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Business Profile

Special Education

WorldStrides

Headquarters

Complaints

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

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WorldStrides has 10 locations, listed below.

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    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 132 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 43 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

    If you've experienced an issue

    Submit a Complaint

    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.

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    Complaint status

    Complaint type

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:10/17/2024

      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.
      In April of 2024, our school sent out an email to sign up for a field trip that is for 8th graders in April 2025. I signed up Fairly Quickly as these trip have a limited number of slots and sell out fairly quickly. I chose the debit card option and picked an auto saved card. Unfortunately the card I picked was a credit card which incurred 2% fee. Upon signing up, there was notification from the ez pay that we would be notified before the charge occurs. I never got notified of any pre payments as if they had sent it to me I would have changed it to a debit card. I called them on 10/16/24 and changed to a debit card. They told me to contact the credit card company to reimburse the fees. The credit card company indicated that it was worldstrides charging the fee not the credit card company. I called them again and requested for a courtesy reimbursement. They said a manager would call me back and no one ever did. First they didnt send me notification on the payments per their protocol and secondly dismissed my concern. I hope they do not do this to other families either. They need to notify them as they promise. I would like reimbursement of my 2% that I paid

      Business Response

      Date: 10/22/2024

      Dear Deepa,


      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. To comply with your request, weve applied a credit to your account in the amount of $67.00 which is the total surcharge fee for the entire cost of the trip.


      If theres anything else youd like to share or discuss, please feel free to contact us directly. Were here to listen and learn from our mistakes.
      Thank you once again for choosing our brand, and we hope to have the opportunity to serve you better in the future.


      Best regards,

      ****** *****

      Customer Answer

      Date: 10/22/2024

      [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,

      Deepa Rekha



    • Initial Complaint

      Date:10/11/2024

      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 March 31, 2023, we paid for our child's *************/** trip scheduled for June 21 - 27, 2024. With that purchase we paid $339 for the full refund program. On June 19, 2024 she developed a fever, and then tested positive for Covid. We had to cancel her attendance on the trip for obvious reasons. We contacted them on the 20th and were told that the cancellation was noted in the system, and there was nothing else we needed to do, and we should receive our refund in 6 to 8 weeks. Since then, we have followed up with 3 phone calls on separate occasions inquiring about our refund. Each time we were put off and told that it was coming. WorldStrides' website says it can take up to 12 weeks to receive your refund. It has been 17. The last contact was on 9/30/24 at 1:20pm PST when I spoke to *******, and was told our refund would be processed no later than today 10/11/24. They are an ****************** and it is 7pm their time with no refund on our account. We paid $3513, of which $3125 should be fully refunded.

      Business Response

      Date: 10/15/2024

      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 **** no later than October 18th, 2024. Please allow 7 to 10 business days for the check to be delivered.

      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,
      ******** *******

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:10/07/2024

      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.
      It's about a field trip from my daughter's school (Loving Savior), this trip is organized and charged by WorldStrides. Traveler Name: ******** *** Customer Account Number: ********* Trip ID: ****** When we received the paper flyer of this trip from the school, the flyer didn't mentioned every student going on the trip needs an adult chaperone to go with them, so we registered and pay $49.98(includes 2% credit card fee) register fee on 8/27/24, then they charged us $204(includes 2% credit card fee) on 9/17/24. We received an email from my daughter's teacher mentioned every student going on the trip needs an adult chaperone to go with them on 9/19/24. But I and my wife don't have time to go to this trip, so we contacted WorldStrides and explained the situation that it's not our fault and requested for a full refund of total $253.98. They told us they didn't require this, they will contact the school to figure out the situation. WorldStrides contacted us back after a week on 9/27/24, a gentleman who said himself is a supervisor told us they already contacted the school and knew about the situation, but their policy is no refund, the best they can do is to refund us half of what we paid, which is $125. I said if that's the best you can do, then we will take this refund. But till today 10/7/24, we still don't see any refund to our credit card. And here is my opinion, apparently we were mislead by the flyer and made the wrong decision, it's not our fault at all on this matter, 0% fault. That's why we need to cancel the trip and ask for a full refund. So I wish BBB can help me to get the full refund for this case. Thank you.

      Business Response

      Date: 10/10/2024

      Dear Jeanping ,
      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 Victoria will be unable to
      attend her trip, due to you as parents not being able to attend. While we
      empathize with your situation, we want to confirm that looking into the details
      of the process our records indicate that the Program Leader at your school
      shared this information with all the parents at the parent meeting. She has
      confirmed that this is a rule in place to assure the safety and good care of all
      students participating in the trip as the students are very young, The exception
      you are requesting falls outside of our terms and conditions, however, we are
      looking into the possibility of making an additional exception for you and
      provide you with a higher amount than the one provided before through the
      exception already granted, while we cannot guarantee it, we want to assure you
      that we’re looking into it and will get back to you as soon as possible.
      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, 

      Isabel Solis

      Customer Answer

      Date: 10/11/2024

      Better Business Bureau:



      I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 22393782, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.


      They didn't offer any extra refund in the message, but I would like to respond to their message, if you can please forward it to them? Thank you.

      In the merchant's reply, they mentioned "our records indicate that the Program Leader at your school shared this information with all the parents at the parent meeting." 

      Regarding this, I want to clarify, the parent meeting was held by the end of the summer vacation, while it's still in the summer vacation, our family was out on vacation and did not attend this meeting, and we didn't receive any meeting summery after the meeting from the teacher, so we didn't know any rules about this trip, the only information we received was the flyer. And as I mentioned before, it's not our fault at all.



      Regards,



      Zhenke Lai








      Business Response

      Date: 10/15/2024

      Dear Jianping,

      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 apologize for any inconvenience you may have
      faced, and we’re committed to making things right. Our team is actively
      addressing the issue you raised, and we’ll work diligently to prevent similar
      situations in the future.

      We are
      pleased to inform you that an additional refund of $124.00 was granted bringing
      your account to a total refund of $249.00, to be issued within 4 to 6 weeks.

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

      Best
      regards,
      Cristian
      Escobar

      Customer Answer

      Date: 10/15/2024

      [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 22393782, 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: [email protected].



      Regards,



      Zhenke Lai






    • Initial Complaint

      Date:09/26/2024

      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.
      My son was signed up to go on his 8th grade band Cleveland trip. I found out in August that his trip was "cancelled" and he can no longer go. I went onto my parent portal and it said NOTHING. My deposit went through and I signed up for automated withdraw. On my end everything looked correct. We only found out through the teacher that his trip was canceled. I have called them 5x. Every time they say they are going to call me back and don't. The band teacher said there is plenty of room on the trip but they claim there is nothing they can do. On February 22 I signed him up. On Feb 23 the canceled the trip (without telling me, no email, nothing, the portal does not even say it is canceled). On Feb 28 they withdraw the deposit of $125!! After they supposedly canceled the trip for him. Why in the world would I think his trip was canceled if they withdraw the money and it did not say anything in my parent portal. After the 2nd phone call I made they closed my account so I can longer get on the parent portal to prove anything. The band teacher said this happened to other students as well. They refunded my $125 yesterday again without a single communication. They never sent a single email about ANYTHING. The band teacher said this year they have made a lot of mistakes and now they will not return my phone calls. The 1st time I called the person said it should be no problem to add him on and now they are ghosting me. This is his big 8th grade trip with the band he has been with for 3 years. He is the only one who plays his instrument so that's a bummer for the whole band. Their customer service is awful and this was THEIR mistake on THEIR end and I want them to fix it. I can't upload any documents because they completely closed down my account.

      Business Response

      Date: 09/27/2024

      Thank you for reaching out to us regarding your recent experience. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your feedback, which we take very seriously. Upon reviewing your complaint case,we would like to clarify the following points:

      *The registration was made on February 22nd, 2024, the reservation was not completed upon registration.
      *On the same day February 22nd, 2024, we sent you an email to log in to your account and pay the initial deposit to book the registration.
      *Upon not receiving the payment during the deadline provided the account was canceled on February 23rd, 2024.
      *On February 26th you logged in to the account and made the payment for the initial deposit, unfortunately, the deadline had already passed, and the account remained canceled.
      *You contacted us on September 12th since you were informed the account was canceled.
      *We have already issued a full refund back to your account.

      Currently, we are unable to accommodate additional participants for the trip due to our strict adherence to enrollment deadlines necessary for group reservations. We plan and book well in advance with our third-party providers, which necessitates sticking to these deadlines.


      We have contacted the corresponding departments regarding your concern, unfortunately, we were informed reservations can no longer be made.
      We value your business, thank you for your patience and choosing our services. We are committed to regaining your trust and hope to serve you better in the future.

      Best Regards

      ******** *******


      Customer Answer

      Date: 09/27/2024

      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.

      You failed to mention that you accept my payment on Feb 28 and then in the parent portal it appeared as everything was good. You also kept my money!!!! I would provide proof of that but you conveniently shut down my portal. The 1st ****** I contacted made it sound like it was a mistake on YOUR company. When you shut down my portal that's when I knew your company was shady. Even at that point you still kept my $125. It wasn't until the 3rd or 4th ****** I talked to that said I was approved for a full refund because the deposit was a mistake.  So 2x your company admitted the mistake.

      This is a super important trip for my son and he is missing out because your company is awful. I am a believer that where there is a will there is a way and you could bend your "strict" policies and find him space on the trip. I do not trust or believe for one minute you actually care. 

      I never received an email on Feb 23. Please provide me with proof that was made. 


      Regards,

      ******* ******




      Business Response

      Date: 10/03/2024

      We regret to inform you that we are unable to reinstate your account at this time. Due to our reliance on third-party vendors, we must make reservations well in advance. Unfortunately, with such short notice, we are unable to secure accommodations for your child.

       We truly value you as a customer. As a token of our appreciation, we would like to offer you a $100 future travel credit for an Air trip or a $50 credit for a bus tour.

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

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

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:09/16/2024

      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 am owed a $4000 refund on an account balance I have with World Strides. On July 1 they claim to have started the refund process and I have had nothing but the run-around since, and still no refund.

      Business Response

      Date: 09/17/2024

      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.


      Currently, our refund timeframe is 12 weeks. Upon reviewing the timeline, we discovered that your refund of $4,219.00 first started processing on July 1st, 2024. Based on this date, the funds were set to be processed in the first week of October. Our finance team has been working on reducing the refund timeframe while adhering to our current guidelines. In this case, we managed to process the refund at the end of August, as you were informed.


      As per our agreement with our service provider, we are obligated to issue a refund back to the original payment method we received the funds. Since the original funds were received in the form of a check, we needed to issue a check to process your refund. This check was mailed on the week of September 2nd via ****. These are typically delivered between one and four weeks,but we do not have control over their delivery timeframe. We previously confirmed that the mailing address on file is correct, but considering there are no tracking numbers provided, we are unsure why they have not been delivered to you yet. Should there continue to be any issue or delay, please contact **************** and ask to speak with me directly so I can provide you with direct assistance regarding the issue.


      We appreciate your patience and understanding during this process and would like to reiterate that you are a valued customer of **********************. We look forward to continuing to provide you with a great experience.

      Sincerely,

      ******* ********
      Custome Engagement Supervisor

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:09/07/2024

      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 took a trip through World Strides to ************* with my daughter. I paid 2917. for my portion of the trip. As a Chaperone I was to recieve a refund with in a week of my return based on the number of participants. My refund amount is 2048. I did not get my refund with in a week of return and that is where the issue is. I called several times over the course of the summer and each time told a different refund date and their process for refund. I was told the following dates as refund dates, 1st of July, 15, 30. August 1 and then October 1st, 15th. On this call I was very frustrated and told them that his was rediculous. They put in an emergency request and should have my money in two weeks. Nope. I was told funds would be direct deposited in my bank on the 23rd of August. I called my bank no such transaction occured. I called world strides again and asked what was going on. They said my bank had returned the funds and a check would be issused on August 27th and mailed to that Friday the 30th. Today is Spetember the 7th. I still have not recieved a direct deposit or check for my refund. I need help because I feel the company is unfairly withholding my money. I traved June *****st. Its been nearly 3 months since my trip.

      Business Response

      Date: 09/10/2024

      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 understand that you are requesting an earlier refund timeframe. Although weve recently updated our refund policies, weve made an exception to expedite your refund. Your $2,048.00 refund has been processed and mailed on the week of 09/06/24 to the mailing address on file on your WorldStrides 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.
      We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Thank you for your patience and continued support. We value your business and hope to address your concerns effectively.

       Best Regards,
      *****************************;
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:08/30/2024

      Type:Order 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.
      In March 2024, I registered my son for the ************* trip through ************************ in ************, IN with *******************. On July 15, 2024, so we canceled the trip and we were told in writing that in six weeks we would have to refund. 6 weeks has come and gone and when I emailed the company, I was told that was administrative changes. It would now be 12 weeks. I was not made aware of these changes and it is unfair to have to wait another 6 weeks for changes on the companies end that no one was made aware of. This is money that I was counting on being returned in the promised time frame. This is unacceptable and would like advice on how to proceed. I was not aware of changes and this in an unacceptable practice for them to hold my money.

      Business Response

      Date: 09/05/2024

      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 understand that you are requesting an earlier refund timeframe. Although weve recently updated our refund policies, weve made an exception to expedite your refund. Your $745.00 refund will be processed no later than 09/20/24.
      We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Thank you for your patience and continued support. We value your business and hope to address your concerns effectively. 

      Best regards, 

      ***********************

      Customer Answer

      Date: 09/05/2024

      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.

      Please See attached that the current refund amount is not the same as previously noted in an email dated 7/15/24.  I would like the full refund that was originally promised by 6 weeks which would have been almost two weeks ago   




      Regards,

      *****************************




      Business Response

      Date: 09/06/2024

      Dear *******,
      Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Our records indicate that after your WorldStrides account was canceled, a $333.00 payment was declined. This, along with a $35.00 declined check fee assessed by the bank, has resulted in the change to your refund amount, which is now $745.00.
      Please note the details below:
      Reflected paid balance before cancellation: $1,431.00
      Deductions:
      Cost of Full Refund Program: $219.00
      Non-Refundable Deposit: $99.00
      Refund amount quoted on 07/15/24: $1,113.00
      Declined payment on 07/31/24: $333.00
      Non-sufficient funds fee: $35.00
      Updated refund amount: $745.00
      Attached, you will find your account invoice. If your bank account reflects the $333.00 payment as processed, please do not hesitate to contact us directly so we can adjust your account and refund the amount.
      We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. 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: 09/06/2024

      [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,

      *****************************



      Customer Answer

      Date: 10/03/2024

      Contacted BBB previously due to extended refund time. Received messaged from World Strides stating that they would expedite the refund and have it processed by 9/20/2024. Almost 3 weeks past that date and no refund to my account through direct deposit or mailed check. No correspondences either stating their is another delay. Would like refund completed right away since it is 5 weeks past original refund promise date and now its three weeks past second promised refund date.

      Business Response

      Date: 10/09/2024

      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 of all, we hope you will accept our most sincere apologies for the delay in your refund, although we requested the corresponding department to expedite the process, an error in the system prevented this from happening as offered previously.
      However, we would like to confirm that we are working to send your refund check delivered in express service to be sent no later than 10/17/24, in addition, we will be refunding you an additional $35.00 refund as a token of appreciation. Therefore, your refund will be for $780.00


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

      Best regards, 

      ****** *****

      Customer Answer

      Date: 10/09/2024

      [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,

      ******* *******



    • Initial Complaint

      Date:08/26/2024

      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 a trip with Explorica since March. I have not received my refund of $3023 as of today. I have emails from them detailing that my check was mailed 7/19 & 8/2. I just got off the phone with them and they said they never mailed the check and have to investigate the matter. Please help me to resolve the matter and receive my refund in a timely manner.

      Business Response

      Date: 08/30/2024

      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 understand that you are requesting an earlier refund timeframe. Although weve recently updated our refund policies, weve made an exception to expedite your refund. Your $1045.00 refund has been processed and mailed on the week of 08/23/24 to the mailing address on file on your Exploricas 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.
      We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Thank you for your patience and continued support. We value your business and hope to address your concerns effectively.

      Best regards, 

      ***********************

      Customer Answer

      Date: 08/30/2024

      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 am owed $3023 and I want my entire refund to resolve the issue. I paid for a trip that was supposed to take place in August,2024. Due to lack of enough travels in my group (people lost their job etc) the trip was rescheduled for 2025. I did not plan to go at that time frame and cannot go at that time. Why is my money not being refunded in full because of other peoples actions? I held my end of the bargain by paying on time for over a year and now I am being denied a refund. I NEED ALL my money back in FULL.

      Regards,

      *************************




      Business Response

      Date: 09/05/2024

      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 $3013.00, not the previously provided amount. Our records indicate that your refund check has been processed and mailed on the week of 08/23/24 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.


      We apologize for providing you the wrong amount in our previous response. Thank you for your patience and continued support. We value your business and hope to address your concerns effectively.

      Best regards, 

      ***********************

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:08/19/2024

      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 booked a trip for my daughter to ************* on 11/9/2023. At that time I also purchased the full refund program that would give me a refund if we needed to cancel minus the cost of the refund program. I ended up having to cancel the day before the trip. The trip was scheduled to leave on 6/29/24 but due to my daughter's recent medical issues I cancelled on 6/28/24. As attached, I received confirmation of cancellation and a refund of $1045 to be issued in 4-6 weeks. August 5th, I received a response when I questioned where my refund was that it was going to be processed on 8/16/24 (7.5 weeks after the refund date and 1.5 weeks past what the initial email stated). I questioned why and just got an email stating 8/16 again that was dated 8/7/24. 8/16 came and went with no refund. When I emailed them again asking for my refund I got a new email stating it will now be 12 weeks. This is unacceptable. I'm not looking for $10. this is $1045 that is tied up and that I entered into a contract for when I purchased the refund program. This is not okay and I should get my refund and at this point the refund program fee refunded as well. I'm not sure how they can do this. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

      Business Response

      Date: 08/23/2024

      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 understand that you are requesting an earlier refund timeframe. Although weve recently updated our refund policies, weve made an exception to expedite your refund. Your $1045.00 refund will be processed no later than 08/30/24.


      We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Thank you for your patience and continued support. We value your business and hope to address your concerns effectively.

      Best regards,

      ***********************

      Customer Answer

      Date: 08/23/2024

      [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,

      ***************************



      Customer Answer

      Date: 09/04/2024

      Complaint ID: ******** was closed, however, the company did not uphold their end of the agreement.  As of 8/31 I have only received a little under a 3rd of my refund.  I was supposed to receive the full refund on 8/30 as per the response of worldstrides through the BBB.  I would like to reopen my complaint.  They claim that the refund did not go through on their end, which makes no sense.  After looking over multiple complaints against this company with the BBB, it seems this is a pattern of scamming that they are making a habit.  This in unacceptable and the refund needs to be completed on the original credit card or a check overnighted to me.

       

      Business Response

      Date: 09/05/2024

      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 understand that you are requested an earlier refund timeframe. Although weve recently updated our refund policies, weve made an exception to expedite your refund. Your $1045.00 refund was processed on 08/30/24 as previously advised, unfortunately, a partial amount was processed successfully and there was a declining in the amount of $671.00. Our records indicate that we issued a refund check for that amount this was mailed today to the mailing address on file on your Worldstrides 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.
      We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Thank you for your patience and continued support. We value your business and hope to address your concerns effectively.

      Best regards, 

      ***********************

      Customer Answer

      Date: 09/05/2024

      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.

      Now tracking information has been provided for the check. And this is a known response of refunds being rejected per multiple complaints filed against this company. Ive never heard of a refund declining. It seems to be a regular habit they have of holding the majority of a refund and making the customer wait for their money. And based on many of the complaints they never get them. I would like the rest credited to my card or a check over nighted with tracking information provided. I have also filed a complaint with the NYS Attorney General regarding these shady and unprofessional practices. 

      Regards,

      ***************************




    • Initial Complaint

      Date:08/08/2024

      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 5/28/2024 I left, with my daughter and her classmates on a trip to **. Worldstrides is the host company. Due to weather delays, we missed multiple flights to get us to **. We didn't arrive in ** till 5/29 around 6am. We were to only have 3 days here on this trip. Worldstrides made no attempts to get us on any other flights, it was all being done by the teacher who led trip. Basically Worldstrides didn't care we had say ******************* airport for over 24 hours. When we got back I initiated a refund. Total for the trip I paid about $3000. I was simply asking for a 3rd of it back, since we missed a third. So far I have only received $150. There is another check for $150 that im assuming it was lost since it was sent 3 weeks ago and i still dont have it. they cant issue another one until day 30. Can't place it back on card for who knows what reason. I have called 11 times now with no resolution. $300 is unacceptable in my opinion. Technically only received $150 keep in mind.I have called, emailed, and called again asking for a manger. Manager was to call me back on 8/5 and still nothing.

      Business Response

      Date: 08/15/2024

      Dear *******,
      Thank you for reaching out to us regarding your recent experience. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your feedback, which we take very seriously. Upon reviewing your complaint, we would like to clarify the following points:
      1.- The flight delay was caused by weather conditions, which were beyond our control.
      2.- Our records indicate that you have spoken to both a supervisor and a manager, who provided you with this information.
      3.- We understand that you are requesting a refund for one-third of the cost of the trip. However, this request falls outside our terms and conditions, as described below:
      Third-Party Providers Lakeland Tours, LLC d/b/a WorldStrides, its employees, shareholders, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, successors, agents, and assigns (collectively, WorldStrides) does not own, operate or control any person or entity which is contracted to or does provide goods or services for your trip, including, for example, lodging facilities, airline, vessel or other transportation companies,
      guides or guide services, local ground operators, entertainment or sightseeing operators, providers or organizers of optional excursions, food service providers, etc. All such persons and entities are independent contractors. As a result, WorldStrides is not liable for any negligent or willful act or failure to act of any such person or entity, or of any third party. Further, WorldStrides is not liable for any
      inconvenience, costs, losses, or damages associated with the denial of services or special requirements of services imposed by such person or entity, or of any third party.
      4.- Both of your refunds were processed on 7/16/24. Unfortunately, one of them was declined, so we mailed you a check on 7/19/24. 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.
      If your current mailing address differs from the one we have on record, please provide us with the updated information to ensure proper delivery. We will be happy to start the reissuing process if your check has not reached you by 8/19/24.
      We value your business and are eager to resolve this matter to your satisfaction. Thank you for your patience and for choosing our services.We are committed to regaining your trust and hope to serve you better in the future.
      Best regards,

      ***********************

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