• CampLeaders

CampLeaders

Overview

CampLeaders has a rating of 3.89 stars from 61 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally satisfied with their purchases. Reviewers satisfied with CampLeaders most frequently mention application process, customer service, and best summer. CampLeaders ranks 1st among Camping sites.

  • Service
    11
  • Value
    10
  • Shipping
    1
  • Returns
    1
  • Quality
    7

What reviewers want you to know

Positive highlights

  • I've ended up at the best camp and had the best summers of my life thanks to camp leaders.

Critical highlights

No critical highlights yet

How would you rate CampLeaders?
Top Positive Review

“Best summer ever”

Tibi G.
9/22/19

Thank you for my placement and smooth process. I wish I could return next year! Very helpful customer service.

Top Critical Review

“Little Support & no regard to safety, when things went wrong.”

Jay S.
7/28/22

I would like to say beware, do your homework, review camp staff reviews, prepare for the worst & hope for the best. Weight up your options. Is working long hours for 2mths & little pay, worth it? Then there is the risk of going to a bad camp, with staff that for some unconscious bias reason does not like you. USA employment laws are unfair & there are camps that exploit overseas kids. I'm writing this as a parent that had almost 2 weeks of HELL! I am not going to go into that. Many States do not need a reason & can fire people at will (Camp Leaders in US, conformed that). We needed to get our daughter back home asap. The camp let her go immediately, before we had organised anything. As soon as the camp knew she had to leave, they were not interested in why, it was pack up & go. No compassion or empathy. We contacted the Visa sponsor, they promised they would help with accomodation & flights home. That did not happen. With help from our travel agent (on the other side of the world) we got her home. What I do not like is the lack of follow up from Camp Leaders. There are good camps and bad camps. Do Camp Leaders vet the camps that use them? Do they ever hold camps accountable? If camps are exploiting overseas workers, Camp Leaders are allowing it to happen & that's what is damaging their brand. When I spoke to Camp Leaders US staff, I quickly realised there was lack of staff training. There was a lot of assuming, lack of understanding with poor questioning & communication skills. My advice, if you want to go to the States, just save and go for a holiday.

Reviews (61)

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camp leaders (44)
Thumbnail of user jays1364
1 review
0 helpful votes
July 28th, 2022

I would like to say beware, do your homework, review camp staff reviews, prepare for the worst & hope for the best. Weight up your options. Is working long hours for 2mths & little pay, worth it? Then there is the risk of going to a bad camp, with staff that for some unconscious bias reason does not like you.
USA employment laws are unfair & there are camps that exploit overseas kids. I'm writing this as a parent that had almost 2 weeks of HELL! I am not going to go into that. Many States do not need a reason & can fire people at will (Camp Leaders in US, conformed that). We needed to get our daughter back home asap. The camp let her go immediately, before we had organised anything. As soon as the camp knew she had to leave, they were not interested in why, it was pack up & go. No compassion or empathy. We contacted the Visa sponsor, they promised they would help with accomodation & flights home. That did not happen. With help from our travel agent (on the other side of the world) we got her home.
What I do not like is the lack of follow up from Camp Leaders. There are good camps and bad camps. Do Camp Leaders vet the camps that use them? Do they ever hold camps accountable? If camps are exploiting overseas workers, Camp Leaders are allowing it to happen & that's what is damaging their brand. When I spoke to Camp Leaders US staff, I quickly realised there was lack of staff training. There was a lot of assuming, lack of understanding with poor questioning & communication skills.
My advice, if you want to go to the States, just save and go for a holiday.

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Thumbnail of user kays274
1 review
0 helpful votes
September 4th, 2020

Appalling response to covid with - after a very long wait - a pathetic refund offer nowhere near the amount we paid them. Flights, medical etc etc paid for but not refunded. Who's pocket is it sitting in? Looks like we will never know becuase they have closed their phone line and have not responded to email query.
Don't use these people!

Thumbnail of user annal1267
1 review
0 helpful votes
September 12th, 2022

Не совершайте моих ошибок, не связывайтесь с этими мошенниками. Неухоженная территория, плохая инфраструктура (отсутствие горячей воды, засоры в туалетах), совковое отношение. Руководство не идет на контакт и избегает нас чтоб не возвращать деньги. Анна

Service
Value
Thumbnail of user dawna183
1 review
2 helpful votes
July 13th, 2020

PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY
I am writing on behalf of my daughter who was going to Camp America this summer due to Covid 19 it was cancelled which I completely understand however they have kept her money it is disgusting and have had no correspondence they are thieves

Thumbnail of user leighannr1
1 review
4 helpful votes
October 5th, 2018

My 18 year old signed up with camp leaders, I wasn't sure she was mature enough, but thought if she does it all herself then it's ok.
I read all the information, at loads of stages it states, if you haven't completed this by this date you will be removed. She hadn't completed a lot of the information and at no stage did they warn her or remove her.
Infact they even went as far as booking her flights when she hadn't even applied for a visa.
We contacted them within the timescale on the website to withdraw, but were told she'd still have to pay for flights, I find it hard to believe they don't book flexible flights.
I wonder how many more young kids they rip off for hundreds of pounds...

Thumbnail of user rebeccah117
1 review
6 helpful votes
September 22nd, 2017

I applied for Camp Leaders as soon as the applications opened in June of this year. I have had an interview, passed, spent several hours completing all my details and have now just been rang to be told, point blank, that my date of departure is too late. I wouldnt mind if they would have told me that in JUNE when they rang me to confirm my dates but I was told they were fine. I have had to inconvenience people to get my references and Im not even being paid the full deposit amount back even though it is completely their fault. Ive had to have an interview as well, I do not understand how it has taken them until September the 22nd to ring me and tell me this. 3 months after I first applied. I am thoroughly disappointed and very angry with the service I received and the fact that their error is resulting in some of my hard earned money not being returned. DO NOT USE THEM even if your dates are fine. If they do this to me, who knows what other tricks they will pull.

Thumbnail of user nickk56
1 review
14 helpful votes
August 23rd, 2016

I'm afraid to say that Camp Leaders, though a useful mechanism for applying to summer camp, is essentially a way to siphon off a huge amount of money from young people wanting to work at summer camp. They take several hundred pounds in fees from you at the beginning, largely simply for so-called 'admin costs' (i. E. to supply themselves with salaries). Once I arrived at my camp in the US I found out when talking to American counselors that my paycheck was half of what they were earning - why? Camp Leaders. About $1,700 was. This was not something that had been made clear upfront to us; in fact, at the preparation day in London we were told to go to, they discussed the fees, and they claimed that it was 'camp' that paid this sum, not you. What they happily omit to say is that camp is paying this money out of your own paycheck, so in fact it is you paying this money.

This is utterly ridiculous. The fees to work at camp in the United States are not that high; it is simply a job, and under no other circumstances would you spend that sort of money (for me £450 fees plus $1700, i. E. about £1750) to go and work! The main services they provide are the following: sending off your application to camps; booking your flights; providing health insurance; sponsoring your visa.

The first of these seems very useful when applying, because you only have to fill out one form for Camp Leaders detailing the areas you would like to work, and they send out lots and lots of applications, almost guaranteeing you a job. However, your chances of working at summer camp are very high if you simply apply straight to camps; of course, you have to fill out a separate application per camp, but for the amount of extra money you will make not having to give it to Camp Leaders, it is well worth the extra effort. Camps need a lot of people, and especially if you have some experience working with children or skills (however basic) in outdoor activities finding somewhere to work should not be too hard.

Secondly, booking your flights; quite simply, this you can easily do yourself, and not something you need to have an external company do for you.

Thirdly, providing health insurance; again, basic health insurance coverage is not too difficult to purchase.

Finally, they sponsor your visa. This is something that often seems very attractive for Brits coming to camp; there are two points to make on this. First of all, I was personally very irritated at Camp Leaders because I have a US passport, so I did not need a visa, something Camp Leaders knew. As a result, the proportion of my fees that were spent on this aspect were simply me giving money to the company for nothing in return. However, if you do require a visa there are many other organisations (google 'designated sponsors j-1 visa' for the government-approved list) that will sponsor it for you. These will of course require some fees, but you will still be paying far less than you would if you operated through Camp Leaders.

Overall, therefore, the company is an utter scam. Their business model is simply to exploit young people's desire to work at camp by performing tasks for them that they could do themselves, as detailed above, and then taking an enormous chunk of their paycheck when they are working the US. They will get few repeat customers (all the other British counselors I know who used them will never use them again), but they know that they will get enough new customers every year that it does not matter. This is straight-up exploitative and very unfair.

Two further things to add; first of all, I do not mean to be disparaging on the individuals you interact with at Camp Leaders; those I talked to were all very friendly, helpful, and kind people to work with. As far as my experience went, the system was operated smoothly and efficiently. The second thing to add, is that I cannot recommend working at summer camp enough; it was an incredibly fun experience, you meet a wonderful group of people, and working with children in an environment like that was enormously fun. I very much urge anyone thinking about it to go and do it, it was a very special experience. I simply think that using Camp Leaders is an awful idea because of the hidden costs; I was lucky in that my camp paid fairly well, so I still managed to come home with money. I know other people who went through Camp Leaders and who worked at different camps who earned maybe $800 (£600 or so), which means they essentially break even when you take into account the fees they gave Camp Leaders at the beginning.

I would therefore urge anyone considering Camp Leaders to think very hard about it; the benefits you receive from Camp Leaders are all things that you can do yourself, and which may take a little more effort and time from you, but overall will mean you earn far more when you are in the US.

Thumbnail of user campl
Camp L. – CampLeaders Rep

Hi David, thank you for reaching out to us, we appreciate your feedback.

First of all we’re very glad that you had a great experience working at a summer camp in America and would recommend the experience to others. We’re also glad our process worked smoothly & efficiently for you and that our staff were helpful for you.

We are disappointed however that you would describe our company as an utter scam when you’ve highlighted that you had a successful summer camp placement through Camp Leaders, complimented our customer service and had a great summer in America.

The first and most important thing to note is that the summer camp J1 program is a cultural exchange program, not a program that is there to make money. We make this as clear as possible. If you are looking to earn good money whilst you travel, camp is not for you. If you are looking for an outstanding experience with lots of support with great people, with a bit of pocket money, camp is for you.

In response to your payment issue

To make the program accessible to all we have set up the fee structure in such a way that the participant only has to pay a portion of the fees in advance of their departure to America. The rest of the fees are then covered by the camp at which the participant will work for the summer. The camp pays an agency fee to Camp Leaders when the participant completes the full contract. So in essence, the participant is 'working off' the fees which have been paid on their behalf by the camp.

When you get placed you get a contract from camp outlining what your pocket money is. You get 100% of that pocket money. This will be the contract that you signed before you left for camp. Any participant can call us to walk through the contract before they sign it.

The placement fee that camp pays depends upon where in the US they are based, the age and experience of the participant, what they will be doing at camp etc. It is not fixed. This cost is outlined to the camps, as they pay it. It is usually referenced in the contract you sign with camp too.

This is all outlined in the program agreement you sign before joining the program and the fee disclosure section of your profile. It also highlighted multiple times by our customer service team throughout the process and at the preparation day you attended.

The pricing page on the front end of the site gives you an idea of the amount of pocket money you can could get for the summer; http://www.campleaders.com/gb/summer-camps/pricing/

This practice is standard with all of the agencies who work with camps, allowing more people to head to camp by lowering the upfront fees.

In response to apply directly to camps

Yes, you can apply directly to a summer camp without using an agency. However by building your online application with Camp Leaders you are adding your skills, strengths, experiences & personality to our online database which can be seen by all the American Camp Directors we work with. We work with 500+ ACA accredited camps which means you’re chancing of getting a placement are much higher. We also try tailor to your needs as much as possible so we can place you with a summer camp that is the best possible fit for you. Our customer service team are all in constant contact with directors and each team have all personally been to summer camp so can help you build your online application to look its best.

Of course you need to get your visa which you can not do directly yourself as the US Government needs a recognized body to carry out checks on both the camp and the participant, things like collecting and checking references and ensuring the camp has appropriate insurance.

In response to flights

The Camp Leaders program offers every participant that applies the option for us to book their flights or not. Therefore you can book your own flights if you wish. However 85% of our first time participants choose to let Camp Leaders book their flight due to the added advantages and cost-effective price.

Our flights team will then arrange and book your flights but also organise your onward travel to camp and be there to help you with any flight changes or problems that may arise with airlines.

In response to insurance

The Department of State insists that every participant has insurance. To fulfill this obligation we provide insurance as a part of your package.

During your preparation day we walk you through the insurance so if anything does happen to you in America you have the necessary basic coverage required. The American system works differently to the U. K. and we aim to make the differences as clear as possible for participants.

In response to Visa

You can contact any of the other visa sponsors and join their programs. Each has it’s own merits.

We believe in the in country support that we give ensuring that people are ready for camp. All of the agencies work on the same cost model for first time placements. In some cases you might be able to pay less, but in that case you would get less support, for example not having a local office to get you ready, not having a face to face interview and so on.

The program includes a lot more than listed above. This includes the 24/7 support in the US, camp visits in the summer checking in with participants, the support offered at the embassy on busy visa days, the fairs we have where we bring America camp directors over from the US to meet participants and much more. We believe the program offers great value for money and an outstanding experience.

Thanks again for your feedback, if you wish to discuss this further then give our team a call on 0151 708 6868

Kind Regards,

Liam - The Camp Leaders Team

Thumbnail of user ep429
1 review
6 helpful votes
August 24th, 2016

When I applied to Camp Leaders, I was expecting the best summer ever. The reality is that not only I missed different lots of other opportunities, but also money, time and tons of phone calls.
Even though I was told that about 99% percent get placed, I was one of those 1%. Personally, I think there are more that 1% in my situation each year.
I think that if someone wants to do this during summer, they should directly contact camps, as the chances of getting a job would be higher.
Moreover, if you do so, you won't have to pay ahead a big amount of money and not even have a job secured.

Thumbnail of user campl
Camp L. – CampLeaders Rep

Thank you for reaching out to us. We appreciate your feedback.

You might already be aware of this but we do not own any summer camps in America, and we can not guarantee placement. In an ideal world we would love to place everyone that applies to our program but for a very small percentage of our participants this does not happen. Our dedicated customer service team reach out to our entire database regularly and are in constant contact with the camps we work with to try secure everyone a placement.

When you build your online application with Camp Leaders it can be seen by over 500+ ACA accredited camp directors on our database with the aim to save you the time and energy from applying individually to multiple summer camps. Our entire process is also designed to help match a participant to a camp that is best suited for them, make the visa paperwork and sponsor process easily understandable and attainable, book all participants flights and travel whilst get them prepared and ready for an entire summer in America at a cost effective price.

We value your opinion and we’re sorry that you didn’t achieve a placement with us, but at any point please feel free to call us (0151 708 6868) if you wish to discuss any of this further.

Kind Regards,

Liam - The Camp Leaders Team

Thumbnail of user alisonl4
1 review
8 helpful votes
January 30th, 2014

This company appears to be very keen to get you to part with your hard earned cash with lots of incentives - so called early bird discounts. There's a lot that they don't tell you and by the time you find out, they have hundreds of pounds which they will not pay back. If you want to work at an American summer camp, avoid this company like the plague. Take your money elsewhere and make sure you know every detail about what's involved before you pay the company a penny.

Thumbnail of user campl
Camp L. – CampLeaders Rep

Hi Margaret,

All of our fees are clear and well explained before you join the programme. They are featured on a dedicated costs page on our website. http://www.campleaders.com/gb/cost/

Best regards,
James - Camp Leaders

Thumbnail of user jadeg7
1 review
1 helpful vote
January 16th, 2016

I was happy at the prospect of becoming a Camp Leader, after applying a little late I was told that there might be a chance I might not be placed in time for Summer 2014, due to the time scale, however they would do their utmost to help in any way possible.

Unfortunately as I was not placed, they promised for the money to be transferred onto the following year and I would be contacted in September that year, however up till now they have not even attempted to contact myself, and have taken all my money! They had even closed my account - anyone who doesn't get placed please demand for a refund there and then as they will simply not contact you ever again -SCAM!

Thumbnail of user campl
Camp L. – CampLeaders Rep

Hi Jade,
Thanks for reaching out. As I know you are aware, we do not own any camps in America, and we can not guarantee placement. We would love to place everyone, but for a very small percentage of our participants this does not happen. Re-instating your profile can easily be done, and we do reach out to our entire database regularly offering a wide variety of opportunities.
Let me have a dig and look specifically in to your case and get back to you. At any point, please feel free to call us (0151 708 6868) and we'll endeavor to do all we can for you. Mark Hodgson

Thumbnail of user jamesg128
1 review
7 helpful votes
June 24th, 2015

This is unconnected with my previous negative review of CampLeaders based on the low pay and long hours my daughter experienced in Lochearn camp. My daughter is not having a good summer. After completing tough 10 weeks she planned on travelling for 2. In Boulder, Colorado 2 days ago she had an emergency apendecomy following a week of severe pain. She is now waiting to be repatriated. Campleaders team 'wolverine'! Are supposed to help with this process and have done absolutely nothing. We had to contact airlines, insurers, pay up front for altered flights. The bottom line is that CampLeaders are a lucrative enterprise for a few directors - they pay staff very little from the mislead student labour to their own inadequate support staff. Avoid at all cost.

Thumbnail of user campl
Camp L. – CampLeaders Rep

Hi James,

I'm sorry that you're unhappy on behalf of your daughter's experience. We do everything we can to prepare participants for what to expect at camp, including the information our main site, our guides, supporting service and our preparation days, in which we cover all aspects of summer camp life before. The 'typical day at camp' is one of the main pages on our site (found here: http://www.campleaders.com/gb/summer-camps/typical-day-at-summer-camp/) and we do our best to manage expectations of the programme from the very beginning.

It's a shame that your daughter feels out of place with her colleagues - we completely understand potential difficulties for adapting to the cultural shift, but the programme specifically falls within the cultural exchange category. For our Central European recruitment, we require participants to have a high enough level of English to work with other English speakers and are all vetted for English language proficiency. Granted, some Central European participants may not be fully fluent, but learning languages is something we consider a positive aspect of the international travel experience.

In terms of money, the financial structure of the programme is made very clear throughout the entire process and is always accessible in your daughter's programme agreement, which she signed to confirm she had read, understood and agreed before paying any money towards the programme. This is also reaffirmed with our guides, preparation days and a double-confirmation check before she heads out to camp.

If you would like to discuss anything further with us, we are more than happy to discuss the situation. If your daughter is unhappy at camp, we suggest she follow the standard protocol which would have been explained at camp. If she still feels unhappy, she should contact our US office to discuss potential solutions.

Regards,
James - the Camp Leaders team.

Thumbnail of user carlyn4
1 review
11 helpful votes
February 10th, 2014

Camp leaders is not a travel agency. All they do is set you up an application, have you interviewed, maybe meet you at a job fair... BUT THAT'S ALL. They do not give you a job. They do not pay for your flights, they just place you. So don't sign up with them when you can easily apply at any camp for free.

Secondly, the website says there are no hidden fees, lies! From £389 is mentioned, but I paid £724 and none of it got refunded, apart from £145 and a 'free' t-shirt.

You could easily pass your interview and get an outstanding application, have all your fees paid - but not get placed. Like others have mentioned before, this is against the law because you're paying them for nothing.

So like I said, get a good CV uploaded to whatever camp suits you. Then you would still have to pay for your own travel like you would do with camp leaders. Save your money, time and 100 phone calls!

Thumbnail of user campl
Camp L. – CampLeaders Rep

Hi Carly,

You are correct in saying that we are not a travel agency. We do not offer holidays but rather cultural experiences for our participants who are applying to work on a summer camp in America. As with any job in the UK, the process is dependent upon the participant applying, and whilst we provide every level of support and assistance possible, there are a small percentage (less then 1% last season) who will not receive a placement. It may be that they do not have the skills/experiences camps are looking for, they did not perform well during their application process with a specific camp.

Camp Leaders does provide flights for it's participants. I believe you may have us confused with another agency who do not provide flights.

Our website outlines the full programme fees due to Camp Leaders, along with the third party costs that you may meet along the way. For the most part (the exception being the medical check which you may not get charged for), the third party costs are all mandatory elements which are required due to the nature of the programme you are applying for.

I can not comment on your individual case but the withdrawal and refund procedure are clearly outlined in the programme agreement every participant signs prior to joining the programme. Outlined in there are the varying levels of refund provided, dependent upon which stage your application is at when you withdraw.

In regards to your final paragraph, it is not possible for applicants to attend camp without a visa and this requires that applicants have a visa sponsor which Camp Leaders provide. An individual is not able to gain the required paperwork without having a visa sponsor. And again, Camp Leaders do provide your travel to camp.

I hope this helps to clear up the apparent confusion but if you have any further questions then please feel free to get in touch with the Camp Leaders office.

Thanks,

The Camp Leaders team

Thumbnail of user rachaels10
1 review
12 helpful votes
January 20th, 2015

Camp leaders is a complete scam. I paid my 49pound deposit, I was really looking forward to the program. I attended to ye job fair on sat the 17th ques up for a camp called club get away, the girls into were very 2faced and $#*!. One of th come dowe the que to speak to everyone being friendly to us then pointed out who her boy friend was so oversupply she felt threatened pointed out her best mate was one of the judges then made a remark about not being able to wear make up or use straighteners which is discriminations. I feel disgusted that someone can judge you for what you look like and five minutes of speaking to you.We then qued up in the que for a hour and half, one of the co leaders whispers something to her friend and the agreed. We then was told we wasn't successful during the five minute interview the camp director wasn't there to see me. I think if he was there I would of got a good chance. I've rang up to complain about the situations they told me to ring back in the morning. I rang be the next day and was told I wouldn't get a refund of my 49pound even tho I've been told but different people if I withdraw because I decide the program wasn't for me I would have money bk. The manager I spoke to was very rude and helpful and was raising her voice. It was a real bad experience and wouldn't recommend it for any one to try. I think there out for what money they can get. It's discuting how they can treat people like this.

Thumbnail of user rf7
1 review
12 helpful votes
May 21st, 2012

I have used camp leaders for three years and given them thousands of pounds for a service which as, at best, severely shabby. There are hidden costs and unexpected hassles so let me just outline a few for those of you considering. Needless to say- this company and those like it (Camp America, etc) have monopolised to market so that if you want to work at a summer camp, you have to use the service. Let me go on.
As a first year user- you pay around £500 for a visa, flights and placement at camp. Not bad you say? They also shadily take away two thirds of your end salary without actually telling you in black and white. You think youve got $2000 to travel with? Try $700.
As a returner you pay them around £500 to... do... nothing. "admin". And then you have to book your own flights and visa. Sure! You get the full salary! But surely youre paying enough out before then for this to even merit.

The customer service is absolutely rubbish- I was told that the office had 'mislaid' my passport pictures meaning that my visa was delayed. A week before I flew I still didnt have flight details and when I emailed enquiring I was asked 'are you really desperate for them?'.

At the end of the day- its a great experience that I would recommend to anyone. However if you can find a non-profit organisation offering the same services then would thoroughly recommend you go that way instead.

Hope Ive been helpful.

Thumbnail of user kime3
1 review
13 helpful votes
February 23rd, 2011

This website offers teenagers an opportunity to work in America at a childrens campus.
Once you apply They inform you that you have been a successfull applicant and arrange an interview in London at a cost of £50, Stating the £50 would NOT be refunded if you did NOTshow for the arranged appointment, but if you did show and was no offered a the job they WOULD refund the money. My son had the interview, was told he had been accepted. When we asked for the refund of £50, he was told this was not the case and the £50 would be offsett against other costs, they
Then asked for another £140 to process his application further. Reading the spec on Google they state that once you have paid out extra money to the tune of £460 there is no guarantee of a job but will only submit you application to the 'camps' once the whole amount has been paid.

This is a legal license to steal money.

Beware

One very irate fifty pound lighter parent

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Think of Camp Leaders as a super hero factory. You? ۪ll tell us what makes you great and we'll match you up with an awesome camp in America. We can help you sort out your application, your visa, even your flights. Basically, we? ۪ll take the best care of y...

Company Representative

Thumbnail of user campl
Camp L.

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