I am writing this review to prompt the Great Projects to have a better refund policy under pandemic and emergency situations and to expand their policies to include the welfare of volunteers and the local regulations of the country of their residence.I had registered for a volunteering trip in April. During the Covid-19 pandemic in early March, my country of residence issued a release of advising against travelling and quarantine for anyone who would return from travel. Additionally, as flights all around was constantly being changed and canceled, I was afraid to travel and being stranded in addition of the risk of getting the virus.I contacted the Great Projects to cancel my trip, not by choice, rather by the government recommended health measures of my place of residence and requested a full refund. I spoke to both Nikita and the manager where they said that they do not follow any other countries laws or regulations except UK and WHO and unless they have a travel ban, then they will not refund. As I had a month notice, be it half-luck on my side, they only refunded half of the fees.As they operate on such an International scale and having different projects all around the globe, it is amazing to me that they have complete disregard to the situation of the volunteers. The manager further confirmed that the same had happened during the Sri Lanka bombings to Australians, that even though the Australians authorities had warned their residents of not travelling there, it seems that they had been ignored and The Great Projects had only followed the UK recommendations and had not refunded.The short sided vision seems to completely disrespect the health measures enforced by residence countries of the volunteers and what I feel is a complete disregard to the safety of volunteers.
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The Great Projects is an expert provider of safe and ethical volunteer holidays abroad for solo travellers, families, and groups. Founded in 2006, we offer a selection of unique and exclusive projects across Africa, Asia, Europe, Central America, and South America. Specialising in wildlife conservation, our projects are perfect for anyone looking to go behind the scenes and work with some of the planet's most endangered species.
As members of ATOL and ABTOT, we are fully committed to ensuring the safety of everyone who travels with us. Plus, with flights, tailor-made travel insurance, and a passionate, dedicated, and friendly team available 24/7, we make booking easy, offering peace of mind to all our volunteers throughout their journey. So what are you waiting for? Find your next adventure today, with The Great Projects.See more
