Parents Say Prestigious Montgomery County Summer Camp Not Issuing Full Refunds After Closing Due To Pandemic

Matt Petrillo reports.

CONGRESSMAN JOE SCARBOROUGH ANDTHE DEATH OF A STAFFER NEARLY 20YEARS AGO DESPITE THE PLEAS OFHER SURVIVING HUSBAND.A PRESTIGIOUS SUMMER CAMPBASED IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY ISUNDER FIRE TODAY.PARENTS ACCUSED THEM OF TAKINGMONEY, IN MANY CASES THOUSANDSOF DOLLARS, BUT NOT OFFERINGFULL REFUNDS AFTER CANCELING FORTHE SEASON BECAUSE OF THEPANDEMIC.EYEWITNESS NEWS REPORTER MATTPETRILLO IS IN HAVERFORD WITHMORE.IT'S CALLED ESF CAMPS AND HASMORE THAN A DOZEN LOCATIONS INSEVERAL STATES INCLUDING NEWJERSEY AND PENNSYLVANIA, LIKEHERE AT THE HAVERFORD SCHOOL.AND IT'S A VERY THOUGHT-AFTERCAMP.KIDS CAN LEARN EVERYTHING FROMTENNIS TO FENCING, THEY CANBUILD ROBOTS OR FLY DRONES BUTLAST WEEK ESF'S DIRECTORANNOUNCED IN A 6-MINUTE YOUTUBEVIDEO THAT IN-PERSON CAMPS WILLBE CANCELLED FOR THE SUMMER.WE KNOW YOU HAVE TO TELL YOURCHILDREN.YOU MAY WANT TO SIT DOWNTOGETHER.ESF IS ALSO NOT OFFERING FULLREFUNDS.INSTEAD PARENTS CAN CHOOSE ONEOF THREE OPTIONS, A DIGITAL CAMPWHERE A CHILD ESSENTIALLY SPENDSPART OF THE SUMMER IN FRONT OF ACOMPUTER AND PARENTS CAN GET ADISCOUNT NEXT YEAR.PARENTS CAN ALSO APPLY THEIRPAYMENT FOR NEXT YEAR, AND ONTOP OF THAT GET A 20% CREDIT.OR, IF PARENTS JUST WANT AREFUND, ESF WOULD AUTOMATICALLYTAKE 30% OF WHAT THEY ALREADYPAID DUE TO, QUOTE,UNRECOVERABLE COSTS.PARENTS WOULD THEN GET THE RESTIN INCREMENTS OVER THE NEXTYEAR.BUT ONE PARENT WHO PAID $6,500NEEDS THAT MONEY NOW.I'D LIKE HIM TO UNDERSTANDTHAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO SETTLEFOR LESS THAN A HUNDRED PERCENTOF OUR REFUND.JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSEOTHERWISE.I MEAN I UNDERSTAND IF PEOPLEWANT TO CHOOSE TO ROLL OVERTHEIR MONEY TO NEXT YEAR IN THEFORM OF A CREDIT.WE'RE JUST LEARNING THEPENNSYLVANIA ATTORNEY GENERAL'SOFFICE IS NOW LOOKING INTO EFSCAMPS.WE HAVE MORE ON THEIR