Complaints

This profile includes complaints for WorldStrides's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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• 

  WorldStrides

  218 W Water St # 400 Charlottesville, VA 22902-5062

  
• 

  WorldStrides Heritage Performance Programs

  PO Box 571187 Salt Lake City, UT 84157-1187

• 

  WorldStrides

  3060 Washington Road, Suite 240 Glenwood Office Park Glenwood, MD 21738

• 

  WorldStrides Heritage Performance Programs

  2650 S Decker Lake Blvd Ste 200 Salt Lake City, UT 84119-2088

• 

  WorldStrides Heritage Performance Programs

  2650 S Decker Lake Blvd West Valley City, UT 84119-2049

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:02/04/2025

  Type:Product 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.

  We have been waiting over 6 months for our refund. We signed our daughter up for a trip with WorldStrides through her school. Last summer we had to make the decision to cancel the trip for a daughter due to health issues. We contacted WorldStrides on July 24th of 2024. At that point we had paid a total of $3,147.44. They issued a $399.00 cancellation fee and an Ultimate Protection Plan fee of $249.00 leaving us due a refund of $2,499.44. We were instructed that it will take 11 weeks to process and receive the funds. By November when we hadn't received the funds, we contacted them again. We were told they would send a new check and expedite it. Come Jan of 2025 I contacted them again and was told to wait again for another week and they would issue a check on Jan 29th and send it overnight delivery on the 28th to be received on the 30th. I was told they would send me a tracking # as well. This never happened, no tracking number and still no refund.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/07/2025

  Dear Allistair,

  Thank you for reaching out to us and sharing your experience. We truly value your feedback and want you to know that we take your concerns seriously.

  First and foremost, please accept our sincere apologies for the delay in processing your refund. Despite our efforts to expedite the process, an error in our system prevented this from happening as promised.

  We are pleased to inform you that we are now working to send your refund check via express service. The check is scheduled to be sent no later than Thursday February 6th, 2025. You can track the delivery of your package using the *** tracking number 1Z9474270191465384 on the *** website at *******.

  We appreciate your patience and understanding during this process. Please know that you are a valued customer of **********************, and we look forward to providing you with a better experience in the future.

  Best regards,
  ******** *******

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/10/2025

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's offer.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. If the company does not perform as promised I can get back to you at: *********************************************************************************.
  
  Regards,
  
  Allistair Former
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/03/2025

  Type:Order 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.

  We booked a school trip for my daughter with Worlstrides. However, due to the impact of recent Los Angeles wildfires, which have been declared a national emergency, we are unable to make the trip. Per worldstrides policies, for exceptional circumstances including acts for force majeure, wordstrides will provide a full refund minus some cancellation fee. Even after repeated attempts to contact them, they are not wiling to honor their own policies and issue a full refund.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/07/2025

  Dear *****,
  
  Thank you for reaching out to us and sharing your experience. We truly value your feedback and want you to know that we take your concerns seriously.
  
  We are extremely sorry that Jia will be unable to attend her trip, given the recent events in **********. While we empathize with your situation, we want to confirm that looking into the details the cancellation policy that you are referring to is applicable to group cancellations due to exceptional circumstance which is not your case. The exception you are requesting falls outside of our terms and conditions, however, we are making an additional exception for you and provide you with a higher refund amount than the one due based on the cancelation policy applicable to your account.
  As per the standard cancellation policy, since you confirmed the cancelation of your account at 66 days prior to the departure date the refund amount was $1452.00. However, as an exception given the circumstances you expressed the refund that you will be receiving is $2237.50.
  

  Once again, thank you for choosing WorldStrides. We truly value your business and hope to have the opportunity to serve you again in the future.
  

  Best regards, 
  
  ****** *****

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/13/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  What ****** is offering was already discussed and agreed up with ****** at Worldstrides on Feb 3rd, as I had made the cancelation request more than 75 days before the trip via email. I am really surprised that this business has not empathy to the Los Angeles fires, which was declared a national emergency. While I appreciate ****** clarifying that their policy only applies for group cancelation and not individual cancelation, I'd expect folks to do the right thing at this time as a lot of folks in *********** have lost homes and jobs.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** ******
  
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/16/2025

  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.

  I cancelled my daughters trip on 12.7.24 and was told it would be up to 6 weeks to receive my refund. Over the last 6 weeks, they have given me nothing but the run around on the status. Now that their time is up they tell me that We apologize for the inconvenience. Were currently experiencing some issues with our refund process and our system has stopped all checks and transactions, what! This is a stalling tactic and shady business dealings. I work in IT and know how payment systems works. This is 2025, not 1996. I want the refund that is rightfully owed me for the cancelled trip VanHassent-4408.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/27/2025

  Dear ********, 
  Thank you for taking the time to share your review with us. We appreciate your honesty and value your feedback. Were truly sorry that your experience fell short of your expectations. Your comments are essential to our continuous improvement, and we take them seriously.
  We apologize for any inconvenience you may have faced, and were committed to making things right. Our team is actively addressing the issue you raised, and well work diligently to prevent similar situations in the future. Currently, I am waiting for confirmation regarding the current status of your refund check, once this has been confirmed, I will share it with you.
  Thank you once again for choosing our brand, and we hope to have the opportunity to serve you better in the future.
  
  Best regards,
  ****** *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/13/2025

  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.

  We recently had to cancel an 8th grade school trip 61 days before the trip took place. Per their refund policy, "- 25% of the base trip price (minimum charge of $120 if base trip price is $400 or more) if your cancellation letter is postmarked more than 75 days prior to the groups departure - 50% of the base trip price if your cancellation letter is postmarked 45 to 74 days prior to groups departure, or - 100% of the base trip price if your cancellation letter is postmarked 44 days or fewer prior to groups departure."There is also mention of some "non-refundable fees" but none are listed within the program documents. We were notified of an $89 cancellation fee as well.The total cost of the trip is $3,879. We paid a total of $3,699, as there were discounts of $100 and $80 applied through the school for a meeting reward and early registration, respectively. Based on their policy, our total payments of $3,699, minus the $89 cancellation fee, is $3,610. 50% of that is $1,805 which is our expected refund. The company is claiming that we are responsible for 50% of the total trip cost, not of what we paid, which according to their calculation is $1,670.50. I do not feel this is fair, as the policy documents do not clearly state how the calculation is preformed. While we understand the penalty for cancelling the trip, we feel mislead by how much money they are keeping.Ideally, I feel a full refund would be appropriate since I believe they are intentionally ambiguous and unclear on their refund policy, but if that is not achievable, at minimum we should receive half of what was paid (minus the disclosed $89 fee).

  Business Response

  Date: 01/21/2025

  Thank you for reaching out to us regarding your recent experience. We appreciate your feedback and take all customer concerns seriously.

  Upon reviewing your complaint,we understand that you are requesting a specific action or request] that is not covered by our standard Terms and Conditions. While we strive to accommodate our customers needs, there are certain limitations outlined in our policies.Please see our standard policies below:

  Standard *************************** services and value we provide begin long before your date of departure, and there are significant unrecoverable costs as your departure date approaches. Therefore, if you do not enroll in the Full Refund Program (discussed below) and you, the Program Leader, school, or school administration cancel beyond the 24-hour grace ******* WorldStrides will be entitled to retain (in addition to the Non-Refundable Fees):
  25% of the base trip price (minimum charge of $120 if the base trip price is $400 or more) if your cancellation letter is postmarked more than 75 days before the groups departure.
  50% of the base trip price if your cancellation letter is postmarked 45 to 74 days before the groups departure.
  100% of the base trip price if your cancellation letter is postmarked 44 days or fewer before the groups departure.
  

  Please see the breakdown of the cancellation fees provided below:
   Based cost of the trip $3,879
   Retention 50% if cancelling ***** days before departure =$1939.50
   Retention of deposit =$89 
  Total retentions = $2028.50 
  Total payments out of pocket $3699
  Total refund = $1670.50

  We apologize if this causes any inconvenience. However, we kindly ask for your understanding that our policies are in place to ensure fairness and consistency for all our customers. If there is an alternative solution we can explore within the existing guidelines, we would be more than happy to assist. Please feel free to share any additional details or context,and we will do our best to find a resolution.

  Thank you for your understanding.

  patience and continued support. We value your business and hope to address your concerns effectively.

  Best regards,
  
  ******** *******
  
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/13/2025

  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.

  I used World Strides (through my daughter's school portal) to pay for a field trip to ******, **. The trip was cancelled due to low participation. I called World Strides many times and was given the run around regarding my refund. Eventually they refunded me one method via ********** card, and sent two checks (after much back and forth and many calls). After depositing the checks in the amount of $400.0 and $233.00 to ***************, they were returned as invalid. I called World Strides only to get a blank and continuous ringing. After a week I got someone on the phone who said they would resend the checks, which I declined because the checks were not good. They refused and said they would arrive in 2 weeks. Fast froward to 2 weeks, no checks have been received. I spoke with World Strides today and said they were processed on 12/31/24 and she would get the checks in 6 weeks. Then he changed it to the checks were mailed on 1/2/25 and it would be received on 1/17/25. After requesting that the monies $633.00 be refunded via my CHIME CARD (one original form of payment as I used two both Chime and ***************) he then said that would another 6 weeks to refund via CHIME. I explained that the checks were bad and that *************** rejected them, they would not provide a valid resolution. If possible, I also want Punitive damages from World Strides, this is illegal and unacceptable. Thank you.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/17/2025

  Dear *****,

  
  Thank you for reaching out to us regarding your recent experience. We appreciate your feedback and take all customer concerns seriously.
  Upon reviewing your complaint, we want to offer you our deepest apologies, your refund amount is $633.00 has been processed and mailed on the week of 01/02/25 to the mailing address on file on your Worldstrides accounts.
  As per our standard procedure, the check was dispatched via **** standard service, which typically takes between one to four weeks for delivery. Since we do not control **** delivery schedules, we kindly ask you to allow for this time frame.
  Thank you for your patience and continued support. We value your business and hope to address your concerns effectively.

  Best regards, 

  ****** *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/06/2025

  Type:Product 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.

  My daughter received a letter in the mail stating she was being offered an opportunity to audition for an honors performance to be held in ******** or ****** *********. She submitted her application, audition tape and deposit along with the application fee while waiting for the application that she submitted for a scholarship which stated that they could award up to the total amount of the trip. She received the approval for the scholarship however was only awarded a little over $300. When we contacted the company to let them know she would not be able to come up with the rest of the funds (which totaled over $4000) before the trip and request a refund. We were told they only refund the initial deposit if you are not accepted into the program. I requested to speak with a supervisor and was told I would receive a callback within 48 hours. I have not received a callback and no further communication. We contacted them within 14 days of the deposit being submitted and well before the July date of the trip and concert. I do not believe that they have the right to keep the funds. How many other people are the saying have been accepted and keeping the deposit or additional funds contributed to the trip without the enrollee being able to attend?

  Business Response

  Date: 01/10/2025

  I hope this message finds you well.

  We have reviewed the terms and conditions agreed upon at the time of registration, which state that deposits are non-refundable once accepted into the program. By completing an application, you acknowledge that your student plans to participate if accepted into the program. Upon acceptance as a Finalist, a spot is reserved for your student within the ensemble.

  We apologize for any confusion this may have caused. Our scholarships are partial financial scholarships designed to assist as many students as possible. Currently, we do not offer any half or full scholarships.
  However, I will agree to refund the $200 deposit. Please note that the $29 application fee is non-refundable. The refund will be processed within four weeks.

  Thank you for your understanding.

  Best regards,
  ******** *******

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/10/2025

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's offer.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. If the company does not perform as promised I can get back to you at: *********************************************************************************.
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* ******
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/13/2024

  Type:Billing 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.

  I paid Explorica about $6000 for me and my granddaughter *** ********* to go on a school trip to *********** in June 2024. The sightseeing part of the trip was great, however the travel logistics were horrible. The company delayed booking the flights so we ended up having a layover in *****. It took us 24 hours to get to ***********. The first night in ***********, Explorica had not reserved enough hotel rooms for the group. I paid extra to have a single room but ended up having to share the room with my granddaughter every night as a bed was not reserved for her. People in our group had to go to a different hotel because there weren't any rooms available at the hotel we were staying. The trip was planned so poorly we ended up spending most of our trip on the bus traveling from location to location. Due to all the problems we had, the teacher who organized the trip complained and Explorica agreed to refund me the additional fee paid for the single room and refunded everyone in the group $200. I received my refund, however the refund due to my granddaughter has not been paid. We have called multiple times. They keep saying that they're mailing the check but we have yet to receive it. We have asked for them to send it in a way that can be tracked but they have not complied. I hope you are able to help us.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/17/2024

  Dear *****,

  Thank you for reaching out to us and sharing your experience. We truly value your feedback and want you to know that we take your concerns seriously.
  First and foremost, please accept our sincere apologies for the delay in processing your refund. Despite our efforts to expedite the process, an error in our system prevented this from happening as promised.

  We are pleased to inform you that we are now working to send your refund check via *********** Mail delivery no later than December 17th, 2024. Please allow 2 to 3 business days for the check to be delivered.

  We truly value you as a customer. As a token of our appreciation,we would like to offer you a $100.00 compensation which will be mailed out on a separate check in a few weeks.

  We appreciate your patience and understanding during this process. Please know that you are a valued customer of **********************, and we look forward to providing you with a better experience in the future.

  Best regards,
  ******** *******

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/19/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. 

  I would like to start with the fact that my name is not *****, it's *****. However, I do apprciated the reply from Mr. ******* as he has not been available to us since the first time we spoke with him back in October. He seems to always be in a meeting or at lunch, no matter what time of the day we call.  We did receive a tracking number for the check that was sent via **** The check was sent to the wrong address! We updated the address four months ago and have verified the address everytime we have called but yet it was still sent out to the old address!  We are once again at square one! I don't know that I can express how frustrating this whole situation is, not only the poorly planned trip but now having to chase down a check. At this point, I don't think the additional $100 covers all the time and effort we have had to spend on this situation. This company really needs to do a better job. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *********
  
  
  
  

  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/26/2024

  Dear *****,
  Thank you for taking the time to share your review with us. We appreciate your honesty and value your feedback. We sincerely apologize that your experience fell short of your expectations. Your comments are essential to our continuous improvement, and we take them very seriously.
  We are truly sorry for any inconvenience you may have faced. Please rest assured that we are committed to making things right. Our team is actively addressing the issue you raised, and we are working diligently to prevent similar situations in the future.
  We are currently investigating why the system continues to reflect the incorrect mailing address despite several updates with the correct information. Additionally, we are expecting to receive the tracking number for the check that has already been reissued to the correct mailing address. As soon as we have that information, we will send it to you via email and also post it through the BBB.
  Thank you once again for choosing our brand. We hope to have the opportunity to serve you better in the future.
  Best regards,
  
  ****** *****

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/03/2025

   

  In regards to the complaint ID stated above, we have finally received the refund check that we have been waiting for the last 5 months! However, we will see if we receive the additional funds that were offered by the company. This was not about the amount of the refund but the principle of them following through with what was promised after a badly planned tour trip. Thank you for your help in the matter. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/09/2024

  Type:Product 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.

  I canceled trip with Explorica on August 16th and paid the cancellation fee of $399. Ive called this company numerous times inquiring about my refund which was supposedly processed on the 16th of October. It is now November 9th and I still have not received my money. The refund amount is over $3800 and every time I call them they have some sort of excuse. This is by far the worst company to deal with when trying to get your money back. But they are quick to debit your account. I will not be using them again. I have one more trip with them and I want to cancel that because of this experience.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/12/2024

  Dear Dinette,
  Thank you for reaching out to us regarding your recent experience. We appreciate your feedback and take all customer concerns seriously.
  Upon reviewing your complaint, we want to offer you our deepest apologies, your refund amount is $3892.00 has been processed and mailed on the week of 10/18/24 to the mailing address on file on your Explorica account.
  As per our standard procedure, the check was dispatched via **** standard service, which typically takes between one to four weeks for delivery. Since we do not control **** delivery schedules, we kindly ask you to allow for this time frame.
  In case you do not receive your refund check, we will be happy to start the reissue process 30 days after the check was issued, this will be on 11/16/24. Please dont hesitate to contact us and let us know.
  Thank you for your patience and continued support. We value your business and hope to address your concerns effectively.

  Best regards, 
  
  ****** *****

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/16/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  I dont know what date to believe at this point because first I was told the check would be mailed on the 1st of Nov. That representative did not see any mailings or check number that was sent out. Then last week I was told it was mailed on the 26th of October and now this message is saying the 18th of October. It is now the 16th of November and I still havent received anything. Regular mail, in the *************, does not take 30days so why would I have to wait 30days for a reissue based on the date that the above message said it was sent out. I am requesting *** expedited investigation and reissue of the check please. 

  
  Regards,
  
  Dinette *******
  
  
  
  

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/21/2024

  Good afternoon, I am writing in regards to the above complaint. I contacted the company after I did not receive my refund on the day they indicated and they told me that I have to contact your company. They also claimed someone would contact me but I still have not received any communications. Your help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
  
   
  
  Thank you,
  
   
  
  Dinette *******

  Business Response

  Date: 11/22/2024

  Dear Dinette,

  Thank you for reaching out to us regarding your recent experience. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. Your feedback is invaluable, and we take all customer concerns very seriously.

  Upon reviewing your complaint, we have requested that the previous check be voided and a new one reissued. Additionally, once this process is complete, we will send your check via an express delivery service to ensure it reaches you promptly.

  As soon as we have the tracking number, we will share it with you. If your mailing address has changed, please let us know so we can update your information accordingly.

  Thank you for your patience and continued support. We value your business and are committed to addressing your concerns effectively.
  Best regards,

  ****** *****

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/22/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's offer.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. If the company does not perform as promised I can get back to you at: *********************************************************************************.
  
  Regards,
  
  Dinette *******
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/06/2024

  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 paid additional money for an excursion for my child. They were not able to go due to the ************** being closed. When they returned we were told to contact the company for a refund. I did, I was told they couldnt do anything until the travel guide filed his log within the following month. I then contacted the company in July and August and was told I would be receiving a refund in about 8-10 weeks. I then followed up and was told I would be getting a refund but they werent sure when it would be sent out. Multiple times I contacted the company and each time since June I was told the refund check was just waiting to be sent. Just today they advised they will not be refunding. They stated that they went on a different excursion, however, EVERYONE went on the excursion not just those who paid for an additional tour. I should receive the refund promised multiple times since there were others who went on the replacement tour did not have to pay anything additional.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/07/2024

  Thank you for reaching out to us and sharing your experience. We truly value your feedback and want you to know that we take your concerns seriously.
  
  Please be advised that on certain dates, some attractions or activities may be closed, and the availability of some venues advertised or communicated cannot be guaranteed. Venues may also close without prior notice due to public holidays, festivals, or routine maintenance.

  
  In the event that, for any reason beyond WorldStrides control, one of the activities listed on the itinerary is not accomplished, our team will work diligently to find an alternative activity that provides an educational experience for our travelers.

  
  We truly value you as a customer. As a token of our appreciation, we would like to offer you a $80.00 future travel credit for any trip you might book in the future.

  
  Thank you once again for choosing WorldStrides. We hope to have the opportunity to serve you better in the future.
  
  Best regards,
  ******** *******

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/07/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  [Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.]
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* *******
  
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/05/2024

  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.

  Worldstrides originally sold us a school; trip for $1752. On the final payment, that figured ballooned to $2259. I have requested in writing and over the phone an itemized updated bill to explain the discrepancy. They have offered me nothing. They have not provided any financial information at all for this trip. The only point person for the trip is the high school band director, and he has no information. Managers will not return my calls (11/5, 11/1, 10/30, 10/25). Was promised an email update today, did not receive an email 11/5. At this point, I suspect fraudulent charges and want the account balance for the trip refunded in the amount of $507 to restore the initial agreed upon price for the trip.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/07/2024

  Thank you for reaching out to us and sharing your experience. We truly value your feedback and want you to know that we take your concerns seriously.

  I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to address your concerns regarding the recent increase in the tour price. Upon thorough review, we have determined that the reason for the price adjustment is due to the minimum enrollment requirement not being met.

  The original price was based on an expected enrollment of 68 participants, as outlined in your Parent Registration Letter, which I have attached for your reference. This letter also detailed the potential for price changes under such circumstances.

  Furthermore, I would like to clarify that we do not provide an itemized breakdown of the tour cost. This is because our pricing structure is based on group reservations and all-inclusive packages, and all prices are quoted accordingly.

  Please feel free to reach out if you have any further questions or additional comments. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to assisting you.

  Thank you for your continued support.

  Best regards,
  ******** *******

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/08/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  The business, as stated in my original complaint, refuses to provide proof for the price increase. Without providing proof which would validate this price increase, I am unwilling to just take their word for it. No notice was sent to customers or the school about the price increase for this trip. I believe WorldStrides' actions to be in violation of Illinois state law: HB0296, and the Illinois Travel Promotion Consumer Protection Act, section b.

  Regards,
  
  ******* *******