The trip was booked for June of 2019. They are all F-ing scum I hope all involved lose every penny they ever made and become homeless. 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. EFs Emergency Service & Support Team is available 24/7 to resolve any issue, from a missed flight to a lost passport to more serious on-tour incidents. This is ridiculous and really wrong. Hence the lawsuit (in CA 2020, look it up). 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. Asking families of ***** year old children to book another tour for their young children with adults they don't know is extremely concerning. 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. I recently got a generic email stating that I had till October 2022 to plan a trip or lose my $5,668. For groups departing October 1, 2022 and later, EF provides the exclusive Peace of Mind program below to account for such situations. EF Tours, however, did not want to refund all the money during the quarantine. UPDATE ON EF CASES AS OF 4:00 PM PDST SEPTEMBER 13, 2020. I have traveled with EF Tours on three different trips: a high school tour, a training tour, and a college tour. EF claims that they are the least expensiveYou get what you pay for. Subject: RE: Darianne Hicks reimbursement this absurdity not previously announced *$190 is the current cost for tours departing on or after October 1, 2023. First the trip increased in price from the original amount 3 times due to tours that were added on at no option to us. steer clear of this scam! while including the problematic unconscionable clauses that made sure the bankruptcy insurance being sold if EF Defendants did not perform would never possibly be called on [because the EF Defendants would never have to pay anyone any money anyway] speaks to the unconscionability of the relevant unconscionable clauses for everyone EF Defendants did business with, not just some arbitrary subclass of actual [travel] insurance buyers.Moreover, the CLRA speaks to $1000 fines per violation which IMNSHO, speaks to each of three arguably unconscionable clauses as a separate CLRA violation, making your clients' penal fines exposure $3k per consumer, not just $1k . 1. Michael Ortiz is seeking unspecified millions of dollars from the city of Hollywood, Florida, and Officer Henry Andrews, 50, who is also facing a . But guess what? How on earth is this justifiable? Now she is moving on to college. 2. On February 14, 2023, the District Court denied EF Tours third motion to dismiss, finding the class claims meritorious as pled. This company is a scam. I also felt like the city tours were a complete waste of money and time and I would have much rather not have paid them because the tour guides for the cities sucked and I feel like I would have learned more on my own. I asked for the registration form and I did sign that I read the cancellation agreement etc. In addition the insurance company retained by EF initially declined to pay to have my son evacuated from Cost Rica. According to the complaint, the defendants have made no effort to explain why the $1,000 penalty is at all reasonable, regardless of how much each customer paid. -Sandra Joubarani. EF Tours is just horrible. 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. ef tours is a rip-off! He has an unexpected stopover in Munich and no One accompanies him as he Is out of the group As the coronavirus outbreak continues to ripple across the globe, a proposed class action lawsuit has been filed over an educational travel companys alleged failure to issue sufficient refunds for canceled student tours. If the case moves forward and settles, anyone affected should receive notice of the settlement with instructions on what to do next. If a traveler needs to cancel a trip due to reasons specified in the plan, this reimburses non-refundable pre-paid payments. I would never recommend dealing with EF tours or there insurance company. We were told that other than the deposit and a small admin fee, all the rest of the money was refundable. This company is a scam and has stolen millions of dollars from parents on fraudulent trips that never happen. v. EF Institute for Cultural Exchange, Inc., et. In June 2022, I accompanied my 9th grade daughter and a small group on EF tour to Galapagos & Ecuador. We had to accept them. 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. 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. Dedicated Emergency Service and Incident Response Teams Travel can be a big adventure, like exploring someplace new for the first time. Background checks on adult travelers Please note: These programs apply to tours departing October 1, 2022 or later. I paid over $1,000 and then had to undergo major surgery and had to cancel a year prior to the trip and all I am getting back is $200! According to the case, the defendants sold tours to public and private high school groups pursuant to a written contract of adhesion that contained what the complaint refers to as the No Public Health Emergency Cash Refund Clause. Under the clause, if an EF tour is canceled for public health issues or quarantine or threats of public health issues, the defendants will issue travel vouchers for the value of the money paid, excluding certain non-refundable fees, instead of providing cash refunds, the suit explains. EF Tours was contacted today also and there response was they aren't responsible for the insurance company. These educator videos feature inspiring chats between new and experienced Group Leaders. I want all of my money refunded as it is the right thing to do. These programs apply to tours departing October 1, 2022 or later. His high school in the Parkway school district decided to book the tour through EF Educational Tours. ** The Global Travel Protection Plus plan includes a non-insurance Cancel for Any Reason waiver benefit provided by EF Educational Tours. Benefits include: Choice of departure date. 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. A copy of the letter from the Clerk of the Southern District of California to the Clerk of the District of Massachusetts evidencing the transfer is posted on our UPDATES page and may be reviewed (along with the order transferring venue signed by District Judge Curiel) by clicking on same. The reviews of the food were always " not enough food and mediocre food". They also facilitate communication between travelers and families in the event of an emergency at home. UPDATE ON EF CASES AS OF 2:00 PM PDST FEBRUARY 5, 2021. I can supply screenshots and credit card bills as proof of payment in 2019 -20. On June 20th we called them to verify and were told our claim was denied and we wouldn't be receiving anything back from them. Their solution is to book another tour to avoid losing money. A situation completely out of the control of myself and other families. My contact has always been through the group coordinator Mary Pope. Well isn't that what insurance is for??? They have tarnished their reputation and people are not as comfortable traveling with them anymore. 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 became urgent because they moved our trip up 10 days which cut into our allowed time to cancel and get our "full" refund. Anyways, we were told the new trip was "similar/almost identical" to the one we had signed up for, but there would be no extension to Paris and it would be 2 days shorter. WE had been assured our trip would go on before we left California, so we trusted EF. EF will make every effort to accommodate revised tour requests. When I called about a refund for the extension being taken off I was told by customer service "They make the cost even out." UPDATE ON EF CASES AS OF 2:00 PM PDST SEPTEMBER 22, 2021. 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. My son is (or perhaps was) traveling on an EF tour this summer with a very small group from our high school. 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. EF Educational Tours is keeping $700.00 as a cancellation fee. I will make sure and tell everyone I know not to take these tours. Imagine being in London not able to tour anything because you don't have the proper tour bus that you were promised?? UPDATE ON EF CASES AS OF 1:30 PM PDST April 21, 2020. Joining the EF family means youll have the support of our community of educators, tour architects, operations wizards, and ever-curious explorers. 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. 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. cash refund for the unused trip. It took me to every floor and A) the offices are gorgeous! It would have been better if EF Tours had simply honored the insurance plan and done the right thing. I called EF and they directed me to the insurance company-which is an absolute rip off. and the kind of learning that prepares students for the future and Future Travel Vouchers are transferrable at the face value of the voucher to members of the travelers immediate family or school community. I have traveled extensively with Expedia, always buy travel insurance, and am covered for any thing, from war to terrorism, to a pandemic. However, the problem has wider implications for your clients. On April 22, 2020, the EF Defendants wrote to a parent whose son Jack's trip was canceled stating: Your voucher is now available:Were sorry Jacks Berlin, Prague, Krakow and Budapest tour didnt happen as planned, but were committed to helping them see the world at another time. Desired outcome: Yet I received a check in the mail for $300 before I could talk to someone. I have requested my money back. Provides benefits related to hospital bills, doctors fees, and medical transportation associated with on-tour illnesses or injuries, as well as travel and accommodation expenses for a family member to be with your child while hospitalized in the event of a life-threatening illness. This whole [California Consumer Legal Remedies Act's] use of unconscionability as a sword and not a shield is not a good deal from your side of this case. 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