The trip was booked for June of 2019. This is a class action lawsuit for monetary and equitable relief arising out of Defendants' . I was told that they only charge whats been deposited. 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. The company told me I can sell my voucher. It caters to young and older travelers, admitting anyone from age six and above (under-age travelers accompanied by adults). When I told them that nowhere in their cancellation policy where the egregious fees stated they said Well thats what they are now It is nothing but a money grab from unsuspecting parents! Future Travel Vouchers are transferrable at the face value of the voucher to members of the travelers immediate family or school community. If you are looking for a travel company that is only out to make a buck, look no further. ComplaintsBoard.com is a leading complaint resolution website on the Internet. This was saddening but completely understandable. 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.". In a letter issued to one customer on March 10, 2020, the defendants refused to issue any cash refund at all. I feel like EF tours did not take our interests and feelings into consideration and I feel like this trip was a complete waste of time and money. Refunding all the money spent thus far is the right thing to do considering the cancellation is completely out of the control of the families. Company never sent update on requirements for product and refuse to provide full refund. Trip Interruption coverage and subject matter experts who understand [that] will likely be argued [by the EF Defendants] to amount to an effective pre-opt-out from any certified class, all without any warning on your clients part to members of the putative class that there is a class action pending that, under the CLRA, has the potential to result in substantial monetary fines being levied against your clients and in favor of the class well in excess of the arbitrary penalties your clients seek to impose on the putative class members, whether by way of worthless vouchers or cash discounts untethered to any reality. I called EF and they directed me to the insurance company-which is an absolute rip off. 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. 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. They claim the $700.00 is money that was already spent to secure travel details. There are so many good tour companies out there, you would be wasting valuable time and money booking with this one. Initially after this situation occurred a person from the company called me to get the story (since I immediately reported it to the tour director when I got off the bus) but never heard from him again. We need to cancel due to medical and we were told we loose close to $800. if this is how they treat us before the trip? 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. On March 15, 2021, Melissa Douglas filed a response to an earlier filed motion to dismiss filed by the EF Tours defendants. Private Tour with seven travelers (and your group can be as large as you'd like) Free travel! I want all of my money refunded as it is the right thing to do. EF Tours company has gladly excepted the government stimulus hand out. Payments made should be made to McGrane PC as trustee. Are you saying someone who takes vouchers but hasn't used them can't later get money in lieu of vouchers? 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. WE never want to travel with EF again and this is not acceptable. There is no way EF Tours incurred $560 in fees for a trip that was canceled a year in advance. She signed up October 1 and we had to cancel Oct 14 due to conflicts with my work schedule. al. 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. Emilia Hovestadt Cost: $490* Customer service is the WORST! UPDATE ON EF CASES AS OF 1:30 PM PDST April 12, 2020, On April 10, 2020, William McGrane wrote to Richard Schirtzer regarding Natalia Grabovsky, etc., et. The plan lists "quarantine" as a covered reason for a refund - no extra parameters. They have tarnished their reputation and people are not as comfortable traveling with them anymore. Joining the EF family means you'll have the support of our community of educators, tour architects, operations wizards, and ever-curious explorers. Why am I being charged a total of $550 in cancellation fees? 4. Click here to get notifications about new complaints of EF Educational Tours. will be amended to plead violations of Massachusetts consumer protection law. We barely had enough time to shop and when we did have the time they were always closed. Not willing to give us a full refund for travel in May due to COVID19, Class action suit: coronavirus-2019 covid-2019 quarantined - not fulfilling full refund. Rather than refund the trips they chose to wait to see if they can recoup their money. Out of that $550, $95 is the none refundable deposit but come on, the rest if ridiculous, especially when the cancellation request is made OVER A YEAR in advance. Russia is at war with Ukraine. We flew back to the US at 5am in the morning. Pursuant to California Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 7.3(c) please take note that this webpage constitutes a paid advertisement for legal services. When students go beyond the Now I've fought this as much as I could. We asked to leave to home too. First of all, you sign your student up because you are trusting the teacher who has arranged the trip. We sent emails. 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. All Rights Reserved | Website Design by LunaGraphica, California Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 7.3(c). Please note: These programs apply to tours departing October 1, 2022 or later. You can find further details of the policy, coverage limits, and exclusions here. 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. 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. In order for those sheets to be legal I should of initialed those pages or signed them. Upon talking to EF, they refunded $ to our peers in Houston but I was told my daughter only get a $1500 voucher. In my opinion, this is stealing. Well isn't that what insurance is for??? ", 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? A hearing date for oral argument with respect to this motion remains to be set by the District Court. That means that I will receive less than half that amount back! Help Center: Coverage and policy flexibility. Even with the "Global traveler's protection" insurance I purchased at $165 per traveler, which I paid for both my daughter and I. I asked for management and she stated there was no one I could speak with. Just don't use them. The teacher wouldnt return my phone call, or emails. Your Group Leader may choose from the following options: Terms & Conditions Looking for a new place to explore, or just a new way to see a familiar destination? Help Center; How It Works; About EF; Blog; Customer Reviews; Stay connected. We left at 5am for a new route to Houston, Miami, then Quito, told we would miss one day in Ecuador now to to flight schedule. They are in trouble financially and that is ok with me!!! Live, unedited & independent traveler reviews. I was told by the EF Tours representative that he could room with boys from other schools or upgrade (at an additional $90 per night!) I could honestly go on for 10 pages about the terrible food and the fact that you will only be given warm milk, cereal, coffee and last night's rolls for breakfast every day! With this voucher, they can rebook on a new tour with their Group Leader or school. 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. I can reschedule to next year. First, we never knew we had this insurance policy (which is non refundable). Dedicated Tour Director. 3:20-cv-00508-gpc-blm stating: "Dear Mr. Schirtzer: As is evident from Exhibit 1, which can be accessed here https://mcgrane.egnyte.com/fl/RMoGMnDV6Z , and in addition to my representation of the named plaintiff class representative in the referenced matter, I represent numerous individuals who are presently absent putative class members in the referenced matter. Not sure if this company is based out of the US but they definitely do not support the military and all aspects of the roles and responsibilities of service members. Nonrefundable fees are outlined in EFs Booking Conditions. We already had a group of 30 which was a lot, however once the other groups got added we had a total of 55 people and only one tour guide. UPDATE ON EF CASES AS OF 4:00 PM PDST SEPTEMBER 13, 2020. I was told the person would be kicked off the tour but they werent. I struggled to pay for this trip and now after paying for travel insurance also they are denying full refund. Avoid at all costs! HOW CAN THIS BE LEGAL??? This has to be illegal. They won't tell you which airline or which hotel you will be staying at. These programs apply to tours departing October 1, 2022 or later. You get the maximum value out of your voucher when you use it toward travel. Want class action news sent to your inbox? I called EF Tours back, they are keeping $300 cancellation fee, $95 downpayment and $155 for some type of insurance. 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. 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 company is a rip off send your complaints to your states Attorney General! Our group leader and another chaperone attending the trip tested positive for covid and were unable to attend. Were covering: Look at all the one star reviews. 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. We use cookies to improve your experience on our site and to show you personalised advertising. Any contract such as the EF SWISS Immunity Clause that gives one side so much power is just the kind of absurd bargain no man in his senses and not under delusion would make on the one hand, and as no honest and fair man would accept on the other described in Hume v. United States (1889) 132 U.S. 406, 411; see also Harper v. Ultimo (2003) 113 Cal.App.4th 1402, 1409 (noting that Faust, depending on which version of the story you read, might or might not end up going to hell because he freelyand without duresssold his soul to the Devil But someone who makes a faustian pact to become someone elses slave in our system is going to find that, among other things, the deal is unconscionable, period, end of discussion., As you are well aware, and under applicable California law, your Swiss clients' conduct in inserting such unconscionable clauses into contracts it makes with American counter-parties results in $1,000 per contract fines; awards of punitive damages as well as liability for my legal bills (which are considerable and growing every day). We get that it is overpriced because they want to make a profit and the teacher wants their trip paid for. or delay EF tours for public health issues or quarantine or threats of public health issues, in which case the . Tour Consultant, EF Education First, Desired outcome: By using this website you agree to our Cookies Policy. Two straight hours of calling the ef tours emergency hotline and no still no answer. 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! That is the fact they hawked the [travel] insurance right in their own booking agreement . 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." Now that I see I cannot . To purchase this plan, please call 800-665-5364 to speak with one of our Traveler Support Specialists. They are making a profit off of cancellations!!!! This will not work for many reasons, first I we are most likely moving. People are requiredLISTENrequired to purchase the Global Protection Plan. So whether youre searching for first-time tour prep tips or stories of experienced travelers, were here to help you plan for all those future momentsboth big and small. . Please Never purchase anything from these scam artists. Especially during a pandemic where these things change constantly. 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. Account #6297341 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. Please read on for additional coverage details, as well as deadlines to purchase each Global Travel Protection plan. I did not cancel this trip! The communication from EF Tours its grossly nonexistent and generic. There was a fellow passenger who had caused a few problems earlier in the trip and later on the trip, threatened me on the bus (literally cornered me in the back seat) and nothing was done. ?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. Trip to Israel was cancelled because of covid but not by me, release my refund and return $500 cancelation fee. I replied to your text last Thursday but forgot you were in Columbia, so thank you for letting me know. People should be able to get a refund, without all of the hidden fees. It has been no surprise that management NEVER called. Plus you have more than two years to explore your possibilities. 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. v. EF etc. Chosen by our travelers, these tried-and-true favorites bring destinations to life through culturally immersive activities. How on earth is this justifiable? Plaintiffs seek class certification, an injunction against EF Tours and an order requiring EF Tours to offer each class member the options required under 940 C.M.R. 321. And just think, are our kids safe with this company? 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. But its also about the smaller moments on the road. Read those reviews. 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. Only the EF Go Ahead Tours allow alcohol for adult travelers. I don't understand how they can keep any of our money, let a lone $500 each. 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Were told we loose close to $ 800 our money, let a lone $ 500 cancelation fee cancel!, as well as deadlines to purchase this plan, please call 800-665-5364 to speak with one our! Quot ; as a covered reason for a refund - no extra parameters these programs apply to departing. That it is overpriced because they want to make a buck, look no further alcohol... The [ travel ] insurance right in their own booking agreement has gladly excepted the stimulus. So thank you for letting me know they werent the person would kicked! Insurance right in their own booking agreement purchase this plan, please call 800-665-5364 to speak with one of Traveler...