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Travel agency Explorica Canada Inc. is under fire for failing to issue refunds to parents of students whose school trips were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Toronto-based Explorica provides trip booking services for schools to plan educational vacations for students to locations all over the world.
The global COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread disruptions, including the cancellation of numerous school trips for Canadian students to destinations such as Europe and New York City. Many parents shelled out thousands of dollars for these trips that never happened.
Students Saved Money for Once-in-a-Lifetime Trip
Ben Wickens, 18, told CBC News that he worked hard to earn money to help pay $3,800 for a high school graduation trip to France, Italy and Spain. “I’ve never been to Europe,” he said. “I was really looking forward to it.”
However, the COVID-19 pandemic spoiled his plans and caused the trip to be cancelled. He is reportedly still waiting on a refund.
Ben’s stepmother Anne Nichol started a Facebook page called Explorica Canada – Trying to get our Refunds. She sought to connect other frustrated families who were also struggling to get their refunds. The group currently has more than 1,000 members.
“There’s very few people who can write off $4,000,” Nichol said.
She says that Explorica has been paying out partial reimbursements based on the scheduled departure date. Explorica reportedly issues smaller refunds to those with closer departure dates.
“Some of the parents, if their trip was cancelled 30 days in advance or more, they’ve received a 25 or 30 per cent refund,” Nichol said. “Our trip was cancelled the night before. So, we received $100.”
Trip insurance was mandatory and underwritten by Old Republic Insurance Company of Canada or Arch Insurance, according to CBC News. Some parents who paid by credit card have reportedly received a full refund under the credit card insurance policy. But those who did not use a credit card to pay for the trip didn’t have that extra protection.
Frustrated Families Wait for Full Refund
Grace Dawson, a student from St. John’s, told CBC News that she had been looking forward to a once-in-a-lifetime trip to New York City. However, her trip was cancelled due to border closures implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“We had a lot of stuff on the itinerary,” including sightseeing and Broadway shows, she told CBC News.
“Of course I was really sad, but I understand with the pandemic that we had to cancel.”
According to CBC News, the cost of the trip totalled about $2,500. So far, only $600 of that cost has been refunded by Explorica.
Renee Dawson, Grace’s mother, says she expected to get their money back.
“Some of us had insurance, some of us didn’t,” she said. “We were told and we understood that what wasn’t given back to us by Explorica, the travel company, would be covered by the insurance company.”
Explorica Launches Website to Explain Refund Policy
Explorica has reportedly launched a website for consumers with the latest information about trip cancellations and the refund status. The travel agency claims that it has issued the portions of refunds to customers according to its program terms and has sent the information to Old Republic and Arch Insurance in order to process the claims.
“ORIC and Arch Insurance are attempting to use the unique circumstances around COVID-19 to redefine their rights and obligations under these travel policies and shift the losses of this pandemic back onto you,” the website states.
Explorica also maintains that the insurers have mischaracterized Explorica’s involvement with the process.
Nationwide Class Action Lawsuit to Be Filed Over Lack of Explorica Refunds
Grace and Renee Dawson are not alone. According to CBC News, thousands of people from more than 100 schools across Canada are also seeking refunds from Explorica for trips that were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lawyer Travis Payne, who is representing some of those affected, told CBC News that he sent a letter seeking refunds on behalf of members of the Facebook Group. The letter was sent to Explorica Canada and its insurers Arch Insurance Canada Ltd. and Old Republic Insurance Company of Canada, asking them to respond within a week to avoid litigation.
Payne says the companies missed the deadline and therefore he will move forward with an Explorica class action lawsuit on behalf of all Canadians who have not received refunds.
He estimates that Canadians are owed between $8 million and $12 million over the cancelled Explorica student trips.
At least one class action lawsuit has already been proposed seeking refunds for school trips that were cancelled due to COVID-19. Earlier this summer, a group of parents sought to hold Quebec’s Samare’s School Board accountable for refunding the money raised for an end-of-year school trip that was subject to COVID-19 cancellation.
Another group of parents have asked to institute a class action lawsuit against all Montreal private schools to seek reimbursement of school fees after COVID-19 regulations required schools to close on March 19.
Do you think Explorica should issue refunds for the school trip cancellations? Are you waiting for a refund from a cancelled trip or event due to COVID-19? Let us know in the comment section below!
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20 thoughts onExplorica Canada To Face Class Action Lawsuit for Refunds From Cancelled School Trips
My daughter was supposed make a trip on March break to Europe, that was canceled by the school board, I bought the insurance and I still waiting for my refund. In the beginning They told 8-9 weeks after 9-12 weeks is been now 7 months and I still waiting for my $3800. I can’t abord lose almost $4000.
My son is waiting for his $3,500 refund. We paid a mandatory insurance and the School Board cancelled about a week before the trip… we have received $0! Both Explorica and ARCH insurance are at fault, they blame each other and meanwhile Canadian families struggle and fight to get their money back. My 16 year old deserves an answer, not a generic email with more lies. Every day that passes they make money with our money….enough is enough!
Not to mention explorica is still making a ton of money off the students and parents that have trips booked with them through the schools for 2021 like my daughter. My daughter is to go to Italy in March 2021 and even though we all know now that this is not going to happen and she actually doesn’t want to go now because of covid 19, its being a headache trying to cancel. The school board has not canceled yet but shouldn’t matter as we bought the premium insurance package that you can cancel for any reason even the day of or before your trip. Yet Explorica continues to take the monthly payments for a trip they know won’t happen.
We have been waiting since March 2020 for a refund
My sons school is Saint Thomas Aquinas in Kenora ON. ALONG with the rest of the group
My son, along with everyone else from his school is still waiting for their refunds. We all had to purchase MANDATORY trip insurance as part of our travel package. Explorica is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and it’s disgusting how they’ve handled this. They are flat out thieves padding their bottom line, robbing parents and children of hard earned money. Shame on them, and their underwriters.
My daughter was to go on the VE 2020 trip for 12 days with Brock High School and the DDSB, celebrating Canada’s role in the Liberation of the Netherlands. It was over $4000 and we haven’t seen a dime in refunds. The experience I had with an employee at Arch Insurance was completely unprofessional, insulting and unacceptable.
My boys are still waiting on the rest of there refund which is almost $4000 I have sent many emails to both explorica and old republic whit both parties putting blame on the other company
We haven’t waiting for our refund as well. We worked very hard to save money to send our son on a trip to Greece. It was cancelled in March and we have received nothing. So tired of the runaround. Very d sad limy that’s both explorica and arch insurance are keeping hard earned money from children. So very disappointed!!
We’ve been waiting for refund of $3427. Trip was canceled by school board March 11th for his trip to Scotland and Ireland March 16-26th, 2020. This was my son’s 2 birthday presents and a Christmas present wrapped up in one. 🙁
How do get added to the Class Action law suit against Explorica?
Contact the law firm, there is also a group on Facebooked called “Explorica Canada – Trying to get our refunds”.
I am also waiting for a full refund of approx. $3700 from Explorica for a March trip to Italy that was cancelled by the school board.