Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/16/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On July 9, 2025, a little less than 2 months before Im set to move, I got an email from **** stating that my orientation date of September 1 was no longer available and I had the option to pick a new orientation date with the choices being September 15, 22 and October 6. However, **** stated that there were not enough hotel rooms for everyone so people could opt out of the hotel stay and receive a $350 refund but have to find their own accommodations without the support of CIEE. When I originally signed up for this program in March 2025, I paid $2,650 and their website stated that included in that cost was transportation from the airport to the hotel and 4 nights in a hotel with breakfast included. I researched different hotels in *********** ******, as we are required to be there for orientation, and the average cost per night is between $700 and $900 for 4 nights. On top of that, people who arent booked in a hotel will have to provide their own transportation. I believed $350 was not enough to cover transportation, 4 nights in *********** ****** and food. On July 14, 2025 I sent the leaders of my program at **** an email explaining the discrepancy and asking for $700 to cover the difference in hotel costs, transportation and food costs. I laid out different hotel options and explained the situation, but **** did not respond to my suggestions. Instead, they emailed everyone stating we will be getting the $350 and what our new orientation assignments are. They provided no support for the people without accommodations to find hotels, or any suggestions on where to stay. I am asking for a refund of $700 so we can cover the cost of transportation, hotel and food that **** originally promised in their website guarantee but are retracting now.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/01/2025

  Dear ******,
  
  Its true that, due to circumstances beyond our control, we had to cancel one of our five planned Fall 2025 Teach in ***** orientation events, and help the affected participants move to ********** 2025 orientation dates. Hotel space was already very limited in the most popular of the other dates, so we opened up an option to have people join those dates anyway, but opt out of the included hotel and breakfast, and receive a $350 refund for those components. If they preferred to keep the hotel and breakfast, other dates were available that retained those components. We used a survey to carefully collect everyones ranked preferences for each option, and everyone is now reassigned to new orientation groups. I recognize that this is a disruption to peoples plans, and when you wrote to us with your complaints, I made myself personally available for a phone call to discuss them at length and share more about the obstacles we are responding to during this difficult **** season. I appreciate your concern for the other CIEE participants in your group, and apologize for the need to make this change in plans.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** ******
  Associate Director, *****************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/13/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My 15-year-old son was a participant in the **** program section 2, Paris summer 2024. The cost of the program was in the neighborhood of $7000 plus additional expenses, such as airfare. The program promised French classroom instruction and a domestic living situation with a French family that would house,feed And supplement the education of French language. The session lasted four weeks. The problem we encountered centered around the domestic living situation. The host family never sat down with my son And his roommates for any meal for the Entire stay except for the first night. The host family spoke a heavily accented French and never went to school in ******. Their native language was not French. The domestic family interaction was heavily marketed in the materials in the ************* as a reason to embark on this program with ****. This part of the program was a total disaster. **** failed rectify the problem. At the end of the program when I asked about this,they were not interested. There was one further element that is somewhat minor, but very irritating was the final exam that was administered to the students Was not adequately evaluated. The testing service used by **** wasnt able to evaluate the verbal section of the exam because of IT issues. To add in cell to injury The testing service blamed the students for not cooperating. Once again, this was brought up to **** management with no response. All in six letters were sent to senior management, the board of directors, and employees. When asked about how the program might correct these issues, the last discussion that we had emphasized that there was no guarantee that these issues would not repeat if we enrolled in another program in ****** with *****I am a US based international educator with a **** I serve on an ********** admissions committee. We want **** to thrive. It Needs to correct its Misleading advertising. Worst case it might lose its French permits and its reputation. I am an alumni

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/06/2023

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Last year in October, I was put in contact by ************************* (******) with CIEE to inquire about their study abroad options. I was interested to study in *****. I was told that a four month program would cost in excess of $17,000.00 US. I simply did not have that amount a money but wanted to keep my options open. I hoped somehow that I would be able to obtain the funds. I was asked to sign electronically a document online. No financial milestones, deadlines, or potential penalty fees were explicitly mentioned to me in my conversation with the CIEE advisor. Time passed and I came to the realization that I would not be able to provide the funds to cover the program. I emailed CIEE on January 1st, 2023 to let them know that I cannot travel to *****. I did not hear from them. Only when I attempted to register for the Spring term at ************************* (******) I was told that there was a penalty fee on my account of roughly $5000 which constituted a penalty fee for not withdrawing my application 15 days prior to the departure date. I appealed the decision and CIEE made a reduction of approximately $900.00. However, the decision still leaves me with more than $4000.00 as a charge. NOTE - ************************* sent a check already back in January on my behalf without even notifying me. I feel that the charge is punitive and unethical given the fact that no financial penalty fees were expressively communicated by CIEE. I was told that the details were included in the document that I signed electronically online. However, I was never made aware by the CIEE advisor that there are financial terms included in the document. My ask if for CIEE to reconsider and send back to ************************* most if not all of the remaining amount that they obtained.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/16/2023

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/17/2023

  Applicants to our study abroad programs have many opportunities to confirm or cancel their program prior to reaching our application cancellation milestones. In this case, the student cancelled their confirmed participation in a *********, ***** study abroad program only days before the program began in January 2023, and within our 25% cancellation window as articulated in our participant agreement (attached) and available online.After appeal, we agreed to reduce the cancellation penalty further to just non-recoverable program costs incurred on behalf of the student. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/30/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Please see the attached letter for details. This letter was sent to CIEE on June 27, 2023, asking for a response no later than the close of business July 3, 2023. On July 5, 2023, I received the following email from *************************, Senior Manager, Sales Operations stating they were in receipt of the letter and that they were communicating with the team in ***** to gather all the details so they could respond appropriately. She stated, "You should hear from us within the next week."After not hearing back from CIEE, I emailed CIEE again on Monday, July 17, 2023, stating the following: "Good morning, Following up. ****."After not hearing back from CIEE, I emailed CIEE again on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, stating the following: "Good morning, Please let me know if you agree to a refund by 5 pm Central, July 28, 2023. ****."I have not heard anything back. Thus, I am asking BBB to try to resolve this prior to initiating any litigation.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/15/2023

  CIEE is currently in communication with ****************** and we are negotiating a refund amount.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/17/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************