 20 Photos & 325 Reviews - 2 Education Cir - Yelp IS this the only forum about this place? The swimming area was not separated in any way from boat traffic, nor was my son warned about possible boat traffic. EF Educational Tours | Refund method document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Proudly powered by WordPress Angry demands for a refund and threats to take a company to court almost always backfire. For travelers who had booked their program by redeeming a previously issued COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher, the cash refund option available will be based on the originally issued voucher terms (e.g., travelers who received a COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher for a tour originally scheduled to depart between March 1, 2020 and May 14, 2020 may exchange their voucher for all monies paid, less $565). Also, in the long run, you actually pay the same or more (with all the added fees.) They also charged me $189 for insurance I declined. Pre-sale tickets for Ed Sheeran's tour go live on Wednesday, March 8 at 9am for anyone who has preordered the new album via the Ed Sheeran website. In most cases, refunds can be issued electronically with the funds being sent directly back to your current account on file. It took me to every floor and A) the offices are gorgeous! consumer advocate is called the three Ps., WHAT YOU CAN DO WHEN YOUR TRAVEL COMPANY WON'T SEND YOUR REFUND. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. He refused to take us anywhere on our free time. Just keep your expectations realistic. Why is Good UI/UX Design Imperative for Business Success? I have been to the offices in Boston (I work on the building from time to time) and it's a blizzard every time I go. If your Group Leader has rescheduled your original tour/program, the group will be moved automatically onto the new tour/program. The EF in EF Tours stands for Education First. 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? 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. All total they are withholding $760. My oldest son was scheduled to take a school trip to Peru next year. For cancellations and refunds, call 1-800-USA-RAIL. But in Florence, visits to San Miniato al Monte and Piazzale Michelangelo were dropped off the itinerary with no explanation. 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.