Customer ReviewsforEF Education First, Inc.

HORRIBLE! Terrible Service, awful company...they took full payment for my son to go on the trip with his class this summer to ***** and then when they did not have room for him to join his classmates EF made no effort to notify us nor refund the cost of the trip. NOTHING! We made plans for him to go, bought all of the equipment needed and then noticed at the last school meeting that his name was not on a list. We called EF and only then were told he wasn't permitted to go because they didn't have room on one of the excursions. 6 weeks after they accepted the full payment. No notification....had we not called we would have shown up at the airport to find there was no ticket. Horrible... and worse than that my son is crushed. Even more concerned that nearly $5000 has not been returned. Terrible. **************** and management have done nothing to make it right.

Embarking on an exchange year with **************************** has been nothing short of AMAZING. From the moment I expressed interest, EF provided unparalleled support and engagement, guiding me through every step of the pre-departure process. Their commitment to fostering cultural exchange didn't end there; throughout my entire journey, EF offered additional opportunities for cultural immersion, language learning, and personal growth.As a person, I've grown in ways I never thought possible. Living in a new country challenged me to step out of my comfort zone, embrace uncertainty, and develop resilience. I've gained a deeper understanding and appreciation for different cultures, broadening my perspective and empathy.I wholeheartedly recommend an exchange year with EF to any student or parent seeking an enriching and life-changing experience. The personal growth, cultural immersion, and lifelong friendships forged during this journey are invaluable. **************************** truly equips students with the skills and mindset to thrive in an interconnected world.

The student was kind and not spoiled, third one I hosted. Payments were delayed and Staff not very helpful. The staff has a high turnover due to the director's poor leadership. Calling the MA office to complain.

Currently hosting. They are nice if they needed to send you students but once you question them about cheque/direct deposit the lady name *** gets so feisty. How can you recommend this kind of service and very rude answer to a host whos cheque is missing for nearly 3 weeks to this day and no ******** yet. You email them no response. You call them but so feisty. Wow how can you get recommended, She even told me she doesnt lie and so do I. The cheque from ****** office has been sent and to ********* for 3 weeks and nothing to now. How can you not question their integrity and credibility? And yes she said we are not forcing you to host. I absolutely said totally I wont anymore most especially if we have to deal with rude employee like her. Its like I am doing her a favour.Unbelievable how she answered a call from a host who is entitled for compensation and to get answers to query. We host and take care of your students for $20 each day. We deserve the right to ask questions and most especially when it comes to compensation . Nothing in this world is for free and its inflation period. Come on be nice. Its nice to have tried ************ for the first time. I will definitely go back to my other two previous hosting companies. They treat you the way you wanted to be treated. Compensation is way higher too. Good luck to EF for employing unprofessional staff.

I originally booked because communication was excellent. once I committed that abruptly stopped. advisor didnt tell me flights werent included. advisor didnt tell me to book flight for 1day before class starts & 1day after. I booked couple days before & couple days after. advisor told me my daughter may not have anywhere to live for those extra days! we scrambled to make sure my 17 yr old wasnt homeless. host wasnt assigned to my daughter until a couple days before arrival. enrollment form offered a weekend activity for referrals. but advisor has been ghosting us for over a month. Will not return calls, emails or honor phone appts I schedule. **************** is joke they just get me back to advisor who is ghosting. daughter has private room, there is no lock. host barges in w/out knock. host opened bathroom door while daughter is showering to yell no privacy. daughter getting severe mosquito bites nightly in her room. Host wont allow window closed, host wont allow small fan to keep mosquitos away. host tells her when to shower, even if it conflicts with plans. she was required to shower so she wasnt able to get to laundry mat with enough time to dry clothes. She brought clothes back to dry in closet, host barged in, went through her closet and took the wet clothes. gets yelled at for coming home too late, though its hrs before curfew. gets yelled at if other student leaves light on, host ***** if she accidentally drips water onto the hard floor after shower. She isnt allowed to use flat iron, was told electricity is too $$ & shell start charging her. other student in the house over heats, she paid host $100 to use fan at night! Students arent given apt keys, she waited 25 minutes outside. She is miserable & advisor is still ghosting us. in the process of looking for Airbnb for rest of trip. Dont use EF language abroad, its a complete s*** show! no ************************ are children themselves who couldnt care less about you are your childs needs.

My recent trip to ***** with Education First (EF) Tours was an absolute nightmare. From the lackluster hotels to the subpar meals and inadequate planning, it was an experience that I would not wish upon anyone.Let's start with the hotels. Not only were they located over an hour away from major cities, but the breakfast provided was a repetitive and unappetizing affair. Stale croissants, sweaty cheese, and bad coffee became the unfortunate norm. It's baffling how EF Tours could choose hotels that offer such a limited and unappetizing breakfast spread, considering the importance of a good start to the day, especially when embarking on a busy travel itinerary. The excessive amount of time spent on the bus traveling to various destinations was another major letdown. Instead of maximizing our time in each location, we found ourselves trapped in a bus for extended periods, robbing ** of the opportunity to fully immerse ourselves in the cultural and historical wonders of *****. This was a missed opportunity and a poor planning decision on the part of EF Tours. The so-called "free dinner" was a dismal experience as well. We were herded into the basements of restaurants that offered no choices in the menu. The food, predominantly pasta with tasteless tomato sauce, lacked any semblance of flavor. This lack of variety and consideration for dietary preferences or restrictions is unacceptable, especially when exploring a country known for its rich culinary heritage.Adding insult to injury, our time in ******, ***** was woefully inadequate. This beautiful city deserved much more attention and exploration, yet we were hurried through its streets without enough time to truly appreciate its charms. To give credit where it's due, the tour guide and bus driver were the only saving ***** of the trip. Their professionalism and expertise managed to salvage some of the experience. They were really a gift during a high stress vacation.

Poor communication, leave you hanging and won't respond to messages.

I have lots of experience with EF as both an ESL teacher and an academic counselor. I implore you to stay away from this company. I have too many horror stories to relate here but the short version is: They only care about separating you from your money. They do not care about host family placements. They do not care about the foreign students at all. They do not care about the receiving schools or breaking rules or policies (it's always "an emergency"). Several of my ESL students were victims of theft, abuse, and neglect. Once EF gets their money, they will not lift a finger to help if the student runs into problems. We (school faculty and admin) are then forced to save them from the sometimes horrific or even criminal situations because they do not properly vet the host family.

This review is for the ** agents in ******** specifically. My advisor, *******, was good at selling me. Initially I decided to book and he convinced me to do the ef residence then covid hit. I pushed back the trip for a bit then he told me if I don't go in Sept 2021 I won't get a refund and basically forced me into paying $1600 for quarantine at a Korean govt facility. I told him I'd be booking an airbnb because if my roommate gets covid, I'd have to quarantine again for 14 days and I wasn't going to waste my money to go on a trip that'll result in me staying in all the time. He said it's not too late to cancel on the residence but they wouldn't be able to issue the refund until after the trip. I found that ***** but said ok. After the trip I never got my refund. I reached out multiple times and was ghosted then told I'd see a refund in 1-3 months. It's been over a year and still nothing. Everytime I try to contact the company I get ignored, left on read, or hung up on. I'm not some entitled brat requesting a refund for my trip. I'm literally just asking for money back for something I did not use and was told I didn't have to. It was over $400 they stole from me.

I can't in good faith recommend this company. I am sure there are many people who have fabulous experiences using the ** program; however, if and when issues arise, ** becomes extremely rigid and severely lacks in problem-solving skills and healthy communication. On the surface, it may seem they're interested in their customers, but the concern is money-driven! I've watched a student overwhelmingly struggle in silence while ** showed no true concern for the student's feelings or needs. They have zero interest in seeing people as individuals with unique needs. They will not advocate for their families and students when it comes down to it; instead they freeze them out. On the host side of things, you want a program that truly values its host families and works with them to resolve issues. On the exchange side of things, you don't want your son or daughter to feel unsupported and alone in another country if there are issues with the school, the host family, or anything other challenge. There are so many other programs out there besides **!