Pod Volunteer Reviews

Name: Pod Volunteer
Address: 5, Noverton Lane, Cheltenham, Prestbury
Rating: 4.77

4.8 Rating 489 Reviews

97 %

of reviewers recommend Pod Volunteer

Company Reviews

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4.8

Based on 489 reviews

Customer Service
Communication Channels	Email, Telephone, Live Chat
Queries Resolved In	Under An Hour
Customer Service	4.8 out of 5

About Pod Volunteer:

Pod Volunteer is an award winning non-profit organisation arranging ethical, inspiring and supported volunteering opportunities around the world since 2001

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Email:

info@podvolunteer.org

Location:

5, Noverton Lane, Cheltenham
Prestbury
GL52 5BA

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Pod Volunteer 5 star review on 5th October 2024

Helen F

Pod Volunteer 5 star review on 23rd September 2024

Elise G

Pod Volunteer 5 star review on 14th September 2024

Sue E

248

Anonymous

Anonymous // 01/01/2019

Sort by: Most Recent Most Recent Highest Rated Filter: None None 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Stars Helpful

“Way too expensive, used the advised service to book flights but regretted this when we found out we had to pay extra for luggage half way though our journey and we were not told! Had to also pay extra for our journey to the airport due to a failure in the flight booking service. Next time I will book through the (for example) elephant park direct. Also followed an out of date handbook!”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

Hi Amy-Louise Thank you very much for your feedback. We greatly value all volunteer feedback and take it very seriously. We would like to respond to your points. I'm sorry you feel it was too expensive. We operate on a non-profit basis in order to keep costs as low as possible for volunteers whilst still ensuring a high level of service and that the projects are receiving enough money to cover the costs of volunteers on the ground. For many, the additional support that we provide to volunteers is why they choose to book with us. By booking a project with us, they know that the project they are joining has been visited and vetted in terms of both ethics and health and safety. We offer ABTOT payment protection as well as all the back up 24/7 support in case something goes wrong. I know for example we were able to help you with your flight details when you couldn't locate them while you were away. With regards to your luggage allowance, this is unfortunately set by the airlines and so is out of the control of Pod Volunteer or our recommended flights agent. I understand this was because your international flight allowance was 30kg which but the domestic flight allowance was a lower level of 20kg. This is detailed on the tickets and we advise all volunteers to check the weight limits in the flights section of our Volunteering Guide. I'm sorry that this was missed and you had to pay an additional charge. We will talk to our recommended flights agent to see if they can make it clearer for volunteers. The additional pick up cost that you incurred was due to booking your return flight for a non-standard departure day. All volunteers who fly on the Monday following the guidelines that we send to volunteers when they book are provided with an airport transfer included in the cost. Unfortunately when volunteers choose to book their flights outside of these times and days, the project has to organise a private transfer, the cost of which needs to be covered by the volunteer. The additional cost was communicated to you when you sent your flight details 2 months prior to your trip. Our volunteering guides are regularly updated and these are sent to volunteers at three stages (on application, on confirmation of booking and two weeks before they travel) in order to ensure that they always have the most up to date information. If there are any particular sections you felt were out of date please let me know and I can check these. If you’d like to discuss this further or arrange a phone call, please just let me know. Best Wishes Erin, Pod Volunteer

Posted 8 years ago

“Organised and efficient. Provided all the help I needed and made everything as easy as possible while remaining a trustworthy and reputable firm.”

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Posted 8 years ago

“I felt Pod was well organised and safe”

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Posted 8 years ago

“Our time as Pod volunteers was amazing! We learnt so much and it was a privilege to be part of such an enthusiastic and dedicated team. We are missing our New Heaven Conservation family and are looking forward to returning again.”

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Posted 8 years ago

“Being with rescued elephants, feeling like you are taking part in making a difference in their lives and it allowed me to make new life long friends.”

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Posted 8 years ago

“Pod volunteer was very helpful. They always got back to me within a few days. The only thing I would say is that I was worried I was staying just I we 30 days and didn't need a visa, and when I asked pod they assured me that I would be fine. When I got to the airport I was almost in not trouble because I was there just over 30 days. But other than that I would recommend pod to anyone.”

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Posted 8 years ago

“easy, fun and a fantastic thing to get involved in!”

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Posted 8 years ago

“They were very organized, provided detailed information about the placement and kept in regular contact. I especially appreciated being able to phone them.”

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Posted 8 years ago

“Everything was well-organised and I was made to feel very welcome and supported. Such a rewarding experience, from helping the school children to access an education to organising crafts and games at the orphanage and disabled school. There was also many opportunities to also experience the culture.”

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Posted 8 years ago

“Helped me out heaps”

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Posted 8 years ago

“I ended up doing an amazing volunteer placement and everything ran smoothly.”

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Posted 8 years ago

“Pod is an excellent choice for volunteering abroad and the support they provide for both volunteers and the different projects is outstanding. I have recently returned from the children's day care project in Arequipa, Peru where I spent 6 weeks and had the time of my life!! I can't stop telling everyone how amazing it was. I really feel that I have returned a better person.”

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Posted 8 years ago

“Great customer service, very friendly and kept you informed every step of the way.”

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Posted 8 years ago

“It was easy to get in contact with people and i felt very supported throughout. As soon as I had a question it was answered.”

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Posted 8 years ago

“It helped me to organize my trip to Madagascar where I spent a fabulous time teaching English to adults.”

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Posted 8 years ago

“Becky was super sweet, informative and supportive during the initial process. She help me understand what I needed to do, deadlines, payments, forms, etc. It was also nice that she checked up on me, while I was in Arequipa, to find out if everything was going well and if I was happy. I never felt alone during the volunteer experience. When the two weeks were over, Becky checked to see that I had a good experience and she was excited to hear about the trip and see pictures.”

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Posted 8 years ago

“The Pod team were so friendly and always happy to help with any worries or enquires I had. Made every step of the volunteering process clear and easy so I had no unnecessary concerns and could look forward to the volunteering and enjoying myself. The volunteering itself was an amazing experience that I'd love to do again and would recommend to everybody!”

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Posted 8 years ago

“Brilliant team of staff who were very helpful when I had questions. Well organised and efficient!”

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Posted 8 years ago

“POD enabled me to meet new people and make some meaningful change halfway across the world. The paper work was very compact and easy to follow, and the POD coordinators were amazing when it came to answering any and all questions I had. The on site contacts were incredible when it came to making me feel safe and ensuring that we were worry free when we were working and during our off time.”

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Posted 8 years ago

“The pod staff were always very friendly and happy to help with any questions I had.”

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Posted 8 years ago

Pod Volunteer is rated 4.8 based on 489 reviews