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. EF Go Ahead Tours also allows you to change the date of tour or destination up until your final payment day. Instructions on how to request a refund are located on the COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher page, which can be found on the traveler secure site. Trips are usually initially introduced about two years before the travel date so that participants can make smaller monthly payments to cover the cost of the trip. They won't tell you which airline or which hotel you will be staying at. Explain the situation and ask them to dispute the charge. The only options available to us were food trucks along the river right next to the Tower complex. I won't go into detail about our trip except to say our tour guide left half the group on several occasions, got us lost, left us in a hotel that's fire alarm system was going off in (our group leader also left us behind. 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 $565. It really did take a lot of pressure off to just let someone else do all that work. What we didnt expect was the significant amount of wasted time and changes to our itinerary that happened on our tour. The menu included a plate with 1 chicken drumstick, a handful of french fries, and a wimpy green salad with one tomato slice. Local 1-317-582-2658 or Toll-free 1-866-887-7148. 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. Parents are upset that a student tour company won't give full refunds for canceled European vacations. But learning seemed to take a back seat to just being in another country in most circumstances. :? throttle thumb display electric . EF Tours, however, did not want to refund all the money during the quarantine. But when it comes to refunds, they quote rules and policies designed to make it difficult, if not impossible, to get a refund. OH man! Outside of Heidelberg we stayed in a gymnasium dormitory (German high school) that was out for the summer. How to get your money back from a Zelle scam or accidental money transfer, This PayPal invoice scam almost got me. Plus, we have insightful letters, insider tips, and more. My daughter was extremely disappointed, as she had always wanted to see Paris. When we reached Italy, things changed a bit. Evidently, just before the drop deadline, the other boys in our group dropped out because of cost, and he's the lone boy traveling from our school with a group of girls. Feel free to ask me in the comments!! 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. For a quick overnight in Milan on our way to Florence, we stayed at and AS Hotel in Limbiate. Overall, Id say that the hotels provided were quite good, with the exception of Hotel La Pergola. On the rare occasion when this requirement is not fulfilled, participants are given one or more of the following options: 1. You dont always have to appeal to the government. how to get a full refund from ef tours 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. (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.) It was over $8,300," Hignite said. 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. We are currently preparing to issue the refund you recently requested. Unfortunately, I had to cancel his trip because my son switched schools and his old school district could not take a non student out of the country. 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. Technics in Management Transfer inverness animal clinic. While they still stuck with four students to a room, several of the student rooms had enough beds to sleep up to 12 people. 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! There were a total of 40 people on our 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. Sears couldnt deliver my appliances. Im normally a big fan of Korean food, but this wasnt great. Sometimes it seemed inevitable, like when we were stuck in an airport or train station. I went on my trip June 11, 2014-June 25, 2014. Id say yes. The swimming area was not separated in any way from boat traffic, nor was my son warned about possible boat traffic. We use cookies to improve your experience on our site and to show you personalised advertising. But in the most frustrating example, during our time in Paris a visit to the Frogonard Perfume Museum was added to our itinerary. This is exactly the type of honest review I am searching for as I consider enrolling my son in a 9 day tour of Japan next summer, and also go myself. Vouchers are not redeemable for their full cash equivalent. We simply got information from our Tour Guide when and where to meet up with the group after dinner and selected a nearby local pub so we could have a traditional English dining experience. Our specific tour featured quite a daunting itinerary. Dont accept vouchers or points. My daughter and I have a lot of great memories from our trip, despite the difficulties. Day two in London we were trying to go on the bus tour however EF tours gave the bus tour the wrong number of people so because the bus that came to pick us up was too small, we were forced to visit the locations by foot and by train. That's when we found out it would be around $800 to cancel. How do I fix this $499 mistake? 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. Focus on maintaining . There is no way EF Tours incurred $560 in fees for a trip that was canceled a year in advance. After travel is completed on the fi rst tour, repeat travelers will receive a $100 Repeat Traveler Discount off future tours. Some of it was just bad luck however I feel like most of it was EF tours being lazy and not trying to help make the experience the best that it could have been. Before our tour, the group leaded made sure every person who showed an interest in going on the trip got the glossy, full color brochure that outlined our itinerary and told us what to expect on the tour. how to get a full refund from ef tours. For what it's worth 4k for a scotland ireland trip is definitely too much. Its completely impossible for 40 people to make use of just a handful of bathroom stalls in five minutes. Was informed of the price to cancel was $199 not the $95 listed. How to Get a Full Refund from EF Tours: A Step-by-Step Guide, Do I Need to Be Vaccinated to Travel to Hawaii? Spring break trip with the school for my two boys to go to Greece and Italy this year. For the first four nights during our stays in London and Paris, we were sent to Hilton Hotels. . You might be able to work something out. 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. We also had the unfortunate luck of awful traffic. I work for a competitor of EF and have about a million reasons why groups that go with them get ripped off. Tuesday 28 March . If you think you might want a refund on a travel product at some point and lets face it, who doesnt? "You can accept a travel voucher with no penalties, or you can accept a. 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. Im not opposed to tipping but tips need to be earned and for him to request a set amount doesnt sit well with me. The teacher wouldnt return my phone call, or emails. I have been a group leader with EF for 10 years and they have been getting so bad that I will no longer travel with them. And, this hotel was a truck stop on the M1. 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. Overall, unless an excursion is of special interest to you, I wouldnt recommend participating in them, simply because they seem overpriced. Call 800-665-5364 to enroll, EF Language Schools I did purchase it actually! 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. So, Hignite and other parents contacted EF Tours to learn they could get only vouchers, or pay the penalty to cancel. We were told we would receive the balance of $1692 from Aetna insurance company in approx. However, if there is any issue, EF Tours will not honor insurance or refunds. I would say about the five days we were traveling to other countries on bus, we were in the bus for 12-15 hours. They are basically stealing our money and find this to be okay. One of the techniques Ive developed as a consumer advocate is called the three Ps. It works great on refunds. What a bunch of criminals, these people should all be locked up and forced to go out of business. Toll-free 1-877-974-7462 ext. Curfews and group rules were left up to our group leader, who didnt set many boundaries for our students. We put a deposit down and also the registration fee $199 plus $500. Your local principals, school boards, etc. 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. Can I get a refund for my Marriott Vacation Club Points? But why cant I get a refund? Parents have paid thousands of dollars for student tours abroad -- and those refunds aren't coming. 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. She signed up October 1 and we had to cancel Oct 14 due to conflicts with my work schedule. 44 days or less prior to departure: No refund will be issued. He went as part of a group of senior high school students on a school sponsored trip. 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! We had a fantastic time seeing the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London. Unlock new opportunities and expand your reach by joining our authors team. (I publish a full list of customer service executive contacts on my nonprofit consumer advocacy site, elliott.org. As you can imagine the difference between 0 and 55 is immaculate and only caused problems throughout the entire trip. This place was truly one of the worst hotels Ive ever had the misfortune to stay at (and as a travel blogger, Ive stayed at a LOT of hotels). . It is a trip run by a business who just happens to recruit participants through the school system. She had us walking everywhere (1 1/2 mile from our hotel to the bus stop each day. The next group dinner was at a Polish restaurant where the group was served a fried chicken patty and french fries. Having extra free time to see the sites of your choice seemed to be the best option during our tour. These usually include some special activity or visit to an additional landmark. They are making a profit off of cancellations!!!! Also, I want to upgrade my kids' flight on the way home - EF passes the responsibility to their "booking" agent in Switzerland or they say to call the airline. Other times it seemed like our guide might be creating these situations by not fully informing us what was available near by. We were assured that our tour director would be with us around the clock, handling local transportation, hotels, and meals while also providing their own insight into the local history and culture.. He paid Vantage $18,536. While the teacher recruiting students is designated as your group leader, they dont actually lead the tour once you start traveling. But relinquishing that control does require a certain amount of trust. There are usually two or three optional excursions that can be added to any tour. 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. We paid an extra $85 USD above and beyond the base tour price to experience it. We also were traveling to all the countries during the world cup. I am now retired, but have organized and will be leading another "Best of Europe" tour this September. They book all accommodations and attraction admissions for tour participants. Two meals a day are included in the cost of a trip with EF Tours. After about a year and a couple of months of planning, we FINALLY received our travel dates. What EF products can a COVID-19 Future Travel Voucher be applied to? The vast majority of the other students spent most of their time getting drunk and vaping. Travelers should expect to receive a refund approximately 4-6 weeks after it is requested. 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. Against my better judgement. Usually if you haven't paid in full you could get a cancel for any reason insurance which will give you about 75% back. 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.

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