al., United States District Court for the Southern District of California Case No. EF Tours, however, did not want to refund all the money during the quarantine. EF Educational Tours Reviews | Read Customer Service Reviews of www.eftours.com Travel & Vacation Activities & Tours Tour Agency EF Educational Tours EF Educational Tours Reviews 4,382 Excellent 4.3 VERIFIED COMPANY www.eftours.com Visit this website kharden 1 review US 2 days ago DO NOT USE EF Tours! Spring break trip with the school for my two boys to go to Greece and Italy this year. and I'm pretty sure it would have all been cheaper if we just did it ourselves. 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. McGrane PC. Desired outcome: People should be able to get a refund, without all of the hidden fees. opportunities for experiential learning. EF Institute for Cultural Exchange, Inc. EF Education First International, AG, New to ClassAction.org? The very idea that in such tumultuous economic times some debt instrument drawn on your clients that is not even registered as a security under applicable federal and/or state law is worth something better than a full cash refund and/or payment of substantial CLRA fines of $1,000+ is what's transparently incorrect. 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. Before commenting, please review our comment policy. Our 50,000+ staff and faculty members around the world provide a local presence and are able to react quickly and in person where necessary. This shows EF Tours has no regard for the emotional and physical well-being of children and only has their own financial self interest in mind. Also out of all four excursions throughout the trip, THREE OF THEM WERE CANCELLED! For more than 15 years we have helped nearly 50000 customers resolve their issues and will never stop striving to ensure further improvements on our platform for a better communication between companies and customers. 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. We've experienced the transformative power of travel firsthandand we can't wait to explore the opportunities that are out there for you and your students. UPDATE ON EF CASES AS OF 3:30 PM PDST MARCH 30, 2020, On Friday, March 27, 2020, William McGrane wrote to Richard Schirtzer regarding Natalia Grabovsky, etc., et. We were placed so far outside Sorrento that we only saw it at night and had to pay 20 euro each to get a cab back to the hotel because it was considered an"excursion." Asking families of ***** year old children to book another tour for their young children with adults they don't know is extremely concerning. A situation completely out of the control of myself and other families. EF Educational Tours Call 800-665-5364 to enroll. however, in the 2 weeks that we were enrolled we had made payments amounted to $800. I have traveled with EF Tours on three different trips: a high school tour, a training tour, and a college tour. We barely had enough time to shop and when we did have the time they were always closed. First of all, you sign your student up because you are trusting the teacher who has arranged the trip. ", Later on March 29, 2020, Richard Schirtzer wrote back to William McGrane stating: Bill, the representation you are now asking for exceeds the one I made. Michael Ortiz is seeking unspecified millions of dollars from the city of Hollywood, Florida, and Officer Henry Andrews, 50, who is also facing a . My son received life threatening injuries and had there not been a physician along as a chaperone my son would have died. 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. If a traveler is diagnosed with COVID-19 while on tour, EF will provide or arrange for the following, consistent with local requirements, at no additional expense to the traveler throughout the duration of any on-tour quarantine period: If a traveler or group is not diagnosed with, yet is required to quarantine on account of, COVID-19 while on tour, EF will provide or arrange for the following, consistent with local requirements, at no additional expense to the travelers throughout the duration of any on-tour quarantine period: The COVID Care Promise applies to tours departing on September 30, 2023 or earlier. 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. This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Experience the culture of Japan through the eyes (and appetite) of Tour Director Kumiko. 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. Refusal to refund refund after they cancelled tours! Please read on for additional coverage details, as well as deadlines to purchase each Global Travel Protection plan. If the revised tour has a higher price than the original tour, travelers will be required to pay the difference as a condition of traveling on the revised tour. 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. 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. Especially during a pandemic where these things change constantly. al. Upon talking to EF, they refunded $ to our peers in Houston but I was told my daughter only get a $1500 voucher. When something goes wrong, you thing you are covered. 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. On Monday, April 20, 2020, Michael Hassen wrote to Richard Schirtzer regarding Natalia Grabovsky, etc., et. 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). I struggled to pay for this trip and now after paying for travel insurance also they are denying full refund. Original departure date 7/13/2020 3:20-cv-00508-gpc-blm advising Mr. Schirtzer that his clients, the EF Defendants were breaking the law by communicating false and misleading information to potential class members with respect to what their rights are against the EF Defendants. You can find further details of the policy, coverage limits, and exclusions here. Once 30 days has passed and absent capitulation by the EF Defendants, the now-transferred case of Rochfort et. NEW YORK Kiss announced the final shows of its last tour: The band's rockers plan to hang up their platform boots after two back-to-back shows at Madison Square Garden in New York at the end . use of a redeem voucher button is already something . This plan includes Trip Cancellation coverage. They insist on keeping $500 per person! UPDATE ON EF CASES AS OF 12:00 PM PST FEBRUARY 14, 2023. However, EF Tours will override the plan and refuse your refund. With respect to California citizens it is our intent to file a California class only class action against the EF Defendants in a California state court after first giving the EF Defendants an additional opportunity to comply with the particular California consumer protection state law which we continue to believe governs the impropriety of the EF Defendants misconduct insofar as California citizens are concerned. Filed: March 17, 2020 3:20-cv-00508-GPC-BLM. Subject to policy limits and exclusions. Still capitalizing from us by refusing to refund the total amount. I went on my trip June 11, 2014-June 25, 2014. IS this the only forum about this place? 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. This is morally and ethically wrong. By using this website you agree to our Cookies Policy. My daughter's peers in Houston were sent home. ClassAction.org is a group of online professionals (designers, developers and writers) with years of experience in the legal industry. 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. et. 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. And just think, are our kids safe with this company? 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. They won't tell you which airline or which hotel you will be staying at. Would it possible to help US have Better solution? She had a black eye and blood in her eyeball for the entire trip. Future Travel Vouchers are valid up to 25 months from the month of the original tours scheduled departure. We use cookies to improve your experience on our site and to show you personalised advertising. If so, I'd like to know.". DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD ON AN EF TRIP!! Has anybody been to the office of EF? Then, you can't get through on the phone. It is a crime for a youth educational program to take $3800 dollars from a 15 year old after they endorse a trip, then fly us into civil unrest, only to tell us they have no ability to get us home. Trip Interruption coverage I have spent $10,000 for two kids' trips and I can't get the most basic customer support from them. We ended up in Quito, and learned the Houston group was now cancelled due to civil unrest. I can supply all correspondence that my group coordinator had. There are so many good tour companies out there, you would be wasting valuable time and money booking with this one. Date: Tue, Jun 28, 2022, 9:41 AM 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. Desired outcome: 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. One student got up in the middle of the night and tripped on the mattress and smashed her head into the wall. ?we were then offered a tour of a castle which was supposedly a make up gift from ef tours for the bus situation however, once we got there we only had about 45 mins- an hour to tour the entire castle. 4. The 2020 trip was canceled due to Covid. Coverage for baggage in cases of theft or delay. This is ridiculous and really wrong. HOW CAN THIS BE LEGAL??? Kinda defeats the whole concept of insurance. UPDATE ON EF CASES AS OF 2:00 PM PDST DECEMBER 7, 2020. 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. 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. These affordable plans provide pre-departure and on-tour benefits, including medical expense coverage that may apply on tour and tour cancellation for the stated reasons below. Thats why we prioritize safety, value, 321. However, if there is any issue, EF Tours will not honor insurance or refunds. 5. release my refund and return $500 cancelation fee. 3) They pretend that you can extend your student's trip. 2022 . 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. EF Explore America Call 888-333-9756 to enroll. My mom had to put hotel rooms for 30 students in her credit card. Customer service is the WORST! 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. They also facilitate communication between travelers and families in the event of an emergency at home. Location & Hours However, if you know you wont be able to travel and would prefer a refund, you can exchange your voucher for the amount of all monies paid to EF, less $1000. Policy terms, conditions, and exclusions apply. Please help us receive refund for this experience. Background checks take place through a secure process that is meant to specifically identify individuals who could present a risk to student travelers while on tour. UPDATE ON EF CASES AS OF 4:00 PM PDST SEPTEMBER 13, 2020. This will surely increase the credibility of your complaint. 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. Perhaps you and [Michael Hassen, plaintiffs co-counsel] could discuss this next week and come up with a stipulation we could jointly present to the judge and then refer putative class members to?. lawsuit against Defendants EF Education First International, Ltd. ("EF International"), EF Institute . These itineraries are your answer. 1. She was more worried about herself and her family I guess. 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