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

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

• 

  WorldStrides Heritage Performance Programs

  PO Box 571187 Salt Lake City, UT 84157-1187

• 

  WorldStrides

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

• 

  Explorica, Inc.

  101 Federal St Ste 900 Boston, MA 02110-2037

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:03/22/2024

  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.

  Paid early and not only in full for my son's school trip (account# ********* but there is an overpayment credit to the account. I called about receiving a refund of the credit amount of $38 on the account. At that time, the representative stated at first stated that the overage would be refunded to the credit card on file. **** I informed them that the amount of the overpayment was funded by an electronic e-payment, the rep. said I would get a check in 5 weeks. Well, its about double that time and nothing. I called WorldStrides today and spoke to **** who stated that there was no record of the prior call and stated that he would email the "financial officer." **** I stated that I needed the issue resolved ASAP, he stated he would call me within ***** hours. **** informed that time would fall on the weekend he stated he would call me Monday. It seems to me that WorldStrides was planning on keeping the overage judging by their lack of response or action. This does not surprise me after reading numerous complaints lodged with the BBB about this practice. I am seeking refund of the overage of $38.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/27/2024

  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.
  The refunds generated by overpayments are normally sent 45 days before the departure date of your trip, they can also be processed as per your request. Within an estimated timeframe of 4 weeks from the date of your request. We want to extend our most sincere apologies for the delay in complying with your request.
  As per our agreement with our service provider, we are obligated to issue a refund back to the original payment method used on the account. Our records indicate that your payments were sent to us through cashier check. Therefore, we need to issue a check to process your $38.00 overpayment.
  
  As per your current request as an exception, our finance department has confirmed that your refund check will be sent no later than 03/29/24. This check will be sent to the mailing address associated with your childs account and it will be made out to your name.
  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 continuing to provide you with a great experience.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/27/2024

  [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: *********************************************** I wish this could have been resolved outside of this method. I would like to see your business be more responsive to customers and post policies conspicuously whether on your website or on your statements. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************
  
  
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/15/2024

  I filed an earlier complaint: Complaint ID: ******** against WorldStrides. They promised to send a check over two weeks ago and I am still waiting. Normally I would attribute this to turn around time but based upon my experience with the business, they are being disingenuous.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/17/2024

  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 can confirm that as previously stated, your $38.00 refund check was mailed out to the address associated with your WorldStrides account. This was mailed to you through standard ************* While we strive to accommodate our customers needs,there are certain limitations we face in knowing the exact time frame for delivery.
  We apologize if this causes any inconvenience.However, we can reissue a new check for you, this process can start 30 days from the day we issued your previous check. As an exception for you, we can start this process earlier. Please feel free to let us contact us directly to our **************** line if you would like to proceed.
  Thank you for your patience and continued support.We value your business and hope to address your concerns effectively.
  Best regards,
  ***********************.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/08/2024

  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.

  Our daughter is booked on a trip to ******* via WorldStrides with her high school Spanish Class. We made the final payment of $1065.75 today (3/8/24) via the Worldstrides website. The payment was erroneously taken out in triplicate ($3197.25), leaving us with a negative bank balance and unable to afford basic necessities. We contacted the company multiple times on 3/8/24 as soon as this was discovered, and were informed that it would take a minimum of several days, up to 2-3 weeks, to issue a refund for the overpayment amount ($2141.50). This leaves our family in a financial hardship that is not of our own doing. As of this complaint, we have been informed that the financial office is closed until 3/11/24 and no action can be taken until then.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/13/2024

  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.
  First of all, we hope you will accept our most sincere apologies for the inconvenience this glitch caused on your account. Refunds for payments processed from checking accounts are sent back in the form of a check and not done electronically. Based on our records when you called us to report this situation, our agents shared with you our standard process followed for refunds. However, we would like to confirm that acknowledging that this situation was due to different circumstances we have refunded as of yesterday a debit card associated with your account for $2000.00. The $131.50 remaining overpaid balance will be sent in the form of a check to the mailing address on file. In addition as a token of appreciation, we would like to offer you a $100.00 scholarship for your child, this has been applied to your account and will be included in your mailed check.
  
  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 continuing to provide you with an exceptional experience.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/13/2024

  [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:03/03/2024

  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.

  1/17/2024 I paid a deposit of ****** for a school trip with World strides. and an automatic payment for a portion of the balance was deducted from my account on 2/7/2024 in the amount of $200. The total cost of the May 1-2 trip to ******* was $538.00. The school was not able to get enough students to attend the trip and the school canceled the trip on 2/17/204 without informing the parents then Worlds strides moved the $349 I paid for the Chicago trip to another school without notifying me or contacting me on 2/22/24. On 2/23/2024 I called world strides because when I checked online the trip had been canceled and my funds had been moved to another trip. I spoke to customer service at ************ and I tried to request a refund because I did not know where my funds had went, they requested that I wait and call the trip administrator about the trip status. I contacted the school, and it took them a week to get back to me without any information other than if you dont want your child to go then contact World Stride to cancel. I called world stride March 1, 2024 to request a refund because the error that they made by moving money without my permission. I requested the $349 that I paid and ****** a female customer service rep tells me she has good news that I would only get back $146.25 because they were going to keep $49 deposit and 25% of the trip money. I am requesting a full refund for a trip that was canceled in the amount of $349 immediately and not other funds should be removed from my account for a trip that I did not authorize.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/08/2024

  Thank you for sharing your concerns and feedback. We appreciate your input as it helps us understand your perspective.
  
  We are sorry your trip was cancelled and that your child will not be able to travel, we would like to confirm that the price quoted for this is based upon a minimum number of travelers and it is also subject to adjustment if the minimum enrollment is not met. Whenever this is the case, we offer different options to continue with your travel plans. The option selected by your group was in the best interest of the travelers, which in this case was to join another trip scheduled for your school to provide the opportunity for those students to travel. Our records indicate that this was communicated to you through your Program Leader, as this is group travel, your Program Leader is entitled to decide on behalf of the group.
  The cost of the Springfield trip ($122.80)is lower than the ($538.00) cost of the ******* trip, therefore you were entitled to receive a refund of $227.00 if you decided to continue with the new trip.
  We offer valuable services through group travel that begins before the planning of this trip. Therefore, if your group decides to make changes to your itinerary, and youre unable to continue with the trip, if you decide to cancel you are subject to our standard cancellation fee or to make use of the Full Refund Program. As you did not add the Full Refund Program to your account if you decided to cancel the Springfield trip the applicable cancelation fee under our standard cancelation policy was $30.70 plus the nonrefundable deposit, entitling you to a refund of $42.30 in addition to the $227.00 refund previously mentioned.
  However, we worked with our internal departments to offer you an exception which in this case would be to fully refund your account. Currently your account has been cancelled and the refund is scheduled to be processed withing the following 3 weeks, these funds will be sent back to the payment method associated with your account.
  Once again, thank you for choosing WorldStrides. We truly value your business and hope to have the opportunity to serve you in the future.
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/09/2024

  [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:02/19/2024

  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.

  My name is ********************* and Im the choir director at ************** *********** in **********, **********. In the spring of 2023, I paid a deposit to WorldStrides Heritage Festivals to book a spring trip and opportunity to compete for my students. It has been nothing but a night working with this organization. In September of 2023, we were quoted $818 per person, and that was presented to my choir families by a WorldStrides representative via a Zoom meeting. After a new person was placed in charge of our trip, I was informed that the cost would now be $1251 per person because our original trip coordinator forgot to include several major costs, including transportation and meal vouches Id requested. After going back and forth with this new person. ***************************************, and STILL not having a correct itinerary, I complained to their customer service department and was assigned to other people to help plan the trip. At this point, my choir families were told that $1251 would be the final price. Today these same families were told they now owe an additional $221. I specifically asked if the price would go up again because I knew the first price increase would make it much harder for people to participate and was told that it would NOT increase. We are 3 weeks and 2 days away from the trip and now my students are panicking that they wont get to go. And I still have yet to see a finalized itinerary.Ive never dealt with such an unprofessional organization in my life. The lack of communication and blatant dishonesty is despicable and is hurting hard working students who more than deserve a chance to go on this trip and compete at a national level.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/23/2024

  We appreciate your correspondence regarding your feedback and concerns. Please be assured that we take your input seriously and have reviewed our records in detail.
  
  Upon careful review, we have noted that the original quote of $818.00 for the base trip price did not include transportation or meals, as indicated in the signed proposal in May. Nevertheless, it was communicated that transportation, meals, and other activities could be added upon request and quoted accordingly.
  
  We acknowledge that you requested additional services, and the price was adjusted accordingly. It should be noted that the increase was not significant and was based on 53 travelers as per the original quote.
  
  We regret to learn about the decrease in the number of registered travelers close to the departure date. We would like to highlight that we have a policy in place that allows us to adjust the cost to maintain quality services as stated in our Terms and Conditions. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
  
  We would like to reiterate that our top priority is customer satisfaction. To assist families in managing the cost of the trip, we offer an extended payment plan for spreading the cost over a more extended period, allowing for lower monthly payments.
  
  We appreciate your business and look forward to the opportunity to provide an exceptional experience for you and your students. We hope to continue to work with you in the future.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/24/2024

  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 .]
   
  How are my families supposed to make payments when we are only 2.5 weeks away from the trip and we were only notified of the price increase 3 weeks and 1 day before we leave? This does not give families enough time to make payments on an already very expensive trip.
  Regards,
  
  *********************
  
  
  
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/29/2024

  Thank you for sharing your concerns,thoughts, and feedback. We appreciate your input as it helps us understand your perspective and improve our services. We believe that by collaborating together, we can find a solution that meets everyone's needs.
  We understand that the price increase *** pose a challenge for families of the children participating in this trip.As previously mentioned, we offer extended payment plans that allow families to divide their balance into smaller payments, which can be made even after the trip has ended.
  After careful consideration and consultation with our payment desk, we are pleased to present two payment plans for your students' families:
  
  Payments of $116.00 for a total of 2 months
  Payments of $50.00 for a total of 5 months
  
  Please note that these payment plans include a $6.00 handling fee per billing cycle.
  To receive assistance with payments,we kindly suggest that your parents contact our customer service line at *************. Our **************** Representatives will be happy to connect them with our payment specialists. Alternatively, they *** also call our payment desk directly at ************** to speak with a payment specialist.
  Once again, thank you for choosing WorldStrides. We value your business and are confident that we can continue to provide you with exceptional service.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/29/2024

  [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:02/19/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

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

  Answered:

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

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  BACK IN THE FALL WORLD STRIDES ADVERTISED A "EDUCATIONAL TRIP" COAXING IN A BUNDLE OF KIDS TO GO TO ****** IN MARCH 2024-We all were given a payment plan to follow and basically a contract- I agreed and paid off my daughters trip in Nov 2024- Today, World strides sends a bill saying we owe another 221 because not as many kids are going on trip so the rest of us have to pay the difference!!! Thats not what we agreed upon back in fall- Worldstrides advertises themselves as a educational company??? um no, they are in this to make a killing off the backs of hard working parents! I want the overage returned to my credit card as in my opinion this is illegal practices especially since we had a ageement and payment plan from the fall-

  Business Response

  Date: 02/20/2024

  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.
  We would like to confirm that the price quoted for this trip is based upon a minimum number of travelers and it is also subject to adjustment if the minimum enrollment is not met or if additional features are added to the trip. Whenever this is the case, we aim to meet these requirements without compromising the quality of our services, therefore, the base price of the trip is adjusted. Upon reviewing your trip, we can confirm that the price increase was due to both of the factors previously mentioned.
  1.- The quoted price for your trip was based on a minimum registration of 50 students, which unfortunately was not met.
  2.- We have added some exciting new features to the tour, including visits to venues that were not originally planned.
  According to our records, it appears that you have completed your registration online. During step 3 of the registration process for this trip, the terms and conditions are shared with all registrants. We highly recommend that parents carefully review and agree to these terms in order to successfully complete the registration process. Considering the factors at hand, it is currently not feasible to lower the cost of the trip.
  We would like to get a confirmation from you regarding the status of your account, if you would like to cancel your registration for this trip, I would like to inform you that due to the departing date of the trip, as specified on our terms and conditions, your account would be canceled under the standard cancelation policy, as we are currently at 22 days before departure, you would not be eligible for a refund.
  If you,however, would like to continue with this trip, there is no further action needed on your end. We appreciate you taking the time to share your concerns and feedback and look forward to providing your child with an exceptional experience.
  Once again, thank you for choosing WorldStrides. We truly value your business and hope to have the opportunity to serve you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/21/2024

  HI, I AM NOT RESPONDING TO THE CRAPPY SETTLEMENT through the BBB website FROM WORLD STRIDES AS ITS NOT A SETTLEMENT- THEY ARE BASICALLY THREATNENING ME BY SAYING THAT IF I DONT PAY THE EXTRA DIFFERENCE, MY KID DOESNT GET TO GO ON THE ***** AND I WONT GET A REFUND WHICH IS ILLEGAL IN MY OPNION- What other options are there? They are a dirty company, and the fact that they are charging extra for a trip that was agreed upon a certain amount months ago is so wrong on so many levels- What other recourse do we have?

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

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

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

  Please see below...

   

  THIS IS THE RIDICULOUS RESPONSE FROM WORLD STRIDES-

   

  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 would like to confirm that the price quoted for this trip is based upon a minimum number of travelers and it is also subject to adjustment if the minimum enrollment is not met or if additional features are added to the trip. Whenever this is the case, we aim to meet these requirements without compromising the quality of our services, therefore, the base price of the trip is adjusted. Upon reviewing your trip, we can confirm that the price increase was due to both of the factors previously mentioned.
  1.- The quoted price for your trip was based on a minimum registration of 50 students, which unfortunately was not met.
  2.- We have added some exciting new features to the tour, including visits to venues that were not originally planned.
  According to our records, it appears that you have completed your registration online. During step 3 of the registration process for this trip, the terms and conditions are shared with all registrants. We highly recommend that parents carefully review and agree to these terms in order to successfully complete the registration process. Considering the factors at hand, it is currently not feasible to lower the cost of the trip.
  We would like to get a confirmation from you regarding the status of your account, if you would like to cancel your registration for this trip, I would like to inform you that due to the departing date of the trip, as specified on our terms and conditions, your account would be canceled under the standard cancelation policy, as we are currently at 22 days before departure, you would not be eligible for a refund.
  If you, however, would like to continue with this trip, there is no further action needed on your end. We appreciate you taking the time to share your concerns and feedback and look forward to providing your child with an exceptional experience.
  Once again, thank you for choosing WorldStrides. We truly value your business and hope to have the opportunity to serve you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/15/2024

  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.

  World Strides was the organizer for a trip with my children's school. I registered my children for a trip in June of 2024. Once I signed up and had been paying the monthly payments, I had zero communication from either the school or the organization regarding the trip. In total by the time of the last minute cancelation, I had paid $4500 to World Strides. I still had no conversation with a World Strides team member. After the school canceled the trip, I still had not heard from World Strides. I called a week after the teacher emailed me to inquire about the trip. That's when a World Strides team member told me I could not get my full refund. They were only offering to refund me $1,900. They would not let me update where the funds would be refunded to. They would not expand on why I couldn't get my full refund. They kept saying someone discussed the policies with me, which in fact, no one had. All I wanted was a refund for the money I paid to the company for a trip my children did not get to go on!

  Business Response

  Date: 02/20/2024

  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.
  We are sorry to hear that your trip was canceled due to low enrollment. Our records indicate that you completed your registration on our website, upon offering the Full Refund Program in the second section of the registration process the system shares a link to our Letter of Terms and Conditions. This document does lay out the fact that the base price of the trip is quoted upon a minimum number of travelers. In addition, it also clearly states that upon not adding Full Refund Program, in case of cancellation of the trip from either, yourself, the school, the school administration, or the teacher in charge of trip your accounts would fall under the Standard Cancelation Policy outlined below.
  Our services and value begin well before your departure date, and as that date approaches, there are significant unrecoverable costs.Therefore, if you, the *********************** or school administration cancel beyond the 24-hour grace ****** and have not enrolled in the Full Refund Program, WorldStrides will retain (in addition to the Non-Refundable Fees):
  
  Time of the Account Cancellation Cancellation fees applicable*
  75 days or more before departure 25% of the base trip price
  (or $120 if BTP is less than $400)
  74-45 days before departure 50% of the base trip price
  44 days or fewer before departure 100% of the base trip price
  
  As a token of appreciation, we would like to offer a $50.00 refund for each one of your accounts and a $50.00 future travel credit that you can use for domestic trips or $100.00 for international tours.
  We are very sorry that your childrens trip was not able to travel, and we understand that canceling was not ideal. However, our cancelation policies are clearly stated in our terms and conditions letter shared with you upon registration.
  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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/07/2024

  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 was sold an educational trip for my son. At no time during the presentation was it disclosed that there was a minimum enrollment required. During the presentation we were advised that we could pay a 339 dollar fee so we could get a full refund if we needed to cancel. I logged in to make a payment and found that the trip had been canceled without any notice or notification to parents or students. I paid ******* for this trip and they indicated that 501 of this is non refundable due to fees. When I indicated that I was not the one who canceled the trip, they said it was non refundable anyway and emailed me the policy AFTER the cancelation. My profile online does not indicate what I paid anymore and I can only go by bank statements. When I called to remedy this situation I was spoken down to and advised I would only receive **** in refunds (I have received zero refunds to date). When I indicated that these deceptive and fraudulent business practices would cause me to call my bank and report the charges as fraudulent because I have received nothing for my payments, I was threatened with "collections." I even asked, collections for what? My child has received nothing.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/12/2024

  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.
  We are sorry to hear that your trip was canceled due to low enrollment. Our records indicate that you completed your registration on our website, upon adding the Full Refund Program in the second section of the registration process the system shares a link to our Letter of Terms and Conditions. This document does lay out the fact that the base price of the trip is quoted upon a minimum number of travelers. In addition, it also clearly states the description and coverage of the Full Refund Program. It confirms that if protects your investment upon cancellation of the trip from either, yourself,the school, the school administration, or the teacher in charge of trip.
  As you confirmed previously, we received a total of $3299.00 in payments from you and the amounts deducted upon cancelation are:
  $339.00 cost of the Full Refund Program,
  $99.00 deposit,
  $45.00 for late payment charges, and
  $18.00 for handling fees.
  Totaling a $501.00 retention fee, and therefore,entitling you to a $$2798.00 refund.
  Refunds are processed four weeks after we receive the cancellation confirmation. Our records show that we received the cancellation confirmation on 01/30/24, so your refund was scheduled on 02/20/24 and returned to your payment method on file.
  As a token of appreciation, we would like to expedite the refund process so that it can be completed by 02/15/24. Additionally, we will waive the late installment fees that have accrued on your account. 
  We apologize that your son's trip was cancelled and understand the inconvenience this may have caused. However, our cancellation policies were clearly stated in the terms and conditions letter provided to you upon registration.
  Thank you for choosing WorldStrides. We value your business and hope to have the opportunity to serve you again in the future.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/02/2024

  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.

  I registered my child for a 8th grade school trip to *************. On all of the information presented regarding the trip and payment listed a discount of 5% for the dependent of an active duty military service member or current educator. After paying my childs fees in full the company is refusing to honor the 5% discount for reasons of it being discontinued months prior to my registration. I explained to the supervisor that the information that was presented to me listed all the current dates for the current 8th grade-class trip and I registered her the same evening of the presentation. If the promotion expired in June.. how does the school have outdated flyers with current dates in the fall (September after the new school year started) ?? Either way the mixup is of no wrong doing of my own. I explained I still had the document a could show her what was presented to me. She agreed to look at it but later called and said the promotion is discontinued and there is nothing they could do. I dont think she really expected me to still have the flyer and wasnt really willing to acknowledge their error and compensate me for it in the first place.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/07/2024

  
  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.
  While we appreciate your interest, we regret to confirm that this benefit expired on July 10th of this year. As you confirmed, your Program Leader used outdated material when sharing your trip information. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. However, we would like to inform you about our active FLAG program, which provides the gift of education to students. This benefit eligibility is based on two criteria, the cost of your trip and your yearly income. If youre interested, we would be more than happy to share this information with you.
  We regret any confusion caused by the information provided to you, we are always willing to work with parents and try our best to accommodate their needs. Once again, we hope that you will accept our most sincere apologies, we are grateful that you have chosen WorldStrides and are confident we will deliver a great experience to your child.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/31/2024

  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.

  Worldstrides was introduced to *************** and another teacher ************************* to lead a ***** of *********** ******* learners to go to a trip to ***** this summer. This study trip has been scheduled to visit *******, ********, **** and ******* flying out from ************** on May 25th, 2024.She has been worked hard to get 33 other travelers signed up and paid deposit by November 25th, 2023. The trip ID is ********, trip price was quoted for **** dollars per traveller with early bird discount(150 dollars off). As approaching to the 110 days until departure, we got a call from *********************** the last minute, the Group Manager from Worldstrides. We are so saddened by WorldStrides' inability to procure the ***** tickets we had reserved. She explained the problem as an issue with the availability of ***** tickets---from what we understand, the travel agency has to use approved airlines and ***** pricing. With the limited availability, those airlines are attempting to charge our ***** extra $5000 a seat for airfare. These steep prices led WorldStrides to decide they could no longer honor the price quoted for our trip. We are so upset about this decision and have spent many hours in zooms, phone calls and emails trying our best to find a solution. They insist to charge all the travellers cancellation fee even it's their responsibility which we're being cancled because they cannot make the praogram deliveried. Its definitely disappointing and expecting a fully refund to our travelers.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/02/2024

  Thank you for reaching out to us and sharing your experience. Your feedback is highly valued,and we assure you that we are taking your concerns seriously.
  We have collaborated with our sales team to provide you with alternative options that benefit all parties involved. Students have the option to travel at different costs and modalities. Additionally, we are offering students a full refund if they cancel their reservation before or on 02/02/24.
  Thank you for your patience during this process. We appreciate your business and are confident that we can continue to provide you with excellent service.

  Best regards, 

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/26/2024

  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 am a tour leader for a trip to Europe with Explorica March 28, **** - April 5, ****, and one of my travelers has been treated poorly, unethically, and dishonestly by Explorica this week. On January 22, ****, ******* booked two tours, one for her and one for her husband, ********. She was informed that since she and her husband were booking so close to departure that she would have to book by calling **************** and by paying an additional $145 each. On January 25, ****, she received an email stating that she had until 4 PM EST to pay an additional $728.40 each or their tickets would be cancelled. Receiving less than 24 hours notice, not enough time to make an informed decision, she paid the balance before 2 pm EST. At 5:10 PM EST, I received an email from the Program Consultant stating that ******* and ******** could book a land-only tour and have to pay $2700 each, resulting in a refund; the land-only tour would mean that ******* and ******** would have to book their own flights. This option was not given in the initial email sent to ******* nor was it given as an option on the phone when she was making the payment. Now, today (January 26, ****), Explorica is telling all three of us (who called separately and spoke with three different representatives) that there is nothing that can be done about a refund since the payment went through. Because of the lack of communication and the timeline in which this all transpired, I see no reason for Explorica to not be able to administer a $5022.20 refund; ******* and ******** have paid $10,422.80 and should only have to pay $5,400 based on the email received from *********************, program consultant, at 5:10 PM EST on January 25, ****. ******** and ******* wish to continue on the trip, but they do not want to be charged almost twice what is necessary and in order with the company's policies.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/31/2024

  Thank you for reaching out to us and sharing your experience. Your feedback is highly valued,and we assure you that we are taking your concerns seriously.
  Upon looking into the details of these two accounts both travelers completed their registrations online, since both registrations were completed after the 110 deadlines,they were both considered late registrations, therefore, the late add policy was thoroughly explained before the registration began, In addition, during the 3rd step of the registration, deviation options are offered to all our customers in which tours allow these.
  
  Our records indicate that both travelers did agree to this policy and when the additional flight expenses were provided to them, they agreed and paid. It was not until later that we received information from them asking about the Land Only option, how it works, and the process. When this happened as we had already secured their flights per their previous confirmation we went ahead and shared our internal protocol to make these changes.
  
  We are currently working with our internal department to provide the actual fees to cancel those flights, once this process has been completed, we will inform the travelers and it will be up to them whether to accept this fee or to continue with their original reservations.
  
  We apologize for any confusion this process might have caused and want to reiterate how much we appreciate your business, and we are confident that we can continue to provide you with exceptional service in the future.