Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  04/29/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was scheduled to go on a tour this summer to *****. On Jan 26, I contacted Go-Ahead and advised them that due to the current covid situation in January, I wanted to cancel my ***** tour and did not want to rebook another tour at that time. I requested if I could keep my $600 deposit in my account. They advised me that to cancel my tour, my only option was to process a claim in with their insurance company (I had trip insurance) and I would receive my deposit back. I followed their instructions & just received a denial on my claim from their insurance company. I have taken 5 previous tours with Go-Ahead and only wanted a credit to my account to use towards a future tour. I just wanted others travelers to be aware, not to follow their advice. It would have been better to just book any tour in the future so not to lose the deposit. I do not plan on using Go-Ahead again.

  Customer response

  05/10/2022

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

  

  Business response

  08/03/2022

  Hello *****,
  
  Thank you for reaching out with your concerns and allowing us an opportunity to assist you further. A member of our customer loyalty team is reaching out to you to review your options. We appreciate your business over the years and hope to travel with you again in the future.
  
  Best Regards,
  EF Go Ahead Tours

• Initial Complaint

  03/25/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This company is using the fraudulent practices of NOT being forthcoming with Covid policy information when consumers are booking trips and are only forthcoming with information AFTER they receive full payment and then hold you responsible for knowing the guidelines after they lied to you about them. I called in with interest of taking a trip but wanted specific/accurate info regarding travel requirements due to Covid so that I could make an informed decision if I would be able to take the trip. I was lied to about ALL the requirements and only told the truth immediately after they received full payment and they refused to allow me to speak with a manger or take accountability for their misinformation and made it my fault and could care less because they had leverage for receiving my money under false pretense. Andy Phillips and Abbey were 2 unprofessional unethical and lying supervisors who were completely rude unprofessional shady simple minded and inconsistent with the lies they continuously spewed with each interaction and both admitted that I was not given All The accurate information that was available at the time of my inquiry which would have saved me time and money. My reservation was cancelled without my authorization by Andy Phillips who I pity because anyone with his character obviously had a mother who didn’t love him as a child. This company refuses to take responsibility for the fact that my transaction was made under fraudulent circumstances because they are greedy, simple minded and trite. Ultimately I will recoup all my money via a dispute through my credit card company however it will be Go ahead tour’s financial loss. I was planning to book and go on many trips with this company and recommend them to other’s but that’s what happens when you have a bunch of idiots at the front line of your company

• Initial Complaint

  03/21/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I booked a trip with GoAHead Tours to ***** and ********. They reached out to me to delay the trip by one year due to the Coronavirus. I agreed. They have since changed their policies and are not allowing me to go on the tour. They are refusing to refund my money (I paid in full). I also paid for their "cancel anytime" travel insurance, and I am willing (and would love to) to go on the trip. They are declining me and not refunding me. Is there anything that can be done, short of filing a lawsuit against them?

  

  Business response

  04/21/2022

  Hello ******,
  
  Thank you for taking the time to contact us via the BBB, we regret that your travel plans were impacted by covid and you were not able to travel on the dates you originally had scheduled. I do see that a supervisor was able to assist you with your cancellation, partial refund, and partial future travel voucher that can be used toward a trip in the future. We are continuing to re-evaluate our covid policies and hope to travel with you in the future.
  
  All the best,
  EF Go Ahead Tours

• Initial Complaint

  03/20/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In March of 2021 I signed up for a tour with EF GoAhead tour company. I paid a $600.00 deposit at that time. The tour was to take place in ***** May *****, 2022. A couple of weeks ago I received a letter stating that my GoKit would be mailed to me about ten days before the tour. This was a problem because I would already be out of town. I tried to use their robo service to get help. When I gave them my information, the service said that my tour had been cancelled. I had never been informed of this and my final payment was just a few days away. if I had not contacted them about another matter I would have paid the final payment. I then called the 800 number and waited 4 1/2 hours before someone picked up (even though the recording originally said I had only 5 people ahead of me). The man who picked up confirmed that my tour had been cancelled because my husband and I were the only ones who signed up for this tour. He said he would send me an email stating that my deposit would be returned. It has been a week and I have seen no email and no credit on my credit card. The contact email they provide on their website has not been answered and I do not have an email address where I can send from my email and have a record of it being sent. I feel very fortunate that I did not pay the full price, but am very angry that my deposit has not been returned and that my tour was cancelled without any kind of communication from them to me. I would have arrived in ***** for this tour and had no where to go. The tour was called Food and Wine: Flavors of ******* and ******. My customer # ********. My invoice number: ******. The tour is still on their website but the dates for May ***** , 2022 have been removed.

  

  Business response

  04/21/2022

  Hello ********,
  
  Thanks for taking the time to share your concerns. We truly regret that your tour to ***** was cancelled due to low enrollment, this tour did not meet the minimum number of participants to be able to run. One of our chat specialists alerted you that the tour was cancelled before formal email communication was sent out to impacted travelers later that week, and a traveler support specialist reconfirmed this information when you spoke on the phone as well. Your payment has been refunded in full following your request to cancel your reservation, and the refund check was mailed to you on 3/18/22.Please notify our Traveler Support team if you did not receive it.
  We appreciate your feedback about difficulty contacting our team, it has been shared with our management team. We have been experiencing a high volume of traveler inquiries causing longer hold times. We are investing in additional resources and strive to remain as accessible to our travelers as possible. We hope to have an opportunity to travel with you in the future and wish you happy travels on your upcoming independent adventure.
  
  All the best,
   EF Go Ahead Tours

• Initial Complaint

  03/19/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On Sept 9, 2021, I enrolled 2 friends in a trip using a debit card, as requested, for $99 each. I told EF rep to contact the 2 individuals regarding their payments for the trip.( I had already enrolled myself earlier)Unbeknownst to me, my bank account was debited $1301.60 on 11/8, 12/8 and 1/8/22, for my friends trips. Note, I did not have automatic debit for my own trip. I was not given notice that my card was being debited, as is good practice anywhere. When I finally realized this, I phoned EF and they took my debit card off my friends accounts. However they would not credit my account for the balance I paid for my friendssaid my friends would have to reimburse me. Because of Covid, we all decided not to take the trip (to Canada). My friends cancelled, which meant I lost the payment for insurance, $349 each and trip down payment, $450 each. The balance of what I had been debited was transferred to my account minus the $799 each ($1598 total was lost)Let it be known: For my friends trips, I did not approve/sign/agree to automatic debit. I did not sign up for trip insurance. What I want: I want all prepaid money, debited from my bank account, to be credited to my EF/Go Ahead account. This includes insurance and trip down payment.I am a long standing customer for over 20 years. I have paid for 20 trips for myself and family members through EF/GoAhead.

  Customer response

  03/31/2022

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint, which was to credit my account for funds debited from my checking account without my knowledge or authorization.

  im not seeking a refund, just a credit for funds debited in error.

   

  there is a web site, EF/GoAhead Horror Stories. I am not alone in my complaint. Please review others complaints. This company is uses disingenuous and illegal practices and should not be allowed to operate in this manner.

  

  Business response

  04/22/2022

  Hello ***,

   

  Thanks for reaching out to share your recent experience, we appreciate your patience as we looked into the details of your situation. A manager has been in contact with you to provide further assistance, and we look forward to traveling with you this Fall. We sincerely value your business and hope to continue traveling with you for many years to come.

   

  Best Regards,

  EF Go Ahead Tours

• Initial Complaint

  03/16/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  To whom it may concern: On April 2, 2021 *************************************** and I booked a 17 day tour of **** with an extension to *******. We inquired about doing our own airfare and was told that we would also have to do our own transfers. After considering that, we elected to have EF/GoAhead book our airfare. We were very explicit that we wanted business air and what airports we wanted to leave from. Over the course of the past 11 months, we have both communicated with EF regarding flight arrangements and trip details. Over the past 5 weeks, we have repeatedly called them which involved several hours on hold to be either disconnected or reach someone with no updated information. On Saturday, 3/5, after being on hold for 2 hours and 58 minutes, I spoke with a woman named *****. I explained that the travel department had not contacted me, despite the fact that when I spoke with them earlier in the previous week they were trying to find air travel from a private airstrip, and not *** (******/*************** *******). Having resolved that issue I was promised someone would contact me shortly. ***** also informed me that the extension most likely would NOT happen as they did not have the requisite number of guests. Once again ***** promised that I would hear from someone this morning as the final payment was due (the **** included the trip, extension and business class airfare which had not yet been finalized). Today I called EF/GoAhead and was finally connected to a woman who said "the trip is a go, the extension is not and we have not yet done any airfare". I asked to speak with a supervisor and she told me someone would contact me in 3-5 business days.

  

  Business response

  04/12/2022

  Thank you for being in touch. A member of the Go Ahead Traveler Support Team will be in contact with you.

  Customer response

  04/12/2022

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  They have NOT contacted since my initial complaint
  *************************
  

  
  

  

  Business response

  04/28/2022

  Thank you for being in contact. A member of our Go Ahead team will be reaching out. 

  Customer response

  04/29/2022

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  I DO NOT ACCEPT THIS DECISION BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT REACHED OUT TO ME DESPITE NUMEROUS PHONE CALLS AND UNFULFILLED PROMISES TO RESPOND
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  *****

   

   

  

  Business response

  04/29/2022

  I do want to confirm that a member of our management team did contact her again yesterday via email to offer assistance and we have not heard back.

  Customer response

  04/29/2022

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  No one HAS contacted me via email! I have just checked my email and spam folder and there is nothing from EF/GoAhead
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  *****

   

   

  

  Business response

  08/03/2022

  Hello *****,

   

  A supervisor from our traveler support team, ***** reached out via email on 4/27/2022 to assist you further and did not hear back. Please give our traveler support team a call if we can provide any further assistance.

   

  Best,

  EF Go Ahead Tours

• Initial Complaint

  03/11/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On February 25,2022 after canceling a scheduled tour a refund credit of $1, ****** was sent to ************** on Debit Mastercard ending in ****. This debit card was attached to close bank account, that I advised Go Ahead Tours was closed at the time I canceled my trip. They advised legally they had to send the refund back to the card on file. It would hit the bank and then be returned to the tour company. After being returned they would issue a check for the amount and mail it to my address of ****************************************************. On March 11, 2022 I called to see if the check had been issued, I spent 2 hours being bounced back and forth between the tour company and my bank. The first person I talked to at Go Ahead Tours said they sent the money to Mastercard on file ending in 3**** and it was no longer their problem. As I was asking questions he hung up on me. The next call the representative was very polite but told me wrong information that my money was returned to Mastercard ending in ****, leading me on a wild goose chase. The third person I talked to refused to let me talk to a manager after asking for one. They said they have thousands of travelers and only 10 managers. It would take 3 to 5 business days for a manager to call me back. When I asked again to talk to a manager, I was interrupted and chuckled at. I asked if they could please stop payment on the refund and reissue the check to me. They refuse to do that. After several hours, I still have no idea where my money is and felt very insulted

  

  Business response

  04/21/2022

  Hello ******,
  
  Thank you for contacting us regarding the handling of your refund. We share in your disappointment that you are not able to travel on your tour as originally scheduled. When a traveler cancels their reservation and is due a refund, the refund is issued back to the original form of payment. I see that a supervisor from our team called you on March 11th after you called to inquire about the status of your refund. She confirmed with our central accounting team that your bank did accept the refund payment on February 27th and provided receipts of all transactions showing the refund was accepted by them. At the time, she advised that your best course of action is to speak with a representative from your bank directly to receive your refund.
  
  We also appreciate your feedback regarding the service you received from our team, this has been shared with our management team for further review. Thank you again for your time, we hope to have an opportunity to travel with you in the future.
  
  Best Regards,
  EF Go Ahead Tours

• Initial Complaint

  03/02/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We booked a tour of ****** on 1/6/2021 to go on tour 03/19/22-03/27/2022. We made monthly payments as well as a deposit payment. We received an email on 1/4/2022 that tour was a go! Then, after making flight reservations independently, we received an email that it was cancelled and we could reschedule a different tour or the same tour for a different date. Email also said a cancellation fee would apply even though Go Ahead Tours cancelled the tour...it did not say how much fee was but there should be no fee and we want and expect a FULL REFUND

  

  Business response

  04/21/2022

  Hello *****,
  
  Thank you for reaching out to us to share your concerns. We share in your disappointment that your tour was cancelled due to low enrollment. Since your initial outreach to the BBB, I see that your reservation has been refunded in full per our standard policy when tours are cancelled for low enrollment, your check refund was mailed to you on 4/1/22.
  
  We hope to have an opportunity to travel with you in the future; please dont hesitate to reach out if we can provide any further assistance at this time.
  
  Best Regards,
  EF Go Ahead Tours

*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. ↩