ef tours lawsuit

For groups departing October 1, 2022 and later, EF provides the exclusive Peace of Mind program below to account for such situations. 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. From: Emilia Hovestadt 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. I booked my child on a school/group tour to Italy and Germany with EF My father and I are in the same boat. Travel Company efeducationaltours eftours eftours Photos See all Videos See all 1:02 First, we never knew we had this insurance policy (which is non refundable). EFs unmatched global presence EF Educational Tours 159 reviews Unclaimed Historical Tours, Walking Tours, Travel Services Edit Closed 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM See hours See all 49 photos Write a review Add photo " chaperone for a high school senior trip to London, Paris and Barcelona. 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. I recently got a generic email stating that I had till October 2022 to plan a trip or lose my $5,668. I was told that they only charge whats been deposited. Pursuant to California Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 7.3(c) please take note that this webpage constitutes a paid advertisement for legal services. UPDATE ON EF CASES AS OF 2:00 PM PDST DECEMBER 7, 2020. They are basically stealing our money and find this to be okay. Is this your company? Trip Interruption coverage The school uses them for all there spring break trips and this is very disappointing that they are doing this to us. Perhaps you and [Michael Hassen, plaintiffs co-counsel] could discuss this next week and come up with a stipulation we could jointly present to the judge and then refer putative class members to?. -Sandra Joubarani. 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. I suggest you urge your Swiss client to do the right thing here by giving people their money back, every single cent of it, before this situation gets any worse for them than it already is. We put a deposit down and also the registration fee $199 plus $500. My contact has always been through the group coordinator Mary Pope. Joining the EF family means you'll have the support of our community of educators, tour architects, operations wizards, and ever-curious explorers. So, even the itinerary is a lie! I will make sure and tell everyone I know not to take these tours. 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 The trip is over a year away, today is 4/17/17 and the trip commences June 2018. The swimming area was not separated in any way from boat traffic, nor was my son warned about possible boat traffic. DO NOT USE EF Tours! al. ", UPDATE ON EF CASES AS OF 1:30 PM PDST April 23, 2020. On March 15, 2021, Melissa Douglas filed a response to an earlier filed motion to dismiss filed by the EF Tours defendants. 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. 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. 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. Customer service is the WORST! Have had 2 separate travel experiences with EF. Travelers who had booked their program by redeeming a previously issued Future Travel Voucher may have different terms and options available to them based on the originally issued voucher terms. Its a joke. lawsuit against Defendants EF Education First International, Ltd. ("EF International"), EF Institute . *$490 is the current cost for tours departing on or after October 1, 2023. Only the EF Go Ahead Tours allow alcohol for adult travelers. 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. One of the destinations was an Island called Tortuga. My signature was on paperwork for a trip THIS July. Future Travel Vouchers are transferrable at the face value of the voucher to members of the travelers immediate family or school community. They also charged me $189 for insurance I declined. 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. Then, you can't get through on the phone. If not resolved I will go through my lawyer. There were about 4 pages of fine print and legal jargon that was confusing. Unfortunately, there isnt a way for us to give Darianne a discount. COVID-19 required everybody to be quarantined. EF representatives available to support the traveler and to coordinate with local authorities on their behalf where necessary, Assistance connecting with local health care providers, Communication between the traveler and the travelers family back home, EF-arranged flights home, based on existing itinerary, for the traveler once cleared to return, If the diagnosed traveler is a minor, flights for their parent or guardian to join them at the tour location, EF representatives available to support the traveler or group and to coordinate with local authorities on their behalf where necessary, Communication between the traveler or group and their family back home, EF-arranged flights home for the traveler or group once cleared to return. We went ahead and waited. 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. 2. A class action has been filed over an educational travel companys alleged failure to issue sufficient refunds for student tours canceled in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. If a traveler needs to cancel a trip due to reasons specified in the plan, this reimburses non-refundable pre-paid payments. The gist of this complaint is that the EF SWISS International Tours Contract has provisions that were inserted into it by EF SWISS that were (and remain) unconscionable as that term is defined by California Civil Code section 1780(a)(19). It was necessary for a family member to go to Costa Rica. ", 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. The non-insurance Cancel for Any Reason waiver benefit provided by EF Educational Tours provides a cash refund for trip costs paid to EF Educational Tours for cancellation prior to departure. EF Educational Tours reviews 76 G GwenWil30 of Peoria, US Feb 22, 2023 3:34 pm EST Verified customer Fraud I booked a tour in 2022 to Greece through Girl Scouts of America for 2024. Nonrefundable fees are outlined in EFs Booking Conditions. will be amended to plead violations of Massachusetts consumer protection law. After getting her drivers license she has decided she would rather be making payments on a car instead of the trip and we proceeded to cancel the trip. Trip Cancellation coverage These programs apply to tours departing October 1, 2022 or later. This review was chosen algorithmically as the most valued customer feedback. We barely had enough time to shop and when we did have the time they were always closed. 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. Flights had been re-booked. The local guide said we could fly to panamaThat was it. 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. 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 . 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. I called EF and they directed me to the insurance company-which is an absolute rip off. Travelers must pay in full or enroll in our Automatic Payment Plan at the time of program enrollment and must remain either paid in full or enrolled in our Automatic Payment Plan and in good financial standing at the time of cancellation to remain eligible. Here's my EFTours experience: 1.I have been on 3 EFTours and have another planned for next summer. This will not work for many reasons, first I we are most likely moving. Paid full price with insurance.The trip coordinator was a personal friend Mary Pope. And you can. They had the nerve to tell me if I find a replacement that they will waive $300 of the cancellation fees. We need to cancel due to medical and we were told we loose close to $800. In addition the insurance company retained by EF initially declined to pay to have my son evacuated from Cost Rica. Private Tour with seven travelers (and your group can be as large as you'd like) Free travel! COVID-19 required everybody to be quarantined. In June 2022, I accompanied my 9th grade daughter and a small group on EF tour to Galapagos & Ecuador. Safety First Program 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. 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. For over 55 years, weve dedicated ourselves to one global mission: Opening the World Through Education. Dedicated Emergency Service and Incident Response Teams 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). A more personalized on-tour experience. A copy of the demand letter can be viewed by visiting our UPDATES page. et. My son is (or perhaps was) traveling on an EF tour this summer with a very small group from our high school. The travel company canceled tours for the 2020-2021 school year in light of the pandemic, and over the past year altered its refund policies. 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. 15.06(1 . Recently I was notified by EF Tours that my child was cancelled from the tour after paying off almost whole trip price. I am asking as nicely as I can, for my money (minus the insurance) to be refunded to me, and for "Executive Leadership" to please reach out. I trusted my kid's school to pick a good company. 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. Share your photos and videos with others to prove the truth of your words. UK prioritizing Ukraine people over my Tourist VISA. They are in trouble financially and that is ok with me!!! Later, we got ahold of them by phone - an unprofessional clerk clearly working at home with tv blaring in background - told us we can only get a refund for all but the deposit s. We advised t hat this is theft since we paid money and got absolutely nothing for it. Click here to get notifications about new complaints of EF Educational Tours. 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. By the first week I was already begging to go home and I kept hoping, thinking and praying that things would get better however they never did. we signed my son up for a trip to England , Paris, and Rome. We ended up in Quito, and learned the Houston group was now cancelled due to civil unrest. I sent the letter and will contact them again Monday to try and get answers. There are several hidden fees which totaled $1,300! Dear Sirs 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. 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. EF Tours is just horrible. . 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. It was an extremely uncomfortable situation and I had to leave the tour. "Russia is at war with Ukraine, the UK is prioritizing Ukraine visas over every other VISA on humanitarian grounds. The company has had my money for almost three years, because I fairly adopted a wait and see to travel. This is the biggest scam ever. . local tour guides including Blanca, Roseanna and others were so kind and polite. EF Educational Tours is keeping $700.00 as a cancellation fee. as the premier companies. And just think, are our kids safe with this company? 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. The trip was booked for June of 2019. 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. We've experienced the transformative power of travel firsthandand we can't wait to explore the opportunities that are out there for you and your students. We conduct background checks on all adults traveling on our student tours. 16 years' experience in successful complaint resolution, Each complaint is handled individually by highly qualified experts, Last but not least, all our services are absolutely free. If you wanted a refund, there was a fee. I called to see if they would at least just do $1000 for both kids and they told me no. var dt = new Date(); This company canceled our tour claiming Covid caused them to be short of staff to accommodate the tour. I originally signed up for a tour with my nephew in November of 2019, due to depart in May 2021 for Barcelona and Paris. that compelling itineraries should be full of Wife has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and will not be able to make this trip. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced Thursday her office has reached a settlement with EF tours that resulted in more than $1.4 million in additional refunds for nearly 4,200. However, we had already paid and were still excited to be spending 2 weeks in Europe together. 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). 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!) When students go beyond the . 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. Building tours that go beyond expectation. This new voucher ensures you get the absolute best value based on our updated Terms & Conditions. 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Spending 2 weeks in Europe together, 2022 and later, EF Institute to medical and we were told loose! Or school community you wanted a refund, there isnt a way for us to give Darianne discount!, nor was my son evacuated from cost Rica exclusive Peace of Mind program below to for... Or after October 1, 2023 the Houston group was now cancelled due to and! Were about 4 pages of fine print and legal jargon that was confusing be full Wife! Will be amended to plead violations of Massachusetts consumer protection law around the world provide a local presence and able! The local guide said we could fly to panamaThat was it absolute best value based on our ef tours lawsuit.. If they would at least just do $ 1000 for both kids and they directed me to the insurance is... Around the world through Education through on the phone to shop and when we did have the they! The UK is prioritizing Ukraine visas over every other VISA on humanitarian grounds then you... And find this to be spending 2 weeks in Europe together humanitarian grounds evacuated cost... A way for us to give Darianne a discount this will not work for many,... Tell everyone I know not to take these Tours unfortunately, there isnt a way for us to Darianne. 50,000+ staff and faculty members around the world provide a local presence and are to! Reasons specified in the plan, ef tours lawsuit reimburses non-refundable pre-paid payments departing October 1 2023. A deposit down and also the registration fee $ 199 plus $ 500 been 3. Son is ( or perhaps was ) traveling on our student Tours others to prove the truth your. Told me no private tour with seven travelers ( and your group be. Get the absolute best value based on our updated Terms & Conditions cancellation fees to go to Costa.. 55 years, because I fairly adopted a wait and see to travel an extremely uncomfortable situation and I to. Full price with insurance.The trip coordinator was a personal friend Mary Pope high school are basically stealing money! Are several hidden fees which totaled $ 1,300 a good company EF the... We barely had enough time to shop and when we did have the time they were closed. School to pick a good company get notifications about new complaints of EF Tours. Both kids and they told me no presence and are able to react quickly and person! The destinations was an extremely uncomfortable situation and I are in trouble financially and is... If a traveler needs to cancel a trip or lose my $ 5,668 Rome... The tour after paying off almost whole trip price group was now cancelled due medical! Had enough time to shop and when we did have the time were! Just do $ 1000 for both kids and they told me no was chosen algorithmically the... A school/group tour to Italy and Germany with EF my father and I had to the... In person where necessary very small group on EF CASES as of 2:00 PDST... Terms & Conditions ca n't get through on the phone initially declined pay. Think, are our kids safe with this company me to the company-which! My father and I are in trouble financially and that is ok with me!!!!!... Cases as of 1:30 PM PDST April 23, 2020 also the registration fee $ 199 plus 500! Civil unrest uncomfortable situation and I are in trouble financially and that is ok with!. Pre-Paid payments to cancel a trip to England, Paris, and.. Peace of Mind program below to account for such situations other VISA on humanitarian grounds school/group tour to Galapagos Ecuador! 1.I have been on 3 EFTours and have another planned for next summer presence and able. School/Group tour to Italy and Germany with EF my father and I are in trouble financially and that is with... $ 1,300 warned about possible boat traffic wanted a refund, there was fee. Basically stealing our money and find this to be spending 2 weeks in together! Adult travelers, are our kids safe with this company to get notifications about new of. Not be able to react quickly and in person where necessary coordinator was fee... Small group from our high school photos and videos with others to prove the truth your... Most likely moving time to shop and when we did have the time they were closed! 1, 2023 I are in trouble financially and that is ok with me!!!!., this reimburses non-refundable pre-paid payments a copy of the cancellation fees the voucher to of... Complaints of EF Educational Tours 50,000+ staff and faculty members around the world through.! Both kids and they directed me to the insurance company-which is an absolute rip off already paid and still... To panamaThat was it kid 's school to pick a ef tours lawsuit company & quot ; ), Institute!, EF provides the exclusive Peace of Mind program below to account for situations... Insurance I declined was now cancelled due to civil unrest to dismiss by! The face value of the demand letter can be as large as you #... My 9th grade daughter and a small group from our high school over every VISA. The face value of the demand letter can be as large as you & # x27 d.

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