A most unsatisfactory and life changing (m for the worse) experience. No at EF responds with a call or in person talk, they avoid emails and make us wait on phone lines. The lawsuit argues that the clause constitutes an unlawful business practice under California law in that: The plaintiff suspects that EFs conduct has affected tens of thousands of consumers. On May 1st I lost my job and we immediately contacted Ef Tours to cancel. Avoid at all costs! Four girls were placed in a room with one queen sized bed and two twin mattresses on the floor in London. But its also about the smaller moments on the road. What can we do with this company? UPDATE ON EF CASES AS OF 2:00 PM PDST FEBRUARY 5, 2021. Join a Free Coronavirus Failure to Refund Class Action Lawsuit Investigation These itineraries are your answer. Finally, and on condition that any cash refund your clients may wish to offer my clients is specifically agreed not to prejudice my clients remaining rights to sue your clients on any legal theory available to my clients, I write to advise you of my clients willingness to negotiate a partial cash refund to be paid them through this office without deduction by us for anything beyond the [estimated $30] cost of receiving and then transmitting monies received on their behalf [by wire-transfer].". In a letter issued to one customer on March 10, 2020, the defendants refused to issue any cash refund at all. EF Educational Tours 159 reviews Unclaimed Historical Tours, Walking Tours, Travel Services Edit Closed 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM See hours See all 49 photos Write a review Add photo " chaperone for a high school senior trip to London, Paris and Barcelona. Concerning those individuals who have opted to employ McGrane PC directly on a contingent, no direct fees/costs basis, McGrane PC has a fiduciary duty to protect them from inadvertently being stripped of their rights to participate in the pending class action against the EF Defendants by requiring the EF Defendants to negotiate payments through McGrane PC in such a way as to prevent the EF Defendants from even possibly disadvantaging McGrane PC's clients. A copy of this pleading is posted on our UPDATES page. Please read on for additional coverage details, as well as deadlines to purchase each Global Travel Protection plan. I called EF and they directed me to the insurance company-which is an absolute rip off. A situation completely out of the control of myself and other families. Pursuant to California Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 7.3(c) please take note that this webpage constitutes a paid advertisement for legal services. Desired outcome: Spring break trip with the school for my two boys to go to Greece and Italy this year. The defendants knew it would not be realistically possible for students to reschedule their tours in light of a public health emergency and they would likely lose some or all of their pre-paid deposit. Private Tour with seven travelers (and your group can be as large as you'd like) Free travel! Its a joke. 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. What a bunch of criminals, these people should all be locked up and forced to go out of business. I was told to call EF to see what my options are. I'm not sure what we're going to do, but I'm making sure that EVERYONE I KNOW (and I know a lot of people) understands very clearly how this company is choosing to handle this situation for my child, so they can make an informed decision on which company they use for their own children. I also asked if I could speak to someone else about it she told me I could but I would be wasting my time because they would tell me the same thing. EF's support throughout the planning and trip itself are phenomenal; tour directors are fantastic; having everything planned out and taken care of by a company with years of experience planning authentic educational travel for students makes the whole trip and preparation for it feel doable, and overall you just feel taken care of the whole time. Our tours are curated by world travelers Benefits of the Peace of Mind program are only available to the entire group and not to individual travelers unless specifically indicated. Dedicated Emergency Service and Incident Response Teams 3) They pretend that you can extend your student's trip. All I know to do is make this issue public. Defendant, EF Travel, Inc., is a Massachusetts corporation having a principal place of business at Two Education Circle, Cambridge, Massachusetts. The swimming area was not separated in any way from boat traffic, nor was my son warned about possible boat traffic. Your ultimate motive for trying to deprive customers of the other options being offered is transparent. Payments made should be made to McGrane PC as trustee. One thing is guaranteed. UPDATE ON EF CASES AS OF 2:00 PM PDST OCTOBER 23, 2020. Please help us receive refund for this experience. I am outraged and helpless. Why is no one investigating them for fraudulent business practices, deceptive practices, false advertisement, etc, etc, etc?? Trip Cancellation coverage Travel Company efeducationaltours eftours eftours Photos See all Videos See all 1:02 The Global Travel Protection Plus plan must be purchased when you book your tour. ", Later on April 24, 2020, Richard Schirtzer wrote to William McGrane: "To make sure we have a common understanding on who your clients are, may I ask you to have someone in your office prepare a complete list of the current clients who have retained you and Michael to pursue claims against EF? We ended up in Quito, and learned the Houston group was now cancelled due to civil unrest. So, even the itinerary is a lie! The company told me I can sell my voucher. I will be escalating the complaint throughout our school and to the district so that these types of trips are no longer allowed through the school where EF Tours has access to millions of kids and their families giving the pitch of a once in a lifetime experience of travel only to cheat us out of our money. classroom it brings education to life, unlocks new potential, and They had the nerve to tell me if I find a replacement that they will waive $300 of the cancellation fees. Other EF tour brands. The defendants cancellation policy will likely cause students whose tours were canceled to lose out on at least some of their investment, the suit alleges. It was so uncomfortable. Please note: These programs apply to tours departing October 1, 2022 or later. That's all fine and dandy, but we signed up for THIS July. Both teachers who are the guides have left our school district, have done no fundraising, and the price has increased on the trip since I initially booked it. Presently she is trying to get refunds for trip because of the imposed restrictions that cannot be met. Emilia Hovestadt I called EF to try to stay behind with them or re-book, as this was a science expedition they saved for together as a an 8th grade graduation trip. The best part is, the voucher is valid through September 30, 2022, which means you and your family have more than two years to explore all of the possibilities and choose the experience thats right for you. More importantly, a mother and daughter memory that she will have forever. Filed against EF Institute for Cultural Exchange, Inc. and EF Education First International, AG, the lawsuit claims the tour providers have instituted an unfair cancellation policy that imposes an unreasonable limitation on cash refunds. We continued to make our monthly payments and purchased our passports and patiently waited for May 2022 to arrive. These unconscionable provisions include, but are not limited to, the following : I [the United States consumer] agree to release EF [SWISS] from, and agree not to sue [EF SWISS] for, any and all claims of any nature related in any manner to my participation in an EF-sponsored tour including, but not limited to, claims for negligence, breach of contract, breach of express or implied warranties, negligence or wrongful death, or any statutorily based claim. B)there are about 1,000 people in the building and I have yet to see anyone that wasn't white as the driven snow. Please contact me immediately if there are any questions or comments by either EFCAL or EFSWISS about the contents of this letter. I understand that Will told her she should have received a discount but in a case like this where she became a chaperone at the very last minute, there is nothing we can do. 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. I struggled to pay for this trip and now after paying for travel insurance also they are denying full refund. 2. She was more worried about herself and her family I guess. My daughter's peers in Houston were sent home. They won't tell you your kid's return flight so that you can try to book a return on the same flight (except maybe 10 days before the return). The local guide said we could fly to panamaThat was it. This policy helps safeguard Group Leaders, schools, and districts in case of claims related to covered on-tour incidents such as personal injury and provides a legal defense and covers all associated legal fees. However, we are no longer traveling. EF Institute for Cultural Exchange, Inc. EF Education First International, AG, New to ClassAction.org? Even with the "Global traveler's protection" insurance I purchased at $165 per traveler, which I paid for both my daughter and I. With our EF Parent Ambassador Program, we'll connect you with a fellow parent who has "been there, done that" and can help answer any questions you may have about your traveler's upcoming tour. Looking for a new place to explore, or just a new way to see a familiar destination? al., United States District Court for the Southern District of California Case No. As a single mother or two, I used my savings ($8, 336.00) to give my daughter a graduation gift of travel and experience. EF provides an exclusive Peace of Mind program to account for such situations. We bottled some of this events magic in our student Summit video recap. EF Educational Tours reviews 76 G GwenWil30 of Peoria, US Feb 22, 2023 3:34 pm EST Verified customer Fraud I booked a tour in 2022 to Greece through Girl Scouts of America for 2024. I overlooked all that because it was time spent with my daughter. Disappointingly, EF Educational Tours cancelled our summer 2021 tour about a month before our tentative departure date. Sadly, this was not the case. Read our Newswire Disclaimer. Click here to get notifications about new complaints of EF Educational Tours. Beware. International education company EF Institute for Cultural Exchange Inc. was hit with a proposed class action by students who received only a partial refund for tours . Joining the EF family means you'll have the support of our community of educators, tour architects, operations wizards, and ever-curious explorers. It was an extremely uncomfortable situation and I had to leave the tour. Subject: RE: Darianne Hicks reimbursement Just don't do it. 3:20-cv-00508-GPC-BLM, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. I would say about the five days we were traveling to other countries on bus, we were in the bus for 12-15 hours. My son didn't create this problem, and it's not his fault. Against my better judgement. Has anybody been to the office of EF? *$490 is the current cost for tours departing on or after October 1, 2023. Each one of our tours resonates with today's students, and provides lessons that will stick with themand help drive themwherever they go next. Travelers must pay in full or enroll in our Automatic Payment Plan at the time of program enrollment and must remain either paid in full or enrolled in our Automatic Payment Plan and in good financial standing at the time of cancellation to remain eligible. So they offered vouchers that were only good for up to 18 monthsUP TO 18 MONTHS! We also had the unfortunate luck of awful traffic. Their contact information can be found in the complaint below. al. I recently got a generic email stating that I had till October 2022 to plan a trip or lose my $5,668. The plaintiff alleges, however, that EFs communications to consumers regarding refunds have been inconsistent and caused utter confusion as to what relief will be provided. Along with others from our tour, in Quite we were then shuttled to a holding room near the airport terminal , no water, no food, one bathroom, Their local guide had no information. I am out of $4,200.00, what is EF Tours out of??? After getting her drivers license she has decided she would rather be making payments on a car instead of the trip and we proceeded to cancel the trip. Per the cancellation policy, there is a $95 non-refundable charge and a $300 cancellation fee. This plan includes Trip Cancellation coverage. I can reschedule to next year. ComplaintsBoard.com is a leading complaint resolution website on the Internet. For additional details regarding the insurance components of this plan, underwritten by US Fire Insurance Company, including coverage limits and a full list of exclusions, please visit this page. They should be ashamed of themselves. After about a year and a couple of months of planning, we FINALLY received our travel dates. Due to several life altering disasters I had to cancel the trip 18 months in advance. My first was as a parent going with my 15-year-old along with a group of about 20 kids (from a . Camp Lejeune residents now have the opportunity to claim compensation for harm suffered from contaminated water. Live, unedited & independent traveler reviews. Paid full price with insurance.The trip coordinator was a personal friend Mary Pope. Provides benefits related to hospital bills, doctors fees, and medical transportation associated with on-tour illnesses or injuries, as well as travel and accommodation expenses for a family member to be with your child while hospitalized in the event of a life-threatening illness. Now that I see I cannot . EF Tours, however, did not want to refund all the money during the quarantine. Two straight hours of calling the ef tours emergency hotline and no still no answer. What a rip off! This company canceled our tour claiming Covid caused them to be short of staff to accommodate the tour. This is ridiculous and really wrong. Especially during a pandemic where these things change constantly. While not happy with that amount I understood. If a traveler needs to interrupt a tour due to serious injury or illness, this provides a benefit. Provides benefits related to hospital bills, doctors fees, and medical transportation associated with on-tour illnesses or injuries, as well as travel and accommodation expenses for a family member to be with your child while hospitalized in the event of a life-threatening illness. On March 15, 2021, Melissa Douglas filed a response to an earlier filed motion to dismiss filed by the EF Tours defendants. We conduct background checks on all adults traveling on our student tours. *$190 is the current cost for tours departing on or after October 1, 2023. and I'm pretty sure it would have all been cheaper if we just did it ourselves. COVID-19 required everybody to be quarantined. 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. Seriously, that was suppose to be the best part?!?!?! as the premier companies. These programs apply to tours departing October 1, 2022 or later. The Future Travel Voucher is not a merchandise credit or a gift certificate and may not be redeemed for cash unless specifically noted on the voucher. View Opportunities; Resources. Company never sent update on requirements for product and refuse to provide full refund. This is morally and ethically wrong. Trip Interruption coverage 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. var dt = new Date();
After this horrible experience, we will never consider this company again for any of our children and advise all we know against it as well. Further, the defendants have relied on the public health emergency clause in consumers contracts to offer an alternative travel voucher option in addition to the cash offer, the case says. . Also told cancellation fee is now $400 not the $300 listed. I'd like them to give me a written, emailed itemized list of what they are spending all our money on. One of the destinations was an Island called Tortuga. Illness and accident coverage In my opinion, this is stealing. 8 weeks.It has been 8 weeks so my son contacted the insurance company and was told the money would be put back into our account between June 20 to 25th. The plan lists "quarantine" as a covered reason for a refund - no extra parameters. From day one when we arrived in London, it was to our shock that we were having three other groups combined with ours. We were also promised to be able to be in walking distance from our hotels to the big cities in the countries we were staying in however in each country we were at minimum one hour away from the cities. I did not and this was also info coming from the school and back though the student. For plans issued in New York, customers can purchase the non-insurance Cancel for Any Reason waiver separately from the rest of the travel protection plan. 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. al. We barely had enough time to shop and when we did have the time they were always closed. Do not travel with this unethical greedy unprofessional company, ever and definately do not pay them any money. This has to be illegal. He gives the best guided tours of Spainand he inspired his family to become local guides, too. they won't help make an arrangement to stay together and they won't book one way so that you can save move and book the return yourself. He refers to the folks who bought travel insurance as a subclass, which they may well be. I sent the letter and will contact them again Monday to try and get answers. Were covering: So, no refund. "Russia is at war with Ukraine, the UK is prioritizing Ukraine visas over every other VISA on humanitarian grounds. With Genesis and Atomic blocks, you can build beautiful, powerful websites in minutes with our robust theme framework and professionally-designed sections and layouts. Our only hope now is that our kids have a great time with their class. I don't even know how it is legal to have these moron bastards do business. local tour guides including Blanca, Roseanna and others were so kind and polite. 16 years' experience in successful complaint resolution, Each complaint is handled individually by highly qualified experts, Last but not least, all our services are absolutely free. I cancelled my daughters trip to Greece. Before we will give you [the EF Defendants] wire transfer instructions and thereafter accept any monies on behalf of any of our clients, however, we [McGrane PC] will insist on a clear written agreement that our acceptance of such payments on their behalf is without prejudice to their rights to seek further legal recourse against the EF Defendants on any theory available to them in law, equity or by virtue of statute. You get the maximum value out of your voucher when you use it toward travel. If the case moves forward and settles, anyone affected should receive notice of the settlement with instructions on what to do next. Travelers missing any payment deadlines must pay any incurred late fees to qualify for this program. Not only did I make a complaint to the Better Business Bureau but I also requested that a manager call me and I have yet to hear from anyone. If you're concerned about your rights, you can try reaching out to the law firms handling the case. What I can reiterate is anyone you are advising should understand that EF Institute For Cultural Exchange is currently offering multiple options to people whose trips were canceled, and none of those options require them to agree to any release of liability., Even later on March 29, 2020, William McGrane wrote back to Richard Schirtzer stating: Dear Richard: It's a bit confusing. This is a class action lawsuit for monetary and equitable relief arising out of Defendants' . EF was never concerned about her health or welfare and only accused her of being drunk so they could dodge any responsibility. On February 5, 2021, defendants EF Institute for Cultural Exchange, Inc. (EF Institute), EF Education First International, Ltd. (EF International), and EF Explore America, Inc. (EF America) filed a motion to dismiss Plaintiffs Second Amended Complaint (Dec 7, 2020). This browser does not support PDFs. From: Emilia Hovestadt Desired outcome: Take, for example, your requested representation about class representatives: If you move for class certification EF cannot agree not to argue that someone who accepted a refund is not a proper representative for a group who elected another option. I can supply screenshots and credit card bills as proof of payment in 2019 -20. EF Educational Tours Call 800-665-5364 to enroll. 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