Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/14/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I still have nightmares from our May 2022 EF Go Ahead tour experience. Flying with ********* airlines contracted by Go Ahead affected me so badly that I do not want to fly again ever. We booked a **** tour with Go Ahead in Feb. 2022 before the May 2022 tour departure. After returning home, I waited to see if I still felt this terrorized after a ***** *** do. With more than 6 months remaining before a final payment was due next ***** on August 7, 2023 I canceled the next tour to Europe with Go Ahead for **** that we placed a deposit of $1,218.00 on in Feb. 2022. Go Ahead replied that $618 of the deposit was already given to Seven Corners for the insurance premium, & $600 Go Ahead keeps. Go Ahead stated I had to deal with Seven Corners about getting a refund of the $618, & Go Ahead wants to give us a voucher for a future trip. We won't be taking any future trips with any tour company after the nightmare we experienced in 2022. I cannot go through this terror again. My heart cannot take the stress. Go Ahead stated that because we rebooked so many times on the eventual 2022 tour, we cannot receive the full $600 refund. We did not cancel the original 2020 tour, Go Ahead did because ************** said there would be no ** citizens traveling to Europe. We did not cancel the 3-day extension over & over again, Go Ahead did. We did not pick Seven Corners as an insurance carrier, Go Ahead did. I would warn anyone considering a tour with Go Ahead to not buy the travel insurance; it is not worth it. We did not authorize Go Ahead to send $618 of our deposit to Seven Corners. Apparently, travel insurance is now mandatory with Go Ahead. In our previous 5 tours, it was optional. After spending over $52,000 on Go Ahead tours from 2012 - 2022, all we want is a full refund of our $1,218.00 deposit so we can forget Go Ahead forever, unsubscribe from their emails, burn all our Go Ahead documents from *************** the burn barrel, & move on. Perhaps that will end my nightmares.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/03/2023

  Dear *****,

  Thank you for contacting us on the Better Business Bureau. We are sorry to hear that your flight experience was Lufthansa was so difficult and we encourage you to address this with the airline directly. We are sorry that you were not able to travel with us this summer because of the emotional turmoil still turbulent from your experience with Lufthansa. Just as with any insurance, be that auto insurance, homeowners insurance, renters insurance, etc. the premium paid for the policy, whether the policy was used for a claim or not, is still due upon the date of purchase and is nonrefundable. We can confirm, that Travel Insurance is not and has never been a universally mandatory purchase, although is strongly encouraged for the protection of our travelers. We apologize for the distress you have experienced and hope that you continue to travel the world be that with Go Ahead Tours or independently.Thank you again for contacting us on the Better Business Bureau.

  
  In Gratitude,
  EF Go Ahead Tours 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/04/2023

  Better Business Bureau: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 # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  *****

   

   

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/05/2023

  Dear *****,

  
  As we are sure you are aware, the pandemic had many wide-reaching impacts on global scale and it is unfortunate that you, like so many other travelers, were delayed in an experience you had been so looking forward to as your tour was canceled as countries went on government issued lockdowns. We are sorry to hear that you did get sick while on tour and should you still have receipts from out-of-pocket expenses related to your quarantine period, you can submit those to our COVID Care Team for reimbursement. Where the lockdowns and quarantine measures were out of Go Ahead Tour control at the time of your bookings, we do acknowledge this negatively impacted your experience with us. We are sorry to hear that your flight experience with Lufthansa and ****** Airlines was so difficult, however flight delays, cancellations, seating,and overall airline policies and procedures are outside of EF Go Ahead control,and we encourage you to address these grievances with the airlines directly. 

  In Gratitude, 

  EF Go Ahead Tours

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/05/2023

  Better Business Bureau: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 # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  *****

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/31/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Refund

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/11/2023

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/11/2023

  Hello ******, 

  Thank you for reaching out to us here on the Better Business Bureau. Thank you so much for taking the time to provide your full feedback as customer experience is the cornerstone of our decision making when it comes to itineraries,vendors, and policies. 

  First,we would like to apologize that the location and quality of your hotels did not meet your expectations. When looking at the quality ratings of the three hotels you stayed at with your tour they are 3 and 4 star rated by Forbes Travel Guide and AAA. When looking at the quality of the rooms, amenities,and services of the hotels booked they are well within our quality standards set by EF Go Ahead. As you have experienced, ******, *****, and **** are all very large cities with points of interest spread throughout the metropolitan area surrounding them. When looking at the exact location of your hotels we find that two out of three of them are within walking distance to shopping,restaurants, and key points of cultural or historic interest. We acknowledge that one hotel was outside what would be considered walking distance, given the condition that you describe, however we see that the Tour Director did try and assist travelers in getting to points of interest without high expense. 

  Regarding your past tour director compared to your most recent one; it is important to acknowledge that the ******** tour you went on in 2019 is part of our Adventure Tour portfolio. Given the nature of an Adventure Tour it is important and expected that the tour director be with the travelers at all times as it is much more of a "off the beaten path to discovery" type of experience and does not have much free time to explore independently. In contrast our ******, *****, & **** tour allows itself to more personalized customization through more free time to explore at your own pace. This being the case, the Tour Director is always with the group during included highlights like *****************, the ********************, the ***************, city tours, etc.however during free time or while taking travelers to additional excursions they may only be available in case of emergency. As for the Local Guides, we feel that someone with local expertise adds a great deal to many traveler experiences. Though our Tour Directors are exceptional and very well educated,they guide tours in multiple countries and may not have the same depth of knowledge and expertise at a specific historical or cultural site as a Local Guide who specializes in that one city. 

  Concerning the health and safety you describe in your letter. Health and safety are subjects that are of critical importance to EF Go Ahead Tours; to such a large degree that we have a Safety and Incident Response team, an Emergency Response team, and an On Tour Support team to ensure that our travelers have the best experience possible.We also have set protocol for communicable illnesses. While balancing the ***** Privacy Rules with the group's need for clarity and security can be difficult,we do have health and wellness requirements in our Traveler Agreements and reporting systems for such cases. When reviewing our Incident Reporting tool and our post tour evaluations, we cannot find any reports of illness on this tour from any travelers or from the Tour Director. When looking at requiring masks we always make sure to follow CDC regulations and guidelines as well as the local regulations and guidelines when we require masking.

  Finally, when looking to the theft of your husbands wallet and phone, we are actively investigating this as it was not reported to us through our Emergency Response team nor our Safety and Incident Response team. We also do not see that there is any record of a traveler calling in to our On Tour Support team to report this theft either. We do see that a member of our Customer Loyalty and Engagement team has been trying to reach you, so we encourage you to work with them to assist in this report, as theft claims such as this historically have been covered under the Trip Protection Plan you purchased during your booking and may reimburse you for the loss if your claim is substantiated by a police report. 
  Thank you again for reaching out to us here on the Better Business Bureau.

  In Gratitude,

  EF Go Ahead Tours

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/14/2023

  Better Business Bureau: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 # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  ******

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/18/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On May 26, 2023 *************************** and I booked a tour with EF Go Ahead Tours. When we booked our trip, it was with the understanding Riki and I would connect either in *******, *********, etc. and fly together to ****** and together returning from ******. This was strongly conveyed to the representative prior to agreeing to the tour. We both made it clear the final payment would not be made without confirmation that we were on the same flight. The team member was very rude when I asked for a supervisor. It took EF Tours 53 days to get it corrected. The first attempt included an additional fee of $760 each and I would have to purchase another ticket to **. Even though the tour included airfare from your home town. The 2nd attempt had us returning on different flights. The 3rd attempt was after I cancelled our tour. Based on their extremely poor customer service and that they did not comply with our agreement, I asked for a full refund of our deposit and *************** I looked up flights and there were many we could have connected on. We were very concerned, based on our experience, that our hotels, train rides, flights between countries, etc. would not be handled. We spoke with *****, *****, ****, *******************, ****, ****, none were helpful. We kept getting the same "canned" response. Evidently their aren't any supervisors on staff. I included the executive officers in my email complaint, and they came back as "rejected". Not sure what that meant.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/30/2023

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/06/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I booked a group tour of Europe with EF Go Ahead Tours (costing $6,772) under the guise of traveling/flying together as a group. My flight itinerary were listed as having 2 layover flights in 1 day, across 4 countries, with brief layovers. None of these flights were with the rest of my group. I called EF to express concern about this flight itinerary, and the receptionist interrupted me saying they couldn't help with this issue. I have called EF several times, and they have taken over a WEEK to send a confirmation email for an alternative flight (that I searched for myself)! EF would not cover the cost of the flight and tried to charge an ADDITIONAL $1,275. I wanted to cancel the trip entirely, but but due to it being 9 days before departure, apparently according to their "contract" I would only be eligible to get 50% of my money back even though I purchased an insurance policy. EF purposefully WASTED days getting back to me in case I decided to cancel entirely which would thus result in me losing 50% or more of the thousands of dollars I have already paid. EF says "your request has been placed as a priority" but every request takes 5-7 DAYS to even get an email request! I searched the exact flight the rest of my group is taking, and turns out there are over 15 seats STILL available! Why I never booked on this flight ORIGINALLY with everyone else is dumbfounding. When I called EF requesting to be booked on this flight today by the end of my phone call, the receptionist said he "couldn't do that" but that my request was a "priority"and when I requested to speak to his Supervisor, he said "I am not able to directly connect you to a Supervisor over a live line." Then, later on EF sent an email saying that I could be added to my Group's *original* flight itinerary (the itinerary my roommate and I should have been booked on IN THE FIRST PLACE), but for an ADDITIONAL $1,884!!!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/17/2023

  I have filed an insurance claim against EF Go Ahead Tours. I have not yet received any response since submitting the insurance claim. 

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/25/2023

  Hello ******, 

  Thank you for reaching out to us on the Better Business Bureau. We want to start by apologizing for the frustrations created from your original flight itineraries and we are so sorry to hear that you had to cancel your tour the day of departure due to your family emergency. We sincerely hope that everything went smoothly and that all is well now.

  Upon a deeper look at your case and speaking with the managers you worked with prior to your tours departure, we do see that our groups department was successful in getting everyone in your group on flights together, with the preferred itinerary, at no additional cost to any of the travelers. We do apologize for the time it took to get this done and the aggravation caused by the first consideration of assessing the rebooking fees to the travelers. We are so glad that ultimately,we were able to make this right without any additional fees to anyone in your group per the communication you had with one of our team members on July 6,2023.

  Regarding your cancellation,our records show that you did end up canceling your tour due to an unrelated personal family matter on the day of departure rather than due to this flights concern as you mentioned. The communication on your file shows that you are intending on filing or have filed a claim using your Trip Protection Plan to cover the fees associated with this cancellation as outlined in the Terms and Conditions you agreed upon on January 16, 2023. Please continue to let the Senior Team Member you have been working with know if you need any additional support documentation for your claim or assistance.

  In Gratitude,

  EF Go Ahead

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/27/2023

  Better Business Bureau: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 # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  I will agree to nothing until I get a full refund, especially for EF Go Ahead Tours' attempt to extort me out of $1,884 for THEIR own error. EF Go Ahead Tours deliberately waited until the last minute to resolve what they did. 
  Regards,

  Lauren

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/27/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  EF Go Ahead Tours Lake Como, the ************************ Total Cost $4,000.00 (no airfare)May ***** 2023 The main reason I booked this trip was for the *************** (staying there for 3 nights). This area is called the ******* region and sits right on the Mediterranean. I have been there a few times before and was looking forward to returning.About a month before the trip departure I called and asked Go Ahead what's going on with the *************** (i.e. why haven't they posted the hotel for this part of the trip). I told her this usually happens about a month out.I was told "We are still syncing-up". I replied "I didn't know what that means". She really didn't have a clear response and I felt I was lied to. I told her I believe the reason Go Ahead has not posted the hotel was because they didn't have one. Again her response was vague.I called once a week for the next 4 weeks until the day of departure. And every time I called I got the same answer "Sorry, we're still trying to sync-up". Note: At this point it is one week until departure. I was seriously considering backing out but decided to go anyway.They finally posted the hotel and many of us were freaking out because it wasn't even in the ******* region. It was the next province over called *******. This meant that we were not staying anywhere near the ***************. This seems like a breach of the contract I had with Go Ahead.Once the tour started and we finally got to Day 6 (supposed to have hotel in ***************) and arrived at our hotel in town called Forte deli Marmi. It was a major disappointment. Not only were we not on the *************** (hence, the name of the tour) but the hotel was located at an off-ramp of the freeway. There was no town nearby, nowhere to go get food or anything.Also, there is another important issue about two different (optional) excursions in which many of us people were denied the ability to book while on tour.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/17/2023

  Hello ******,
  
  Thank you for contacting us here on the Better Business Bureau. I want to first thank you for your continued travel with us here at EF Go Ahead as I see this was your seventh tour with us. I am sorry to hear that this tour did not meet your expectations compared to your previous experiences with us. Your frustrations prior to tour concerning your hotels, I am sure, were compounded by the realities of the accommodations provided upon your arrival to the region you so looked forward to returning to. I know that our Operations team works hard to stay within our showcased hotels however sometimes when destinations like this are in their peak season as this region was while you were traveling, securing enough hotels rooms can be especially challenging and sometimes impossible. I do see that you are actively working with one of our Senior Customer Loyalty and Engagement team members and have been offered compensation for the impact this had on your overall tour experience. I also see that the Senior Team Member is working with our operations team to gather more information concerning the optional excursions in question. I encourage you to continue working with this team member as she is going to be your best resource and advocate to resolve these matters. Thank you for your ongoing patience and understanding as we work diligently to come to the best possible solution.
  
  In Gratitude,
  EF Go Ahead Tours

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/22/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased 2 traveler excursions from EF go ahead tour to ******, ***** ****. Travel dates Feb 17, 2023-Feb 27, 2023. to which we payed for Trip protection $399 per traveler. due to incorrect return flight information provided by *******************, EF go ahead on tour guide. We missed our flight back home. We had to pay out of pocket for new flight tickets plus pay for meals and 1 hotel night, total $1,821.82. After Submitting a claim form to Seven Corners travel insurance company our claim was denied. it was stated as follow: "Trip delay was listed as missed flight due to incorrect information provided by EF tour guide. Your policy is a named peril policy...It was determined that trip delay benefits do not apply... therefore your claim has been denied". After contacting EF go ahead tours they refuse to assist me with the denied claim and directed me to deal directly with Seven Corners as to which I have submitted an appeal for the claim denial and I'm still awaiting a response. I also filed a BBB complaint against Seven Corners and I'm still awaiting a resolution.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/29/2023

  Hello *******,
  
  I first want to thank you for taking the time to reach out to us here on the Better Business Bureau and want to apologize for the stress and frustration you experienced both on your return home from tour and after receiving your determination letter. When looking at your account there are a few variables we will need to discuss to come to the best solution possible so a member of our Customer Loyalty & Engagement team will reach out to you to gather a few more details concerning your filed claim for an appeal or to determine an alternative resolution. Again, we are so sorry for the distress this whole ordeal has caused both emotionally and financially and look forward to addressing this with you.
  
  In Gratitude,
  EF Go Ahead Tours    

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/01/2023

  Better Business Bureau: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 # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  July, 2023 I reached out to you(BBB) regarding a complaint and request for refund from EF Go ahead tours. Our flight back from our Feb 27,2023 ******, *****, **** excursion was delayed as we were given the incorrect return flight information from EF go ahead tour guide *******************. Our tour package included travel safe insurance coverage. I had been denied a refund by seven corners the insurance company to which I appealed. July of 2023 I received a response from EF Go ahead tours that I would be receiving a refund for the trip expenses as covered by the insurance plan as it was EF Go ahead tours guaranteed that they would return us safe back home. It was EF GO ahead tours fault that caused us to miss our flight back home. I was told by EF Go ahead tours that I would be receiving the refund as I submitted documentation of all our expenses caused by our delay for a total of $1821.82 dollars. I was told it would ***********-8 weeks to receive the check in the mail. As of today 10/27/2023 I have not received anything in the mail. I have also emailed EF Go Ahead tours for an update and also have attempted to call them and I have not received any answers. This is a follow up to complaint #******** filed with the BBB against EF Go Ahead tour. My settlement request is that EF Go Ahead tours delivers on it's promise to reimburse me. 

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/08/2023

  Hi *******,
  

  Thank you for reaching out to us on the Better Business Bureau platform. I hope you receive the email earlier this week regarding your claim. We apologize for the extended delay in processing your compensation related to the missed flight during your recent tour. I completely understand the frustration and inconvenience this delay has caused.
  

  We wanted to confirm you saw our update emailed to you on the status of your refund. The necessary steps have been taken to expedite the process, and I'm pleased to inform you that the compensation check has been scheduled for dispatch. It should reach you within the next 3-5 weeks via standard mail. Please rest assured that your compensation is a priority, and we are doing our utmost to ensure it reaches you in a timely manner.

  If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out. Your satisfaction and peace of mind are important to us, and we're here to support you in any way we can.
  

  Once again, we apologize for the inconvenience caused and sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding throughout this process.

  In Gratitude,

  EF Go Ahead Tours

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/19/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I was on a tour where we did not have hotel rooms reserved for the first 3 nights. We were told we were staying at ******** Blu but this did not happen. The trouble cost me money, sleep, and precious vacation time. My biggest problem with EF starts 3 weeks before we left for the trip. I asked 3 SEPARATE TIMES for my confirmation number with ******** Blu, as I was coming a night early and I wanted to stay in the same room. I was told they don't have numbers but they should get them as we get closer to the trip. ************ said they couldn't look up my reservation under my name, my husband's name, or EF's name and they needed a number. The day we left EF still couldn't give me a confirmation number. How did 3 separate agents miss the red flag that the whole group's reservation was messed up at ******** Blu? We paid $70 extra to stay at ******** Blu instead of a larger Airbnb 5 min walk away so we could be in the same hotel 4 consecutive nights. As it happens, we spent those 4 nights in 3 different hotels and I slept TERRIBLY on hard mattresses all nights except our night at ******** Blu. Not only did this cost me $70 personally, in addition to the profit EF now kept from what we paid for ******** Blu and what they paid for a 3 star hotel, the time wasted was over 6 hours over 2 days of our previous time abroad. This means we didn't get to do certain items on EF's advertised itinerary. The first full day in ********* we rode around on the bus in traffic for 3 hours instead of shopping in the souks and seeing snake charmers, as we shuttled people back-and-forth. I tried to work this out with EF but they offered my $200 in CREDITS, which are useless because I would never travel with EF again. I know for a fact that the difference in rooms was much more than that, therefore, EF is profiting off of our bad circumstances, which is simply unethical. I just want the difference in hotel costs between ******** and where we actually stayed plus the $70 I paid out of pocket.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/21/2023

  Hello *****,

  Thank you for contacting us here at the Better Business Bureau. As you discussed with one of our Customer Loyalty and Engagement team members, our hotel standards promised to travelers are 3- to 4-star hotels; we do not  guarantee any 5-star hotels. The two hotels that the group was moved to are within our quality standards. All travelers pay a flat rate for their hotels through us so the price we pay is an unchanging, contracted price that does not always match the price displayed on the hotels' website and can be either more or less that what is independently advertised. While we will not be offering further compensation, we have already made the exception to make your Future Travel Vouchers transferrable to use with other EF products, such as *****************, or to another person if you do not want to use them yourselves. We will keep your vouchers on file with us if you do decide to use them in the future. We do hope to see you traveling again soon, be that with Go Ahead or not. Thank you again for reiterating your concerns with us here on the Better Business Bureau as customer feedback is the cornerstone of our decision making when addressing changes to policies, itineraries, vendors, etc. 

  In Gratitude,

  EF Go Ahead Tours

   
  

   

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/21/2023

  Better Business Bureau: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 # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  First of all, this response in contradictory to the response via email which stated that one of the hotels DOES NOT meet EF's minimum standards.  That is the reason I was offered a voucher that will go unused as I am not comfortable with travelling with a company that I now know to behave unethically.

   

  More importantly, the ethical thing to do would be flow the savings to the customers when EF ends up paying less for a lower quality hotel than was planned.  I feel like I was robbed of sleep, vacation time, and comfort and EF is PROFITING from that inconvenience to me.  This policy actually encourages EF to have issues with higher quality hotels, waste vacation time of customers, and book them in uncomfortable hotels because they will get to pocket the difference in costs.  This is fundamentally wrong and unethical.  It is EF's fault that they did not realize our hotel was double booked when I gave them 3 chances to realize this ahead of time.  They are not taking responsibility nor doing the fair thing of reimbursing the amount the planned on paying for hotels and the amount they actually paid for lesser hotels.

  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  *****

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/16/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  First time using this company and I could not log in to the app to update my name and now they are trying to charge me almost 2000$ to do a name change. After contacting the Airfrance, ********* told me that all Go ahead has to do is contact the Airfrance and do a name change and there is no fee for the name change but I guess Go ahead is just trying to take advantage and charge us for everything we have. Also on Go Ahead's website it states that if there is a name change there would be a $75.00 name change NOT a almost $2000 charge.I have told Go Ahead if we could do a three way call with Airfrance so we can take care of this and Go ahead refuses to cooperate with my simple request. Why? because they are trying to just over charge me for something that can be easily be taken care of with Airfrance over the phone. The only solution Go Ahead offers me is to cancel the trip and loose more than half of my money.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/21/2023

  Hello *********************************,

  Thank you for contacting us on the Better Business Bureau. We are sorry for the frustration and miscommunication you have experienced due to your flights and ticketing issues. Looking at your account it appears that this was addressed and seemed resolved on May 30th, 2023 however seeing that this is ongoing at this point we will be sure to have a team member reach out to you immediately to ensure a smooth connection to your tour. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work this all out. 

  In Gratitude, 

  EF Go Ahead Tours

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/21/2023

  Better Business Bureau: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 # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  I am not satisfied with the resolution Go Ahead has offered. So I called your office this evening to see if there was an update and the representative I spoke with said she does not now where you got the date of May 30th. The representative informed me that my in order to update my name I have to pay over a $****. She said that I should not have called Airfrance. ********* has told me that even with with an agency they can simply change the name and we do not have to pay for the name change. I do not feel its right or fair for anyone to have to pay over *********************************************************************************************************************** directly at **************. 
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  ******

   

   

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/11/2023

  Hello ********************,
  
  I have been able to connect with our flights department as well as the Director of Customer Experience regarding your case. Because we request all passport details including the correct spelling of passport names by the Tour Finalization Date (for your tour, this was 70 days prior to departure) and received updated information from you just 46 days prior to departure, we already paid the airline for your reservation in full and confirmed your itinerary with the incorrect name; at this point we are subject to any charges applied by the airline for making a last-minute booking. The reason changing the name on the booking is not possible without purchasing a new ticket is because this is a code share booking. Meaning, one airline sells the flight and another airline operates the flight. Because of this, as a third party booking service, we at EF Go Ahead Tours are not able to make the changes you have requested. It is unfortunate that the operating airline misinformed you not taking into account this code sharing status. I have reviewed the fees and transactions and can assure you that the charges incurred for the new ticket are strictly through the airline and Go Ahead has waived the standard $75 service fee for you.
  
  To prevent any future errors please be sure to reach out to us before your tour finalization date through any of our channels such as the Go Ahead mobile app, our website chat feature ***********************************************************************************, calling in to our Traveler Support team at ************** (we are available weekdays 9 am - 7 pm EST and Saturdays 9 am - 5 pm EST), emailing our Traveler Support team at ******************************************** messaging our service department ****************************************************************, or contacting the *********** on our website. We are sorry for the frustration this situation has caused but hope you and your group have an amazing time in ******. 

  In Gratitude,

  EF Go Ahead Tours

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/11/2023

  Better Business Bureau: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 # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  I am not satisfied, as i tried logging on the app, website, and tried calling to get this fixed before the date. I kept getting the run around and until Go Ahead finally called me and told me I HAD to update my information and the person sent me an email with a special link I was finally able to confirm my information. One other thing is that we all had to log in to confirm and check off our correct name DOB etc. Meaning if I i didnt check that off or confirm that that was my correct spelling, Go Ahead should have not bought the ticket until I had logged in to confirm that. As all other family members that are going were able to log in and confirm their names.  Again if I didnt confirm my information, or terms and conditions. Why would yall buy the tickets? Why wouldnt yall call, email or reach out to me earlier to make my do the check list. So I didnt agree to the your terms and conditions and name information until that day that I was finally able to log in and update it. 
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  ******

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/06/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On Tuesday, May 30, I booked a trip with EF Tours for *******, ******************* departing on July 6, 2023, in the amount of $3,849.00. Subsequently, I chose to pay with Affirm for a loan. The total came to $4,055.02 with *****% APR. I needed to cancel this trip the following day, May 31, 2023 as I had accidentally booked the wrong dates. I spoke with **************** from EF on this day and he told me that the trip was cancelled and that I would be hearing from EF or Affirm within the next few days. I had not heard from either companies. Today, June 6, I was approved for this loan that I thought was cancelled. I attempted to speak with Affirm but they did not seem very helpful.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/08/2023

  Hello ******,

  Thank you for reaching out to us here on the Better Business Bureau. We are sorry to hear that you need to cancel and are having challenges doing so. A member of our Service team will be reaching out soon to assist you in this. Thank you again for contacting us on the BBB and we hope to get to travel with you soon!

  In Gratitude,

  EF Go Ahead

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/16/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Im attending a trip to ******, ********, and ****** with my father this coming Friday 5/26. My surname on the *************** ticket has a typo. I have now contacted GoAhead support 7+ times to get this resolved, always being told that they reached out to *************** and are waiting on an update. I have now been waiting for them to fix this for over a week and cannot fix it myself seeing as GoAhead made the booking. I board in less than two weeks and dont even know if I can get on the plane. Your flight team taking over a week to solve an issue that could be solved in a phone call (based on two calls Ive had with *************** themselves) and that no one in customer service seems remotely concerned at the amount of time this is taking is absolutely unacceptable.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/06/2023

  Hello ********,

  Thank you for reaching out to us on the Better Business Bureau. We are so sorry to hear of the stress and anxiety this situation had caused you. We are glad to see that you made it safely to tour with your group and we hope you have an amazing time on tour. Please feel free to reach out to our Customer Loyalty and Engagement Team upon your return should you like to provide more feedback on your pre tour experience as well as how things went on tour. Thank you again for reaching out and we wish you safe travels. 

  In Gratitude,

  EF Go Ahead Tours

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/07/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *****************************