ACIS Educational Tours
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Terrible refund handling
ACIS is completing dropping the ball on proper handling of trip cancelations. I run a vacation rental business. I know this situation is awful and have made minimal income the last 3 months. However, I know that by treating my guests properly now, means they will be my guests again in the future. ACIS is banking on your kids being a limited-time customer, and a new batch of unsuspecting parents and trip leaders will replace them in the years to come. Ms. Smart's comments below about airlines not giving refunds and only offering future vouchers is completely wrong. All airlines are offering full refunds, for any reason. This is an email from United Airlines on April 30: "That's why we've waived the fees to change or cancel any trip with us through the end of 2020, including travel that was already planned as well as trips that you're hoping to take in the future. Every customer now has until May 31 to make changes to current reservations or book new flights that can be changed or canceled without a fee, and you'll be able to reschedule your trip for anytime in the next 12 months. So take the next few weeks and do what's best for you, your family and your work." But just like the airlines, ACIS would "prefer" to issue you a voucher and hold your cash in the meantime. Good luck getting that back if they go bankrupt. And if your travel suppliers are not offering refunds, call them out publicly for the benefit of your customers instead of allowing them to continue this in the dark. Also, your insurance partner (CISI) is an affiliated business of ACIS, not some separate third-party. So ACIS is keeping the $100 fee for the deductible, and your other insurance business CISI is keeping the insurance premiums. You have the ability to refund more, and you should. It is shameful the way you point fingers at your suppliers, whereas I would bet that your own companies are keeping a greater portion of any "non-refundable" amounts. It’s one thing to claim you are losing funds to supplier contracts, it’s another when the insurance fees are shifting from one pocket to the other. ACIS, as a fellow travel professional, I understand your pain, but you can and should do better. Just my small group to France will lose over $20,000 in "non-refundable" fees that you are keeping. That is wrong. You can make it right.