ComplaintsforEF Educational Tours

• Initial Complaint

  07/31/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My child was to travel to the ****************** with this company for a school trip. They were scheduled to leave from ******************** and connect in ***** and then fly on to the ******************. However, because the ************* was flooded, they were diverted to ******************** where they sat for 36 hours and there was no way for them to get to their destination. The company did not offer any type of compensation while they were in the airport (not even a hotel). The next day, they were still unable to fly to the DR and they needed to come back home. The company is refusing to reimburse us for the trip. They did have travel insurance, but they would only reimburse us for the the two days (1000) they were gone. I am a teacher and it was a hardship to pay for this trip, I want to be reimbursed the cost of the trip as it was not our fault that they were not able to travel.

  

  Business response

  08/07/2024

  Thank you for reaching out. We're sorry to hear you experienced flight delays and cancellations on the way to tour. Our Group Leaders are armed with a Flight Delay/Cancellation Action Plan that includes information on working with the airlines directly to get rebooked, and advocate for vouchers for meals and hotels (if not weather related) as they are responsible for rebooking our travelers. The travel insurance does cover out of pocket expenses and time missed on tour due to delays should airlines not offer meals or hotels. If travelers decide not to travel on the rebooked flights, a refund is not given. EF did not cancel the tour. 

  Customer response

  08/07/2024

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  ********

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  07/27/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My daughter went to the ******************. They stayed at a ***** that was horrible conditions! She shared a room with 3 other girls and they had to deal with bugs falling from the ceiling, not able to get new towels. The second day my daughter and her roommate got sick...vomiting from both ends! The food at the ***** was put out and not covered exposed to the elements as well as drank milk that was sitting (without being placed on ice) for almost 2 hours. My daughter was brought to the emergency room because she was severely dehydrated from explosive diarrhea and projectile vomiting! Bringing her home was not an option due to her being so weak and the drive was 2 hours away from the prison they were staying at! Back at inn, she was left with one bottle of water, dry cheerios, and bananas. By the end of the day, when all returned she begged for food. She asked for wrapped food because I was told by EF tours that they could provide that. The head teacher demanded that she come down from her room with her credit card. I texted her and said that she was sick in her room and could not come out. The teacher refused to get food. Finally, my daughter got food 4 hours later. Later, I was woken up by a phone call from my daughter in the middle of the night with her crying that she was in excruciating pain, her chest was hurting (prob from all the vomiting) and she could hardly breathe. For the remainder of the trip my daughter could not participate and was sick for the entire week after they returned. I reached out to EF asking for a refund and they declined my request over and over. EF SHOULD REIMBURSE BECAUSE THEY BROUGHT MY DAUGHTER TO A PRISON WHERE SHE CONTRACTED FOOD POISONING! WE PAID $4,000.00 FOR MY DAUGHTER TO BE MISTREATED, STARVED, AND PLACED IN A PRISON WHILE SEVERELY SICK!!

  

  Business response

  07/29/2024

  Hi there, thank you for reaching out. After reviewing your daughter's EF Tours account, I see you have spoken to our On *********************** team who has provided all the information necessary to file a claim and additional information regarding the support given on her tour. If you have additional questions, please reach out to your direct contact at EF Tours via email.

• Initial Complaint

  07/07/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The accommodations were filthy and unsanitary, our tour guide abandoned us at one point in ***** on a bus from the airport with an Italian speaking driver and no translator. Which caused us to be taken to the wrong hotel and then drove around the city lost for hours. Another bus driver in ****** held us forcibly on his bus while he yelled at the group (mostly all children) for complaining about the service (he was always hour or more late) and he physically wouldnt let us off the bus until he was done yelling at everyone. During this time our Director and chaperone (his family) were not even there to help or defend us they had abandoned us to do their own thing. We were completely misled about what to expect and were not given what we paid for. We felt third class. Meals were scarce and we were always hungry and barely visited anything. This is a complete scam and is a dangerous trip to send your kids on alone. Im glad I went as a parent or I would not have believed how outrageous the problems and incompetence were. I think they do this to kids because they think they can get away with it. This mom isnt having it.

  

  Business response

  07/08/2024

  Hi there, thank you for reaching out! We sincerely appreciate your feedback as we strive to provide education travel experiences that are safe and comfortable. We understand your concerns regarding the bus driver in ****** and that feedback has been passed on to our Operations team. For any other issues on tour, we highly recommend connecting with your Group Leader. After each and every group returns home, we have an extensive conversation with the Group Leader in order to gain feedback and evaluate all parts of the tour. If you'd prefer not to go through the Group Leader, you're also welcome to let us know by calling Traveler Support at ************.

• Initial Complaint

  07/01/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My son along with about 20 other people was to go on a trip from *********** , LA to *****, ****** in June 2024. We paid a total of $4179 for the trip, which included their highest level of travel insurance. The plane departing *********** going to ******, ** was delayed due to weather. Their connecting flight from ******, ** to *****, ****** was missed because of weather. EF Tours could not get the group to *****, ****** in what they said was a reasonable amount of time. THEY cancelled the trip.Now, they are offering a travel voucher.We want a full refund.

  

  Business response

  07/06/2024

  Thank you for reaching out. We are sorry that ********* tour to ***** did not work out as planned. Due to the severe flight delays and cancellation this group experienced, and the inability to get the group to ***** in a reasonable time frame, EF has offered a Future Travel Voucher to use on an EF Program. This voucher is valid for 25 months and is fully transferable. A list of tours in the school district have been provided and we *********************** is able to find a tour that he is interested in. We are committed to providing the educational travel opportunity that you enrolled him on.

  Customer response

  07/06/2024

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  To whom it may concern:

  We are  unsatisfied with the voucher option. Our child is 12 years old and will not commit to signing him up with kids he does not know that are significantly older than he is. This option raises a potentially serious safety concern. We paid for him to go on a trip with his classmates with chaperones he and we were comfortable with. That no longer exists. We also paid for the highest level of travel insurance offered. We did not cancel the trip. EF tours did. As such, we would like a refund for the voucher. 
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  *****

   

   

  

  Business response

  07/22/2024

  Thank you for your message. We have provided a list of tours in your district and community that your student can enroll on. Safety is our number one priority. The Future Travel Voucher is valid for 25 months and can be transferred and redeemed on any EF Program. Please call us at ************ if you would like to discuss travel opportunities for your student.

• Initial Complaint

  06/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My daughter went on an EF travel educational tour to *****. I was told that there would be 4 Girl Scouts to each room unless I paid and upgrade dual occupancy fee of 630 dollars extra to total $5694.00 for just my daughterWhich I paid in full. They assured me the the accommodation would be comparably for the 4 occupancy rooms with just two occupants for this additional $630.00. They also insisted that I would not need to worry about any issue and that if any issue were to arise my youngest child was in ***** (out of the country without her parents) for the first Time that they had emergency numbers I could contact and that they would take care of them so rest assure of any apprehension in sending my youngest, 15 year old daughter to a foreign country without her parents. There were issues with her accommodation during their 3 day hotel stay in ****! The two girls were showed in a room no more than the size of a closet (I have pictures to) and the electricity was out and they had no working air conditioning in this closet room that they were forced to stay in during a HEATWAVE! I called EF TRAVEL immediately after my daughter called crying. They did nothing. They stated the rooms were all booked and also that it was late due to the time difference and that they would look into it the next morning. I called 2-3 additional Times to try to find a resolution to a very disturbing and unsafe situation. I was told they sent someone to fix the ** (which still Continued to go in and out of operation). Then the next day the drainage in the bathroom was not working because this organization/business decided not to come through on their promises! Her room was a closet while the other girls rooms were 2-3 times larger! I was assured my daughters room Would be the exact same or comparable except would only have 2 occupants for the additional 630 dollars. This was not the case! And the accommodation was substandard and dangerous during the heatwave in *****! Help!

  

  Business response

  07/06/2024

  Thank you for reaching out. We are sorry to hear about *******'s hotel experience in ****. After reviewing notes on this situation, the air conditioning was restored quickly and the power was out on two floors briefly due to power adapters. I see that you were in contact with our On Tour Support team and the Tour Director was helping support the students on the ground. We sincerely appreciate the feedback and I will pass this along to our Operations team.

• Initial Complaint

  06/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Dear *** or *****,My twins were going on a school field trip to *****, ****** when the entire group experienced a trip delay. EF Tours canceld the trip after the first flight due to weather and lack of available flights. We were directed to file an insurance claim but it was denied. Below are the details that were provided by the trip leader. I have also uploaded the receipt of payment, the official letter of cancelation from EF Tours and the insurance claim. To date they have not helped the 18 parents with a resolution. Date of departure was 5/30 and trip was cancled 5/31.*********************** posted in ****** 2024 updated: "I was asked to relay again the steps I took with the ** emergency service prior to us returning to *********** on May 31st. From your shared experiences with ** and Seven Corners, I understand that there has been too much time consuming and stressful back and forth with your claim procedures.In the early hours of May 31st:-I was first told to require rebooking with American Airlines, which I did.-I was told by American Airlines that they had no availability from ****** for a group of 21 (even if we were to split) until June 4th (which would have meant landing on the 5th and fly back on the 6th) as they were rebooking none stop for the past 4 days of bad weather they expeirenced and many were heading to ****** for the DDay celebfation.-I relayed this information to **, they then did their own research with different airlines.-Baring in mind that we were scheduled to return on June 6th, ** came to the same conclusion as redirecting a group of 21 stranded in ****** (or 3 groups of 7 at best) was not possible.-From there, we focussed on bringing the group back to ***********."Any assistance is greatly appreciated. Sincerely,*********************

  

  Business response

  07/01/2024

  Thank you for reaching out. Due to severe flight delays, we were unable to get your students' group to ***** to experience their tour. We have been working closely with your Group Leader and communication has been sent regarding available future tours in your school district and information on the Future Travel Voucher. We sincerely apologize for an inconvenience and hope you find a tour for both ******* and *******.

• Initial Complaint

  06/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My two children were enrolled in a trip to ********** for June 2025. I called in June 2024 to cancel the trips because the teacher who is the group leader is no longer employed by the school. I am not comfortable sending my children all the way to ********** with someone who has no accountability with our school system. I asked for them to waive the $300 nonrefundable cancellation fee for both of the trips because this situation is beyond our control. They refused to do so. When I asked for another phone number or someone else to speak with to explain the situation, they refused to provide one. Their resolution was that they will try to move our trips to one with a neighboring school district--I explained that the whole reason I'm canceling is because there is not a representative from our school district going on the trip now, so this resolution is unacceptable as it would be the exact same situation.

  

  Business response

  06/24/2024

  Thank you for reaching out. Our standard cancellation policy applies in your situation as EF is still planning, booking, and finalizing this tour, and has offered other options for your students to travel. You can find our Booking Conditions at www.eftours.com/bc. These were electronically signed and agreed to upon enrolling ***** and *****. The Booking Conditions explain our cancellation policy, which I have included below: 

  EFs Standard Cancellation Policy
  150 days or more prior to departure: Full refund less the $95 non-refundable
  enrollment fee, all Non-Refundable Fees, and a $300 cancellation fee.
  149 to 110 days prior to departure: Full refund less the $95 non-refundable
  enrollment fee, all Non-Refundable Fees, and a $500 cancellation fee.
  109 to 45 days prior to departure: Full refund less the $95 non-refundable
  enrollment fee, all Non-Refundable Fees, and 50% of the program price.
  44 days or less prior to departure: No refund will be issued.

• Initial Complaint

  06/23/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I called EF Tours on February 16, 2024 to cancel a tour, with my child school to ******, ****** and ***** from June 3 - 12, 2025. I was supposed to receive a refund back to my checking account the payments were debited from. I waited for weeks and never received my refund.Called back on May 8, 2024, I was promised and paper check, it never came. I called again on May 30th, I told check was mailed, but they would put a stop payment on it, and issue another they would be delivered by *****, it never came. I called back on June 12th I was promised a call back, I never got that call and decided to make this claim. (p.s. my call contact dates my not be exact, but I have phone records)

  

  Business response

  06/24/2024

  Thank you for reaching out! After reviewing your account, I see that you were refunded via check and it was cashed on 6/6. If you have additional questions, please reach out to us at ************.

  Customer response

  06/25/2024

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  *****

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  06/21/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We were not told an exact date, but a timeframe for travel in the months ahead. This apparently supports their case, because any cancellation could be outside the time frame they stipulate. However, it has nothing to do with our case. They gladly took our money (more than $3,000) without feeling the need to communicate with us before our planned departure date. Because EF Tours is expensive, kids of only three families sought to participate. Within the week of departure we were told to pack and meet at the airport at a certain time on Saturday evening. Only, on Saturday, mere hours before we were going to drop off our son at the airport, the trip was called off. It took days before our chaperone told us the reason why: she had her passport stolen and could not travel. This is an extenuating circumstance for the company, I understand, but also is no fault of the families. For nearly a month we heard little from the company itself other than they'd offer vouchers and refused to reimburse the families who could not go at other times during the summer.Nearly a month later, we were offered a replacement trip of the exact length, places, and program of the original trip. This was planned to head out on July 7. We really were hoping our son got to go after all. However, EF Tours now asked for $800 more - not $80, but close to a third of the amount we already paid them and had not received anything for yet (not even the common courtesy that they would communicate with their paying customers). Only a month later, the same trip cost nearly 1/3 of the original price more, vouchers or no. How much more would we pay, even if we were still willing to send our son with them the following year? In fact, when we reached out to EF Tours, they insisted on keeping our money in exchange for vouchers (for those who had other plans and could not travel at the later date) as well as the additional $800. They actually provided us with their law offices address.

  

  Business response

  06/24/2024

  Thank you for reaching out. We are sorry to hear that ****** was unable to travel as planned. Since the Group Leader cancelled very close to the departure date, and did not have another chaperone for the group, we made an exception to amend our Standard Cancellation Policy (no refund less than 45 days prior to departure) and offered Future Travel Vouchers due to this unique circumstance. ******** Future Travel Voucher can be found on his online EF secure site. It is valid until 6/26/2026 and it completely transferrable. Any traveler can use it for any EF Program. We understand the disappointment of not going on this tour, and we are offering the voucher for a future tour to ensure that your student can experience an educational tour as you intended. 

• Initial Complaint

  06/20/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My mother registered me for a Girl Scouts trip through EF tours. We spent over 6000 dollars on this trip plus gratuity; I was put in dirty, sketchy, and unsafe hotels which were over 2 hours from the city we were supposed to be touring. The hotels had peeling paint, exposed wires, open windows, unusable AC, stains, bugs, lizards inside, trash from the last guess and more! When we called EF they said that there was nothing they could do as it was the early morning, but the only reason we arrived at such a late time is because they sent us two hours away. Additionally they put us on a cheap flight where we were not allowed to have bags over a certain size and no full carry ones were allowed. This would have been fine if EF made us aware, but they did not give us any information so many group members were charged 100+ dollars in fees. To get to ****** we flew united where we were allowed to have these bags, so I believe that it is ridiculous that EF would not disclose that the other airlines would have different rules or regulations. In addition to this the staff was rude and negligent; when we called the contact number they told us that we were over reacting and that our emotions were high. That was disrespectful and uncalled for. There was even more things going wrong but it would be impossible to list all the problems within this description box.

  

  Business response

  07/06/2024

  Thank you for reaching out. We are sorry to hear that the beginning of the tour did not meet your expectations. We appreciate your feedback and will pass it along to our Operations team. We sincerely thank you for providing details of your experience, so we can make changes and improvements to our tour components.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩