We were never given the names of the restaurants or addresses of where they would be unless we specifically asked for them. Hence the lawsuit (in CA 2020, look it up). 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. As you can imagine the difference between 0 and 55 is immaculate and only caused problems throughout the entire trip. Check out our directory. Two meals a day are included in the cost of a trip with EF Tours. how to get a full refund from ef tours . If you do not, allow another business day for your funds to appear in your account. Also told cancellation fee is now $400 not the $300 listed. Against my better judgement. Foguth says details matter. I decided to give them on more try, as they promised a better experience..my bad. I cannot begin to talk about the horrible neighborhoods the hotels are in. Kinda defeats the whole concept of insurance. We signed up about a year out from the trip, while another student who traveled with us signed up just a month or two before we left. So who will I be using to make my tour group arrangements? Call 800-665-5364 to enroll, EF Language Schools When we reached Italy, things changed a bit. My daughter and I have a lot of great memories from our trip, despite the difficulties. Vrbo took my $1,270! Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced Thursday her office has reached a settlement with EF tours that resulted in more than $1.4 million in additional refunds for nearly 4,200. For what it's worth 4k for a scotland ireland trip is definitely too much. It was the worst during our travel days. He ended up sleeping on a towel laid out on the sofa with a travel neck pillow, that had been provided to him by his daughter from her room. So, no refund. by | Oct 29, 2021 | how to stop gypsophila smelling | groomsman proposal funny | Oct 29, 2021 | how to stop gypsophila smelling | groomsman proposal funny 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. We had to accept them. I'll look into that. 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? If your Group Leader has rescheduled your original tour/program, the group will be moved automatically onto the new tour/program. 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. They were both located about an hour outside of the city center, but that wasnt too much of a problem. 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. My son was swimming on a "designated swimming " beach when he was run down by a boat being driven by an employee of the resort that was on the EF itinerary . If your Group Leader has chosen not to reschedule your original tour/program, you will receive a COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher valued at 100% of monies paid toward your original tour/program. I have traveled with EF Tours on three different trips: a high school tour, a training tour, and a college tour. Saturday 25 March - London, The O2. But whats this $452 bill? My mom had to put hotel rooms for 30 students in her credit card. Seems a little steep for cancelling a trip that is still almost 2 years away. This article was published on February 22, 2019. This was saddening but completely understandable. Vrbo offered a refund after my husband lost his job. Vouchers issued and redeemed by the original traveler may not be combined with future discounts, scholarships, or other special incentives if the same discounts, scholarships, or other special incentives existed on the original tour. I called to see if they would at least just do $1000 for both kids and they told me no. According to the folks on our trip who had special dietary needs, the dinners were pretty good for the most part. 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. But relinquishing that control does require a certain amount of trust. Seriously, that was suppose to be the best part?!?!?! however, in the 2 weeks that we were enrolled we had made payments amounted to $800. Now that Chicago Public Schools has cancelled all domestic and international trips due to the coronavirus pandemic, she wants her $4,100 back, but EF Tours refuses to issue refunds. Trip management Picking a trip, how . One thing is guaranteed. Usually if you haven't paid in full you could get a cancel for any reason insurance which will give you about 75% back. Pricing of products and services. But in Florence, visits to San Miniato al Monte and Piazzale Michelangelo were dropped off the itinerary with no explanation. So, Hignite and other parents contacted EF Tours to learn they could get only vouchers, or pay the penalty to cancel. to a single room. All travelers must pay the non-refundable, non-transferable $95 Enrollment Fee upon enrollment in order for the enrollment to be complete. She lost her engagement ring in a rental car. On our way to Southern Italy, we spent the night in Sorrento at Sisters Hostel. 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. A money grab. Not a sleeper sofa, but just a hard couch. The EF in EF Tours stands for Education First. EF has staff on the ground, 365 days a year, in over 50 countries to assist you in times of need. 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. Read more, Copyright 2023 Chaotically Yours | Birch on Trellis Framework by Mediavine. If EF Tours does not respond or refuses to issue a full refund, the next step is to file a complaint with the BBB. It took me to every floor and A) the offices are gorgeous! The school uses them for all there spring break trips and this is very disappointing that they are doing this to us. All opinions are my own, and all costs were paid out of our pocket for this experience. Settling with a debit card, a check or even a wire transfer means the money is gone. A Comprehensive Guide, Is Hiring a Travel Agent Worth It? How do I fix this $499 mistake? Dont let months pass by without letting the company know that your money is still missing. I overlooked all that because it was time spent with my daughter. Thank you for your honesty! About Ultimate Break tours Meals, transportation, Tour Directors, pace, customization, and who you'll be traveling with. My EF Tours experience definitely taught me a lot about group travel. 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.. This was the only true hostel on our trip. While they still stuck with four students to a room, several of the student rooms had enough beds to sleep up to 12 people. All breakfasts were served at our hotels. They won't tell you which airline or which hotel you will be staying at. 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. I feel I paid twice as much as the tour was worth with the lack of amenities and accommodations that were promised by EF as those that were . Students and parents can then sign up directly through the EF Tours website, and submit all payments directly to the company. We already had a group of 30 which was a lot, however once the other groups got added we had a total of 55 people and only one tour guide. Transfer to a comparable tour. How to get tickets. In Paris, it was a trip to Versaille to tour the palace and the gardens. 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. COVID-19 Future Travel Vouchers that were issued to travelers whose original tour was scheduled to depart on or after February 24, 2020 may be redeemed for travel departing on or before September 30, 2025. He paid Vantage $18,536. What I didn't understand was the fact that they also charged $155 for some type of insurance (which is not apart of their cancellation fees). Your card has consumer protection programs built in so you can challenge a charge if the vendor does not fulfill what was promised. Transfer of COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher. In Munich, we were given lodging one block from the red light district, and had three young women awakened during the middle of the night by a drunken man demanding access to their room (their room entrance was directly onto the street). We were told we would receive the balance of $1692 from Aetna insurance company in approx. Other times it seemed like our guide might be creating these situations by not fully informing us what was available near by. 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. At the time of this publication, EF Tours has been notified of this unacceptable hotel and has yet to respond. EF Tours uses a wide range of airlines, and travelers do not get to indicate a preference. Things like this happened over and over again throughout the trip. Electric Bike Thumb Throttle 12-84v LED Display Voltmeter & ON OFF Kil torquetech.co.uk. If you change your mind, you have 60 days to receive a refund of all money paid (including your deposit! Give the company at least a week to respond to your refund request and two credit card billing cycles to pay you. There were about 4 pages of fine print and legal jargon that was confusing. Per the cancellation policy, there is a $95 non-refundable charge and a $300 cancellation fee. If you need help with any problem,please contact us through this form. This company is a fraud and steals money from families. Those memories are truly priceless. First the trip increased in price from the original amount 3 times due to tours that were added on at no option to us. COVID-19 required everybody to be quarantined. While this may seem like a school trip, it is not. The next group dinner was at a Polish restaurant where the group was served a fried chicken patty and french fries. 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. I had to also pay $500.00 cancellation fee which is ridiculous since there is 6 more months till the trip. We told to make sure we ate lunch after our tour, before rejoining the group to get on the bus. They book all accommodations and attraction admissions for tour participants. Worry-free guarantee; If you cancel the booking within 60 days from the reservation date, you are entitled to a full refund. I really did expect to spend some quality time at these major historic sites. They are in trouble financially and that is ok with me!!! It was over $8,300," Hignite said. Call 877-485-4184 to enroll, EF Ultimate Break The plan lists "quarantine" as a covered reason for a refund - no extra parameters. They are so many other excellent companies out there. EF will book with whatever airline has space available for the lowest price for the group. Breakfast is provided each day at the hotel, usually continental style, but sometimes with hot offerings just depending on your hotel. Airlines hate it when you get a third party involved, and may respond favorably. What a bunch of criminals, these people should all be locked up and forced to go out of business. Authors Channel Summit. They canceled my flight. Sometimes this was a good thing, but sometimes it was incredibly frustrating. Whatever you need, well handle it. This significantly hindered what we were able to see at our destinations, and made the whole tour seemed very rushed every day. Hi, I recently made a deposit to my bank of 12,400. It is very expensive, and I'm just hoping for a positive experience. Three weeks after enrolling, our circumstances changed so I called to cancel, expecting to pay the $95 cancellation fee x2. 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. 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. 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.