. 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). 3. When you decide to travel with EF, we want you to feel secure in that decision. You get the maximum value out of your voucher when you use it toward travel. Four girls were placed in a room with one queen sized bed and two twin mattresses on the floor in London. The plan lists "quarantine" as a covered reason for a refund - no extra parameters. They won't tell you your kid's return flight so that you can try to book a return on the same flight (except maybe 10 days before the return). I was super excited to go experience 6 countries however from day one everything seemed to go wrong. Live, unedited & independent traveler reviews. We were quoted a price and told the insurance was a great thing to have because with it you could cancel up to 24 hrs before the trip for a full refund minus the cost of insurance. 15.06 and a full or partial refund pursuant to 940 C.M.R. Weve experienced the transformative power of travel firsthandand we cant wait to explore the opportunities that are out there for you and your students. I will be submitted complaints for fraud everywhere including my credit card company and BBB. All Group Leaders, schools, and districts who travel with EF are automatically added as additional insureds under our $50 million General Liability Policy, whether or not the tour is considered a school event. Evidently, just before the drop deadline, the other boys in our group dropped out because of cost, and he's the lone boy traveling from our school with a group of girls. This will not work for many reasons, first I we are most likely moving. 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. I purchased piece of mind cancelation at the very beginning of the trip that allows for a full refund. Just don't do it. Want class action news sent to your inbox? 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. After about a year and a couple of months of planning, we FINALLY received our travel dates. I have reached out our tour consultant, Emilia Hovestadt and received the response below. If a traveler needs to cancel a trip due to reasons specified in the plan, this reimburses non-refundable pre-paid payments. Cost: $490* By using this website you agree to our Cookies Policy. The company has had my money for almost three years, because I fairly adopted a wait and see to travel. Have had 2 separate travel experiences with EF. This has to be illegal. This program is automatically included for all travelers and can be enacted at the group level for any reason, including terrorism, pandemics, or other world events. We also had the unfortunate luck of awful traffic. DO NOT USE EF Tours! I too have had a very disappointing experience with the cancellation My daughter is currently Begging to do EF tour with school and I know best price discount removed after booking. In my opinion they are if they hired them to insure these trips they should make good on there promises to get you to buy the insurance. I was so angry but nothing was done about it. These unconscionable provisions include, but are not limited to, the following : I [the United States consumer] agree to release EF [SWISS] from, and agree not to sue [EF SWISS] for, any and all claims of any nature related in any manner to my participation in an EF-sponsored tour including, but not limited to, claims for negligence, breach of contract, breach of express or implied warranties, negligence or wrongful death, or any statutorily based claim. But its also about the smaller moments on the road. And, this hotel was a truck stop on the M1. They won't tell you which airline or which hotel you will be staying at. I have traveled extensively with Expedia, always buy travel insurance, and am covered for any thing, from war to terrorism, to a pandemic. 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. 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. They want to keep $1000 each child therefore I will loss $2000. After only 3 days on tour Israel kicked everyone out because of Covid. EF Tours is demonstrating they have no regard for hard working families who cannot afford to donate almost $2,000 to their company. We went ahead and waited. Revised tours must depart within one year of the original tour. EF Educational Tours is keeping $700.00 as a cancellation fee. Protection for your belongings EF Tours is just horrible. Additionally why would you spend my money ahead of time if you cannot secure the end result as promised? But their ads sure reflect diversity! al. 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 spent $10,000 for two kids' trips and I can't get the most basic customer support from them. 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. Yet I received a check in the mail for $300 before I could talk to someone. EF tours do not want to speak to me to accommodate my child's travel to join the EU trip after taking $6000 from me Illness and accident coverage However, the problem has wider implications for your clients. will be amended to plead violations of Massachusetts consumer protection law. On October 22, 2020, Boston-based co-counsel for McGrane PC send a demand letter to the EF Defendants (including EF Explore America Inc., which runs domestic tours) demanding a full refund under Massachusetts consumer protection law which Massachusetts consumer protection law appears to more directly address the requirement that such full refunds My mom had to put hotel rooms for 30 students in her credit card. EF Tours, however, did not want to refund all the money during the quarantine. Please read on for additional coverage details, as well as deadlines to purchase each Global Travel Protection plan. Subject: RE: Darianne Hicks reimbursement We only got a partial refund My son was scheduled to go to spain April 2 2020. 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. if this is how they treat us before the trip? *$190 is the current cost for tours departing on or after October 1, 2023. as the premier companies. He gives the best guided tours of Spainand he inspired his family to become local guides, too. People should be able to get a refund, without all of the hidden fees. Every invoice has completely disappeared from my EF go ahead account. I am outraged and helpless. They make go in circles and have excuse after excuse. 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. Not only did I make a complaint to the Better Business Bureau but I also requested that a manager call me and I have yet to hear from anyone. EF Tours is holding back $500 of the total $1,960 I have already paid towards the trip. Their solution is to book another tour to avoid losing money. Your Group Leader may choose from the following options: Terms & Conditions 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. Trip delay coverage the unforeseen. 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. This review was chosen algorithmically as the most valued customer feedback. Two straight hours of calling the ef tours emergency hotline and no still no answer. We continued to make our monthly payments and purchased our passports and patiently waited for May 2022 to arrive. 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. Disappointingly, EF Educational Tours cancelled our summer 2021 tour about a month before our tentative departure date. opens a world of possibilities. They are making a profit off of cancellations!!!! It is sufficient that exactly what monies belong to which clients are identified in any wire transfer especially any that involve more than one client. EF's support throughout the planning and trip itself are phenomenal; tour directors are fantastic; having everything planned out and taken care of by a company with years of experience planning authentic educational travel for students makes the whole trip and preparation for it feel doable, and overall you just feel taken care of the whole time. Dedicated Emergency Service and Incident Response Teams I was asked by our group leader to be a chaperone several days prior to leaving for our trip. Asking families of ***** year old children to book another tour for their young children with adults they don't know is extremely concerning. Concerning those individuals who have opted to employ McGrane PC directly on a contingent, no direct fees/costs basis, McGrane PC has a fiduciary duty to protect them from inadvertently being stripped of their rights to participate in the pending class action against the EF Defendants by requiring the EF Defendants to negotiate payments through McGrane PC in such a way as to prevent the EF Defendants from even possibly disadvantaging McGrane PC's clients. All I know to do is make this issue public. et. EF Educational Tours Call 800-665-5364 to enroll. If not resolved I will go through my lawyer. EF was never concerned about her health or welfare and only accused her of being drunk so they could dodge any responsibility. Also out of all four excursions throughout the trip, THREE OF THEM WERE CANCELLED! Per the cancellation policy, there is a $95 non-refundable charge and a $300 cancellation fee. 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. EF will make every effort to accommodate revised tour requests. 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. They have horrible people on the chat, like actually rude. I am seeking a full refund, not a partial one. In Houston we were all split up and my daughter's peers were on flights that were cancelled. WE never want to travel with EF again and this is not acceptable. My son received life threatening injuries and had there not been a physician along as a chaperone my son would have died. Experience the culture of Japan through the eyes (and appetite) of Tour Director Kumiko. They are basically stealing our money and find this to be okay. Also told cancellation fee is now $400 not the $300 listed. One thing is guaranteed. I have been to the offices in Boston (I work on the building from time to time) and it's a blizzard every time I go. She was contracted but not employed by EFgo ahead tours. Has anybody been to the office of EF? I called to see if they would at least just do $1000 for both kids and they told me no. If any location(s) included in the groups itinerary is newly designated as a Travel Advisory Level 4 by the U.S. Department of State; or a U.S. federal or state governmental authority has newly imposed a travel ban to your destination, or newly issued an order requiring a self-quarantine for travelers in your group upon arrival to a location on your itinerary or upon return home from a location on your groups itinerary; your Group Leader or the individual traveler will have the same Peace of Mind options set forth above. 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. 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. Trip Interruption coverage For more than 15 years we have helped nearly 50000 customers resolve their issues and will never stop striving to ensure further improvements on our platform for a better communication between companies and customers. I sent the letter and will contact them again Monday to try and get answers. In what universe is this considered acceptable?!?!?!? EF TOURS IS A COMPLETE FRAUD. 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. Signed up in 2019 for a 2020 trip. Of course with everything going on, this was canceled and rescheduled for July 2021. EF provides an exclusive Peace of Mind program to account for such situations. This is ridiculous and really wrong. Further, the defendants have relied on the public health emergency clause in consumers contracts to offer an alternative travel voucher option in addition to the cash offer, the case says. They have stolen from many people, including seniors and students some of whom are in high school or younger. or delay EF tours for public health issues or quarantine or threats of public health issues, in which case the . Travel Company efeducationaltours eftours eftours Photos See all Videos See all 1:02 The next day, on March 17, EF emailed the first consumer with the same cash refund offer of $1,000 less than what she paid, the suit says. $900 which we did. Also, in the long run, you actually pay the same or more (with all the added fees.) Which we were fine with (my nephew and myself). If you booked a trip like this as an adult, you would scream from the rooftops for a refund but since these are kids, apparently EF doesn't have to listen because there will be another crop of unsuspecting students waiting to go next year. We bottled some of this events magic in our student Summit video recap. Careers at EF. Account #6297341 Hence the lawsuit (in CA 2020, look it up). They insist on keeping $500 per person! It has been no surprise that management NEVER called. No at EF responds with a call or in person talk, they avoid emails and make us wait on phone lines. Now I've fought this as much as I could. Erin works primarily on ClassAction.orgs newswire, reporting on cases as they happen. 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 . v. EF Institute for Cultural Exchange, Inc., et. 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. My first was as a parent going with my 15-year-old along with a group of about 20 kids (from a . The company told me I can sell my voucher. Why am I being charged a total of $550 in cancellation fees? Has anybody seen anyone of color working in their offices? One student got up in the middle of the night and tripped on the mattress and smashed her head into the wall. 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. They are so many other excellent companies out there. Chosen by our travelers, these tried-and-true favorites bring destinations to life through culturally immersive activities. We use cookies to improve your experience on our site and to show you personalised advertising. v. EF etc. Background checks on adult travelers I recently got a generic email stating that I had till October 2022 to plan a trip or lose my $5,668. 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. EF Ultimate Break Enroll online or call 800-766-2645. From: Emilia Hovestadt v. EF Institute for Cultural Exchange, Inc., et. Illness and accident coverage No materials from this website may be copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded, posted, transmitted, or distributed in any way. He could no get us on flights home. If so, I'd like to know.". 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