In April 2016, I began contacting EF Tours regarding the numerous problems my family encountered on our Japan tour that cost us over $13,000.Their website says their tours are expertly led. However, our Japan Tour Director, S., was utterly incompetent and we found out later that she was fired because of her ineptness. It took more than 4 months of emails and two letters sent in June and August -with signature confirmation- to President, Shane Steffens, until I received my first response from the company. C.B. agreed that EF Tours had made a mistake in hiring S. and said she'd like to provide some compensation to my family, due to negligence on their end. However, she never followed up. On August 30, our American Tour Guide, S.M.(who did an excellent job) sent an email to everyone on our tour letting us know that S. had deliberately not submitted the evaluation forms as instructed and, subsequently had been terminated. After learning this, I contacted the customer service department. Even G.S. acknowledged “there were several components that did not meet your groups expectations” but was unwilling to do anything but offer my family a gift card for a free meal!

In April 2016, I began contacting EF Tours regarding the numerous problems my family encountered on our Japan tour that cost us over $13,000.Their website says their tours are expertly led. However, our Japan Tour Director, S., was utterly incompetent and we found out later that she was fired because of her ineptness. It took more than 4 months of emails and two letters sent in June and August -with signature confirmation- to President, Shane Steffens, until I received my first response from the company. C.B. agreed that EF Tours had made a mistake in hiring S. and said she'd like to provide some compensation to my family, due to negligence on their end. However, she never followed up. On August 30, our American Tour Guide, S.M.(who did an excellent job) sent an email to everyone on our tour letting us know that S. had deliberately not submitted the evaluation forms as instructed and, subsequently had been terminated. After learning this, I contacted the customer service department. Even G.S. acknowledged “there were several components that did not meet your groups expectations” but was unwilling to do anything but offer my family a gift card for a free meal!

I purchased a watch from Bucherer's on 5th Septembe, 2014. After 4 months the second hand kept jumping 3 to 5 seconds at a time eventually it has stopped altogether. Today I telephoned Bucherer from Australia where I live and told them what the problem with the watch was. I was told that it was the battery and I was to take the watch back to them and they would replace it. This ofcourse is impossible as I will not be going back to Europe for many years. I pointed out that the battery should have lasted much longer and they agreed it should have had a new battery in it when it was sold to me. I asked them to send me a battery so that I can replace it and was told their policy was not to send anything in the mail. I was to take it to a reputable jeweller and have the battery replace at my own cost. The guarantee which was with the watch is now worth nothing to me. Bucherer thrives on buses full of overseas tourists being taken there in good faith to purchase goods, but the tourists are not told that their product guarantees are not honoured unless they are taken back to the shop in Lucerne. I will be telling all my friends not to shop at Bucherers stores when they are in Switzerland

I have taken 2 groups to Germany/Austria/Switzerland with EF. The first trip was a book tour, so we were put with another high school group. They were weird kids, but that was the only complaint. The hotels were awesome, all if them for 10 days! The food was good, and the kids told me each day how it was such a good time. That was a group if 25. My second trip was with only my group, it was customized, so I planned it, for a group of 60. It was just as good, even better because I planned everything.I didn't plan the hotels or food, but they were great, just like on my first tour. I have no complaints against EF- both times they have given me the dates I wanted, and we flew together, not a single problem. I would say my only complaint is the fuel increase. I do a lot of fundraising with my students. My free trip is given to a needy student, and I give my stipend bonus to a student also. I pay for my trip, and have to pay for my spending $ and food too. So I end up paying for my trip, that's my choice, and I still have no complaints. The kids have fun, learn and see a lot and are always safe and taken care of. I am extremely cautious and plan well. Like I said- I've had nothing but great trips and will continue to use them!

Hello to all of you! I was an EF-TD in the late 90ies. But after two summers I stopped. Why? I couldn't stand anymore how US-groups were seen as money-machines. In every shop you are lead Busdrivers, EF-TDs and EF get a certain percentage of what you buy. The most important question for the day was, where to take the groups in order to get as much money as possible. You dont trust me? Well do you know Bucherer in Lucerne? There is a small entrance in the sidestreet that takes TDs directly to the Bucherer-Office in the second floor. Therefore you have to tell Bucherer, which Tour you are. By the way this is policy of all large travel-companyies. I always hated it, but there was no way to refuse it. Therefore I gave up this job after two years although I liked it to be on tour with you guys.