Refund for summer camp work placement

emmaway

I’m not 100% sure I’m posting this in the right board but it seems the best fit! 
So I was hoping to return to the USA to work at a summer camp and have to go through a company called USA Summer Camp in order to get my visa which involved paying them over £300. Despite my camp and flights both being cancelled, they are saying that I voluntarily withdrew from the programme and thus am not eligible for a refund. They have given me two options: to defer to next year or to cancel my trip with no refund. 
It does say in their terms and conditions that it is non refundable unless threat to life- does this seem right? Is it worth me taking them to a small claims court or should I just surrender that Ive lost my money due to their terms and conditions? 

Thank you!

Life__Goes__On

emmaway said:

I’m not 100% sure I’m posting this in the right board but it seems the best fit! 
So I was hoping to return to the USA to work at a summer camp and have to go through a company called USA Summer Camp in order to get my visa which involved paying them over £300. Despite my camp and flights both being cancelled, they are saying that I voluntarily withdrew from the programme and thus am not eligible for a refund. They have given me two options: to defer to next year or to cancel my trip with no refund. 
It does say in their terms and conditions that it is non refundable unless threat to life- does this seem right? Is it worth me taking them to a small claims court or should I just surrender that Ive lost my money due to their terms and conditions? 

Thank you!

They are trying to say you cancelled to save them money, clearly this in not the case, they have cancelled
https://www.usasummercamp.com/terms-of-use/
12. If you are not placed by 30th June 2020 you will be cancelled from the program. Upon the return of your DS2019 form to CCUSA you will receive a full refund of the fees paid to USASC (less a £49 Administrative Fee). In this event, refunding the program fees is the limit of USASC and CCUSA’s responsibility, as damages for non-participation are impossible to calculate.


I see no reason the number 12 wouldn't apply as you will not have been placed by 30th June (as your camp is closed they would have needed to find you a replacement camp)
So to me it looks like the cost to you should be the £49 admin fee.

emmaway

Life__Goes__On said:

emmaway said:

I’m not 100% sure I’m posting this in the right board but it seems the best fit! 
So I was hoping to return to the USA to work at a summer camp and have to go through a company called USA Summer Camp in order to get my visa which involved paying them over £300. Despite my camp and flights both being cancelled, they are saying that I voluntarily withdrew from the programme and thus am not eligible for a refund. They have given me two options: to defer to next year or to cancel my trip with no refund. 
It does say in their terms and conditions that it is non refundable unless threat to life- does this seem right? Is it worth me taking them to a small claims court or should I just surrender that Ive lost my money due to their terms and conditions? 

Thank you!

They are trying to say you cancelled to save them money, clearly this in not the case, they have cancelled

12. If you are not placed by 30th June 2020 you will be cancelled from the program. Upon the return of your DS2019 form to CCUSA you will receive a full refund of the fees paid to USASC (less a £49 Administrative Fee). In this event, refunding the program fees is the limit of USASC and CCUSA’s responsibility, as damages for non-participation are impossible to calculate.


I see no reason the number 12 wouldn't apply as you will not have been placed by 30th June (as your camp is closed they would have needed to find you a replacement camp)
So to me it looks like the cost to you should be the £49 admin fee.

That’s something I hadn’t thought of actually! Do you reckon this would still count as I was placed at a camp but wont be able to go? 

Life__Goes__On

Did USA Summer Camp arrange your flights,  or did you do that?

emmaway

Life__Goes__On said:

Did USA Summer Camp arrange your flights,  or did you do that?

I arranged my own flights so working with the airline to get that back at the moment. It just doesn’t seem right to have paid £300 for them to sponsor my visa when I wasn’t even able to begin the process of getting my visa?

Life__Goes__On

what was your agreement with USA Summer Camp,  just for processing your visa? or a placement as well?
Have you a breakdown of their fees?

emmaway

Life__Goes__On said:

what was your agreement with USA Summer Camp,  just for processing your visa? or a placement as well?
Have you a breakdown of their fees?

They don’t give a breakdown of fees and every time you ask they say that fees go on a variety of things including insurance and placements 

Life__Goes__On

Have USA Summer Camp said that your placement isn't going ahead?
What method of payment did you use?

emmaway

Life__Goes__On said:

Have USA Summer Camp said that your placement isn't going ahead?
What method of payment did you use?

My camp has said that they are closed but unfortunately I emailed USA summer camp at the start of this saying I didn’t think I was going and requested a refund, they asked me to confirm I wasn’t going but I intentionally never did and they’re now using that to say I voluntarily withdrew. 

I paid on my debit card.

Life__Goes__On

Did your camp e-mail you or was it over the phone (helps with proof)

emmaway

Life__Goes__On said:

Did your camp e-mail you or was it over the phone (helps with proof)

No proof right now but I’m close with the camp manager and could easily get an email saying Camp was cancelled