WorldStrides review: Bad service 63

This may not solve all your problems but I recommend a company http://www.chinatravelandtour.com in case your school is organizing a trip to China. Customer service and destination knowledge is top notch! They really care about the students and parents, not just bribing the teachers.

My son is to be attending one of the trips to WA/PA/NYC within the next 2 months. I just filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau for their lack of response to calls (to Corporate office, no less), emails, and faxes. Additionally, emails from Customer Service reps do not match the information from direct calls to their Customer Service Dept. They seem inept, irresponsible, AND unprofessional in total. This is causing me great concern about the impending trip. Surely they recognize that they force parents into the difficult position of paying their RANSOM to allow their child to attend with their peers, or disappointing their child by denying them this experience! What a hoax!

My son and I are going on a tour to Italy with world strides this summer. When, I signed up, we were leaving from Oklahoma City then to Dallas. We were told we would wake up in Rome. Now, because only 12 people signed up, they said we have to either pay another $300 or drive to Dallas (a 3 hour drive and pay for parking for 10 days). The contract that I signed stated, "This proposal is valid until 27 September and this tour cannot be operated in its present format with fewer than 10 participants". We have 12 people going. It gets worse. So, now we not only have to get ourselves to Dallas and pay for parking, but they've completely changed our flight and itinerary. Now, we have to stop in England "on our way" to Rome. I haven't seen the itinerary so I don't know exactly how many hours this has added to our trip. What I do know is that the itinerary stated that we would land in Rome and we will take a day trip to Ostia Antica. Now, we aren't landing in Rome until 4:00 that afternoon and will not have time for the day trip. So, we have had one day in Italy taken away so that they could get cheaper flights with extra stops. We have 7 actual days in Italy, not 8 like the contract I signed says. I haven found all of this out from my own research. Nobody has ever offered this information to me. I feel like the people paying for the trip (not the teachers going free) should have some say in if they're ok with a huge schedule change in the trip. I did not pay $10, 000+ (my son and me) for a tour company to cheat me and then get us everything as cheap as possible so that they can make an extra penny. I am so angry with myself for not researching this company before I paid the money. I don't understand how I can sign a contract, pay the money they are asking and then they change the trip. It doesn't seem legal to me. Also, they are not offering any money back for the day trip that we no longer will be going on due to them getting cheap flights with several stops. I have checked flights. When you make an extra stop, it adds hours onto your travel. We leave Dallas at 6 PM and arrive in Rome at 4 PM the next day. Please, do your research before signing anything with this company.

We just were advised that we also have to pay an additional $100 for my son's trip to WA/PH/NYC as there are less than 35 students attending. My thoughts are that the airfare/food costs/itinerary did not change from the date that they pre-booked the travel/restaurants, etc. This is a company that is NOT in existence for the educational growth of our children, but simply for profit of themselves and the teachers (their trip is not only free, but they receive a kick-back as well). Research online can bring up numerous other companies that provide travel opportunities such as these, and are significantly better rated and cheaper!
Per a comment posted online by one of their own travel reps, people can book their own trips at a lower price, and will probably get more value, educational and financial, out of it. I looked, and through your local community college, or via Groupon, or even through travel specials on travel websites, this is very true!

I cannot comment on the content of their trips, but, financially, WorldStrides is a scam. I signed my daughter up for a trip, but financial circumstances prevented us from going forward after the initial payment of $200. Instead of a refund minus the administration fee, they demanded a second payment of $200 in order to refund the first payment. When they didn't get that, they refused to refund the first payment. I basically spent $200 for nothing. I would not have minded paying the administration fee, quoted as $45 - but $200 for nothing? I am a widow with two teenagers, one disabled, struggling to make ends meet, so $200 is a fair sum of money for me to pay out for no services rendered. I will certainly recommend to my children's schools and other parents to avoid this organization at all costs.

Rae is this trip for the Polk Pre-Coll kids?

Hi everyone
I went on a trip with worldstrides when I was in the 8th grade. I am now in college and I can say that THIS IS NOT A SCAM. Did I have trouble contacting customer service? Yes. Was it expensive. Yes. Was it worth it? YES. I had a great time in DC and NY. The days are long but I can assure you, your tweens can do it. I recommend this trip 100%. It is a lot of fun and the service World Stride offers to keep your kids safe is worth it.

Any positive reviews you may read on here about this company were more than likely written by a teacher, or by someone within Worldstrides management. There is NOTHING good about this company! As another commenter posted, the teachers that host these trips not only get to go for free, but receive $50 per student that goes. So keep that in mind when reading the glowing reviews.

My wife and I have been working with Casterbridge now World Strides for 13 years. We have organized and conducted tours throughout Europe. I read some of the above complaints and believe when it comes to customer service all it takes is one issue and suddenly a company becomes the worst company ever, they are horrible, etc. I am referencing my experiences as a tour manager who has worked with World Strides from the beginning of the tour til the end. While in Europe I have spoken with guides, drivers, chaperones, and customers throughout the industry. I can only tell you that World Strides is respected throughout the industry. I have looked at the cheaper quotes from other companies and the tours they offer. When I take students overseas I am not interested in a "cheap" tour I am looking for a safe and positive experience! I am sure there are many satisfied customers from other companies but in my experience and opinion I believe World Strides does an outstanding job regarding customer service, safety, and overall quality. Some of the tours we have taken students on, other companies would not even offer a quote because of the places we wanted to visit and the hotels we wanted to stay in. Remember all travel companies have their cookie cutter tours which uses the same locations, hotel, s and restaurants. Personally when taking a group of high school student I Do Not want to stay in a hotel that has other groups. I have witnessed this first hand. As a group leader I have no control over those other students and I have seen other groups that let their high school students drink and it is a mess in that hotel. World strides also guarantees individual customized tours, meaning you will not be booked with other groups from around the U.S. If I am going to give up my time away from my family and time in the summer I want to have the least stressful experience I can. World Strides tours may be more expensive but you have to look at their services. If you are looking for a budget tour then look at other companies but in the end you get what you pay for. Feel free to contact me at dgeyer@luxcasco.k12.wi.us if you have any questions. I am not here advertising for them but I will offer my personal experiences.

I have used World Strides for the past two years for DC trips and cannot say enough good things about their service. They were absolutely AMAZING to work with. They went above and beyond each trip to make sure they met the needs of my group. Our tour leader developed such a close relationship with my students that she even scheduled a visit to their high school when she was in the area! The security that they provided at the hotel provided peace of mind about the safety of the students while in my care. It also allowed my students that are from a very low income area to afford a trip to DC. I would be happy to answer any questions for anyone about this company. I would not hesitate to use them again and would put my highest recommendation on them.

The complaints are not unfounded when it happens to multiple people. This just recently happened to me with Worldstrides. I complained to the BBB and we'll see if there's a resolution. I tried reaching a solution with customer service and the trip leader at my child's school and neither offered anything. What happened in my situation is that the school didn't have enough kids signed up by the deadline, so they rescheduled the trip for the next year. They did so without consulting the parents. My child isn't available to go, so I cancelled and asked for a refund, minus my deposit (although I think it would only be fair to refund that too since the SCHOOL rescheduled causing my child to not be able to go. They allegedly are sending me a refund minus the deposit, the price of the "full refund program" (ironic, huh?), and a $6 handling fee. Not sure where that came from. Not to mention, they promised my refund within 4-6 weeks and after 6 weeks passed, I had to send them two emails before they actually processed and sent it. I still haven't received it, but I'm sure the check's in the mail, right?

I'm glad some have had some good experiences with them, but I will never use them again, and I probably won't use any similar company as a result of this. I think we will just travel on our own from now on.

I find it more than a little alarming that the only people sticking up for Worldstrides are the teachers and trip leaders that more than likely don't pay the same if any rate, and don't get scammed by all the hidden fees from this company. Any time I have tried to deal with WS either over the phone or online. They have been anything but helpful, and mostly downright dishonest.

If you ever find the time to look at ALL the companies that offer World travel for students you will find complaints for each one of them! What strikes me is people complaining about the refund policy. People you need to read the conditions BEFORE you sign anything! If you had read properly you would see that they don't reimburse everything in case of cancellation ! Myself and my students had an excellent experience with Worldstrides 2 years ago.I would definitely use this company again. Yes they are mpore expansive than other companies but they offer better service !

The prices are high so the program leaders/coordinators get to go for free. If enough people go they get to bring a chaperone for free, usually a teacher's family member Teachers using you to get free trips disguised as learning trips. They are technically employees of Worldstrides. ShamelessCheaper to book it yourself.

Read page 4 of their employee (program leader/coordinator) guide:
[url]http://olr.worldstrides.net/PLResources/planning/docs/History-Science_2013-14_Policy_Handbook.pdf[/url]

I am, to say the least, baffled at the amount of negative reviews and how aggressive these reviews are. I have been taking my econ high school students on international trips each year for the last 6 years, and have not had one complaint. I had found many complaints on sites and review columns similar to here, and I was very skeptical initially. After connecting with them, my expectations for the process of building and preparing a program as well as the actual execution of the program itself exceeded my expectations! At first, I turned them down. Every few weeks I would get a call from a representative until I said "no" outright. They left me alone! I had an experience with another provider that was unpleasant, and went back to Worldstrides to try them. Don't trust me, or any of the other comments. Contact them and see for yourself!

As for all the repeated complaints, there are reasons for all these complaints. In my opinion, it all comes down to perspective and I have categorized them below based on my experience. Take them as you wish!

"Only teachers stick up for Worldstrides" - Well, teachers and professors are the ones who have to plan the program out. Logistics are NOT easy! Yes, Worldstrides is more expensive, but no other provider will tailor a program and provide you with an individual, genuine opportunity for less. In addition, and this is where my administration became interested, Worldstrides has the best insurance of any provider I've looked into. No one else has doctors on call, 24/hour emergency service, and $50million in coverage. When you pay for a new car, you expect it to run as such in exchange for the price. I WILL NOT be sending my students on a rust-bucket from the junk yard just because it's cheap. No amount of savings is worth the hassle or lack of ability to insure a quality program, especially when it comes to the students. Teacher stick up for Worldstrides because the process is efficient, safe, and reliable.

"don't listen to the good reviews, they pay teachers" - What? Either this remark was fabricated by Worldstrides competition or these individuals are desperate to turn people away form looking into Worldstrides. I have had colleagues who have asked Worldstrides to pay them and tried to get me to request the same, Worldstrides has refused.

"they are scammers/I can't get my refund back" - When you register to attend the trip and there us a section that SPECIFICALLY states that the price is going to be more expensive if not enough students register, don't be surprised when the words become actuality. That's something you should consider before registering. I have had trips do this, and the price was raised within a decent margin. Can't get a full refund? HA! When they have booked flights 9 months in advance and you try to pull your child/student out of the program 3 weeks before, you think you're going to get your money back? Let me ask you this, do you expect to receive the down payment on a new car back when you decide not to pay your monthly payments? (yes I like car analogies).

"their representatives wouldn't leave my alone/I couldn't get in touch with their VP or CEO" - This is business, people. They have representatives to generate new business, look into referrals, and distribute information to potential clients. It's extremely rare, you know just like every other business in capitalism, when they advertise and utilize marketing techniques. Tell them NO if you're not interested and I be they'll back off! They did for me. And I can't believe ANYONE would call in to a profession business and expect to VP or the CEO without a scheduled call or an appointment! There are administrative assistants and customer service representatives for a reason.

Anyhow, I am digressing. In summation, realize they're a business, realize their price reflects their quality and leadership in the industry, realize it's a financial commitment, and decide on your own what you think of them. I promise you won't be disappointed.

I can attest to the fact that teachers DO get paid for these trips! I know teachers who have and I was told by a WorldStrides sales representative that they do (on top of getting their trip free) at a rate of $50 per paying traveller. This only means the PARENTS are paying a higher price. I also know that teachers who refer other teachers can get upwards of $1000 referral fees. Guess who is paying for that too? I guarantee that is not coming out of their bottom line. It is figured into the trip cost per student when quoted. I can see the positives of this type of travel (convenience, experience in the location) but in the end I am not comfortable signing my students/parents up for something that I cannot get any confirmation on. I have no idea who hotel or airline we would use, I have no idea about the time of departure or arrival and I do not like the idea that prices can change if fuel prices rise (sorry, but a quote is a quote). I am sure there have been many who have been very happy with this company (and others like it) or they wouldn't still be in business, but knowing what I know already based on my research and discussing at length details of the trip with a WS employee, it's not for our group.

Yesterday we had a parents meeting at my dughter's scool about this worldstrides next planning trip to DC. Based on the teacher what he spoke there and said they are really amazing and student friendly company I did register my daughter today.
First thing you see that If you don't pay attention to the agreement you are automatically going to be register at full refund ripping program, then you don't have any option to pay by credit cards but only debit card or a specific bank check. Then there are fees associated if you don't sign up for automatic payment etc.
The worst part is if you contact their costumer representative. In first call lady there called me "maam" and I am a male and I speak in deep voice. Today I called them to ask for their FLAG program and they guy there hang up on me for no reason and never called back. I called them back and as it was advertised at invitation packet from school that if you are family that makes less than 85 000 annually maybe you can qualify and they said there is zero assistance, because this is only for people with less than 35 000 a year. Clear false advertising. Now I am concern about my daughter travelling with these crooks. I hope everything goes well

I'm having the exact same experience right now. Am caught up with payments, yet they sent me a bill for almost $600, saying if its not paid, they may cancel my child's trip. No one will help me via phone or email get clarity on this or rectify this. I can't wait until I don't have to deal with this company again. I'm a principal and was looking to use this company for our school's trip, I clearly won't be, I would never do this to my families.

True, true just posted this on their site...

My child has not gone yet. 10 more days. This is a review for low income and people on fix income.

If you are planning on sending your child on a trip be sure to have all money upfront. If you don't and try to pay around what income you have. They will charge you "Late Install Installment Charges" on top of the money you are paying. Most of use don't have $500+ a month to pay out.

My remaining balance was due by 3-23-22. I paid it all off by 3-1-22. Because it wasn't paid on thier schedule is was changed 3 times $15 + 3 "handling fees" of $6. So that is additional $63 to something I was struggling to get paid in time. Even though I paid in full before deadline. Just not at thier schedule time.

Good job WorldStrides for squeezing any cent you can form struggling parents that just want thier kids to enjoy life like rich people can.

My son attended the June 11, 2022 Jr. Leadership program. We paid close to $3300.

I have called to request a refund for the trip due to:

- Unsafe Actions by group leaders

- False Advertising - portions of the advertised activities either did not occur at all or were not actual tours but rather drive by sightings.

- Portions of the trip were canceled with warning

- Distressing orientation processes

-- leaving children in waiting areas until close to midnight with no rooms

-- combining groups due to lack of staff causing a disproportionate unsafe staff to child ratio

-- traumatic moment the advisors could not locate children on an outing

—driving off quickly due to scheduling conflicts while the children were still standing on the bus heading to their seats.

-Overall lack of program content - the children sat in a conference room for multiple days filling out worksheets.

In addition to the trip, I experienced minimizing and embarrassing feedback during the intake communication. I have placed 3 calls in 11 days to seek to resolve this.

The initial call was received by a women that appeared argumentative regarding my claims.

She said this was unheard of and they never had complaints like this before. I explained that many of my sons groups had experienced the same thing but she was persistent.

A week later I called again after having received no call back. At this time, they are processing entire group cancellations due to Covid. I let them know I understand the immediate need to talk to these families during that time but am still awaiting a call back. I was assured that should happen and I was in a list.

11 days later, the third intake specialist: Henry Butler was lacking professionalism. He minimized my experience telling me, “well your son is safe, isn’t he. He made it home didn’t he”. I was shocked. He took an unsettling,unsafe event my son experienced and suggested his experiences weren’t worthy of my complaints because he “made it home”. When I explained I had been waiting for a call back prior to the class cancellations, he said, “well ma’am you have to get in line as far as receiving a call back. There are thousands of parents just like you calling for refunds.” I explained I called prior to the course cancellations. He said. “I don’t know what to tel you it’s only been 11 days.”

I explained that sounds like it says more about the business then it does about me. I told him that I have no choice at this moment but to file a complaint. He said, “do what you feel like you need to do.”

I can’t emphasize enough how concerned I am that this company is trusted to look after hundreds of thousands of kids every year.

100% agree!

Outrageous School Trip Charges

My daughter's school trip to Washington DC for 4 days cost $2200. They go to all the FREE tour sites and 4 to a room. That equals $550 per kid. My daughter really wants to experience this great educational opportunity.

Payment options stated raising funds. But they do not, they charge you huge monthly payments that if you do not pay every month they charge you over $20 in fees every month. Their financial aid, the max you can receive is $100. Then on top of it, they intimidate you to purchase the full refund program. Canceled trips have happened, to find out you can only get a full refund if you cancel the day before, they do have clauses that they don't have to give you all back.

If you are a school administrator looking for a company that will work with your parents, offer flexibility, and is a reasonable price, do NOT go with WorldStrides. They take a $900 trip and pocket $1300. Companies like this take advantage of schools and students. Another example of companies that say education opportunities only means the privileged students get opportunities.