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

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

• 

  WorldStrides

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

• 

  WorldStrides

  2 Heritage Dr Ste 402 North Quincy, MA 02171-2166

• 

  Explorica, Inc.

  101 Federal Street, Suite 900 Boston, MA 02111

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:08/08/2024

  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.

  Over a year ago I signed up to be a chaperone on my daughters 8th grade field trip to ** and ********. When I signed up I was not informed that I was waitlisted. I had believed all the way up until April that I was going on the trip. I made payments that were paid in full by March 2024. When my trip was cancelled by the school and org due to lack of room, I expected my $4400 to be refunded. It took over 6 weeks to receive 2 payments totalling $1500 by direct deposit, which is how all the payments I made to them were handled. I was told a check had been sent by mail for the remaining $2900. That was over 2 weeks ago and no check has been received. My friend experienced the same and is also still waiting for her check.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/09/2024

  Dear *********,
  Thank you for reaching out and providing your feedback. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced. Your input is crucial to us, and we are actively working on enhancing our services.
  We have confirmed that a check for $2900.00 was issued to you and mailed on the week of July 19th. It was sent to the address we have on file for your account.As per our standard procedure, the check was dispatched via **** standard service. Delivery through this service usually takes between one to four weeks.Since we do not have control over **** 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 8/17/24.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, 

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/23/2024

  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 am owed to travel stipend by Explorica for unused credits for tour. This travel stipend was to be issued in June. I have emailed Explorica at least 15 times with no response beginning in early June. I have called Explorica and received an accurate information regarding my travel stipend. I was told in an email that it was mailed on July 11, and as of today, July 23, I have not received it. I called Explorica again today and was told that this still has not been issued, despite the fact that I signed up for , a program that offered rewards to teachers. This program cost more money for people to sign up for tour, and Explorica has taken my travelers money. They have not issued this promised stipend.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/29/2024

  Dear *******,
  Thank you for sharing your review with us. We appreciate your candidness and apologize for any inconvenience you experienced. Your feedback is invaluable as it helps us identify areas for improvement.
  We understand that your recent experience fell short of expectations, and for that, we sincerely apologize. Our team is committed to rectifying the situation promptly. Here are the steps were taking:
  Investigation: Were thoroughly investigating the issue you raised to prevent similar occurrences in the future. Looking into the specifics of your account we see that although your check was sent to you accordingly, the mailing address we had on file was not the correct address. Weve updated your profile with the correct information.
  Training and Improvement: Our staff will undergo additional training to enhance service quality. We are aware that information regarding your refund was provided through ***************** however, given the specifics of your inquiry, the requested information is not available for our CS team.
  Resolution: We aim to make things right. We worked with you to find other ways to provide you a faster deposit and in addition a $200.00 voucher was provided to you as a courtesy.
  Once again, we apologize for any inconvenience caused. We value your business and hope to regain your trust. Thank you for choosing us, and we look forward to serving you better next time.
  Best regards,
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/17/2024

  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 son on April 13, 2024. I cancelled the trip on April 13, 2024, and was promised a refund as indicated in the e-mail from April 15th..********** claimed to attempt to refund my credit card on June 18th, 2024, indicating the transaction was denied. I provided bank information and was promised a refund to be issued by June 28, 2024.I have not received the refund, and deserve the full amount base on the time this organization had held onto my money

  Business Response

  Date: 07/24/2024

  Dear ******,
  Thank you for reaching out and providing your feedback. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced. Your input is crucial to us, and we are actively working on enhancing our services.
  We have confirmed that a check for $190.00 was issued to you and mailed on the week of July 12th. It was sent to the address we have on file for your account.As per our standard procedure, the check was dispatched via **** standard service. Delivery through this service usually takes between one to four weeks.Since we do not have control over **** 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 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.

  Kind regards, 
  
  ***********************,

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/03/2024

  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 signed up my son **** to join an Italy/****** trip with the ***************** of ************************, set for travel of 10 days in July 2025. The trip was connected to Explorica travels by Worldstride, where all payments went through. I paid for the cancel anytime insurance. The total I had paid in was around 1200-1300 dollars with the deposit, insurance and the payments I had made. My son ultimately decided to cancel and I made the cancellation with the travel agency connected to the trip: Explorica educational tours, through Explorica by Worldstride travels. The cancellation on my end was made the end of April and went through on their end beginning of May. I contacted Explorica around May 21 to check on the status of the processing of cancellation and was informed that I will be seeing a reimbursement of 1 payment made via my debit card and the remaining balance to be issued via a check. The refund to be issued was in the amount of $672 after the non refundable deposit and the hefty nonrefundable cancel anytime insurance of over $400-that was NOT made aware in my contract agreement. Fine, I'll swallow that if I must. Since then I have called multiple times and have received multiple varied responses on when the supposed check had been sent out. (Now, there is no reimbursement on card but a full issued check.) Attempting to speak to a supervisor has been unsuccessful. I remain on hold for nearly an hour each time before they respond that the supervisor will call back (which never happens). It is now 7/3 and I am still waiting for a refund. My latest update is if I opt to have it reissued through **** it will take up to 3 weeks for it to process and another 3ish weeks for delivery. This is ridiculous.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/03/2024

  Thank you for contacting WorldStrides!
  
  Dear Customer,
  
  We are sorry to hear that you are dissatisfied with our refund process, as discussed over the phone, we will share your feedback with our finance team to hence and smooth the process we are currently holding. 
  
  I have begun the process of reissuing your check, which will be sent to your mailing address on file next week.
  
  We want to reassure you that our mission is to do our best to provide the most enjoyable experience for every customer.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************;

   

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/03/2024

  [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:06/27/2024

  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.

  My son and I went on a WorldStrides trip this May to **, ***, and ******. When we signed up for the trip, we were promised a jam packed literary and told multiple times that WorldStrides has expertise on planning and running these large group trips. A few weeks before the start of the trip, we got our final literary and were very excited about all the venues we would visit. Of the over 30 points of interest included, we skipped over 10, including events that had paid tickets included. When we realized how much of our trip we'd missed, we sent an email to our coordinator to express our frustration. We received a cold response basically saying it was mostly due to traffic and they couldn't do anything. She went to describe most activities as "just filler". Going to memorials in ************* is not filler. Our email requested a partial refund to at least account for the ticketed venues that were skipped. We were told she'd look into that.A few weeks later, I followed up to ask what refund we'd get and when we could expect it. I got a terse email saying we'd be getting nothing. I asked for further clarification and got no response. I find it absolutely appalling that a big chunk of our trip was skipped yet there is not any refund nor even any acknowledgement of mismanagement or poor planning. We paid a great deal of money for this trip and to be told "oh well, it was traffic" is unacceptable. You can't promise 30 venues and deliver a fraction. A company like this should know how to plan around traffic given they do dozens of these trips for the exact timeframe we went in. I am very disappointed with my experience.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/27/2024

  Dear *********,
  
  First and foremost, we would like you to know that your feedback is very important to us and we are truly committed to providing exceptional experiences on all of our tours. 
  
  While sometimes some circumstances are beyond our control, we are dedicated and experienced in managing the logistics of our tours in case situations like yours occur during the tour. 
  
  Having checked with our operations team, I can confirm that the missed activities due to traffic were sightseeing activities which do not represent a cost but rather a learning experience. For these missed sightseeing activities, our tour leader did the best to make up for any missing component. 
  
  We are sorry that you are unhappy with the outcome of our decision. I would like to reiterate that our mission is to provide you with the most enjoyable experience possible. We hope to earn your trust in the future.
  
  As always, please do not hesitate to contact our customer support if you have any.
  
  Best Regards,
  ***********************;

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/27/2024

  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.
  
  Thank you for your timely response. I appreciate it. From initial email to contact WorldStrides and try to resolve the situation, we stated: 

  "...we were presented with over 30 activities the group would experience on the trip...our group skipped 16 activities and points of interest and 3 activities were shortened."

  Can you please clarify why a partial refund would not be due when so much of our trip was skipped? Can you please clarify why you refer to the activities on the literary as "filler" and exactly what this means? The money we paid included tickets to 2 different museums which were completely skipped. Can you clarify why we wouldn't be due for a refund on that at the very, very least?

  
  Regards,
  
  Lovi Yu
  
  
  
  

  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/02/2024

  Dear ********,
  
  Thank you for taking my call this morning. As we discussed, I have initiated the process to refund $25 per account, for a total of $50. This refund will take approximately 2 to 3 weeks to complete and will be sent to you in the form of a check to the mailing address on file.
  
  Thank you again for your time and patience.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ************** 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/02/2024

  [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,
  
  Lovi Yu
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/14/2024

  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.

  We registered for a class trip for 2023. We declined travel in 2023 and transferred our funds to travel on the class trip for 2024. For many months I worked with WorldStrides to transfer our funds from the 2023 trip to the 2024 trip. That process was never completed. In March 2024 I cancelled our trip and asked for full refund. I previously purchased trip insurance to cover this. Early April, Worldstrides sent 3 checks, I received one in the mail. Since then I have been calling and emailing to inquire regarding the remaining balance of my trip. I am still waiting for $1018 ($200 and $818 checks). The organization has stated that they remailed checks May 1 and May 10. I have not recieved those checks. They will not send electronic funds. I have escalated to leadership and they have failed to contact me. I am exhausted from the continued contact. Phone calls on 4/26, 5/9, 5/15, 5/30, and6/10. I have asked for immediate refunds. Please help!

  Business Response

  Date: 06/18/2024

  Dear *******,
  Thank you for sharing your review with us. We appreciate your candidness and apologize for any inconvenience you experienced. Your feedback is invaluable as it helps us identify areas for improvement.
  We regret to hear that your recent experience did not meet your expectations. Please accept our sincere apologies. Our team is committed to rectifying the situation as soon as possible. Based on the specifics of your accounts, we can confirm that the following details:
  
  The original $1018.00 check # ****** was issued and mailed on the week of April 12th. This check was mailed at the same time that your $962.00 check #****** for your childs account.
  As per your request that check was voided since you did not receive it and we issued you checks #****** for $200.00 and #****** in the amount of $818.00 they were mailed during the weeks of May 1st and May 10th.
  Our records indicate that we mailed all four checks to you through **** standard service, which is our standard protocol. It is typically delivered between one and four weeks, but we do not have control over their delivery timeframe. We have confirmed that the mailing address on file is correct, but there are no tracking numbers provided, so we are unsure why they were not delivered to you.
  We are currently reissuing your check. This time, we will be mailing it to you through *** to ensure you receive it. It will be sent no later than June 28, 2024. Once again, we apologize for any inconvenience caused. We value your business and hope to regain your trust. Thank you for choosing us, and we look forward to serving you better next time.
  
  Best regards, 
  
  ***********************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/18/2024

  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.
  
  Ongoing delays are not acceptable at this time and I do not approve waiting for another 10 days.  I have been waiting for my refunds since April.  I am asking for urgent release of my funds.  When I spoke with a manager yesterday, I was informed that checks are mailed on Fridays. I expect my refund payments to be issued this week. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************************
  
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/22/2024

  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 paid $70 + $ 359 to the business on March 20th for ************************* (13yo kid account ********** middle school trip to ** which will commence in Feb 2025. Our daughter can no longer make it to that trip. I reached out to the company to provide a refund minus the cancelation fees; they informed that their terms and services have refund set to 25% of total trip cost ( $2900) - I was shocked ! They canceled the trip but did not provide any refund. I asked them to take the minimum fees and refund the rest; but they refused to do so. 1. We are part of a ************************* Charging such unreasonably high amount of cancellation fees 8 months for the trip makes it very hard for parents. 2. I asked them to explain why they are charging such high cancelation fees given we are cancelling 8 months before the trip. Have they incurred any cost ? but all they said was this is our policy. They had no explanation. Their policy is unreasonable and very expensive. Also, the cancelation policy is embedded on page 4-5 of the the policy page where I never found out unless they pointed me to it; it could be more prominently displayed.reason for cancelation: Our daughter was asked to perform at the ************* in ******** through her choir. So we had to work within our budget and cancel the DC trip to make the NYC trip happen in 2025. I am requesting a refund of my money( reference number with the company's customer support ***************** ypu.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/22/2024

  Thank you for contacting WolrdStrides!

  We are sorry to hear that **** will not be traveling with us, we ***************** is able to travel with us in the near future.

  Regarding your account, I just wanted to let you know that it is currently under our standard cancellation policy. This means that if you decide to cancel the trip, your account will be subject to cancellation retention. This standard cancelation policy is outlined in our Terms and Conditions (******************************************************). We regretfully inform you that your account does not meet the criteria for a refund. 

  I also wanted to mention that we start making the logistics and travel arrangements well in advance, so that each participant can enjoy a truly unforgettable experience.

  Our mission is to deliver the best experience to all of our customers, and we are sorry if we are not meeting your expectations.

  Should you have any questions, feel free to contact our Customer Support team at **************, we will be happy to assist you. 

  Best Regards,

  ***********************;

  Business Response

  Date: 05/22/2024

  Thank you for contacting WolrdStrides!

  We are sorry to hear that **** will not be traveling with us, we ***************** is able to travel with us in the near future.

  Regarding your account, I just wanted to let you know that it is currently under our standard cancellation policy. This means that if you decide to cancel the trip, your account will be subject to cancellation retention. This standard cancelation policy is outlined in our Terms and Conditions (******************************************************). We regretfully inform you that your account does not meet the criteria for a refund. 

  I also wanted to mention that we start making the logistics and travel arrangements well in advance, so that each participant can enjoy a truly unforgettable experience.

  Our mission is to deliver the best experience to all of our customers, and we are sorry if we are not meeting your expectations.

  Should you have any questions, feel free to contact our Customer Support team at **************, we will be happy to assist you. 

  Best Regards,

  ***********************;

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/22/2024

  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 cancellation charge for a company operating in public schools is very high. The cancellation is being made 8 months in advance. The charge is unreasonable. 

  - if the company has incurred costs related to this cancellation, please provide receipts of reservations made that can not be refunded. 

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

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/21/2024

  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.

  Our 8th graders went on a trip to ** April *****. On 4/23, one of the meal tickets did not work and students needed to pay for their own meal at $15 x 9 students for a total of $135. They never received their reimbursement after contacting them multiple times. Once student did not go on the trip and paid $1708. After talking to Worldstrides over the phone, they told me they would reimburse the family for the entire amount and send out the check via mail by the first week of May. The family has not received any money or communication from them. The invoice shows that they were refunding the money.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/21/2024

  Thank you for contacting WorldStrides.
  
  After reviewing ******** account, I can confirm that the refund was processed via check. The check number is ****** for the amount of $380, which was mailed to:
  
  *********************************************************
  
  Please be advised that I will now issue a new check, so the check number ****** will no longer be valid if it arrives in the next couple of days.
  
  I will email the parents with the updated information.
  
  Kind regards,
  *************************. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/24/2024

  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.
  

  When speaking to someone from WorldStrides on 4/24, I was told that the family would get the full refund of $1708.00 and the check would be mailed to them by May 2-May 9. 

  The $15 reimbursement of the 9 meals is still not addressed. 

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

  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/04/2024

  Dear ********,
  
  Thank you for sharing your review with us. We appreciate your candidness and apologize for any inconvenience you experienced. Your feedback is invaluable as it helps us identify areas for improvement.
  We understand that your recent experience fell short of expectations, and for that, we sincerely apologize. As I understand you are addressing two different concerns,
  1.- The refund for the Elliots account: This concern has been addressed previously through our confirmation regarding the refund check #****** being sent to the mailing address associated with his account.
  
  2.- The refund for meal expenses to cover the missing meal vouchers for the Ballston Quarter Market.
  
  Please accept our apologies as we missed addressing this concern in the previous response. This is a confirmation that we received your $120.19 receipt, and this amount will be refunded back to you so that these funds can be given back to the parents.
  Our team is committed to rectifying the situation promptly. Once again, we apologize for any inconvenience caused. We value your business and hope to regain your trust.Thank you for choosing us, and we look forward to serving you better next time.
  Best regards,
  
  ***********************, 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/20/2024

  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.

  **** set up a trip for some of the junior class to go to Florida's Universal Studios on June 4-7. Family got together and Paid the balance off in the amount of $2,255 with the assistant program. Then on March 15 teacher sends and email implying surcharge of $336 due to the number of children not going as expected. Not having any choice on March 19 I called to make arrangements to pay the additional amount. Later that evening get another email stating due to the surcharge a few more children cancelled. The 20th of March was the last day for 50% refund. The reasoning for cancellation was not something I decided. This was bad organization on the teachers part.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/24/2024

  Thank you for contacting WorldStrides!
  
  We regret to hear that you feel dissatisfied with the cancellation of your trip. Our mission is to provide the best experience possible for you.
  
  We want to reassure you that the refund that is in the process is the correct one based on the specifics of your account. We regret to inform you that your account is subject to the standard cancellation policy, as outlined in our Terms & Conditions (***********************************************).
  
  We hope to gain your trust in the future.
  
  Sincerely,
  ************** 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/20/2024

  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.

  World Strides does not identify "Non-Refundable Deposit" or "Enrollment fee" other term of non-refundable fee when signing up for the trip, nor is it identified on the itemized billing statement. I am requesting the return of $99 which World Strides withheld upon trip cancellation that is not clearly identified in process or billing. I did not use a manual installment plan, but initial and final payments are excluded from nonrefundable fees per the Policy. Language needs to be clear, and payments/billing itemized. The organizations policy states initial and final payments are not assessed a non-refundable fee. For this company to not use matching language between their ****************** (T&C), website, and billing seems fraudulent and false advertising titling their program "Full Refund Program".Terms and Conditions: Full Refund Program (***) For an additional fee, WorldStrides offers protection for your investment through the Full Refund Program (***). Should you, your *********************** or the schools administration cancel your trip after the 24-hour grace ****** from registration, or in the event that your program is cancelled as a result of Exceptional Circumstances (as defined above), the *** protects your investment by reimbursing you for 100% of the amounts youve paid in, minus the *** enrollment fee and any other Non-Refundable Fees.Payment and Price Payment Plans: If you register directly with WorldStrides, there are three payment options: (1) pay in full, within 21 days of registration (2) make regularly scheduled installment payments under a manual installment plan established by WorldStrides, with a $6 non-refundable handling fee on each installment payment or (3) establish automatic payments to be debited from your checking account or a debit card from a US banking institution via WorldStrides EZPay program. There are no handling fees associated with payments made through the EZPay program. not idenitifed as nonrefundable.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/21/2024

  Thank you for contacting WorldStrides.
  
  Please find attached your invoice, which clearly states that the $99 fee is non-refundable. Additionally, please refer to page 2 of our Terms and Conditions, where you will find the statement confirming our policy regarding non-refundable fees.
  
  We regret to hear that you are disappointed. We assure you that our mission is to always deliver a positive experience.

  Should you have any questions feel free to contact our ************* team at ************** Monday-Friday from 9 am EST to 9 pm EST 

   

  Warmly,

  ***********************;

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/21/2024

  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 billing statement ************************* attached has been doctored / edited by World Strides (WS) to add the text line above the payments preceding September 2023 to indicate a non-refundable (NR) deposit! This line item and language did not exist prior to my BBB complaint as evidenced in my screen capture PDF submitted 5/20/2024. None of the 3 employees I spoke with from WS could produce documentation or visual reproduction upon my request of language on the website during sign-up, or on the billing summary to indicate the first payment was a "NR deposit, registration, or other". As a customer who did not authorize payment for an action titled "non-refundable deposit" and purchased The Full Refund Program, it is presumed these "other NR fees" apply to customers who did not purchase the *** or had problems with billing. I am floored WS has submitted falsified evidence. Lacking unfalsified evidence, I request the return of my initial payment of $99.00.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************