I hereby unconditionally and unequivocally waive any and all claims and demands for all damages, losses, costs, and expenses of any nature whatsoever (including attorneys fees) on account of or arising out of any and all personal injury, death, bodily injury, mental anguish, emotional distress, or property or other damage that I may suffer from any cause whatsoever related in any way to my participation in any EF [SWISS]-sponsored tour. If I can get any student considering this company to stop, I will. I asked for management and she stated there was no one I could speak with. I hope your child knows that they will be sharing a bed with their roommates even if they are traveling with another school. Original departure date 7/13/2020 But now I see that if I had done a quick search I would have seen all the bad reviews. On February 14, 2023, the District Court denied EF Tours third motion to dismiss, finding the class claims meritorious as pled. 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. 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. My son is Flying with a Flight from Malpensa and he has to arrive at 3 am in the night to the Airport and apart from ** The Global Travel Protection Plus plan includes a non-insurance Cancel for Any Reason waiver benefit provided by EF Educational Tours. 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. 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. I have seen some recent reviews for EF Tours and wanted to share my experiences for those who may consider using this company for a tour. When I called to cancel his trip I was horrified to find out that despite purchasing the $200 protection plan, my reasoning for canceling the trip was not covered and not only had I paid the $200 for nothing, but they would also charge me an additional $360 cancellation fee. My daughter's peers in Houston were sent home. We have decided to not travel in the US. Please note: This electronic EF Future Travel Voucher replaces and voids any previous voucher you may have received for your 2020 tour. I have been a group leader with EF for 10 years and they have been getting so bad that I will no longer travel with them. I want my 500 that was stolen from me. Your password has been sent to the specified email address. I'd like them to give me a written, emailed itemized list of what they are spending all our money on. UPDATE ON EF CASES AS OF 4:00 PM PDST SEPTEMBER 13, 2020. 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. A more personalized on-tour experience. Look at all the one star reviews. We only got a partial refund My son was scheduled to go to spain April 2 2020. Once 30 days has passed and absent capitulation by the EF Defendants, the now-transferred case of Rochfort et. The defendants placed the clause in their 2019-2020 adhesion contracts despite being aware of the potentially calamitous effects of global public health emergencies that have long been predicted as very likely to occur; The contract was presented to consumers on a take it or leave it basis; Consumers were lulled into a false sense of security since trusted teachers acted as the middlemen between the students and EF, leading consumers to believe that EF had their best interest in mind; A public health emergency would likely result in EF not being able to schedule any future tours and could hinder the defendants ability to honor the travel vouchers; and. Imagine being in London not able to tour anything because you don't have the proper tour bus that you were promised?? By way of explanation for the contents of this letter--which was sent with the express permission of McGrane PC's direct clients (and was not written on behalf of anyone who is not a party to an active contingent fee agreement with McGrane PC and therefore does not affect their rights in any way)--it is the opinion of McGrane PC that the present attitude of both EFCAL and EFSWISS towards the loss of consumer rights attendant on consumers' accepting money or other consideration from them is unclear. We understand that plans can change due to unforeseen circumstances. The company has had my money for almost three years, because I fairly adopted a wait and see to travel. Even with the "Global traveler's protection" insurance I purchased at $165 per traveler, which I paid for both my daughter and I. 2. Additionally why would you spend my money ahead of time if you cannot secure the end result as promised? ", UPDATE ON EF CASES AS OF 3:00 PM PDST April 24, 2020, On April 24, 2020, William McGrane wrote to Richard Schirtzer: "Let me clarify for everyone. 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. This has happened all over the US and people are not standing down. We also had the unfortunate luck of awful traffic. With this voucher, they can rebook on a new tour with their Group Leader or school. We ended up in Quito, and learned the Houston group was now cancelled due to civil unrest. A copy of this pleading can be viewed by visiting our UPDATES page. 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. However, if there is any issue, EF Tours will not honor insurance or refunds. and subject matter experts who understand Get connected We're here to help. Still capitalizing from us by refusing to refund the total amount. The full amount of the voucher is also transferable to anyone in your family or school community. If so, I'd like to know.". 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. . We were also mostly stuck eating gas station food because we either arrived too late for dinner at the restaurants, or we were unable to eat in restaurants because of the big games going on. Live, unedited & independent traveler reviews. EF Educational Tours provides educational, worldwide tours for students and parents. 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. The company told me I can sell my voucher. We need to cancel due to medical and we were told we loose close to $800. I can supply screenshots and credit card bills as proof of payment in 2019 -20. Share your photos and videos with others to prove the truth of your words. In June 2014 my 16 YOA son and a group of other students from his school went to Costa Rica with EF tours. EXTREME CAUTION URGED: MCGRANE PC DOES NOT ADVISE ANYONE NOT REPRESENTED BY THEIR OWN PERSONAL LEGAL COUNSEL TO ACCEPT ANY OFFERS FROM THE EF DEFENDANTS WITHOUT FIRST OBTAINING THE ADVICE OF SUCH LEGAL COUNSEL. Its inexcusable and I would absolutely never use this this company again. 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 was told the person would be kicked off the tour but they werent. My son was swimming on a "designated swimming " beach when he was run down by a boat being driven by an employee of the resort that was on the EF itinerary . It caters to young and older travelers, admitting anyone from age six and above (under-age travelers accompanied by adults). ", 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.' Later on April 20, 2020, William McGrane wrote to Mr. Schirtzer as follows: Richard, I do think the CLRA is a significant problem for you and I want to clarify a point in Michael [Hassen's] letter. COVID-19 required everybody to be quarantined. I replied to your text last Thursday but forgot you were in Columbia, so thank you for letting me know. The day before trip, we were told cancelled due to civil unrest. Please read on for additional coverage details, as well as deadlines to purchase each Global Travel Protection plan. These assholes cancelled a trip that we had already paid in full for to Italy and Greece, then they cancelled the trip, and then they refused to give out any refunds, even if you had insurance. So opted to try one more year to see if restrictions were lifted. UPDATE ON EF CASES AS OF 2:00 PM PDST DECEMBER 7, 2020. Meet Carlos, an expert local guide All I know to do is make this issue public. UPDATE ON EF CASES AS OF 2:00 PM PDST MARCH 15, 2021. 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! Coverage for baggage in cases of theft or delay. The trip was booked for June of 2019. Erin works primarily on ClassAction.orgs newswire, reporting on cases as they happen. We design our class trips to go way beyond the experiences you could have with anyone else. Coverage for baggage in cases of theft or delay. 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].". This will surely increase the credibility of your complaint. When students go beyond the First of all, you sign your student up because you are trusting the teacher who has arranged the trip. Illness and accident coverage Hence the lawsuit (in CA 2020, look it up). This has to be illegal. Not helpful. Trip Interruption coverage My oldest son was scheduled to take a school trip to Peru next year. It was necessary for a family member to go to Costa Rica. If the case moves forward and settles, anyone affected should receive notice of the settlement with instructions on what to do next. 15.06(1 . 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. 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. I called EF and they directed me to the insurance company-which is an absolute rip off. DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD ON AN EF TRIP!! 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. 3:20-cv-00508-GPC-BLM, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. A most unsatisfactory and life changing (m for the worse) experience. Especially during a pandemic where these things change constantly. Benefits include: Choice of departure date. Protection for your belongings Liability Coverage. EF Tours is just horrible. will be amended to plead violations of Massachusetts consumer protection law. 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). EF provides an exclusive Peace of Mind program to account for such situations. Refusal to refund refund after they cancelled tours! No one responded. 12(b)(2)" in connection with a motion filed by EF SWISS now scheduled for hearing before the District Court in the Southern District of California on September 11, 2020, in which motion EF SWISS seeks dismissal of the case against it on the basis it does no business in California and therefore cannot be sued in that state. Travel can be a big adventure, like exploring someplace new for the first time. So, even the itinerary is a lie! Your ultimate motive for trying to deprive customers of the other options being offered is transparent. They informed me that my type of service is not recognized and I would not be covered. For over 55 years, weve dedicated ourselves to one global mission: Opening the World Through Education. Before commenting, please review our comment policy. This browser does not support PDFs. I asked for the registration form and I did sign that I read the cancellation agreement etc. It was so uncomfortable. Looking ahead. We sent emails. The apparent truth is you keep denigrating this option because you dont want customers to take any option other than the cash refund (which you then want sent to your firm). We bottled some of this events magic in our student Summit video recap. And that without even telling the parents the-unrevealed-until-now enormity of those perks (or to use another term perhaps the enormity of those teacher "emoluments" to use the nicest possible term for it). On September 22, 2021, the District Court denied the EF Entities motion to dismiss, finding the class claims meritorious as pled. The school uses them for all there spring break trips and this is very disappointing that they are doing this to us. 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. steer clear of this scam! 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). Trip delay coverage EF Go Ahead Tours is a brand under the EF Tours group that offers both guided and fully customizable tours to destinations worldwide. Signed up in 2019 for a 2020 trip. I also dont like My daughter's trip was cancelled due to unforeseen medical issues to the group tour guide (PE teacher for my daughter) which she learned of over the past months. Location & Hours In order for those sheets to be legal I should of initialed those pages or signed them. They simply refuse to refund your deposit. It is nothing but a money grab from unsuspecting parents! To date I paid $1063 on this trip to Peru and canceling it over 1 year in advance due to unforeseen circumstances has cost me $560. They insist on keeping $500 per person! Revised tours must depart within one year of the original tour. I called to see if they would at least just do $1000 for both kids and they told me no. They need to be outted with their unfair business practices. Every invoice has completely disappeared from my EF go ahead account. But guess what? When you decide to travel with EF, we want you to feel secure in that decision. It felt like a complete waste of time to travel and waste that many days. All of the complains are legit and yet school districts still send their kids on these tours with EF. Peace of Mind Program 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. They knew well in advance Southwest was having troubles other arrangements should have been made instead of having these kids waiting at the gate. They also charged me $189 for insurance I declined. 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