2021 came with Covid restrictions that could not be met. And, this hotel was a truck stop on the M1. They also facilitate communication between travelers and families in the event of an emergency at home. Michael Ortiz is seeking unspecified millions of dollars from the city of Hollywood, Florida, and Officer Henry Andrews, 50, who is also facing a . What a waste of time and money. But guess what? When students go beyond the Emilia with EF shared that she could not update my status to chaperone and refused to be flexible during a pandemic during unexpected changes due to it being past the 45 day threshold. Well isn't that what insurance is for??? Not only could we barely keep up with the tour guide, but we could not hear him due to he gigantic group and we had to stop every 5 minutes to make sure the entire group was there. A more personalized on-tour experience. al. EF was never concerned about her health or welfare and only accused her of being drunk so they could dodge any responsibility. I struggled to pay for this trip and now after paying for travel insurance also they are denying full refund. UK prioritizing Ukraine people over my Tourist VISA. Building tours that go beyond expectation. So they offered vouchers that were only good for up to 18 monthsUP TO 18 MONTHS! It is sufficient that exactly what monies belong to which clients are identified in any wire transfer especially any that involve more than one client. Desired outcome: Were covering: This complaint was posted by a verified customer. It caters to young and older travelers, admitting anyone from age six and above (under-age travelers accompanied by adults). Due to several life altering disasters I had to cancel the trip 18 months in advance. If not resolved I will go through my lawyer. Was informed of the price to cancel was $199 not the $95 listed. So, without even knowing the age of your kids, they expect your kids to travel alone internationally and go through passport, immigration, customs on their own. This plan includes coverages that can provide a benefit in the unlikely event a traveler should need to return home unexpectedly due to a natural disaster or unrest. Now she is moving on to college. The local guide said we could fly to panamaThat was it. We went ahead and waited. I will not let this go if need be I will take them to court and sue there asses. I asked for management and she stated there was no one I could speak with. I feel like everything was rushed. Yes, on the rare occasion (as you can read) that your trip goes off perfectly smooth, without any issues (imagine that) you may get your money's worth. Protection for your belongings I am beyond disappointed and want to make sure that other families looking to book a trip with them in the future reconsiders and finds another company with fairer policy to make travel plans with. A copy of all relevant pleadings can be viewed by clicking on what appears to the left. I am seeking a full refund, not a partial one. Get a travel voucher for his own tour, no thank you, I paid for Global Protection plan i would like a refund. Emilia Hovestadt We sent emails. Imagine being in London not able to tour anything because you don't have the proper tour bus that you were promised?? . Plus, the staff in each office and school are trained to respond to a wide range of emergency situations. Coverage for expenses due to trip delays (lodging, food, and other reasonable expenses plus limited reimbursement of unused, forfeited, prepaid non-refundable payments for travel arrangements). They are in trouble financially and that is ok with me!!! So, even the itinerary is a lie! 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. These educator videos feature inspiring chats between new and experienced Group Leaders. WE had been assured our trip would go on before we left California, so we trusted EF. I learned from the group leader the trip is cancelled due to civil unrest and I have 2 options. My son is (or perhaps was) traveling on an EF tour this summer with a very small group from our high school. They simply answered the phone, we provided the tour, dates and names of our family members and paid a deposit for each of us. 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. document.write(dt.getFullYear() ); This has to be illegal. If the group does not travel on the original tour, travel on a revised tour, or receive a Future Travel Voucher, standard cancellation fees will apply. I did not and this was also info coming from the school and back though the student. In addition the insurance company retained by EF initially declined to pay to have my son evacuated from Cost Rica. I can't believe they can demand reasons for dismissal even with all the Hippa Laws. 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. This is meant to help provide a safer tour experience for all travelers, and is a similar process to what many school districts implement for adults who volunteer in schools or chaperone school activities. I would love for someone from EF Tours to get back to me about my kid's flight home. My contact has always been through the group coordinator Mary Pope. He could no get us on flights home. 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. If a traveler needs to interrupt a tour due to serious injury or illness, this provides a benefit. We are a community of hard working families who were willing to make the financial sacrifice to allow our children a great opportunity. It seemed cool at the time however most countries either had the shops and food places shut down early or be completely closed due to the big games. We had to accept them. These programs apply to tours departing October 1, 2022 or later. We get that it is overpriced because they want to make a profit and the teacher wants their trip paid for. lawsuit against Defendants EF Education First International, Ltd. ("EF International"), EF Institute . Desired outcome: They saved $3800 a piece from babysitting, dog walking, plant watering! When I told them that nowhere in their cancellation policy where the egregious fees stated they said Well thats what they are now Under the terms of the attorney general's agreement, EF will provide consumers who booked trips scheduled to depart between March 11 and May 14 with an additional $435 for international travel, $300 for domestic travel by air and $100 for domestic travel by bus. Below are a range of policies and programs designed to flex to meet our travelers specific needsno matter where they are in the planning process. We were told we would receive a check from Ef Tours in 2 to 4 weeks for approx. This is a terrible company. Please help us receive refund for this experience. This has happened all over the US and people are not standing down. We were offered a wait and see attitude for the following year 2021 . Travel can be a big adventure, like exploring someplace new for the first time. From: Emilia Hovestadt On Thursday, March 26, 2020, at 5:59 PM PDST you [previously] wrote to Michael Hassen as follows: Michael, per our earlier conversation, I can confirm that my client is not requiring anyone to sign a release to obtain any of the offered options, including the cash refund option. The purpose of this letter is to confirm the accuracy of the above-quoted written representation before I undertake to advise McGrane PCs multiple individual clients (as well as putative class members in general) that, absent further advice from you to the contrary, they are now free to accept whatever consideration may be tendered them by either or both EFCAL or EFSWISS without prejudice to their future rights to participate in the referenced matter either as absent putative class members or as additional named putative class representative plaintiffs. I am out of $4,200.00, what is EF Tours out of??? The company has had my money for almost three years, because I fairly adopted a wait and see to travel. Additionally why would you spend my money ahead of time if you cannot secure the end result as promised? 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. I will never, ever even consider sending any of my other kids on one of these trips. 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! For over 55 years, weve dedicated ourselves to one global mission: Opening the World Through Education. Wife and daughter were planning to go on a trip to Italy in over a year. Illness and accident coverage Its a joke. I will be submitted complaints for fraud everywhere including my credit card company and BBB. UPDATE ON EF CASES AS OF 4:00 PM PDST SEPTEMBER 13, 2020. Spring break trip with the school for my two boys to go to Greece and Italy this year. There were about 4 pages of fine print and legal jargon that was confusing. 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].". 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. ComplaintsBoard.com is a leading complaint resolution website on the Internet. This program is automatically included for all travelers and can be enacted at the group level for any reason, including terrorism, pandemics, or other world events. 2022 . 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. But its also about the smaller moments on the road. This will surely increase the credibility of your complaint. Read our Newswire Disclaimer. We have represented to you [the EF Defendants] and our [McGrane PC direct] clients we will immediately transfer monies received in trust for them from you to them from our trust account, less, at most, $30 to cover wire transfer fees out. steer clear of this scam! Their solution is to book another tour to avoid losing money. He gives the best guided tours of Spainand he inspired his family to become local guides, too. Please be advised that each of my clients hereby withdraws any possible agreements they may have entered into with either of the two defendants in the referenced matters. My daughter wanted to go with members of her class on this great trip with EF tours. ef tours is a rip-off! She had a black eye and blood in her eyeball for the entire trip. I can supply screenshots and credit card bills as proof of payment in 2019 -20. They cancelled it - TWICE! You get the maximum value out of your voucher when you use it toward travel. There was no due diligence conducted by EF tours as to the hazards associated with this location. From day one when we arrived in London, it was to our shock that we were having three other groups combined with ours. DO NOT USE EF Tours! Our tours are curated by world travelers Trip Interruption coverage However, the problem has wider implications for your clients. 4. Risk-Free Enrollment Period 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. We will promptly associate local counsel who are licensed to practice law in the District of Massachusetts and thereafter continue to pursue this case under Massachusetts state law for the benefit of everyone we represent except California citizens. We bottled some of this events magic in our student Summit video recap. Payments made should be made to McGrane PC as trustee. Then, you can't get through on the phone. Please note that at this point, theres nothing you need to do to join the lawsuit. However, we had already paid and were still excited to be spending 2 weeks in Europe together. Their contact information can be found in the complaint below. Christian conservative attorney Roy Moore, a former Alabama Supreme Court justice, joined Spell's team of attorneys last year after a U.S. district judge dismissed his lawsuit in Baton Rouge . 3. With 600 schools and offices in 50 countries worldwide, including regional offices dedicated to on-tour support, our global presence is truly unmatched. The Global Travel Protection Plus planprovides 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. Especially during a pandemic where these things change constantly. this absurdity not previously announced We were told there was no where we could go. Benefits of the Peace of Mind program are only available to the entire group and not to individual travelers unless specifically indicated. EFs 2022 Global Leadership Summit Tour # 2130465UX - London, Paris, and The Alps classroom it brings education to life, unlocks new potential, and al., United States District Court for the Southern District of California Case No. ", Later on April 22, 2020, Mr. Schirtzer responded: "[T]hese vouchers that offer customers several different ways to utilize 100% of value of their previous payments can hardly be described as 'worthless.' EF Tours is just horrible. So, no refund. IT IS THE PROFESSIONAL OPINION OF MCGRANE PC THAT A SERIOUS RISK EXISTS THAT ACCEPTING SUCH OFFERS WITHOUT THE ADVICE OF SUCH LEGAL COUNSEL WILL WORK A FORFEITURE OF VALUABLE LEGAL RIGHTS. Other EF tour brands. Emergency evacuation coverages Please contact me immediately if there are any questions or comments by either EFCAL or EFSWISS about the contents of this letter. Cost: $490* EF provides an exclusive Peace of Mind program to account for such situations. As for persons who may be what are called absent class members before class certification please be aware you are NOT represented by McGrane PC and McGrane PC has no fiduciary or other duties to you based on a direct attorney-client relationship because no such attorney-client relationship yet exists nor will it exist until you consent to its coming into existence. Trip Cancellation coverage They had the nerve to tell me if I find a replacement that they will waive $300 of the cancellation fees. 15.06(1 . Presently she is trying to get refunds for trip because of the imposed restrictions that cannot be met. If you wanted a refund, there was a fee. Paid full price with insurance.The trip coordinator was a personal friend Mary Pope. 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