anyone think this may be some sort of scam????

[aaerobear]

Prior to our recent TA on the Noordam, I went online to HollandAmerica and ordered several items (wine packages, soda cards, sail away champagne) and paid for them with my credit card.

 

When we boarded the proper gift cards were in our cabin.

 

Here's the rub...the gift cards for the wine packages (several hundred dollars worth) all said "A gift from (insert name here) of (insert travel agency name here)" They had names in the spaces, I just left them off of this posting. Well, it was NOT my TA and I paid for the packages myself through HAL.

 

Does anyone think someone in Seattle is in cahoots with a TA and giving them credit for something that they did not earn? Do TA's get a commission on gift sales? Should I write to HAL and ask? Should I just shrug it off and be happy I got what I paid for and move on?

[KirkNC]

I wonder if it was just a mistake and you got someone elses card.

 

 

Kirk

[aliaschief]

Every time that I have orderd gifts for the room as you have, if I didn't put some kind of message in, the card read as yours' did. I thought it was just a template that HAL used. Still got credit for what I bought and as we made reservations through our HAL PCC, I knew that she didn't send them;)

[aaerobear]

I believe it was my card as it had my name and the exact things i ordered on it, but that may be an answer.

[kazu]

same thing here. usually I put a note, but last time I didn't bother and that was on mine. don't think it's a scam. Just if you leave the message blank I am guessing the template comes up.

[IRL_Joanie]

Prior to our recent TA on the Noordam, I went online to HollandAmerica and ordered several items (wine packages, soda cards, sail away champagne) and paid for them with my credit card.

 

When we boarded the proper gift cards were in our cabin.

 

Here's the rub...the gift cards for the wine packages (several hundred dollars worth) all said "A gift from (insert name here) of (insert travel agency name here)" They had names in the spaces, I just left them off of this posting. Well, it was NOT my TA and I paid for the packages myself through HAL.

 

Does anyone think someone in Seattle is in cahoots with a TA and giving them credit for something that they did not earn? Do TA's get a commission on gift sales? Should I write to HAL and ask? Should I just shrug it off and be happy I got what I paid for and move on?

 

Our last cruise I ordered specific items to be delivered for hubby's birthday. They came with the gift cards exactly as yours, but mine had one from the Captain, one from our HAL PCC and the other was blank. YET ALL 3 were from me and paid for by me through Ship Services online...

 

So, from experience, I can say ours were not a SCAM, I got what I paid for and hubby knew it when he got the Credit Card bill later that same month:D

 

Joanie

[aaerobear]

That's what I was wondering, but my mind wanders and things pop in about someone getting credit where credit is not due. See where I am going here?

[CowPrincess]

That's what I was wondering, but my mind wanders and things pop in about someone getting credit where credit is not due. See where I am going here?

 

I totally "get" what you are saying. I too would wonder if showing a TA's name on the order gives that TA some sort of brownie points, or helps towards a sales promo goal or something.

 

FTR, I've purchased stuff on the HAL website and the accompanying message shows that it is from me or is blank. Nothing about "A gift from XXXX at YYY Travel Agency".

[SwissMyst]

I think it was probably more of a careless, clerical oversight. But agree, it should not have happened and you are right to bring it to the attention of those who have control over this.

 

Way back when I was traveling as a solo woman with a group to Bangkok very, a lavish tray was sent to my hotel room from the hotel. I went down to thank the front desk because there was no card with it. They explained this was standard to do for the "travel agent" who accompanied the group.

 

It was their perception that any woman traveling alone back in those days with a group was a travel agent. So I got this great Thai fruit plate. Point being: glitches happen.

[terigo]

i was a travel agent for 27 years.

i can tell you that TA's do not get any commission from gift sales.

 

also, many travel agents do purchase gift bottles of wine or something of that nature for their clients (i always did), and sometimes there was NO gift info on it, so the client never knew it came from me.

 

how did i find that out? one of my clients said they hated to look greedy, but they were disappointed that some of the other cruisers had gotten gifts from their travel agent, and they didn't, even though they were long-time cruisers with me.....

the situation was cleared up between them and me (they DID, after all, realize there was a bottle of wine waiting for them and didn't know where it came from) but from then on i realized the communications in the gift delivery department are not all they could be.

 

all of this is a long way of saying, somebody somewhere just screwed up.... and as long as you got what you paid for, no harm, no foul.

[European_CruiseGirl]

I don't either think that it's a scam but it's really annoying!

 

A couple of years ago I ordered a bunch of onboard gifts for my DH who celebrated his birthday onboard. The value of the gifts were roughly $500. It was really annoying to see that the gift cards had the name of our TA in them instead of me. Of course DH knew I had ordered them AFTER I told him so but still.

[taxmantoo]

Does anyone think someone in Seattle is in cahoots with a TA and giving them credit for something that they did not earn? Do TA's get a commission on gift sales? Should I write to HAL and ask? Should I just shrug it off and be happy I got what I paid for and move on?

 

Definitely, without a doubt, ...Option NUMBER 4 !

[Essiesmom]

Our last cruise I ordered specific items to be delivered for hubby's birthday. They came with the gift cards exactly as yours, but mine had one from the Captain, one from our HAL PCC and the other was blank. YET ALL 3 were from me and paid for by me through Ship Services online...

 

So, from experience, I can say ours were not a SCAM, I got what I paid for and hubby knew it when he got the Credit Card bill later that same month:D

 

Joanie

My last cruise was a B2B on Princess, and I decided to pre-order an internet package, and the cute little ship shaped USB drive. When the Princess rep asked me what I would like on the cards, I hadn't anticipated that...But then I started to laugh. And I told her about Essie, and said that I would be giving Essie the USB drive to hold her pictures, and she would give me the internet time, so that she can keep in touch with her friends. We had a good laugh about it. Carolyn

[IRL_Joanie]

My last cruise was a B2B on Princess, and I decided to pre-order an internet package, and the cute little ship shaped USB drive. When the Princess rep asked me what I would like on the cards, I hadn't anticipated that...But then I started to laugh. And I told her about Essie, and said that I would be giving Essie the USB drive to hold her pictures, and she would give me the internet time, so that she can keep in touch with her friends. We had a good laugh about it. Carolyn

 

 

And I KNOW that Essie enjoyed it every bit as much as her mom did and still does:D

 

I never even thought to mention when I ordered all 3 of hubby's gifts, that they were gifts or to have them write anything... Duh... Major blond moment (more and more lately:D)

 

Joanie

[kelleherdl]

Boy, this thread clears up some confusion for me as well. I got duplicate sets of gift cards for somethings. The only TA thing I was expecting was a bottle of bubbly. Still don't know why I was expecting that... So we had two in the suite, one from the TA and one from Captain. ok I can get that. anyway we also had duplicate invites to PG for same time and night. I knew I ordered one but there was another one from my TA. I asked the concierge and she assured me we didn't need to eat twice....

 

Dennis

[sapper1]

Items I have ordered and paid for always have some weird name on them. Items from our TA have her name on them. I have never given the issue another thought. Reputable companies such as HAL do not run scams.

[ellbelle]

Items I have ordered and paid for always have some weird name on them. Items from our TA have her name on them. I have never given the issue another thought. Reputable companies such as HAL do not run scams.

 

 

Exactly what happened on our recent Amsterdam cruise. Wine cards and two pinnacle grill reservations that I had purchased had a weird name on them. Our TA sent us several things that had their name on them. Might be less confusing for items pre-purchased if they just signed them "courtesy of you" or something like that.

 

Cheryl

[bcd2010]

I don't know the answer to what's going on, of course, but I can offer another suggestion - it may be a simple bug in the computer program that prints the cards - a field (area where the name is held for printing) in internal memory isn't being cleared out when a new card is set up for printing so whatever was in that field when one was (correctly) printed remains there and gets printed on every one until a new name is put there, then that new name gets printed until the next change, etc. Don't know if that's esplained clearly. It's an easy bug to fix - just clear the field before setting up the next card. (I was a programmer/analyst/consultant for decades before I retired.)

 

It would feel to me like there was an intrusion by an unknown person. I normally save such cards as souvenirs and that would make them seem really impersonal to me. I'll make sure that even if I'm buying something for myself I'll supply a "from" name (Brad Pitt, Robert Redford, etc. - might as well have fun with it!).:);)

[ironin]

I'll make sure that even if I'm buying something for myself I'll supply a "from" name (Brad Pitt, Robert Redford, etc. - might as well have fun with it!).

 

True! But don't go too far. "With love, Bernie Madoff" might not be a good idea ;)

 

(FWIW, I'm not a programmer nor do I play one on TV, but my first thought about the possible cause was the same as yours here :cool:)

[sapper1]

I don't know the answer to what's going on, of course, but I can offer another suggestion - it may be a simple bug in the computer program that prints the cards - a field (area where the name is held for printing) in internal memory isn't being cleared out when a new card is set up for printing so whatever was in that field when one was (correctly) printed remains there and gets printed on every one until a new name is put there, then that new name gets printed until the next change, etc. Don't know if that's esplained clearly. It's an easy bug to fix - just clear the field before setting up the next card. (I was a programmer/analyst/consultant for decades before I retired.)

 

It would feel to me like there was an intrusion by an unknown person. I normally save such cards as souvenirs and that would make them seem really impersonal to me. I'll make sure that even if I'm buying something for myself I'll supply a "from" name (Brad Pitt, Robert Redford, etc. - might as well have fun with it!).:);)

Maybe it is a field that cannot be left blank so they just put in whatever. What do you think?

[Jade13]

Prior to our recent TA on the Noordam, I went online to HollandAmerica and ordered several items (wine packages, soda cards, sail away champagne) and paid for them with my credit card.

 

When we boarded the proper gift cards were in our cabin.

 

Here's the rub...the gift cards for the wine packages (several hundred dollars worth) all said "A gift from (insert name here) of (insert travel agency name here)" They had names in the spaces, I just left them off of this posting. Well, it was NOT my TA and I paid for the packages myself through HAL.

 

Does anyone think someone in Seattle is in cahoots with a TA and giving them credit for something that they did not earn? Do TA's get a commission on gift sales? Should I write to HAL and ask? Should I just shrug it off and be happy I got what I paid for and move on?

 

As long ago as 3 years ago we have pre-booked the Pinnacle or soda cards and cards in stateroom said they were from our TA. I don't know why HAL just goes ahead and prints out the TA's name (in your case someone elses TA). They need to fix this clerical error that has happened for years.

[boards]

When I have prepurchased anything there has been a card with it that makes it sound like it is gift for someone, but there is never any name on the card. No big problem or mystery to me, I know where it came from because my name is on the CC bill.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Prior to our recent TA on the Noordam, I went online to HollandAmerica and ordered several items (wine packages, soda cards, sail away champagne) and paid for them with my credit card.

 

When we boarded the proper gift cards were in our cabin.

 

Here's the rub...the gift cards for the wine packages (several hundred dollars worth) all said "A gift from (insert name here) of (insert travel agency name here)" They had names in the spaces, I just left them off of this posting. Well, it was NOT my TA and I paid for the packages myself through HAL.

 

Does anyone think someone in Seattle is in cahoots with a TA and giving them credit for something that they did not earn? Do TA's get a commission on gift sales? Should I write to HAL and ask? Should I just shrug it off and be happy I got what I paid for and move on?

 

We only order alcohol for our cabin or make advance reserations for the specialuty resyaurants. Our gifts cards have only our names on it.

You might want to call HAL and check it out with them and ask why the TA's name was listed on it.

Our TA gets only credit for the cruise we book.

You didn't by chance have the TA order these items for you even though you paid for them? That could be where HAL thought the TA bought them for you. We call ship services ourselves and order that way.

[aaerobear]

Krazy, No, I ordered them myself online through HAL's website. I am not really concerned about it that much, I was just wondering if it happened to others and was a common occurrence, which I have learned it is.

 

 

I think bcd2010 hit on the reason (I am gonna take that as my answer) and so, not plan to contact HAL, but will sure put a name on the order next time to end the confusion.