Months after student trip cancelled, Saint John families wait for money back

Chandler Doucette had been saving for his senior-year Europe trip since he was 16, when he landed his first job at McDonald's.

The recent Saint John High School graduate made a deal with his parents to cover the $4,200 cost. He'd pay $1,200, his father would pay $1,200 and his mother and her husband would cover the rest.

But as the trip, which would have taken Saint John area high school students to Italy and Spain, drew near, the COVID-19 pandemic swept into Europe and the trip was called off two days before the Feb. 28 departure.

Doucette's mother said she understands why it had to be cancelled, but Sharon Morton is at a loss as to why the families still have yet to be reimbursed by the travel insurance agency.

Parents have struggled for months with continual delays and trouble getting information from the trip chaperone, travel agency and the insurance provider on where their group claim stands.

They fear they may never see their money again, Morton said.

"I'm pretty patient, but now I'm fed up and I'm mad. I feel like it's a scam," she said.

"I feel like they just figure we'll all go away. I'm mad because my son had to say, 'Do you want fries with that?' a lot to get $1,200. He wants that money back."

She said it's another blow to students who missed out so many senior-year events and celebrations.

Ben Wickens, another Saint John High student, is in the same situation, according to his stepmother, Anne Nichol. She said they're out almost $5,000, having purchased the extra insurance package that would offer a full refund with no issues.

"We've been waiting for four months with no information and it's just been very frustrating," Nichol said.

Timeline

The trip was organized in part by a Saint John High teacher, Jim McNiven, through a travel agency called Explorica. The company offers insurance through a separate provider, Trip Mate. Both companies are based in the United States.

Nichol said families were initially told it would take four to six week for the claim to be processed, but after a month and a half of waiting they began to ask questions. That's when, in mid April, the Mortons learned Trip Mate had yet to receive the trip itinerary and couldn't proceed until they provided it.

But they never had a copy, they said, and it was up to McNiven to send it in. After no response from the teacher, Shawn Morton, Sharon Morton's husband, called Explorica directly on May 11 and threatened legal action because he felt he was being "ripped off."

He said the company sent the document to Trip Mate on May 13.

He said on May 29 McNiven forwarded correspondence between him and Explorica to all the families and said all parents would be contacted within three weeks. But no calls came.

The Mortons continued to press McNiven, Explorica and Trip Mate in the following weeks, receiving either no response or being told by an official to check in again at a later date.

On Monday, Sharon Morton tried Trip Mate again and was told she needed to provide the itinerary herself, despite the company already receiving the same document from the travel agency.

"Every time you call you get a different story," she said.

"I don't know what else to do."

Claim being processed, says district

Frustrated, Morton said she called the school district to get answers but was told the school doesn't have anything to do with the trip.

Jessica Hanlon, director of communications for the Anglophone South School District, told CBC News on Tuesday the trip is not sanctioned or sponsored by the school. However, she said, it's their understanding the group claim "is in the process of being resolved."

McNiven, who is on summer vacation, has not replied to a request for comment.

Nichol recognized McNiven is in a tough position "as the conduit between frustrated parents and companies that are not doing well from a customer satisfaction perspective."

Explorica sent an emailed statement to CBC News on Tuesday evening.

"Explorica understands this claim to be covered under the Tripmate policy they purchased," said Beth Campbell, vice-president of content and communications.

"We have provided Tripmate and their underwriters all of the information necessary to process the claim. We continue to actively advocate for our customers through the delay, which is impacting a number of families."

Trip Mate has not replied to an interview request.

Money needed for university

Both families say the money would be useful to the students who are saving up for their first year of university in the fall.

The Mortons said Doucette hopes to use that money to buy a laptop and other supplies, while Nichol said it would be beneficial after Wickens was laid off from his part-time job at the Canada Games Aquatic Centre because of the pandemic-induced shutdown.

"Things are only just starting to open again, but being lower on the seniority at the aquatic centre, he hasn't been able to get any hours yet," Nichol said. "So he's not back at work and he wants to be at UNB in Fredericton in the fall, so it makes it challenging from that perspective."