Great experience but program support and services are lacking

I did a 3-week session starting in Paris for sightseeing, followed by a homestay in Biarritz, France. I loved the host family and Biarritz area, as well as the friends I made on the trip. One of the criticisms I have is that despite the hefty cost of the trip we were required to pay out of pocket for almost everything, including admissions fees, public transportation, meals, etc. The only thing that seemed to be covered was the 3-night hotel stay in Paris and the TGV trip to Biarritz. In addition, my friend and had a roommate situation at our homestay that was quite disturbing. The SPI coordinators refused to believe our side of the story and basically accused us of lying.
One other thing: do not rent a cell phone from their recommended vendors. We used PicCell wireless, and after all was said and done the total for a month long rental cost over $600! We could have activated my US smart phone for international use for the time I was there and it would not have cost that much.