EF Educational Tours
Reviews and Complaints

My child recently went on a tour with EF tours to Dublin France and London. Her purse was stolen or lost at the NY airport and she did not know until she arrived in Dublin. She is only 15. She told her teacher that her purse was gone and the teacher acted as though she were lying. She had about $1000 in it along with her ID. We have yet to be notified about her purse being lost or stolen either from EF tours or her teacher. The teacher did not contact us. I was in Germany myself at the time. I did manage to get a message that the child contacted her Uncle and he contacted me. I wired her money. The teacher was notified at 7:00
AM to take her to Western Union in London. The teacher forgot to tell the tour guide. So when the child asked him if he would take her to Western Union he yelled at her and denied her request as they were too busy? She had 0 money over there on another continent and no one cared. The teacher lent her $10 for dinner one night. She had no lunch. She was afraid to complain. Her phone wasn't working. My son in law again wired her money in France. Again, the teacher or tour guide would not take her. Some friends of a friend in Europe came and took her to Western Union. She got some money on the day before they left for the US. Nobody notified the airlines of the missing bag. The teacher collected about $4000 dollars from the kids for extra tip money for the guide and bus drivers. That would be about $500 per day? Could they not have given her at least $100 of her money back that was collected for extra tips? Could EF tours have taken some action? The girl is quiet and was afraid as they yelled at her twice about it. I called EF tours and they told me to call her principal. I called the principal and she said to call EF tours. I will never recommend EF tours to anyone.

I booked a trip thru EF Tours for my son's graduation in Jan 2014. In April my son was brutally attacked and ended up being treated by both an MD and mental health professional. I had to withdraw my child from school, he had to give up his job, and was basically scared to leave our house. We notified EF Tours that we would need to cancel his trip and were told we did have the cancellation insurance and to file the claim it would be paid. Well guess what it was denied. They do not consider this a serious enough injury. Well just so happen my husband had a major heart attack the end of March. He was hospitalized and still undergoing treatment. Filed the cancellation claim based on this, denied. To top things off I was laid off from my job the first of May was actually called on Fri. morning telling me not to report to work that evening my contract had been cancelled. No fault of my own but guess what, Aetna the insurance co. ef tours has insurance thru says I was given too much notice and again claim denied. What they have done is stolen $2500 from my child. We followed all their guidelines, we met the reasons fro cancellation and still they refuse to refund our money. This company is a scam and their insurance is a scam. I advise all parents to fins another company. I am talking with all the parents I know and my son's school to let people know what crooks these people are. I wish someone would respond and try to work this out because all I get when I call is the run around. Never been offered any assistance or refunds or even credit voucher. I have contacted the Better Business Bureau and am filling complaints on both companies. I have also contacted my attorney generals office and the NC Insurance Commission both of which I will also be filling complaints. Should you want to reach me my number is [protected]. I would love for you to post how you'd like to look into this for me.
Brenda Lockamon

So sorry to read that these people had a negative experience with EF Tours. My daughter travelled to Egypt in 2012 with a group from Laredo, Texas and the experience was wonderful! Her group leader (Ricardo Aguilar) met several times with the students and their parents during the year before the trip. Questions & concerns were always addressed promptly & he made himself easily before, during, & after the trip. I'm sure not all group leaders are the same - but as for us, we got a great one. My daughter is even considering a second trip next Summer!

When a parent signs up for EF Tours, they are not given all the facts. The booklet comes via USPS some time much later.

I haven't met the tour leader at Del Norte HS in San Diego. He is busy with finals at Del Norte HS in San Diego. He didn't make EF tours website up. If he did, I am sure he and anyone else at Del Norte HS in San Diego would honor what they list on their website. Any good company does that. It is so sad that EF Tours had no mention of conditions apply when I signed up my child. Lots of bad press on here about EF tours.

EF's website has had the cancellation policy available for quite some time. And the ads for the discount always mention "conditions apply".

Your tour leader sounds inept.

I really don't agree with your decison at all. If you put on your website that you will get $150 off if you sign up before Feb 28th which I clearly did. I should get that $150 off. Any good company stands by what they have on their website. What other things do you have for other people that are stated when you read an offer? You are misleading and wrong and a bad example for a company that takes high schoolers from Del Norte in San Diego on a tour that the parents are paying much money for!

@BethOcomplaints, Again, I am sorry for the confusion. The discount you saw was for early bird enrollments on our 2012 tours. If you clicked through to read about the offer it clearly states that it is only valid for 2012 tours. We offer these discounts to travelers enrolling over a year in advance so that we can save them money by planning early. This specific discount is not being offered to anyone in your daughter’s group, as EF representatives have explained to you. If you have any further questions, please feel free to give us a call at [protected]. -Katie from EF Tours

It did not say on EF tours website when I signed up that it applies to 2012 tours. It just said $150 off if you signed up before Feb 28th. Now the website states that. I think that EF Tours should stand by what they say on their website. An honest and reliable company does that! The teacher of this trip at Del Norte HS told me to sign up with eftours and gave me their phone number and the tour number. He was right, he works for Poway Unified and not EF tours. I followed his instructions and I think that EF tours should credit me $150 and do what was on the website when I signed up. Maybe some of the complaints on this complaintsboard for EF tours is really true?

Dear aaj89,

I'm sorry to see that you are canceling your tour, and I'm disappointed to read your comments. All of our travelers agree to the Booking Conditions, including the cancellation fees, when they enroll on tour. However, we're always willing to work with our travelers when situations arise. The best option usually is to find a replacement traveler, and you should have been given the proper deadline when you called. I'd be happy to help look into your situation, if you want to message me your name and/or customer number.

Eric from EF

@RS1028 EF Tours guarantees one free chaperone spot for every 6 students enrolled. That means the chaperones are essentially "free spots, " though chaperones do still have to have their own spending money and contribute to the tips provided to the tour guides, your 24/7 Tour Director, and bus driver. Contact EF Tours at [protected] to speak with a Tour Consultant about the specifics and to plan an upcoming educational tour.

@cseymore Could you explain to me how you get compensated for these trips? It's my understanding that for every 6 students you sign, there is a free trip or cash commission paid?

WOW, INTERESTING COMMENTS. I'M SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR SCARY EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR DAUGHTER. I WOULD HAVE BEEN FREAKING OUT FOR SURE. MY SON IS ON A EF 10 DAY TOUR RIGHT NOW IN COSTA RICA WITH 2 SPANISH TEACHERS, 8 PARENTS AND 14 STUDENTS. I AM NOT WITH MY CHILD. I WAS VERY SKEPTICAL ABOUT HIM GOING. I COULD NOT GO WITH HIM AND MY HUSBAND IS WORKING IN A DIFFERENT COUNTRY. HOWEVER, WE LET HIM GO, AND I HAVE BEEN WORRYING MYSELF NUTS, UNTIL I GET A TEXT OR PHONE CALL FROM HIM DAILY TO SAY HELLO, AND LET ME KNOW IF HE IS OK LEARNING AND HAVING FUN, SIGHTSEEING, WHATEVER IS GOING ON. THREE MORE DAYS LEFT BEFORE THEY COME BACK TO THE US. I HAVE TO SAY THAT MY SON HAS HAD THE TIME OF THE LIFE. HE HAS LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT THE CULTURE IN COSTA RICA. FIRST 5 DAYS THEY HAD SPANISH CLASSES AND THEN OUT TO EAT, SIGHT SEEING, VOLCANO TOUR, HORSEBACK RIDING, THEY ENJOYED SWIMING IN SEVERAL SPRINGS, BEACHES, KAYAKING, PADDLE BOARDING, BIKE RIDING AROUND GORGEOUS SCENERY. TOO MANY ACTIVITES TO LIST. SOME OF THE FAMALIES THAT LIVE THERE PREPARED MEALS FOR THEM A FEW NIGHTS, SO THEY WERE ABLE TO SEE WHERE THEY LIVE, AND HOW THEY LIVE, WHAT TYPES OF FOODS THEY EAT, AND HOW THEY PREPARED, AND SOCIALIZED WITH THEM, AND SO ON. GREAT CULTURAL LEARING EXPERIENCE. SO FAR, SO GOOD. OF COURSE I'M A NERVOUS, WORRYING TYPE OF PERSON, SO THIS HAS BEEN A BIG EXPERIENCE FOR ME AS WELL, BECAUSE MY SON IS 14 AND HE HAS RARELY BEEN AWAY FROM ME NO MORE THAN A NIGHT OR TWO HIS WHOLE LIFE WITH VERY CLOSE RELATIVES. SO THIS IS DRASTIC FOR ME AND HIM.

I HAVE ONLY HEARD EXCELLENT THINGS ABOUT EF TOURS, UNTI I PULLED UP THIS WEBSITE. I KNOW THAT MY SON'S TEACHER'S ARE VERY GOOD AT KEEPING UP WITH THEIR GROUPS. WE HAD TO ATTEND WITH OUR KIDS CLASSES AT THE SCHOOL ONE NIGHT PER WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS. WE MET WITH THE TEACHERS AND OTHER PARENTS OF TRAVELING STUDENTS FOR 2.5 HRS TO DISCUSS RULES, PASSPORTS, HOW TO MAKE 10 OUTFITS AND MORE FIT IN A CARRY ON SUITCASE, ATTITUDES, MONEY/DEBIT CARD TO BRING, CELL PHONES, NAME & NUMBERS FOR TOUR GUIDE (WERE PRINTED ON CARDS FOR EACH STUDENT ALONG WITH TEACHERS NAMES AND THEIR NUMBERS) THEY WERE TOLD TO KEEP THEM INSIDE THEIR PASSPORT CARRIERS THAT THEY CARRY AROUND THEIR NECKS AT ALL TIMES IN CASE FOR SOME REASON THEY GOT LOST. PROBABLY ANY AND EVERYTHING YOU COULD POSSIBLY THINK OF WAS DISCUSSED IN EACH MEETING TO PREPARE FOR THIS OUT OF THE COUNTRY TOUR. EACH WEEK A FEW STUDENTS WOULD DO A REPORT ON DIFFERENT IMPORTANT THINGS IN COSTA RICA. VERY INTERESTING AND INFORMATIVE TO KNOW ABOUT THE PLACE YOUR GOING TO BE VISITING FOR 10 DAYS.

THE TEACHERS WERE TELLING US, THAT THEY HAVE BEEN ON EF TOURS WITH MANY GROUPS OF STUDENTS YEAR AFTER YEAR. THEY HAVE BEEN ALL OVER DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. AND ONLY PROBLEM THAT HAPPENED WAS LAST YEAR WHEN THEY TOOK A GROUP OF 7 TH GRADERS TO SPAIN, THE AIRLINE LOST THEIR LUGGAGE AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO GET IT BACK FOR 2 DAYS. SO FOR TWO DAYS, THE KIDS DIDN'T HAVE THEIR TOOTH BRUSHES, THEIR TOILETRIES, MEDICINES, CLEAN CLOTHES, ETC. FROM EACH EXPERIENCE YOU LEARN SOMETHING, AND FROM THAT INCIDENT WITH THE AIRLINE, THEY TELL STUDENTS NOWDAYS TO PACK LIGHT. MAKE IT ALL FIT IN ONE CARRY ON SUIT CASE. AND THIS WAY THEY WILL NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH SOMETHING LIKE THAT AGAIN ON FUTURE EF TOURS.

I HOPE EVERYONE'S FUTURE EXPERIENCE'S WITH EF TOURS IS A GREAT ONE. AND I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST. LIKE I SAID BEFORE, MY SON IS HAVING THE TIME OF HIS LIFE. HE IS ADVANCING HIS HORIZONS, LEARNING NEW THINGS AND GETTING BETTER AND BETTER AT SPEAKING SPANISH EVERYDAY. THE MORE LANGUAGES YOU CAN SPEAK FLUENTLY, CAN OPEN MORE DOORS FOR YOU IN THE JOB MARKET.

You should definitely go. I've brought more than 350 students abroad over the last 8 years (13 Europe tours, and 3 to Costa Rica), all with EF Tours.

A quote from one of my students: "You should definitely go! It opens your eyes to other cultures. And it's SO much fun. Best thing I did during high school. You'd be crazy not to go."

I am heading to Europe in 2014 reading the negative comments I am debating if I want to go or not, I will be traveling as a group with my school but not with my parent.. Should I go?

I am a high school teacher who has taken 14 tours with EF Tours since 1987. I continue to work with EF because they are the leading student tour company with overseas offices in every country we visit. We have never had a safety issue with my students. As with any time you are traveling in Europe, you may be exposed to typical travel issues, for example, crowds, train strikes, weather, or such, but groups who are well prepared for travel and teachers and participants who follow rules and have appropriate expectations have no problems and enjoy their tours. It is essential that travelers have meetings and know how to travel beforehand. In my experience, the people who are the worst travelers are those who either expect everything to be like home, or those who are more accustomed to Disney type experiences rather than real world travel. And, as been stated before, I only take high school students and not middle school students.

I live in Bangkok, Thailand, I've never heard about EF tour in Thailand. Could you tell me how I can join EF Tour to Europe . I can join that tour in April because it is my vacation.
Looking foword to your answering.
Beebee

For every 6 students you convince to travel and pay full price for an EF Tour, you travel for free. In effect, you do work for EF Tours. EF Tours is smart in how they've structured their business. This structure allows them to insulate themselves from most, if not all, liability. You do seem to be a person who cares. I do hope you're able to keep all of your students safe. It's a lot of responsibility to shoulder yourself. I do wish you good luck because you do seem to have the best intentions for your students.

By the way, the other complaints on this site not signed by me are not mine. I am certainly not the only one to have bad experiences with EF Tours.

Concerned Mom, I do not WORK for EF Tours. I am a high school teacher. There are actually many positive comments on this site, even though it is a website devoted to 'complaints.' My point is that you experienced ONE tour with EF, whereas I have used them for 13 tours. So I have a much clearer picture of the typical EF Tour. I am telling you, your isolated experience on the one tour you did was not at all typical, and is not what a teacher would expect on an EF Tour. 13 tours. More than 300 students. More than 20 countries. Never a problem. Never in danger. Every student came home happy, healthy, and more aware of the world around them, and the different languages, history and culture in Europe and elsewhere. Mission accomplished ... 13 times and counting.

You're the only one I ever hear positive reviews from about EF Tours. They're lucky to have you working for them. I hope you're appreciated. Good luck.

*I am an FL teacher in a district that has always used EF for overseas travel. We have been to Austria, England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Mexico, and Costa Rica over the last 20+ years. No one is a fan of the overnight trains, but all in all, we have had very positive experiences with EF. There was a tatooing incident a couple of years ago, some delayed luggage on more than one trip, and even a lost bag on the return flight--none of it the fault of EF.

*We teachers do a great job of preparing our travellers--adults and kids alike, what to expect from "typical" European hotels. Occasionally we get a nice modern Excel or Holiday Inn, and believe it or not, they are actually disappointed NOT to have the old-fashioned experience.
*We prepare them to expect smaller portions, small rooms, small bathrooms--not every country has the luxury of the amount of expansion space as the US has. And they know to bring their own washcloths and toiletries JIC. They know not to expect super-cold American-style air-conditioning, and that they had better use the target language or don't bother signing up! Even my adults must learn to "S'il vous plaît" and "Grazie" and have a small list of emergency phrases for getting lost or hurt, etc, rather than expecting that someone who speaks English will happen along.
*We double-check hotel info (name, address, phone) and exchange cell numbers as soon as we arrive. They are each expected to carry this in their passports.
*Stuff happens when traveling, and to the folks who blame EF, I can only ask--didn't your group leader prepare you at all? Didn't you read the booklet EF sent you that lays out student tour expectations? Pre-trip prep is YOUR and your group leader's responsibility!

*As to the money problems, any time one of our travelers has a problem, they ask us and we do our best to intervene. I have gotten students their "overlooked" discount, as well as "hey--they charged her less, and they enrolled the same day" type scenarios. *Cancellation policy: it's laid out in great detail what to expect if you bail out on a trip--even telling you how much you'll get back as pro-rated by proximity to departure date. Does it suck? Yes! but if you've been enrolled for a while, and the date is pretty close, they have already started booking hotels and planes, etc. so...

I love traveling with EF. I will continue to do so. And no, getting my trip "for free" has nothing to do with it--in fact, we should get MORE than just a free trip!. I put in hundreds of hours of work planning and prepping for these tours, not to mention pulling my hair out shepherding teenagers and paying for lunches when their card doesn't work, and solving roomie issues, and fending off aggressive merchants, and prowling the halls at night to make them mind curfew, and hunting all over London for the group that didn't wait where I said to while I paid the lunch bill, or in Vienna for the group that missed curfew and the same group that was late for the bus after free time.
*I tell my travelers: Your travel experience will be as good as you make it. You want to whine and complain about the food, the service, the rooms? Fine--but do it quietly, and in your room or on the bus. Do NOT be the Rude American who has to "Ew Yuck" loudly and embarrass the group and the staff.
*And as to the Métro/Underground? What an adventure! My students are disappointed when we get back because we don't have one! They take turns plotting the course, watching signs during the ride, buying tickets in the automated machines... And if we're lucky, we get a musician on board! They all get really into the performance, and don't mind tossing a coin into the hat--and even try to get their picture taken with the performers☺
Oh, and, of course, we have enjoyed a great number of repeat travelers--student and adult alike!

I'm sorry you had a negative experience, and you;re entitled to your opinion. I'm just letting you know that over the course of 13 tours, my students and parents have been extremely pleased with EF Tours.

GCG, there will be 7 adults for 47 students. Please trust me when I tell you that I know what I'm doing, and my students are extremely well looked after during the entire trip. Over 300 students and approximately 150 days abroad and nobody has gotten seriously injured, lost, or harmed. And all the students have come home with wonderful learning experiences in another country. Again, if there had been any mishaps or problems, parents would not continue sending their children (and investing thousands of dollars per trip in the process) with me on EF Tours year after year after year. Large numbers of parents continue to ask me about the tours we are running in 2013 and 2014; this wouldn't be happening year in and year out if (a) their children were not safe, secure and well cared for and (b) EF Tours didn't do an excellent job for me and my students.

Chris Seymore, If you have forty kids on a trip to be responsible for 24/7 I think you have a problem of another kind. Where are the chaparones for these children. And I might add, where are the other "Group Leaders" on this site.

The fact is that a number of other companies run student educational tours, and I could use them if I so desired. (These other companies have the same basic approach in terms of paying for the adult chaperones on the basis of a given student-teacher ratio.) And if it's such a huge "benefit", how come most teachers think I'm "nuts" for giving up my summers to bring groups of teenagers on these educational tours. Yes, EF pays for the adult chaperones (but not their expenses like tips, spending money, typically insurance, fees for single rooms, etc.). This is done to allow for these tours to occur, because no student tour to another country can take place without adult supervision. The majority of these trips would not happen if EF Tours didn't have this system in place, and then thousands of students would miss out on the opportunity to travel abroad and experience another culture as a high school student.

JJTansley, EF Tours does not pay "all expenses" for the teachers and adult chaperones that lead a tour. You are right when you advice parents to think long and hard before they make this kind of investment in their children's education and maturation. It's not something to be taken lightly, and some students aren't necessarily ready for the experience. And without question you need to know you can trust the teacher who is bringing your son/daughter abroad. Unfortunately, you traveled with a teacher or teachers who were irresponsible. They are not employees of EF Tours, just as I am not. I will not debate whether your group leader(s) behaved as you describe. It goes without saying that parents need to do their due diligence regarding the teacher or teachers who will be responsible for their kids while on tour. I have taken more than 300 students abroad in the past 6 years. When students get sick on tour, I'm the one who stays back at the hotel (along with a female chaperone if the student who has fallen ill is a girl). I make sure the kids are awake in the morning and I monitor their behavior AT ALL times. I don't have a sip of alcohol while on tour. I spend an hour or more each day sending home emails and photos to my parents back home, and I am often in communication with them via phone when the situation requires.

GCG, one remark by JJTansley above is a prime example of a comment that's a bit "ridiculous." The assertion that "These group leaders could really care less about the kids ... it's all about them" is unfair and inaccurate. This is a gross generalization, and in my opinion, it's quite ridiculous. And, trust me, not only does it misrepresent me and the personal responsibility I take toward all of my students, but it misrepresents the vast majority of teachers who choose to lead groups of TEENAGERS on tours abroad. Imagine being responsible for a group of 40 sixteen and seventeen year olds on a 2 week trip to Italy and Greece. Think about it for a second. As you can imagine, an undertaking like this is a big responsibility, and certainly there are probably teachers out there who do these trips for the wrong reasons. But, again, the reason why I have led 13 tours and nearly 330 students on these educational tours is because of how seriously I take this responsibility. It's the reason why more than 20 parents have sent multiple children on EF Tours with me, and it's why more than 20 other parents have sent a child on two or three of these trips with me.

JJTansley, over the years a number of parents have sent me detailed thank you notes after their kids returned, and a handful, I'm embarrassed to say, brought me thank you gifts. It's too bad your experience was a negative one. If you son/daughter had me as a teacher, I guarantee you your experience would have been completely different and you would feel differently today. I'm sorry you had a teacher who didn't take personal responsibility for his students. It sounds like the problem on your tour was with the teacher or teachers leading your child's group; the problem wasn't EF Tours. My students and parents have never had an experience on my tours with EF that resemble yours in the slightest. This summer I am leading a group of 48 students on an 18-day tour of France and Spain, and I am absolutely certain that my students will have an amazing, educational, life-changing experience as we tour Europe with EF Tours. (Of the 48, 10 of these are younger siblings of students who have traveled with me in the last few years.) This is the 14th tour I will be leading with EF. Please trust me when I tell you, that parents would not continue to send their kids on these educational tours with me if EF did not provide a great product and professional service at a great value.

Thank you so much for your reply. All of my communications with this company have had a very negative impact on my excitement for the trip.. My grandson, whom I am accompanying's birthday is 3/17 so we were so excited to be in Dublin on that day. Now the dates for the trip has changed and we will be home before 3/15. Very disappointing. When you combine this with the increase in cost this makes for a more distasteful experience. This morning I find out he will be sharing a room with 3 or 4 other kids he does not know and are not even from this country. My accommodations have been changed from private to sharing with another person I do not know. O course I can cancel and lose our money. About $5-6000. at this point. Insurance they sell you is worthless. I will be filing a complaint with the MA Attorney General.for EF's deceptive practices.

GCG, not all of the complaints on this site are ridiculous. But in my opinion, some of them are. The fact that someone pays for something doesn't automatically ensure that they will always employ rational, logical thinking when analyzing a situation, and it doesn't guarantee that a complaint is a valid one. And it should come as no surprise that, occasionally, people do lodge complaints that aren't really fair or just. I'm simply providing an honest opinion about my experiences, including the consistent positive feedback of students and parents over a 6 year period.

You can accuse me of bias, but the fact is that I could easily use other companies for my student tours if I was in any way dissatisfied with EF's overall product, or if any of my parents expressed any dissatisfaction. (Those other companies have a similar structure in terms of free chaperones based on a given student-teacher ratio.) But there's no reason to consider any other company. My parents and students consistently provide positive commentary about their experiences with EF Tours, and a significant number have sent multiple children on EF Tours with me, or have sent a son or daughter on more than one trip.

People thinking about using EF Tours, think long and hard. I am so lucky nothing happened to my daughter when she took her tour. The first night the groups were wandering the streets WITHOUT supervision from anyone. These group leaders could really care less about the kids, it's all about THEM. Once they leave this country, the group leaders are NOT obligated to EF tours...they make all the decisions and we, as parents, have on say what so ever. So, whatever this cesymore is saying, is not true...he (or she) is totally benefiting from these tours...all expenses paid. That tour was the one of the worst decisions I have ever made. What a nightmare!

@chrisseymore
I will not engage is semantics with you. i don't care whether you are called an independent contractor, a casual laborer, an employee or a director; you receive a benefit for your services and that sir is a taxable event. The fact that you receive a benefit from EF Tours taints your opinion. Your opinion is biased and that was precisely my point. The facts are that you receive your accommodations, air fare, excursions, some meals and other expenses free gratis and you have the nerve to refer to parents' (who fork out this money) complaints' as being "ridiculous". Therein lies your immaturity.

Not sure what makes my thought process "immature." The fact is I am not an employee of EF Tours. I do not receive paychecks from EF not do I receive W-2 forms. Yes, EF Tours pays for the adult chaperones, based on a ratio of teachers to students. This is done, obviously, since no student tour can occur without adult supervision. Without this system, most trips would not occur, and countless students would not have the opportunity to travel. In some years I have led 3 groups of students on tours to Europe. Clearly, on a teacher salary I would not be able to afford to pay for 3 Europe trips per year. The parents of my student are aware of this, and have no problem with this arrangement. This does not make me an employee of EF Tours. Employee is defined as someone who is hired to perform services for wages or salary and is under the other's control. I do not receive a wage or salary, and I am not under the control of EF Tours. Sorry to refute your assertions, GCG, but I simply am not an employee of EF Tours.

@cseymore: I see by your many, many post on this site that you are a Group Leader and have taken 200 students on 11 trips. That equals out about 20 per trip. Your benefit in free trips would amount to well over $30, 000. Of course you are defending EF Tours, They have been very nice to you! In fact you are an employee of EF Tours no matter how much you state otherwise. Perhaps you should not be posting on this board and making statements about these "ridiculous" complaints (your word). Let the official EF rep respond since you are not in a position to resolve any issue. You seem quite immature in your thought process.

They do not call you back, they don't cancel and they don't refund.

I booked an educational tour with EF as part of a school sponsored trip. The tour was to go to Paris. I purchased trip insurance as part of the package. Due to the terror attacks in Paris, I cancelled the trip and was told that I would lose 50% of the cost of the trip for cancelling and that the trip insurance did not cover the terror attacks. Never again!

I agree this company is a ripoff. Their contracts are 1-sided (they win, you lose) with variable pricing. They expect you to pay for price increases (surcharges) and to pay $85 for cancellation insurance (which is not refunded) and say your price includes insurance but yet say they're not liable for any injuries. They're charging $1000 for a bus ride & 2 night stay in Chicago...they're only a 6 hr drive from here! You'd think we're traveling to Abu Dhabi. I'm sure they're laughing all the way to the bank.

EF Tours is not upfront with their ALL INCLUSIVE INSURANCE! I lost $700 due to un for seen job lost and because of things not advertised when they try to sell it to you, I lost my money. They just lost a customer.

EF Miami Beach is not a school but it is a night club.There is no control in the school.Nobody checks whether students attend the class or not.In most of the rooms students smoke cigarettes and the air condition takes that smoke to others rooms.It is not allowed to drink alchol in the school building but most of the students are drunk after midnight.I came to this school to improve my english but because of noise I could not study in my room.Students are running and screaming in the coridors and no one cares about it.There are some people in the school who makes fake id for the students under 21 and they charge 20-30 usd from teenagers.Stuff knows this because they go to club with 16-17 years old girls most of the nights.
If you want to study english never go to EF Miami Beach.

You should contact the Committee for Safety of Foreign Exchange Students: www.csfes.org.

Best of luck to you and your sons.

CSFES Volunteer