Seriously NCL!?

[Hopes4]

Imagine my surprise to get a phone call saying my child would not get his soda card because the payment was short..... How short one might ask? A whopping 2 cents. Yes, you read that correctly, two whole cents. And who's fault is it? Theirs!

Paid for the card in 10/10, switched my sons room in 3/11. When I asked them to make sure the soda card followed him, they put it as a whole new invoice. Meanwhile the price went up by the two pennies. I didn't notice a new invoice number, but I did notice the new amenity confirmation had an underpayment of the 2 cents. I questioned it and was reassured that it was fully paid and fine and I did not owe anything. So 2 days before we sale you call my TA and tell her to tell me pay the 2 cents or else.

So really NCL, it is your fault, but even if it wasn't, you couldn't charge the last 2 pennies to my room account? You would cancel a soda card for that? Shame on you for being so petty (and aggravating me to boot!)

[vols_159]

true story?? Cause it doesnt make much sense for NCL or any company to waste man hours and order someone to call and demand .02 cents.. doesnt make sense at all..

[swedish weave]

I believe it !! A couple of years ago, the local water company threatened to shut off my water because my payment was three cents short. In the "computer" world, the amount doesn't make any difference. The program sees a shortage and spits out a letter. I wrote them a check for three cents and requested a receipt to prove I had paid. My way of having fun !!

[alwalaska]

I believe it. Most companies do not think ahead and have their programmers write exclusions into the code for minimum amounts when they run automatic billing. The people making the phone calls are front line people who probably don't have the power to do anything.

 

I am guessing though that a phone call to customer service would fix the whole thing.

[mfk68]

I believe it. Back 20 years ago when I was in College, I remember constantly getting letters from the campus library saying that I owed them a past due late return fee of 20 cents. The sent three different letters, each with a 25cent stamp on them saying that I owed them 20 cents. So I believe that a major company would do the same thing today. People are not trained to use common sense, but to just follow the rules. :rolleyes:

[Taxguy77]

I believe it !! A couple of years ago, the local water company threatened to shut off my water because my payment was three cents short. In the "computer" world, the amount doesn't make any difference. The program sees a shortage and spits out a letter. I wrote them a check for three cents and requested a receipt to prove I had paid. My way of having fun !!

 

Way to go! :p:D

You sound like someone I'd like to cruise with!

[Swells1]

My 85 year old blind grandmother almost lost her phone service because of one cent.

[WinterSky]

Imagine my surprise to get a phone call saying my child would not get his soda card because the payment was short..... How short one might ask? A whopping 2 cents. Yes, you read that correctly, two whole cents. And who's fault is it? Theirs!

Paid for the card in 10/10, switched my sons room in 3/11. When I asked them to make sure the soda card followed him, they put it as a whole new invoice. Meanwhile the price went up by the two pennies. I didn't notice a new invoice number, but I did notice the new amenity confirmation had an underpayment of the 2 cents. I questioned it and was reassured that it was fully paid and fine and I did not owe anything. So 2 days before we sale you call my TA and tell her to tell me pay the 2 cents or else.

So really NCL, it is your fault, but even if it wasn't, you couldn't charge the last 2 pennies to my room account? You would cancel a soda card for that? Shame on you for being so petty (and aggravating me to boot!)

 

It seems quite apparent that a computer program automatically routed your amount owing to a call center employee. Based on what you describe, it is possible that this is an outsourced call center which could explain the employee's lack of latitude on the matter. You fail to say how the call ended. How was this resolved?

 

Previous arrangements never just 'follow' when you make reservation changes. The first reservation/arrangements/invoice is always cancelled and the new reservation/arrangements/invoice is generated. Your son's soda card won't be cancelled if it is all paid for except 2 cents. It simply may not be released until you register at embarkation and provide your credit card or cash to secure your on board account.

[Hopes4]

 

I am guessing though that a phone call to customer service would fix the whole thing.

 

My TA called NCL back after I explained everything that had happened. She even took it to a supervisor to no avail. I had to pay the 2 cents or have the card canceled. (i can spare 2 cents, it's the principle that made me argue) The supervisor told her if I forward the old confirmation to her that NCL would then refund the the money. Sounds like a lot of fees in credit card transactions to me! Silly NCL

[sparks1093]

Okay, I have to ask- why didn't your TA catch this? Weren't they the ones who assured you everything was fine? Rather then fussing over 2 cents I would have cancelled the soda card and obtained a refund, then purchased it onboard.

[JohnIreland]

Ask them if you can make payments towards it.

[WinterSky]

Ask them if you can make payments towards it.

 

!!!

[SeaShark]

Anyone who has spent any time on these boards knows that if a passenger books through a TA, then the cruise line ONLY deals with the TA....not with the passenger.

 

 

Maybe this is just me, but if I was the OP's TA, I would have simply paid the 2 cents myself and resolved the problem immediately.

 

 

There is NO WAY I would have passed this on to my client and risked having them upset.

[che5904]

Anyone who has spent any time on these boards knows that if a passenger books through a TA, then the cruise line ONLY deals with the TA....not with the passenger.

 

 

Maybe this is just me, but if I was the OP's TA, I would have simply paid the 2 cents myself and resolved the problem immediately.

 

 

There is NO WAY I would have passed this on to my client and risked having them upset.

 

I was thinking the same thing, (I don't personally use TAs). But isn't that why people use them is to cut through any crap that comes up. And to make sure everything runs smoothly.

 

I was sure I was told on another thread that anyone not using TAs would be sorry if anything serious arose. Well if they can't manage to handle 2 cent discrepancy, I wouldn't want to count on them for anything serious.

 

OP I really think this is the TAs issue not NCLs. Yes NCLs computer is the initiator of this but truthfully you should not have been bothered for such an insignificant thing.

[garycarla]

What kind of TA would take time to call the customer to deal with two cents?

 

Something is missing here.

 

Oh yea, and one more reason that I see no reason to pay for anything in advance. I would have bought the soda card after I boarded.

[halos]

I believe it !! A couple of years ago, the local water company threatened to shut off my water because my payment was three cents short. In the "computer" world, the amount doesn't make any difference. The program sees a shortage and spits out a letter. I wrote them a check for three cents and requested a receipt to prove I had paid. My way of having fun !!

 

That's exactly why this happened.

[Zimomiller]

NCL has an inconsistent/poor reputation for customer service so this does not come as a surprise. Add it to the list

 

Hopefully whoever it is from NCL that is reviewing CC sees this thread and follows up to correct another in the many deficiencies with which the NCL representatives treats their customers.

[musicorn]

So let's see for the recoup of 2c:

 

NCL calls the T/A - cost of phone call and wages of person making the call

 

T/A calls you - cost of phone call and wages of the T/A

 

T/A calls NCL - cost of call and wages of both

 

T/A then calls you - cost of call and wages of T/A.

 

So at 0.5 cents per interaction this has been a great business model hasn't it. :rolleyes:

 

Somewhere somebody should have really thought about this and the costs involved in getting the 2c.

 

I hope your child really enjoys their soda card and gets their 2c worth. :D

[emcelh]

My TA called NCL back after I explained everything that had happened. She even took it to a supervisor to no avail. I had to pay the 2 cents or have the card canceled. (i can spare 2 cents, it's the principle that made me argue) The supervisor told her if I forward the old confirmation to her that NCL would then refund the the money. Sounds like a lot of fees in credit card transactions to me! Silly NCL

Silly TA as well. I'm retired now but was involved in the travel industry for over 40 years, much of it as a retail TA. I agree with the posters who said the agency could have taken care of the 2 cents without getting the client upset.

[newmexicoNita]

Okay, I have to ask- why didn't your TA catch this? Weren't they the ones who assured you everything was fine? Rather then fussing over 2 cents I would have cancelled the soda card and obtained a refund, then purchased it onboard.

Good point and I am surprised it wasn't caught. With computers the way they are today, even being off 2 cents would keep the order from going through it seems and the TA should have gotten notice of this asap. I also think ms/mr TA should have paid the darn 2 cents and gotten on with it. What a silly thing, all the way around.

 

Nita

[time2cruise1]

What a silly waste of everyone's time. As others have said the TA should have handled this and you should have never known about it.

 

I had a balance due of $.07 after final payment last year. Somebody just keyed in the wrong amount. One phone call and the $.07 balance was erased. No additional credit card transactions.

[quercus alba]

So let's see for the recoup of 2c:

 

NCL calls the T/A - cost of phone call and wages of person making the call

 

T/A calls you - cost of phone call and wages of the T/A

 

T/A calls NCL - cost of call and wages of both

 

T/A then calls you - cost of call and wages of T/A.

 

So at 0.5 cents per interaction this has been a great business model hasn't it. :rolleyes:

 

Somewhere somebody should have really thought about this and the costs involved in getting the 2c.

 

I hope your child really enjoys their soda card and gets their 2c worth. :D

 

Oh sure--then pretty soon the word gets out and then EVERYONE will short their payments 2c...

 

It adds up after awhile, you know! ;)

[2Cruise4Ever]

We were always told to purchase the soda card once we get on board... it's charged to our on board account. Almost any bar can take care of that. That's usually one of the first things we do once we board.

 

2 cents.... gee wiz!!!

[musicorn]

Oh sure--then pretty soon the word gets out and then EVERYONE will short their payments 2c...

 

It adds up after awhile, you know! ;)

 

Hey good thinking. I might buy mine now instead of waiting until I board. Minus the 2c of course. ;) :D

[terrymtex01]

Anyone who has spent any time on these boards knows that if a passenger books through a TA, then the cruise line ONLY deals with the TA....not with the passenger.

 

 

Maybe this is just me, but if I was the OP's TA, I would have simply paid the 2 cents myself and resolved the problem immediately.

 

 

There is NO WAY I would have passed this on to my client and risked having them upset.

 

OP... I agree completely with the folks who are saying you should have never even known this was an issue. This should have been all taken care of by your TA. When you book through a TA most of the time NCL will not even speak to you on anything concerning your reservation, because in reality, you do not own the reservation, your TA does. That is the entire point of having a TA, so you do not have to be bothered with anything, let alone a two cent issue. Most people think of getting a TA these days just because the TA may offer some OBC or a basket of fruit or whatever, for booking through them, but that is just shorting yourself if you use a TA for that reason. The primary goal of a TA should be to take any and all worry of a vacation away from their client. It makes me laugh that the TA did not take care of the two cents for you the moment they were advised of it.

 

Where I feel NCL really did wrong here is they should have never sent you the email about this in the first place. They should have just contacted your TA and that be the end of it as far as they are concerned.