Royal's phone customer service

Forgive the venting!!

The customer phone service is truly terrible. They tell you the most ridiculous things.

I wanted to change from one shore excursion ($61) to another ($82).

They have to charge me for the whole new excursion, and refund the unwanted one, because, as Joe said, "We have so many vendors, we can't just move the money from one to the other. We have to get the money back from them, and then we can't just give it to the new one." I'm not even exaggerating: that's a direct quote. So the refund is 3-5 business days, during which time they have the money for both excursions. Call me crazy, but I don't like it when companies find excuses (especially ridiculous ones) to double charge you and get your money a few extra days instead of just issuing a "store credit" and charging the difference. What would they do if I canceled the excursion on embarkation day? Pretty sure they'd give me OBC and I rebook something else with the OBC. But it's a no-go, for Joe.

Nine times out of ten, when I call them for something, the guy tells me something utterly ridiculous or basically acts like a jerk (or both). (Every once in a while I get someone awesome.) I called to give them money. Now it's not much, granted, but the same attitude prevails on their side even when it's booking a suite or cabin. Ugh, the website, even with all its problems, is better than talking to one of their employees who isn't actually onboard a ship.

Forgive the venting!!

 

The customer phone service is truly terrible. They tell you the most ridiculous things.

 

I wanted to change from one shore excursion ($61) to another ($82).

 

They have to charge me for the whole new excursion, and refund the unwanted one, because, as Joe said, "We have so many vendors, we can't just move the money from one to the other. We have to get the money back from them, and then we can't just give it to the new one." I'm not even exaggerating: that's a direct quote. So the refund is 3-5 business days, during which time they have the money for both excursions. Call me crazy, but I don't like it when companies find excuses (especially ridiculous ones) to double charge you and get your money a few extra days instead of just exchanging and charging the difference. What would they do if I canceled the excursion on embarkation day? Pretty sure they'd give me OBC and I rebook something else with the OBC. But it's a no-go, for Joe.

 

His suggested solution is even better.

 

I'm seriously trying to give them money and we fly out tomorrow. I told them I was going to be traveling starting tomorrow and he suggested I go to a restaurant in Venice to use the free wifi to book the excursion that I want to book after they take a week to refund my money.

 

Because yes, Joe, that's what I want to do. Dick around on the RCI website while I am on vacation in Europe so that I can give them $42.

 

Nine times out of ten, when I call them for something, the guy tells me something utterly ridiculous or basically acts like a jerk (or both). (Every once in a while I get someone awesome.) I called to give them money. Now it's not much, granted, but the same attitude prevails on their side even when it's booking a suite or cabin. Ugh, the website, even with all its problems, is better than talking to one of their employees who isn't actually onboard a ship.

This is no different than any other retailer out there. If you go to Walmart and buy a set of pots and pans and decide later that you want a set that costs $20 more they have to refund the item you initially bought and then sell you the new one. Still 2 separate transactions on your credit card.

The most ridiculous bit is how this phone agent seems to think RCI operates solely on debit/cash. Nope no lines of credit/operating liquidity/goodwill with vendors. Seems absurd to me from a company the size of RCI.

Sent from my LG-H872 using Tapatalk

This is no different than any other retailer out there. If you go to Walmart and buy a set of pots and pans and decide later that you want a set that costs $20 more they have to refund the item you initially bought and then sell you the new one. Still 2 separate transactions on your credit card.

^^ This

What is the big deal? Cancel the excursion that you booked that you no longer want. Book the one you want. Done.

This is no different than any other retailer out there. If you go to Walmart and buy a set of pots and pans and decide later that you want a set that costs $20 more they have to refund the item you initially bought and then sell you the new one. Still 2 separate transactions on your credit card.

Not true. They give you "store credit" and you can go get whatever you want and pay the difference.

The most ridiculous bit is how this phone agent seems to think RCI operates solely on debit/cash. Nope no lines of credit/operating liquidity/goodwill with vendors. Seems absurd to me from a company the size of RCI.

 

Sent from my LG-H872 using Tapatalk

Exactly. He's just making stupid things up. I don't mind the policy as much as the ridiculous lying.

^^ This

 

What is the big deal? Cancel the excursion that you booked that you no longer want. Book the one you want. Done.

That's not true, actually. At most retailers, you can get a "store credit", go get what you want, and pay the difference. Frankly I wouldn't have been so dumbfounded that RCI wouldn't do that if I didn't *KNOW* they do it onboard and if the CSA hadn't told me a really stupid series of lies.

Op, you really do NOT have a valid issue with the IT dept.

This is pretty standard everywhere. Refund one, sell the other.

Nothing wrong here

Not true. They give you "store credit" and you can go get whatever you want and pay the difference.

Pretty much all the places I shop at have policies that all returns or exchanges must be processed the same as the way payment was originally received. Without a receipt they will give you a store credit however you will only receive their lowest selling price in the last 3 months which may be less than what you paid for it.

Maybe our returns policies are different up here in Canada but either way it's not like it's any money out of your pocket.

There are much bigger and more important things in life to get worked up about but hey that's just my opinion.

Not true. They give you "store credit" and you can go get whatever you want and pay the difference.

If you have your "receipt" they will give you the option of a store credit or returning the price paid to the credit card you used...if you used a debit card they will offer you cash.

Doing a return for store credit and paying the difference isn't a valid comparison. As the CSR told you, they are dealing with vendors. So it's a third party transaction. Sorry - it's really not a big deal to wait a few days for the refund. There are plenty of legit complaints about their phone reps but this isn't one of them IMHO.

Forgive the venting!!

 

The customer phone service is truly terrible. They tell you the most ridiculous things.

 

I wanted to change from one shore excursion ($61) to another ($82).

 

They have to charge me for the whole new excursion, and refund the unwanted one, because, as Joe said, "We have so many vendors, we can't just move the money from one to the other. We have to get the money back from them, and then we can't just give it to the new one." I'm not even exaggerating: that's a direct quote. So the refund is 3-5 business days, during which time they have the money for both excursions. Call me crazy, but I don't like it when companies find excuses (especially ridiculous ones) to double charge you and get your money a few extra days instead of just issuing a "store credit" and charging the difference. What would they do if I canceled the excursion on embarkation day? Pretty sure they'd give me OBC and I rebook something else with the OBC. But it's a no-go, for Joe.

 

Nine times out of ten, when I call them for something, the guy tells me something utterly ridiculous or basically acts like a jerk (or both). (Every once in a while I get someone awesome.) I called to give them money. Now it's not much, granted, but the same attitude prevails on their side even when it's booking a suite or cabin. Ugh, the website, even with all its problems, is better than talking to one of their employees who isn't actually onboard a ship.

So why such a late edit to a post people already commented on? Did the rep actually make the Venice comment?

The reps that answer the phones do not control how money is refunded. Taking it out on them isn't going to get you anywhere. Don't really see what the big deal is anyway, you cancel one excursion and buy another. Refunds from any merchant are typically slower to hit than a charge, just how it works.

I usually book my excursions from my cruise planner, if I want to cancel I just do it there. I have canceled and rebooked many excursions over the years when they put them on sale. I also canceled and have had excursions canceled while on board and my credit card was always credited never gave me OBC for it.

Was it at the end of your billing period when you canceled? I always have the credit and charge on the same bill so they really are not holding my money because I have somewhere between 30 and 60 days before I have to pay.

Also I have never had a problem when I call Royal no one has ever given me ridiculous answers or been a jerk to me. Of course I am nice to them and treat them with respect. I worked in the service industry for over 40 years and always gave respect to the people that gave me respect back.

I know this frustrated you, and get why, but it is the way business is done today. My wife is also a phone person and believes in calling businesses (banks with whom we have credit cards, stores, etc.), and she complains all the time about the quality of service. You answered your own question in the last paragraph, they no longer want you to call. As I tell my wife, they want you to do everything online yourself. The people manning the phones often know less about the system and excursions than you do.

As far as the explanation, it sounds like someone trying to explain something they heard but don't fully understand. Honestly though, I don't think any explanation would have made it better. The truth is probably, as my mother use to tell me, "Why? Because I said so." They do it that way because that is how they do it.

This is no different than any other retailer out there. If you go to Walmart and buy a set of pots and pans and decide later that you want a set that costs $20 more they have to refund the item you initially bought and then sell you the new one. Still 2 separate transactions on your credit card.

The huge difference is that Walmart, (a company some 60 times the size of RCI), can provide the refund instantly.

RCI, (which as we all know is IT challenged), depends on fairies to carry little bits of paper from their call center to head office. Once approved pixies ferry the approvals over to accounting where satyr, (not known for their prompt attention to detail), perform the data entry necessary to issue the cc refund. It's amazing really that this can all be done in less than 7 days! :rolleyes:

It just do doesn't work like that. A shore excursion I bought went on sale. I canceled the one with the old rate and bought the one at a lower price. Had I gone to Walmart, there would be a refund and a repurchase.

It just do doesn't work like that. A shore excursion I bought went on sale. I canceled the one with the old rate and bought the one at a lower price. Had I gone to Walmart, there would be a refund and a repurchase.

That's what you did.

That's what you did.

I don't understand your post. What they told OP he had to do would work the same way at a retail store, which was my point. Lol. What they told him wasn't an unusual solution in everyday life.

This is no different than any other retailer out there. If you go to Walmart and buy a set of pots and pans and decide later that you want a set that costs $20 more they have to refund the item you initially bought and then sell you the new one. Still 2 separate transactions on your credit card.

This is not my experience. I just returned some mini blinds to Wal-Mart yesterday because I bought the wrong size. the size I needed cost more but they did not do a refund, they simply pulled up the transaction and I had to pay the difference. :cool:

Only at CruiseCritic can you find someone who thinks that a simple refund/re-purchase is the most awful thing that's ever happened to them, and then see the thread quickly dissolve into mini-blind purchases at Walmart..................:rolleyes:

Only at CruiseCritic can you find someone who thinks that a simple refund/re-purchase is the most awful thing that's ever happened to them, and then see the thread quickly dissolve into mini-blind purchases at Walmart..................:rolleyes:

Hilarious!!!! Sad but true. As I read the thread, in my head I'm thinking what's the big deal. Why is this worthy to post on here. I recently canceled a drink package and zoom because the bundled price was cheaper. I didn't think twice about te transactions, they credits and the new purchases. I havent even checked my cc for the credits, this was 2 weeks ago.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Forums mobile app

Only at CruiseCritic can you find someone who thinks that a simple refund/re-purchase is the most awful thing that's ever happened to them, and then see the thread quickly dissolve into mini-blind purchases at Walmart..................:rolleyes:

Hilarious!!!! Sad but true. As I read the thread, in my head I'm thinking what's the big deal. Why is this worthy to post on here. I recently canceled a drink package and zoom because the bundled price was cheaper. I didn't think twice about te transactions, they credits and the new purchases. I havent even checked my cc for the credits, this was 2 weeks ago.

 

Sent from my SM-G935V using Forums mobile app

The OP was commenting on the fact that RCI takes 3 - 5 days to process a cc refund! Most merchants manage to issue refunds immediately. Given that everything is electronic the only apparent reason RCI takes so long is to use funds without paying for the borrowing.

Forgive the venting!!

 

The customer phone service is truly terrible. They tell you the most ridiculous things.

 

I wanted to change from one shore excursion ($61) to another ($82).

 

They have to charge me for the whole new excursion, and refund the unwanted one, because, as Joe said, "We have so many vendors, we can't just move the money from one to the other. We have to get the money back from them, and then we can't just give it to the new one." I'm not even exaggerating: that's a direct quote. So the refund is 3-5 business days, during which time they have the money for both excursions. Call me crazy, but I don't like it when companies find excuses (especially ridiculous ones) to double charge you and get your money a few extra days instead of just issuing a "store credit" and charging the difference. What would they do if I canceled the excursion on embarkation day? Pretty sure they'd give me OBC and I rebook something else with the OBC. But it's a no-go, for Joe.

 

Sorry, but I think you might be misunderstanding how transactions work. When you purchase your "new" excursion, it is not yet on your CC, but rather "pending" until the transaction is complete. RCCL does not yet have your money. The bank transfer (CC ) is complete once the credit card posts the transaction. This can take 2 - 5 days. Now your refund on the old transaction works the same way. The credit goes in, but credit card companies will often times not show this as "pending" because it's a credit, and the merchant does not ding the credit card. Basically, RCCL does not have you money yet, and the refund is the same process as the purchase. RCCL does not benefit financially, and they don't have your money yet for the purchase.

 

Nine times out of ten, when I call them for something, the guy tells me something utterly ridiculous or basically acts like a jerk (or both). (Every once in a while I get someone awesome.) I called to give them money. Now it's not much, granted, but the same attitude prevails on their side even when it's booking a suite or cabin. Ugh, the website, even with all its problems, is better than talking to one of their employees who isn't actually onboard a ship.

I just returned an item at Home Depot. They issued me a refund (on my credit card) for the purchase. I went into the store, and bought something else, which was more money. I put it on the same credit card. Guess what, it's the same thing as RCCL. The credit will show posted around the same time the purchase shows. It wasn't today, since it is only "pending", but in another day or two. I don't think Home Depot is benefiting from this. It's just policy of how they handle it, and it's no big deal.

I have bought and canceled excursions from RCCL in the past, and this as you stated was always the way it was done. Each transaction was separate, and they all made it to my credit card.

The OP was commenting on the fact that RCI takes 3 - 5 days to process a cc refund! Most merchants manage to issue refunds immediately. Given that everything is electronic the only apparent reason RCI takes so long is to use funds without paying for the borrowing.

I just looked at my recent "payoff" for my next cruise. It took 3 days for it to change from "pending" to Posted. The process is a basic banking process and refunds or purchases are the same.