They cancelled it - TWICE! I did not cancel this trip! One student got up in the middle of the night and tripped on the mattress and smashed her head into the wall. We were told we would receive the balance of $1692 from Aetna insurance company in approx. I booked a trip with our homeschool "trip club" to do EF's Great Britain tour with a 2 day extension to Paris. Against my better judgement. 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].". She is welcome to call traveler support for more clarification! 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. 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. She had a black eye and blood in her eyeball for the entire trip. Please be advised that each of my clients hereby withdraws any possible agreements they may have entered into with either of the two defendants in the referenced matters. Also told cancellation fee is now $400 not the $300 listed. 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. 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. 3. 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. We sent emails. Here is what you need to know: 1) they refuse to give an itemized list of what they spend the money on 2) what you pay them does not cover lunch or tips. EF Tours was contacted today also and there response was they aren't responsible for the insurance company. Refusal to refund refund after they cancelled tours! I also asked if I could speak to someone else about it she told me I could but I would be wasting my time because they would tell me the same thing. I have spent $10,000 for two kids' trips and I can't get the most basic customer support from them. All I know to do is make this issue public. Avoid at all costs! Provided to all groups departing through September 30, 2022. . 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. Emilia Hovestadt We continued to make our monthly payments and purchased our passports and patiently waited for May 2022 to arrive. When I told them that nowhere in their cancellation policy where the egregious fees stated they said Well thats what they are now Earn benefits like one spot on tour for every six travelers you bring. It was so uncomfortable. On February 5, 2021, defendants EF Institute for Cultural Exchange, Inc. (EF Institute), EF Education First International, Ltd. (EF International), and EF Explore America, Inc. (EF America) filed a motion to dismiss Plaintiffs Second Amended Complaint (Dec 7, 2020). 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. Well isn't that what insurance is for??? I don't understand how they can keep any of our money, let a lone $500 each. We also had the unfortunate luck of awful traffic. Or they can redeem it for any other EF travel product. We were told we would receive a check from Ef Tours in 2 to 4 weeks for approx. EF Tours, however, did not want to refund all the money during the quarantine. My family and I scheduled a tour with ef educational tours. Travelers canceling from a revised tour will be charged a cancellation fee based on the date that the original tour was revised or the date of cancellation from the revised tour, whichever is higher. Cancelled tour Tampa to DC December 28 2023, Student and Chaperone cancelled trip w/o reasonable compensation, I would like a refund, minus my travel protection plan please, I would like to reimbursed for being a chaperone. 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. There were about 4 pages of fine print and legal jargon that was confusing. They simply refuse to refund your deposit. However, the problem has wider implications for your clients. 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. Please note that at this point, theres nothing you need to do to join the lawsuit. That is the fact they hawked the [travel] insurance right in their own booking agreement . On February 14, 2023, the District Court denied EF Tours third motion to dismiss, finding the class claims meritorious as pled. COVID-19 required everybody to be quarantined. My daughter's peers in Houston were sent home. People should be able to get a refund, without all of the hidden fees. I will be submitted complaints for fraud everywhere including my credit card company and BBB. It felt like a complete waste of time to travel and waste that many days. Trip Cancellation coverage 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). *$190 is the current cost for tours departing on or after October 1, 2023. 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. 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. It has been no surprise that management NEVER called. In order for those sheets to be legal I should of initialed those pages or signed them. If so, I'd like to know.". He has an unexpected stopover in Munich and no One accompanies him as he Is out of the group 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! 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 was told by the EF Tours representative that he could room with boys from other schools or upgrade (at an additional $90 per night!) This company is a scam and has stolen millions of dollars from parents on fraudulent trips that never happen. That means that I will receive less than half that amount back! For additional details regarding the insurance components of this plan, underwritten by US Fire Insurance Company, including coverage limits and a full list of exclusions, please visit this page. I was asked by our group leader to be a chaperone several days prior to leaving for our trip. UPDATE ON EF CASES AS OF 12:00 PM PST FEBRUARY 14, 2023. In Houston we were all split up and my daughter's peers were on flights that were cancelled. 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. Unfortunately, there isnt a way for us to give Darianne a discount. 15.06(1 . The trip was rescheduled for August and was later. Please Never purchase anything from these scam artists. Defendant, EF Educational Exchange, Inc., is a Delaware corporation having a UK prioritizing Ukraine people over my Tourist VISA. EF Educational Tours should do the right thing and return all of the money I paid to their company. His high school in the Parkway school district decided to book the tour through EF Educational Tours. UPDATE ON EF CASES AS OF 1:00 PM PDST AUGUST 9, 2020. They are in trouble financially and that is ok with me!!! She was more worried about herself and her family I guess. 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. We had to accept them. 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. 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. 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