Anyone else have billing problems with Princess

[Appygirl]

I've never had billing problems with cruise lines but current problems are making it unlikely I'll choose Princess in the future. I'd never cruised on Princess before but my father is an elite and done the Panama Canal on Princess a couple of times, also done the Panama on other lines, but recommended we do the Panama on Princess. My husband purchased the cruise as a surprise for me. When he originally booked he used his Mastercard as his credit card on the cruise personalizer and my Visa was put down for me. My husband doesn't use that MC account though the card is active, so when we checked in at Port Everglades I requested both my husbands and my shipboard accounts be placed on my Visa and I checked off the option to pay in US dollars because my Visa gives a much better exchange rate than Princess. No problem. The clerk swipes only my Visa and I sign it. On the first sea day my husband receives a letter saying there is a question on how he is paying his shipboard account and can he come to the purser's station. So we both go down and once again I sign a form that we're using my Visa to cover both of us, they swipe it, I sign, and I also sign another form saying we want to pay in US dollars instead of Canadian.

 

We wake up morning of disembarkation and the bill is in the mailbox. Princess gives the total, which is correct, but at the bottom says we are being charged at their exchange rate in Canadian funds. We go to the purser's desk. Huge line up of angry Canadians getting billed incorrectly in the wrong currency. Pursers say there is a glitch in the system, nothing they can do, and give us a card with the phone number of customer service and say to contact them.

 

We phoned customer service a few hours later and they check the computer and confirm we checked off to pay the bill in US dollars but refuse to refund the amount and charge it again in US dollars. They say to put it in writing and send in a letter, which we did the same day. No reponse yet.

 

Today my husband checks his Mastercard account and Princess billed it instead of my Visa for his porton of the shipboard account and in Canadian dollars. He phones customer service again and they confirm their computer says the Visa was supposed to be used for payment in US dollars. They refuse to refund his MC and charge my Visa. So my husband tells them he'll dispute the MC charge because they don't have his signature authorizing the payment. Customer service tells him if he disputes the charge then they can't do anything to help him. He points out they're not doing anything to help him anyway to rectify their billing error.

 

I used to work for the financial institution that issues the MC and I know how things operate so he called them and yes they will allow him to dispute the charge which now puts the burden of proof onto Princess to supply MC with his signature, etc. All Princess will be able to come up with is my signature on a Visa. MC did ask us to try one more time to convince Princess to refund the MC and charge the Visa and if we are not successful they will put in a chargeback. We have sent another letter to Princess.

 

I understand billing errors happen but I have no idea why Princess will not choose the easier route and refund my husbands MC and put the charge onto my Visa. As for the wrong currency being charged I'll see if I can confince Princess to refund the difference they charged and the amount my Visa would have given me as an exchange rate. I'm not sure how successful I'll be.

 

We don't dispute we owe Princess the money. We only want them to follow the billing instructions that I signed - twice.

 

It was such a nice trip I hate for it to leave a sour taste with trying to get Princess to fix their billing error. I'm just wondering how common a problem this is with their billing department and trying to rectify the situation.

[Buddy604]

I've never had billing problems with cruise lines but current problems are making it unlikely I'll choose Princess in the future. I'd never cruised on Princess before but my father is an elite and done the Panama Canal on Princess a couple of times, also done the Panama on other lines, but recommended we do the Panama on Princess. My husband purchased the cruise as a surprise for me. When he originally booked he used his Mastercard as his credit card on the cruise personalizer and my Visa was put down for me. My husband doesn't use that MC account though the card is active, so when we checked in at Port Everglades I requested both my husbands and my shipboard accounts be placed on my Visa and I checked off the option to pay in US dollars because my Visa gives a much better exchange rate than Princess. No problem. The clerk swipes only my Visa and I sign it. On the first sea day my husband receives a letter saying there is a question on how he is paying his shipboard account and can he come to the purser's station. So we both go down and once again I sign a form that we're using my Visa to cover both of us, they swipe it, I sign, and I also sign another form saying we want to pay in US dollars instead of Canadian.

 

We wake up morning of disembarkation and the bill is in the mailbox. Princess gives the total, which is correct, but at the bottom says we are being charged at their exchange rate in Canadian funds. We go to the purser's desk. Huge line up of angry Canadians getting billed incorrectly in the wrong currency. Pursers say there is a glitch in the system, nothing they can do, and give us a card with the phone number of customer service and say to contact them.

 

We phoned customer service a few hours later and they check the computer and confirm we checked off to pay the bill in US dollars but refuse to refund the amount and charge it again in US dollars. They say to put it in writing and send in a letter, which we did the same day. No reponse yet.

 

Today my husband checks his Mastercard account and Princess billed it instead of my Visa for his porton of the shipboard account and in Canadian dollars. He phones customer service again and they confirm their computer says the Visa was supposed to be used for payment in US dollars. They refuse to refund his MC and charge my Visa. So my husband tells them he'll dispute the MC charge because they don't have his signature authorizing the payment. Customer service tells him if he disputes the charge then they can't do anything to help him. He points out they're not doing anything to help him anyway to rectify their billing error.

 

I used to work for the financial institution that issues the MC and I know how things operate so he called them and yes they will allow him to dispute the charge which now puts the burden of proof onto Princess to supply MC with his signature, etc. All Princess will be able to come up with is my signature on a Visa. MC did ask us to try one more time to convince Princess to refund the MC and charge the Visa and if we are not successful they will put in a chargeback. We have sent another letter to Princess.

 

I understand billing errors happen but I have no idea why Princess will not choose the easier route and refund my husbands MC and put the charge onto my Visa. As for the wrong currency being charged I'll see if I can confince Princess to refund the difference they charged and the amount my Visa would have given me as an exchange rate. I'm not sure how successful I'll be.

 

We don't dispute we owe Princess the money. We only want them to follow the billing instructions that I signed - twice.

 

It was such a nice trip I hate for it to leave a sour taste with trying to get Princess to fix their billing error. I'm just wondering how common a problem this is with their billing department and trying to rectify the situation.

Honestly? This happens all the time with Princess. I've made it a policy to visit the passenger services desk on the second to last day of the cruise and have them charge my outstanding balance to my credit card, in us funds, while I wait.

 

No matter how often I tick the "do not convert to canadian" box, they still do, and their exchange rate should be classified as robbery with violence. Earlier this month, the free market mid-rate was $0.97 and Princess was offering an exchange rate of $0.86, more than a 10% exchange premium.

 

The other option is to pay with an Amex card - they have to charge those in US.

 

And I've also had the same problem with them charging the wrong credit card, including them trying to charge to my stolen credit card (which was on my cruise personalizer) and not the card I gave them at check in. It involved me being brusquely told my shipboard account had been suspended when I was trying to buy some new friends a drink one evening. :mad:

 

Nonetheless, don't just give up like most folks, and don't let it sour you against Princess. Just against Princess's Billing Department.

[RUGBYMAN]

I have just returned from the Ruby and had a similar problem.

This was my fourth Princess Cruise and again it was very good.

However on this one I had my first account problems.

During the cruise I received a letter that stated due to a problem

they were encountering with the charge system in order to charge my

card by the chosen method I would have to go to the desk on the last day with my card - if I failed to do so I would be charged the extra 3%

and a conversion from US Dollars.

I did as requested and even took the letter with me to ensure that

I wouuld be charged by the method chosen and obtained the relevant

receipt. On the final account before leaving the ship the account outside

my cabin stated I would be charged the 3% and they would do the

conversion. I have contacted my bank and told them the method I had

chosen and I will NOT accept this ploy to extract extra money.

I find princess very good to cruise with and we await cruise number 5 and 6. However they must improve with respect to the chosen method of the

way they do not charge in accordance with the customers chosen method. They had no excuse I followed the instuction given in the letter.

[Putterdude]

I am not sure that it is a matter of them really needing the money but more along the lines of pursers's assistants and other administrative people are either poorly trained or overworked or both. Somehow attention to detail is lacking and I find it getting worse each time I sail. Having said that I have never had the problems outlined by the OP and if I had, I would have been extremely angry.

[fridaythecat.u.k.]

The other option is to pay with an Amex card - they have to charge those in US.

 

OP - sorry to hear you are having problems. I checked the box to have the charge to my CC in US $ last year when I sailed and it was all done without issue. However, the card I used, for both DH and myself, was an AMEX, so perhaps this was why we didn't have any problems :confused:

 

Thanks for the info, Buddy604 - I didn't realise until I read your post that the card you use makes a difference :eek:

[DrivesLikeMario]

OMG, OP, you must really be frustrated. That would really make me mad. Accounting is such a simple thing and they should've gotten it right from the beginning.

 

I hope they respond to your letters and that you end up getting your DH's onboard account balance for free.

[Toddy709]

Wow, that is really frustrating! Sounds like Buddy604 has a good solution though if you do choose to cruise with Princess again.

[senior lady]

Another reason I use travelers cheques. Much easier and don't have to worry about any mistakes

[robgvic]

I had a similar problem on the one day Golden cruise afrom Vancouver May 14. They took my card at check in and I signed but the next day when I was disembarking, I was called to the Purser's Desk and told that I had not arranged payment. I told them they had done an imprint but she asked if I had told Visa I was going away on a trip. I replied, "For a one day trip!"

THey then did the charge as a hand written one and I am still waiting for it to get to my Visa. Hopefully they lost that one too.

I was not at all impressed with the Golden Princess at all. They also screwed up the return bus ticket and it took a lot of time at the desk to get it settled.

Fortunately I boarded th Sapphire the next day and it was fabulous and I am now Elite

[rdsqrl]

I appreciate your anger about the incorrect currency charge -- you told them enough times, they should have gotten that right. However, I'm at a loss to understand why your husband doesn't just pay the MasterCard bill. Disputing a valid charge is, in my opinion, unethical. Yes, they should have put it on the Visa but nevertheless, the money is still owed to them.

[robgvic]

rbqsri

I think the OP knows that and has said so but maybe if this happens Princess will smarten up and do things properly. They did not have a signature to make the charge legal.

[Appygirl]

Honestly? This happens all the time with Princess. I've made it a policy to visit the passenger services desk on the second to last day of the cruise and have them charge my outstanding balance to my credit card, in us funds, while I wait.

 

No matter how often I tick the "do not convert to canadian" box, they still do, and their exchange rate should be classified as robbery with violence. Earlier this month, the free market mid-rate was $0.97 and Princess was offering an exchange rate of $0.86, more than a 10% exchange premium.

 

The other option is to pay with an Amex card - they have to charge those in US.

 

And I've also had the same problem with them charging the wrong credit card, including them trying to charge to my stolen credit card (which was on my cruise personalizer) and not the card I gave them at check in. It involved me being brusquely told my shipboard account had been suspended when I was trying to buy some new friends a drink one evening. :mad:

 

Nonetheless, don't just give up like most folks, and don't let it sour you against Princess. Just against Princess's Billing Department.

 

Thanks Buddy, its good to hear I'm not alone. I don't have an Amex.

 

We had a wonderful cruise. I've never been on Princess before. Really not sure if I would choose them again. Maybe. All things being equal with another cruise line, same ports, same price, I'd probably go with the competitor. I understand billing errors do happen. They must have more glitches than they admit to. Their Admin does monitor the cruise critic forums so I hope they're taking note.

[bugsy1968]

It sounds like the wisest solution would be to tick off the box as usual on the cruise personalizer and then just confirm it with the pursers desk early on during the cruise so that you have the reassurance of reconfirming it with them onboard (and get a name, date/time, etc. in case you still need to freak out later :eek:) and not be as worried about the last morning rush or having to deal with these "aftermath-like" situations at the end of what was probably an otherwise nice holiday.

 

Really Princess, you should do away with this stupid policy anyway. No other charge to our credit cardw made in foreign currency are handled this way. The Credit Card issuing bank determines the rate (which is usually a bit more realistic), and converts on my statement. I think you have a lot more important things to take note of and should get out of the currency exchange biz.

[caribill]

Really Princess, you should do away with this stupid policy anyway. No other charge to our credit cardw made in foreign currency are handled this way. The Credit Card issuing bank determines the rate (which is usually a bit more realistic), and converts on my statement.

 

Actually, you will find this trick in many European countries. I have seen it in London, Rome, Barcelona and elsewhere.

 

When you present a credit card from the USA (not sure about Canada), the receipt you sign shows the local currency along with the $$ amount they convert it to using a poor exchange rate. This is done by whatever computer system the charge device is connected to.

 

Hard to contest as

a) The clerk doing the transaction is not the person who can do anything about it;

b) If you do not speak the local language, chances are the clerk will not understand what you are protesting about.

 

And these days, many credit cards charge 3% for any charge made out of the country (no matter in local currency or $$$), so after being stuck with a lousy conversion rate you then get 3% more tacked on by your friendly bank.

[West Coast]

THey then did the charge as a hand written one and I am still waiting for it to get to my Visa. Hopefully they lost that one too.

 

We got off the CB on May 9 and the 'manual' charge to our cc posted May 27.

 

Also, the manual charge slip actually has to get off-boarded with other accounting papers and is sent to head office. It is not processed until head office weeds through everything and makes the bank deposit. That's the reason for the delay.

[lolane1]

OP, you have my sympathy. While I am a great Princess fan, I would have a hard time getting over this and it definitely would sour my feelings about future cruises.

 

As consumers, we have the right to have our bill assigned to the credit card we indicate. And you did that, not once but twice! There could be a huge number of reasons we select one card over another and I won't even start enumerating these reasons here. The bottom line is that you indicated to Princess how to process your account and they didn't do it.

 

They are making your life difficult, so do likewise, dispute the bill. (even just on principal) Secondly, as far as I am concerned, Princess owes you an apology. It would be nice if they redeemed themselves by offering you some sort of perk on a future cruise because right now, it looks like you won't be cruising Princess again. Too bad.

[billie5]

OP, I hope you get the settlement you are seeking. You certainly deserve it.

 

Just a legal note. Not having a signature will not of itself invalidate a charge card charge, despite those who would wish the law was all about logic. Intent, exchange of value, etc. (and most of all, what the bank happens to decide in its adjudication) will determine the outcome.

 

Bill

[weberman]

On every cruise I have been on with Princess, the Purser's desk is clogged with passengers on disembarkation morning, usually Canadian that have billing disputes. I had a problem one time on my account and mistakenly went to The Purser on disembarkation morning and it was at least an hour in line. I gave up and ate the mistake, about $10. Now, I go several times during the cruise and request a statement and make sure before the last nights dinner that my account is correct. If it is not I correct it there and then.

 

On most of my most recent cruises we had a very large OBCs and spent it down to about a $1.00 and so they owed me money. And, so no charge on my CC.

 

I have a definite feeling but no proof that the billing in foreign currency is a systematic problem by Princess. It makes Princess a lot of money on the exchange rate which is very much in their favor. I have just seen the problem occur too frequently to believe it is all accidental.

[CBCruiser1960]

We also were charged incorrect. We had used our US Mastercard and they went and converted to canadian and then back to US funds. We also during our cruise went to the desk and pointed out that we were using a US credit card and should be charged straight US funds. Well we were not. But I will say when I called the customer service about what had happened they would not reverse but they did give me a credit on my card for the difference. She did say it could take up to 3 billing periods, which I found out is up to three months. But in my case with in the month it was credited. I was also told that they are having this problem with canadians and are trying to correct it. I was also told that we paid the cruise in canadian funds and that was also a reason why. But the strange thing was we purchased two Future Cruise Credits and they were charged the right way. Also was told if you purchase the cruise in US funds it is cheaper and possible not to have this happen. Well we have and I guess will see if it happens next cruise. I sure know how you feel.

[kruisey]

I am very lucky never have any problem :).

Buy FCC in $US. Have a US$ credit card.Book directly with Princess.

Check the box and print also $US....... Pay for cruise in $US.

Account always arrives at my cabin in $US.:)

[phillipahain]

I have warned time after time on these boards that all non USA customers need to go to Pursers Desk the day before departure and INSIST that their CC is charged MANUALLY in USA dollars

 

We have a USA Bank A/C and a USA Dollar Account but the idiots have still tried to charge both in £ Sterling

 

Hence we ALWAYS only allow a manual CC charge

[CBCruiser1960]

I am very lucky never have any problem :).

Buy FCC in $US. Have a US$ credit card.Book directly with Princess.

Check the box and print also $US....... Pay for cruise in $US.

Account always arrives at my cabin in $US.:)

 

Yes, since that happened on our last cruise, which was our first cruise, I told my DH that I will also write in big letters US$ on our boarding pass. But we still had a great cruise and would not let it ruin it. We had a great customer rep. and staighten things out for us.

[PowerMalc]

I have warned time after time on these boards that all non USA customers need to go to Pursers Desk the day before departure and INSIST that their CC is charged MANUALLY in USA dollars

 

We have a USA Bank A/C and a USA Dollar Account but the idiots have still tried to charge both in £ Sterling

 

Hence we ALWAYS only allow a manual CC charge

 

Thanks for the tip but how else would they charge it? What do you mean by 'Manually'

 

I'm from the UK and have a UK credit card and have lodged these details on the cruise personalizer

[kruisey]

Thanks for the tip but how else would they charge it? What do you mean by 'Manually'

 

I'm from the UK and have a UK credit card and have lodged these details on the cruise personalizer

 

 

I live in Canada but always pay for my cruise in $US. Have also a $US credit card.

On my Cruise Personalizer I always use my$US credit card number not my Canadian one......I wonder if that makes the difference why I never have a problem?

[HomelessBear]

On our last cruise, our friends also had a similar problem. At check in, the husband offered his credit card and then my friends immediately decided not to use that card but the wife's instead. This caused them a lot of stress and hassle during the cruise, as they received 3 letters and spent a few hours in total trying to sort out the issues.

 

I checked my statement a few days before the end of the cruise, and there were 2 charges on the bill that were definitely not mine or my DHs. One was for a drink in a bar (at the same time as we were eating dinner) and the other was for laundry. The purser's desk pulled the receipts from the bar, asked me if the signature was mine - and he could see from my cruise card that it definitely was NOT my signature, then refunded that chaqrge back. The laundry charge was someone putting in the incorrect cabin number - my cabin was 610 and the cabin they should have charged it to was 601!

 

Sorry you had this experience. It does leave a nasty taste in the mouth and takes the shine off things.