Billing dispute with Princess - Who's right?

[jonikal]

I copied and pasted the EMAIL RECEIVED FROM PRINCESS TODAY:

 

Mr. *****,

I am sending this e-mail hoping to resolve the billing matter of $300.00 for Balcony Dining while onboard the Ruby Princess

last Oct 2009. I have spoken to you in March 2010 on this matter , and I was under the impression that a payment woukd be sent.

You did have a dispute on why the bill was so late coming to you, and I advised that the charge was not added to your folio at the

time of disembarkment. We did receive the statement from the ship in our Valencia office and a bill was sent to you in Jan. 2010. (This was new information to us, not to mention, it never happened!)

Please advise back to me if the bill will be paid, or your explanation why you are disputing the charge.

 

Thank You,

 

*****

Finance Department

Phone 661-753-0579

Ext. 30579

Fax: 661-753-1341

 

.

 

 

 

Reading the letter I find it somewhat troubling that an issue of this type is addressed by Princess with such poor style and language use, even including typos! In fact, it is strikingly similar to those annoying Nigerian and other scam emails circulating the internet. Wishing the OP best of luck in getting this resolved.

[bjcanady]

My husband and I have been disputing a charge from Princess since March 2010.

 

Here's the background information:

 

We're platnium cruisers with Princess

 

We sailed the Ruby Princess in October of 2009. We had a balcony cabin, an inside and a mini. On our mini we hosted a balcony dinner for some of our family members. We had a total of six for the dinner. Charge: $300.00 Tip:$150

 

Our onboard account was settled to our credit card like aslways before disembarking. My husband and I both check and double check ALL charges, whether they should be negative or positive.

 

March 2010 we received a letter/bill from Princess for $300.00 The charge was for the balcony dinner in 2009, a full six months later. Now we know we paid this, put we really don't have proof because after a couple of months we tossed the paperwork for the cruise. I NEVER dreamed it would be necessary to keep. My DH immediately called Princess regarding the matter to dispute the charge.

 

June 29, 2010 we receive an email and two calls from Princess. The finance person said the charge was still standing. The email also mention that my DH had disputed the bill being sent out so late after the cruise, not the charge itself.

 

BOLOGNA!

 

DH talks with said finance person today and continues to dispute the $300. Her response: We have no choice than to turn it over the collections!

 

WHAT? Seriously...

 

We're sailing on the Emerald in August for a B2B. We've already paid $8,000+ for this cruise.

 

To us, it's the principle, not the $300.

 

My questions:

 

Who's right?

 

Are we really liable for a charge 6 months after the sail date?

 

Will our cruise in August 2010 be effected by this?

 

Honestly, we're stunned that Princess is doing this.

 

Your thoughts and suggestions would be helpful. Thank you for your time.

 

CC

 

I believe that there is a scam going on and it is not Princess that is behind it......if i were you i would call Princess and ask where to send a copy of this email (that you posted here) to them for verification. I can not believe that Princess is demanding payment for something they say they don't have a record of, they have not run a successful business for as long as they have by doing business in this manner, and i agree, the email you posted was not written by a finance dept. of such a large corp.

[knittinggirl]

I will now keep a copy of our on board charges for a year and then shred them. This way we should have the proof. I did not realize this was necessary as you cannot leave the ship if you have an unpaid account.

 

Again, thank you for bringing it to our attention. I am sure many will keep those bills for quite a while.

 

 

I'm going to scan the document into your computer, so if I misplace it, I have a copy.

 

Back in the 90s, worked at collection's agency as a temp for a few months. And sat in the phone collections department. The collections agents did not use their real names. They got bonuses based on how much they collected. By the time the phone collection's people got into the act, they didn't care if it was paid at another site. If you didn't pay them they would send the information to the credit bureau, where it would remain in the system for 7 years. Even if the person paid it later. The only time this didn't happen was with one client. I think that person had some high connections, and with that case, the big boss got involved. Also, the phone collection's guy got so upset about this incident, his boss had to send him home for the day.

 

At the time, I was the data entry person that actually sent the data to the collection's bureau. They had a huge backlog, and I was there catching them up for a couple months.

 

Time wise, it was the strictest place I worked in some ways. Everyone took their breaks at the same time. If you wanted to finish get to a stopping place, fine, but you would still need to be back at your desk when the official break ended. I soon learned to go on break in mid-sentence. We also had to be in the building 10 minutes early, so we'd be at our desk working at 8 AM! That extra 10 minutes was unpaid of course since we were not actually working. However, they had bottomless candy baskets we could eat anytime. As well as lots of great food people brought in. We didn't have to wait for the break time to use the bathroom. All the people there seemed happy.

 

All that said, a year of so back, I got a collection's notice from the same collection agency, one that I'd already paid. I phoned them, and told them, offering to produce the evidence, and they thanked me and I never heard from them again.

 

Back to the Princess problem, I'd ask for the supervisor. See if you can contact Princess separately and ask for a bill. The Princess Collections may not have access to a detailed bill, only totals.

[Feelin' Nauti']

We had a total of six for the dinner. Charge: $300.00 Tip:$150

we felt $150 for the six of us well deserved. Our two waiters went above and beyond that night... it was by far, our best ever day at sea!

 

$300 is nothing.

 

:cool:

 

~~~

Have you contacted Barclay?

Credit Card Billing Disputes

 

How can I dispute a charge?

If the transaction in question is a temporary authorization, please wait for the charge to post to the account before proceeding.

In an effort to resolve your dispute with the merchant in the most efficient manner, we ask that you first attempt to contact the merchant for assistance. Credit card disputes must be received in writing. We must hear from you no later than 60 days after we sent the first statement on which the problem or error appeared. This will enable us to begin researching and resolving it for you immediately. You can contact us between the hours of 8 am and 9 pm ET, Monday through Friday and Saturday between the hours of 9 am and 6 pm ET at 1-866-951-1434 or write us a letter that includes the information listed below. Important: you must sign the letter.

Please include any documentation that may support your claim and mail to:

 

• Card Services
  Billing Disputes
  P.O. Box 8802
  Wilmington, DE 19899-8802
  

 

Have Princess Points showed up on your account?

 

 

 

[kenexx]

 

What is the proper word???

 

Allow me :D disembarkation

[pms4104]

If Princess truly considered this wayward charge to be due, wouldn't they also expect the $150 gratuity on top of the $300? Also, why wouldn't Princess automatically process this charge against the credit card used to secure your onboard account for that sailing?

 

I would contact Princess by phone, using a number different than the ones in the email, to find out if any monies are due or not ...

 

If Princess is not expecting any money, I would ask them to confirm that by email to a separate/different email account other than the one to which the supposed Finance Dept. is directing their demand.

 

If Princess is expecting monies, they should be able to provide backup documentation to support their claim ... also to a separate/different email account. If they are unable to do so, they may have to absorb this amount.

 

If this is a scam, I would contact the local police department for advise on how to report such a situation, and to which governmental entity.

[Colo Cruiser]

Maybe its originating in Nigeria. :eek:

[ktkep26]

First I would send a certified return receipt letter to Princess asking for the following: your on board account with individual charges and any correspondence that they have sent you via mail. Since they want to send this to collections they have to comply with consumer protection laws. I would not do anything by phone since that could turn into "he said, she said". Get everything in writing. The burden of proof is on Princess not you make them prove it.

[Megsdad]

 

Allow me :D disembarkation

 

disembarkment - the act of passengers and crew getting off of a ship or aircraft

[scranger]

 

disembarkment - the act of passengers and crew getting off of a ship or aircraft

 

Is that like "getting off";)?

[cruisin36]

 

disembarkment - the act of passengers and crew getting off of a ship or aircraft

 

Then disembarkment is acceptable??? I was asking redsqrl what was wrong with it?

[PescadoAmarillo]

I must not be drinking my usual decaf this morning, because I've been reading through this thread shouting "YES" and "NO". This one has struck a nerve with me because as a former accountant and auditor, I detest this kind of shoddy bookkeepping. Especially in this day and age, with the ability to generate statements and credit card information in a matter of seconds.

 

The OP needs to be careful as Princess may ban them from cruising if this is not resolved. :(

NO!!! Or should I say, "Who cares?", because as was so well pointed out:

 

Why would the OP want to cruise again with Princess after dealing with this garbage? I agree with others that the burden is on Princess to produce a copy of the folio and payments and settlement. What a crappy way to treat your customers. :mad:

 

Princess is not the only cruise company out there and most people tend not to do business with companies pursuing legal action against them. ;)

 

Yes and YES!

 

First - I have never kept my invoices from Princess for more then a month. So I don't blame you for throwing it away.

Me too. I wait until I see the charge appear on my credit card statement (online, usually within 3 days of debarkment...err, disembarkment...maybe disde-embarkment?

 

As for collections...I'm sure many of us have saved letters we've fired off to collection agencies as a result of inaccurate billing that we'd be willing to share. My T-Mobile letter worked really well. Ditto the internet service provider and also the state of Ohio.

 

Did I mention that I really detest this kind of shoddy accounting?!?

[Fore on the Floor]

To the OP have you called Princess on their 800 number not the number the email gave you to report this???

I don't believe for a second that this is coming from Princess.

[Colo Cruiser]

 

NO!!! Or should I say, "Who cares?", because as was so well pointed out:

 

 

Probably because the OP has a B2B booked for August. :rolleyes:

 

Oh OK, I will just walk away from my paid for cruise.

[hulamoon]

I hope by now the OP has contacted Princess, escalated to a supervisor, dicovered if the charge is legitimate and asked for a copy of her charges be sent ASAP again, keep asking.

 

I am half suprised someone hasn't done an invetigative phone call from the thread. lol

 

In our state we have a clean hospital that is known for keeping people healthy but also known for the worst billing department I have ever encountered. We have learned that the ball is in their court when we ask for billing to be verified and a delay usually means they cannot. Almost certainly by this time they escalate and send the bills to collection. I laugh at all of these attempts to scare me because this hospital does this all the time. Once or twice they even put something on my credit, however it was removed when I protested each time. It is an awful mess but I learned I had no choice but to emotionally put it all on the back burner until they figured out they double billed me, which is usually the problem.

 

I feel bad that I suggested the OP not ever use Princess again, as I go back to this hospital because my doctors like it and the medical end has a good reputation. It is outrageous to me that anyone has to have a long drawn out billing dispute, it sucks the life force right out of you. So as much as the OP can, figure out what you can control and when you need to let it go and wait for them to act.

 

The OP can do a credit card dispute if they bill her card for this as others have pointed out. It is a hassle if they put it on your credit history but if you are correct I believe they will take it off later.

 

I would also tell them in light of your upcoming cruise you need this resolved now. Maybe they will refund you, why have anyone sail with them who they threaten with collection?

[Globaliser]

Then disembarkment is acceptable?

Not to either kenexx or me. :D

[greenbar]

The number on the OP's copied e-mail is the direct number of a person in the Princess collections department.

Surely the Princess folks who monitor these boards will involve themselves in this issue.

Regardless of the facts, this is terrible PR for Princess.:eek:

[hulamoon]

Phone is direct then? Well how do we all feel about insulting the person with the ability to threaten to send us to collection?

 

:eek:

[bplazo]

Good luck with this situation. I certainly would not pay until Princess sends me proof that it wasn't paid.

[ONT-CA]

May we suggest that CaribbeanCruisers contact the following person?

 

Ms. Anna Marie Streetly

Specialist, Guest Relations, Cunard Line,

24303 Town Center Drive,

Suite 200, Valencia, California

91355-0908

 

While the address may seem strange it was Ms Streetly who was most helpful in resolving a disputed invoice, concerning a Princess cruise, after final payment. If she is no longer in that position then whomever is we are sure will handle the problem.

[spongerob]

I must not be drinking my usual decaf this morning, because I've been reading through this thread shouting "YES" and "NO".

Don't feel bad, I'm so jittery on caffeine right now that I can't write legibly, and I've been bouncing back and forth between yes and no faster than a ping pong ball in Beijing.

 

What it boils down to is this. The OP acted in good faith. A mistake was found 6 months later, and was handled extremely poorly. Threatening to send it to collection is beyond justification. The OP did not try to avoid paying a legitimate charge, they wanted proof that was not forthcoming.

 

What I think is going on is someone is that someone is trying to find mistakes in billing that were not in Princess' favor, and is trying to collect...and I'm not sure that it's even "official". It sounds more like someone on the inside running a clever scam to enrich themselves, or is trying to make themselves look good prior to performance appraisals. The behavior described by the OP on Princess' part does not sound like anything any accounting department I know would participate in.. Every bean-counter person I know doesn't do anything until they have all the documentation. They know better.

[cruisin36]

Not to either kenexx or me. :D

 

Don't matter what you or kenex deems acceptable, the dictionary, see below, spells it out pretty clearly!! Works for me!!

 

Noun1.disembarkment - the act of passengers and crew getting off of a ship or aircraft

[jonikal]

The number on the OP's copied e-mail is the direct number of a person in the Princess collections department.

Surely the Princess folks who monitor these boards will involve themselves in this issue.

Regardless of the facts, this is terrible PR for Princess.:eek:

 

At the very least, a professional correspondence course, preferably in English, should be mandatory for the employee who seems to have instigated this whole mess!

[rdsqrl]

 

Then disembarkment is acceptable??? I was asking redsqrl what was wrong with it?

 

Don't matter what you or kenex deems acceptable, the dictionary, see below, spells it out pretty clearly!! Works for me!!

 

Noun1.disembarkment - the act of passengers and crew getting off of a ship or aircraft

It's rdsqrl, not redsqrl.

There's nothing wrong with it if you live in the 17th century, when it was common usage. It's been superceded by "disembarkation" and has become archaic usage. If you consult a real (as in, not Wikipedia or its ilk) reference book, the word's etymology is pretty clear. So now people who use it sound uninformed -- i.e., the email writer.

Besides which, whether it's archaic usage or not is immaterial: Princess themselves do not use the word in any of their printed materials when referring to the act of getting off the ship; therefore, it seems particularly odd that this email would use it. So, along with the misspellings and general unprofessional tone of the communication, it all seems to signal scam.

Good one, jonikal!

[cruisin36]

It's rdsqrl, not redsqrl.

There's nothing wrong with it if you live in the 17th century, when it was common usage. It's been superceded by "disembarkation" and has become archaic usage. If you consult a real (as in, not Wikipedia or its ilk) reference book, the word's etymology is pretty clear. So now people who use it sound uninformed -- i.e., the email writer.

 

Besides which, whether it's archaic usage or not is immaterial: Princess themselves do not use the word in any of their printed materials when referring to the act of getting off the ship; therefore, it seems particularly odd that this email would use it. So, along with the misspellings and general unprofessional tone of the communication, it all seems to signal scam.

 

Good one, jonikal!

 

Sorry about your screen name mispronunciation (is that a good word?), but for disembarkment I referred to a current dictionary not a 17th century one. In fact, I found it on several current online dictionaries. Personally I use the term disembarkation. What really irks me is the use of DEBARK, although it is acceptable it sounds like one is removing bark from a tree.