tacky or not?

[lucywestie]

I would look at it this way. How many passengers on that ship did they do that to? Lets say its 2000 passengers..then thats $4000 Princess just made. Sounds pretty money grabbing to me. Doesnt matter what they refunded, if people don't stand up to big business and get what is rightfully yours then they will stomp all over the next guy.

[highflyingrealtor]

I was on the crown Noro cruise that was cancelled after day 5.

 

princess put us on USAir to go home on Thursday.

 

We had originally booked Southwest so we didn't have bag fees.

 

Since they switched us to USAir we incurred a $50 baggage fee which Princess said they would pay which they did today.

 

Funny thing is the check was for $48.00 instead of $50.

 

After looking it over they deducted $2,00 for processing fee.

 

Well personally i find it tacky but wondered what others thought.

 

Bill

Hi Bill, sorry your trip got cut short. I'm guessing you didn't want to stay in San Juan till Sunday? I think you could have right? Just curious...

[JimmyVWine]

I would look at it this way. How many passengers on that ship did they do that to? Lets say its 2000 passengers..then thats $4000 Princess just made.

 

Actually, Princess didn't make a dime. The airline charged the $50 and the passenger paid it. Princess then reimburses the enitire $50, passing the financial transaction through Bottom Line Technologies. So Princess is "out" $50 for each and every transaction. Bottom Line pockets $2 per transaction and passes $48 on to the passenger. At the end of this tale, this is what the respective accounts look like:

 

Princess: Money in=$0.00 and money out=$50.00- Profit or (Loss)=($50.00)

Bottom Line: Money in=$50.00 and money out=$48.00--Profit=$2.00

Passenger: Money out=$50.00 and money in=$48.00--Profit or (Loss)=($2.00)

 

Bottom Line pockets a hefty sum of $4,000.00 (under your scenario) for doing nothing other than moving money from one place to another. Ain't capitalism grand?;)

[jpthomas27]

Tacky? Yes

Worth trying to get back? Not IMO

...but it does leave a bad taste in my mouth (I love Princess though)

 

Here is a similar situation I encountered in terms of the fact that I said nothing about it, but it didn't sit well with me and will alter my opinion of the establishment.

 

In my case it was a restaraunt I visited on vacation and had visited before while I was in this city. It's a very upscale, expensive restaruant that we splurge on once and a while. It was just my wife and I and the dinner came to over $200 so I knew what I was getting into and the bill didn't suprise me. What did suprise me was the fact that they charged me $5 for bacon and another $5 for cheese that we ordered on a baked potato. That potato was originally $12 and with the two topping it ended up being a $22 potato. I just felt uneccessarily taken advantage of. Clearly they know that if someone is in that restaraunt, they can afford it, but does that mean they should charge for it simply becaue they can? A small fee is understandable, but $5 for a few sprinkles of cheese...c'mon!

 

My point is that while I said nothing about it and gladly paid the bill becasue my aged, bone in filet was outstanding! I did walk away questioning the integrity of that restaraunt. Funny thing is my wife and I didn't really talk about it until the next day, she said she was a little bothered by it and I told her I was as well. Bottom line is that next time we are in that city, we will likely explore another restaraunt rather than return to that one. Not becase we can't afford $5, but becasue of what that $5 says about the establishment.

 

Just my 2 cents...ok, maybe it was a nickle :)

[triple7tahoe]

I have not seen anybody suggest that if the money refunded (or bill charged) was off by $2 or so in the favor of the passenger would they take the time to say "Hey, you gave me too much". Or is this a one way street/

I work in a Starbucks and sometimes customers get the wrong change. I have observed that they are much more likely to say something if they get shortchanged.:)

[swedish weave]

Tacky? Yes

Worth trying to get back? Not IMO

...but it does leave a bad taste in my mouth (I love Princess though)

 

Here is a similar situation I encountered in terms of the fact that I said nothing about it, but it didn't sit well with me and will alter my opinion of the establishment.

 

In my case it was a restaraunt I visited on vacation and had visited before while I was in this city. It's a very upscale, expensive restaruant that we splurge on once and a while. It was just my wife and I and the dinner came to over $200 so I knew what I was getting into and the bill didn't suprise me. What did suprise me was the fact that they charged me $5 for bacon and another $5 for cheese that we ordered on a baked potato. That potato was originally $12 and with the two topping it ended up being a $22 potato. I just felt uneccessarily taken advantage of. Clearly they know that if someone is in that restaraunt, they can afford it, but does that mean they should charge for it simply becaue they can? A small fee is understandable, but $5 for a few sprinkles of cheese...c'mon!

 

My point is that while I said nothing about it and gladly paid the bill becasue my aged, bone in filet was outstanding! I did walk away questioning the integrity of that restaraunt. Funny thing is my wife and I didn't really talk about it until the next day, she said she was a little bothered by it and I told her I was as well. Bottom line is that next time we are in that city, we will likely explore another restaraunt rather than return to that one. Not becase we can't afford $5, but becasue of what that $5 says about the establishment.

 

Just my 2 cents...ok, maybe it was a nickle :)

 

We share the same thought patterns. I just silently disappear from an establishment that does that. No animosity, just no desire to give them another opportunity. I may -- if the notion strikes me -- drop them a note to let them know that these things can and will affect their business.

[geocruiser]

$2.00 times how many people on board?

[I_heart_vaca]

The fee was charged by a third party, not Princess - true...but that really isn't the point. I too find it tacky to charge processing fees of any kind for a cancelled trip. Would all the people jumping on the AMOUNT of the fee still be saying let it go if it were $25 or $50? The point is charging a fee is tacky period. It doesn't mean Princess didn't do the right thing and refund cruise and travel, etc -- but it is the right thing because a vacation was cancelled. That is good customer service. If they had to farm out the processing then THEY should have paid the company the processing fees. I am sure the OP will not and was not suggesting going after the $2 but simply stating it was a tacky practice.

[Bippie]

I vote tacky (on Princess' part) but not tacky for posting the question. I wouldn't pursue the $2 by itself. Maybe Princess doesn't even know that the service provider is taking $2 out of the reimbursement checks....

[Reader0108598]

If an incorrect $3 charge was on my account you can bet I'd ask for it to be removed. It's a matter of principle and not the $3. Besides, why should they benefit because they made a mistake especially when I'm on the ship & it's an easy thing to correct?

 

 

To the OP yes that was tacky. I don't care if it was a third party they are representing Princess.!!

 

Happycruiser

 

I am so there with you, I don't care if it is a buck it is the principle!:D

 

Reader

[Reader0108598]

Tacky? Yes

Worth trying to get back? Not IMO

...but it does leave a bad taste in my mouth (I love Princess though)

 

Here is a similar situation I encountered in terms of the fact that I said nothing about it, but it didn't sit well with me and will alter my opinion of the establishment.

 

In my case it was a restaraunt I visited on vacation and had visited before while I was in this city. It's a very upscale, expensive restaruant that we splurge on once and a while. It was just my wife and I and the dinner came to over $200 so I knew what I was getting into and the bill didn't suprise me. What did suprise me was the fact that they charged me $5 for bacon and another $5 for cheese that we ordered on a baked potato. That potato was originally $12 and with the two topping it ended up being a $22 potato. I just felt uneccessarily taken advantage of. Clearly they know that if someone is in that restaraunt, they can afford it, but does that mean they should charge for it simply becaue they can? A small fee is understandable, but $5 for a few sprinkles of cheese...c'mon!

 

My point is that while I said nothing about it and gladly paid the bill becasue my aged, bone in filet was outstanding! I did walk away questioning the integrity of that restaraunt. Funny thing is my wife and I didn't really talk about it until the next day, she said she was a little bothered by it and I told her I was as well. Bottom line is that next time we are in that city, we will likely explore another restaraunt rather than return to that one. Not becase we can't afford $5, but becasue of what that $5 says about the establishment.

 

Just my 2 cents...ok, maybe it was a nickle :)

 

 

 

Did that twenty two dollar potato have gold flakes on it ?:D

[M2D]

Yep, tacky no doubt about it. Whats worse though is the root problem, the people who spread the noro on that cruise to begin with.

[77Network]

There's more than one way to skin a cat (apologies to all you cat lovers, it is just an expression).

 

Please name 2 or more cat skinning methods.

[jeromep]

I have to agree with the OP about having $2 deducted for processing fee. I'm not sure I'd classify it as tacky, but I'd classify it as a cost that Princess should have absorbed for using a thrid party for their luggage reimbursements. It isn't like you were given the option to accept some other form of payment (direct deposit, etc.) to avoid the fee and receive the full value of the reimbursement.

 

Princess may have been money ahead to have just paid for the luggage fees directly to USAir rather than letting USAir charge the passengers and then have to do this backhauling to reimburse affected passengers. Why companies don't handle things like this on their end I will never understand. It would have been easier for USAir to bill princess for however many bags were checked by affected passengers than it is to have reimbursed passengers.

 

The only place for a gray area judgement is that Princess doesn't normally cancel a cruise when it is halfway complete and then have the responsibility transport passengers back to their origination point. My guess is that Princess's home office staff was making up the arangements for the affected passengers on the fly. It is pretty to see how baggage expenses would be overlooked. Then again, why USAir didn't step in and address this with Princess is also a good question.

 

We have more questions than answers with this issue.

[piper28]

As someone that's been on a cruise canceled partway through, while it's only $2, I'd almost certainly be complaining to princess about it. I'd find it completely and totally unacceptable for them to do this. And I have to admit, I'm somewhat astounded at the number of people here who seem to think it's wrong to have a problem with this. Yeah, it'd take more time than it's really worth to get dealt with, but I'd still do it.

 

(That said, I have to admit I'm pretty surprised at it. There was none of that nonsense back when we had went through the Crown list situation. I was actually pretty surprised at the time at just how smoothly the process went for getting expenses and even damaged property reimbursed from that.)

[lovevacadays]

I think there are many more things that qualify as tacky. This may be a bit irritating to you but not tacky

[1 HappyCruiser]

I wonder if they do it on purpose knowing that most people wouldn't even think about complaining about the $2. :rolleyes:

[JimmyVWine]

I wonder if they do it on purpose knowing that most people wouldn't even think about complaining about the $2. :rolleyes:

 

If "they" is Princess, then I don't see why they would. "They" didn't pocket the $2 so they had nothing to gain by crossing their fingers and hoping that no one would complain.

 

What would be tackier...doing nothing, or giving everyone a $2 FCC? But at this point, I can't see Princess mailing out $2.00 checks. Not at the current price of stamps!

[suzyed]

i was on the crown noro cruise that was cancelled after day 5.

 

Princess put us on usair to go home on thursday.

 

We had originally booked southwest so we didn't have bag fees.

 

Since they switched us to usair we incurred a $50 baggage fee which princess said they would pay which they did today.

 

Funny thing is the check was for $48.00 instead of $50.

 

After looking it over they deducted $2,00 for processing fee.

 

Well personally i find it tacky but wondered what others thought.

 

Bill

 

very tacky!!!!

[suzyed]

It's not so much the $2, it's the principle. If Princess wants to make good on a bad situation, than do so. Don't cheapen it by keeping the lousy $2. It IS just tacky. :p

[JimmyVWine]

It's not so much the $2, it's the principle. If Princess wants to make good on a bad situation, than do so. Don't cheapen it by keeping the lousy $2. It IS just tacky. :p

 

Sigh...Princess didn't keep the $2. It paid the entire $50 baggage fee to the claims processing company. If one wants to argue that Princess should have paid the claims processing agent $52 so that the passenger received their entire $50 reimbursement, then fine. Frankly, that is probably the right solution. But don't be fooled into thinking that Princess "kept" any part of this fee and in so doing, profitted in any way.

[pablo222]

Sigh...Princess didn't keep the $2. It paid the entire $50 baggage fee to the claims processing company. If one wants to argue that Princess should have paid the claims processing agent $52 so that the passenger received their entire $50 reimbursement, then fine. Frankly, that is probably the right solution. But don't be fooled into thinking that Princess "kept" any part of this fee and in so doing, profitted in any way.

 

Princess 'profited' by having the work done.

[JimmyVWine]

Princess 'profited' by having the work done.

 

That does not follow at all. By paying $50 instead of $52 to the processing agent, Princess did not incur as much cost as it otherwise would have. But to suggest that it profited somehow is just wrong. Not losing money is not the same as making money.

[Lookingforfacts]

Of course it's tacky. It's not $2. It's $2 times the number of passengers they did this to. Princess decided to outsource the refund processing. Princess should be paying the charges.

 

That said the OP originally booked Southwest. He has a full credit with Southwest which can be used for a future flight. OK $50 to extend if he can't book before the funds expire.

 

The OP got the better end of this deal.

[DGNY]

That does not follow at all. By paying $50 instead of $52 to the processing agent, Princess did not incur as much cost as it otherwise would have. But to suggest that it profited somehow is just wrong. Not losing money is not the same as making money.

 

You are arguing semantics. By not paying the fee, they are keeping $2 per customer they otherwise would have needed to pay out. So, by reducing their costs, they are helping their bottom line (profits).