. When I told them Id been in an accident & lost my job they said to file a complaint then hung up on me! On May 1st I lost my job and we immediately contacted Ef Tours to cancel. Read our Newswire Disclaimer. They also charged me $189 for insurance I declined. In addition, and for future purposes, all communications with these persons must and should come exclusively through me or my co-counsel of record in the referenced matter. What can we do with this company? 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. I would NEVER stay at a truck stop, nor would I deceive students into thinking they were going to be safe on a trip and then place them there. He could no get us on flights home. Please help us receive refund for this experience. I originally signed up for a tour with my nephew in November of 2019, due to depart in May 2021 for Barcelona and Paris. 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. There are several hidden fees which totaled $1,300! Read those reviews. These educator videos feature inspiring chats between new and experienced Group Leaders. 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. I registered my son and I to go on a tour in June 2017. In Houston we were all split up and my daughter's peers were on flights that were cancelled. 2. Subject to policy limits and exclusions. Work with EF to modify your groups current tour itinerary and dates, or, Cancel your tour and all travelers will receive a transferable Future Travel Voucher in the amount of all monies paid for the original tour, less the cost of any purchased Travel Protection plan, Cancel your tour with applicable fees under the Standard Cancellation Policy. 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. That's sort of a release, isn't it? 4. Plus you have more than two years to explore your possibilities. However, EF Tours will override the plan and refuse your refund. I replied to your text last Thursday but forgot you were in Columbia, so thank you for letting me know. Meet your people 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 . I booked a trip with our homeschool "trip club" to do EF's Great Britain tour with a 2 day extension to Paris. EF claims that they are the least expensiveYou get what you pay for. Travelers can choose to enroll in one of the Global Travel Protection plans, both of which are designed specifically with EF travelers in mind. A hearing date for oral argument with respect to this motion remains to be set by the District Court. I want all of my money refunded as it is the right thing to do. I have requested my money back. Many are not able to meet those restrictions and need to cancel. ", 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. al. Subject: RE: Darianne Hicks reimbursement 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. Which btw the ticket was $100!!! They know they are being dishonest and scamming these kids and their families. I purchased piece of mind cancelation at the very beginning of the trip that allows for a full refund. They even bragged later about being the first one's out on the street), the food SUCKED, and the time spent on the buses was more time spent in the actual locations. We bottled some of this events magic in our student Summit video recap. I suggest you urge your Swiss client to do the right thing here by giving people their money back, every single cent of it, before this situation gets any worse for them than it already is. That's all fine and dandy, but we signed up for THIS July. We were told there was no where we could go. Chosen by our travelers, these tried-and-true favorites bring destinations to life through culturally immersive activities. EF Gap Year Call 800-726-9746 to enroll. Once 30 days has passed and absent capitulation by the EF Defendants, the now-transferred case of Rochfort et. On September 8, 2020, and over vigorous objection, federal District Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel granted a motion to change venue from the Southern District of California to the District of Massachusetts that had previously been filed by the EF Defendants and set for hearing on September 11, 2020. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) A Florida man left paralyzed when a police officer shot him after mistaking his handgun for his stun gun filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the city, the officer and others, saying, "my life got destroyed.". Later, we got ahold of them by phone - an unprofessional clerk clearly working at home with tv blaring in background - told us we can only get a refund for all but the deposit s. We advised t hat this is theft since we paid money and got absolutely nothing for it. 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 . 3. Travel Company efeducationaltours eftours eftours Photos See all Videos See all 1:02 2022 . 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). 321. ?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. The Emergency Service & Support Team is made up of highly trained, dedicated EF staff based in our Boston, Denver, and Austin offices who are equipped to solve problems and answer questions that may come up, even outside of regular business hours. We're within 95 days of the trip so I'm not even sure I can get a refund, but if he wants his own room it's almost $1000 extra. 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. If EF cannot accommodate a revised tour request and/or the group decides not to travel on the original tour, then the group may opt for future travel vouchers. 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. ", UPDATE ON EF CASES AS OF 1:30 PM PDST April 23, 2020. We did not have enough free time (which we were promised). A copy of this pleading is posted on our UPDATES page. EF will make every effort to accommodate revised tour requests. Desired outcome: 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. I was told to call EF to see what my options are. Russia is at war with Ukraine. 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. IS this the only forum about this place? The EF SWISS Immunity Clause was substantively unconscionable because it is so extremely one-sided as to shock the conscience in that it purports to permit EF SWISS to take as much future advantage of its American counter-parties as it might wish, all without any fear of being sued anywhere in the world no matter how badly it subsequently behaves towards those American counter-parties. I was told the person would be kicked off the tour but they werent. So opted to try one more year to see if restrictions were lifted. 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. that compelling itineraries should be full of Their contact information can be found in the complaint below. Dear Sirs 3:20-cv-00508-gpc-blm stating: Dear Mr. Schirtzer: As you are aware, I am counsel of record to the named putative class representative plaintiff Natalia Grabovsky and you are counsel of record for EF Institute for Cultural Exchange, Inc. (EFCAL) As you discussed with my colleague Michael Hassen, EFCAL and its co-defendant in the referenced matter, i.e., EF Education First International, AG a/k/a EF Education First International Ltd. (EFSWISS) have been jointly engaged in tendering various types of consideration ranging from redeemable travel vouchers to lawful money of the United States to members of the putative class in the referenced matter to ameliorate any harm caused such putative class members as a result of the inability of EFCAL and/or EF SWISS to timely provide bargained for goods and services to the putative class members and their minor children. Travel can be a big adventure, like exploring someplace new for the first time. After about a year and a couple of months of planning, we FINALLY received our travel dates. Terrible customer service. The 2020 trip was canceled due to Covid. Of course our trip was rescheduled for another year due to COVID. Help Center: Coverage and policy flexibility. 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. 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). My signature was on paperwork for a trip THIS July. 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. Emergency evacuation coverages Paid full price with insurance.The trip coordinator was a personal friend Mary Pope. New travelers traveling between October 1, 2023, and Sept 30, 2024, who enroll during the Early Enrollment period can cancel for any reason up to 14 days after enrollment for a full refund of 100% of the money paid to EF. They want to keep $1000 each child therefore I will loss $2000. On Monday, April 20, 2020, Michael Hassen wrote to Richard Schirtzer regarding Natalia Grabovsky, etc., et. 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. Three weeks after enrolling, our circumstances changed so I called to cancel, expecting to pay the $95 cancellation fee x2. Nonrefundable fees are outlined in EFs Booking Conditions. Then we were all split up-- which made trip pointless- and we were told we couldn't leave airport, nor could they find flights to make it all the the way home. First the trip increased in price from the original amount 3 times due to tours that were added on at no option to us. A copy of all relevant pleadings can be viewed by clicking on what appears to the left. Illness and accident coverage They have stolen from many people, including seniors and students some of whom are in high school or younger. and subject matter experts who understand But guess what? I have traveled extensively with Expedia, always buy travel insurance, and am covered for any thing, from war to terrorism, to a pandemic. their futures. EF TOURS IS A COMPLETE FRAUD. Share your photos and videos with others to prove the truth of your words. v. EF Institute for Cultural Exchange, Inc., et. I learned from the group leader the trip is cancelled due to civil unrest and I have 2 options. This browser does not support PDFs. A freaky feel to it. They kept $700 of our hard earned money and refuse to return it. if this is how they treat us before the trip? We had to accept them. A few days later, EF responded to an earlier complaint submitted by the plaintiff to the Arizona Office of the Attorney General in which the defendants allegedly offered the plaintiff a partial cash refund of $1,000 less than what she paid for her childs tour. This is morally and ethically wrong. Defendant, EF Travel, Inc., is a Massachusetts corporation having a principal place of business at Two Education Circle, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Future Travel Vouchers are transferrable at the face value of the voucher to members of the travelers immediate family or school community. My daughter wanted to go with members of her class on this great trip with EF tours. RIP OFF!! They said if we wanted to appeal we had to send them a letter from my company explain why I am no longer employed or show a death certificate that I died. Is this your company? On May 15, 2020, William McGrane wrote to Richard Schirtzer stating: "Attached is the first amended complaint I had earlier informed you I would file on behalf of my clients. 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. Also told cancellation fee is now $400 not the $300 listed. We believe travel is for everyone. EF College Study Call 877-485-4184 to enroll. If not for her, 30 of your kids would be sleeping in the airport for two nights in a row since their new flight to London has a huge 13 hour layover. Benefits of the Peace of Mind program are only available to the entire group and not to individual travelers unless specifically indicated. opportunities for experiential learning. 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. View Opportunities; Resources. Travelers canceling from a revised tour will be charged a cancellation fee based on the date that the original tour was revised or the date of cancellation from the revised tour, whichever is higher. 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. classroom it brings education to life, unlocks new potential, and Desired outcome: 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. Trip Interruption coverage I ended up booking our own flights home to the US for $1500. 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. EFs 2022 Global Leadership Summit Joining the EF family means you'll have the support of our community of educators, tour architects, operations wizards, and ever-curious explorers. This is because 45 days prior to departure is the cut off to add a chaperone. Desired outcome: Our tours are curated by world travelers Have had 2 separate travel experiences with EF. It was discovered by a parent who was monitoring the flight status. My son didn't create this problem, and it's not his fault. Joining the EF family means you'll have the support of our community of educators, tour architects, operations wizards, and ever-curious explorers. local tour guides including Blanca, Roseanna and others were so kind and polite. al. UPDATE ON EF CASES AS OF 2:00 PM PDST SEPTEMBER 22, 2021. This plan includes Trip Interruption coverage. 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