EF Institute for Cultural Exchange

Revdex.com: 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 # [redacted] Please add your rejection comments below That's just it - we COULDN'TWhen I contacted the airlines, I was told that because we were traveling in a group, individuals couldn't make special requests, nor could they do seat assignmentsHave I not been clear? I'm attaching the file I meant to attach during our last exchangeOur hands were tied in so many ways! Why would a family go with a tour company like EF when they could just go with a company like Destination Asia? Why else would someone spend the extra money to go with a US tour company? So that all of the flights would be smooth (especially considering the length of the journey)So that we WOULD have assigned seats so we could sleep on the long flightSo we wouldn't have to beg at the last minute to sit together with our unaccompanied minorsI could go on and on about why we thought we should spend so much money to go with a tour company instead of just doing it ourselvesWe felt as though our expectations were reasonableWe were disappointed over and over again, even being told by an airline rep that our tickets were for cheapest seatsThe logistics were maddening - I could have made better arrangements myself.I reject the notion that you do not have any responsibility to provide basic services to a travelerI paid my money to EF Tours but you seem to want to deflect blame onto group leadersBut you don't "vet" your group leadersYou have no idea if a leader is competent or responsible enough to travel with unaccompanied minorsIn our case, our group leader was NOT competentHaving her on the trip was like having an additional teenager to take care ofAnd her trip was free? Hmmmm.Regards, [redacted]

Revdex.com: 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 # [redacted] Please add your rejection comments belowRegards, [redacted]

RevDex.com: 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 # [redacted] . Please add your rejection comments below. I reject this explanation. I cannot imagine that a tour company would NOT make seat arrangements on flights. Particularly for the unaccompanied minors, we had to beg to get them together for very long flights. You say that group leaders are supposed to take care of those details and also ordering specific meals in-flight, but we don't pay the group leaders, we pay you. And if a group leader doesn't take care of these things, and the parents/students can't do it, then what? Suffer? What about traveler's with food allergies? Are you not willing to make allowances for them or is it more important to "immerse" travelers in the country they are visiting. Because we certainly WERE NOT told the meals were from a fixed menu. We were told that the tour company chose the restaurants, but not every single lunch and dinner for 10 DAYS. I wrote a very comprehensive explanation of our experiences to the company president, among others. I am attaching that now. There were many other situations that contributed to the unpleasantness of this trip. We all knew we would be combined with a larger group, and we had no problem with that, but they were hostile from the very beginning and made us feel inferior to their group. Is that the kind of experience EF Tours wants students to have? Not to mention being in the middle of the [redacted] in the midst of a huge storm. Every single adult on the boat thought we were all going in. I sat there in a total panic trying to figure out how I could save both my daughters from drowning. I'm not kidding and I'm not exaggerating. I've been on plenty of boats on open water and I've never been as terrified as I was that day.I refuse to accept that you provide the lowest-level of service possible, while charging a rate that was slightly higher than your competitors, and that you will not take responsibility for that. It's completely unacceptable. Regards, [redacted]

Hello, Thank you for your messageWe will make an exception and refund the insurance cost and cancellation feeYou will receive a check in the next 2-weeks Thank you, [redacted] Loyalty Manager

Tell us why here In this case, because everything was handled through the airline with whom the traveler elected to choose a seat valued at $100, EF doesn’t have the ability to issue a refundCosts associated with upgraded seating, baggage, and other airline fees are the responsibility of the travelersThank you, [redacted] Customer Relations, EF College Study Tours

Hello, A check was issued to [redacted] , IN [redacted] USThe check was issued on 02/If the check was not cashed by [redacted] we will issue a new one.Thanks,EF Education

Revdex.com: 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 # [redacted] Please add your rejection comments below EF's response that everything was handled through the airline - yes, EF made the reservation! We did not elect to upgrade our seat - we just wanted a seat like the rest of our group at no charge (what we purchased for $ea was a standard coach seat)I don't know how EF can justify why some in our group were able to select their seats in advance with no charge They do not address the fact we were misled, or at best not communicated with effectively EF's statement that they do not have the ability to issue a refund is ridiculous - of course they do if they cared anything about customer satisfaction Regards, [redacted]