Shouldn't companies have to honor their advertised prices???

[GUT2407]

No. I went to the Princess website, and the pricing was there. I, and others, booked,paid deposits, and got confirmations at this price.

 

I often find good deals on cruises, my upcoming October trip is $229pp w/ free unlimited beverage package(normally $70 per day), so this deal was not as unbelievable as some have commented.

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

Except your October cruise is 4 days, so $75 a day. Big difference to $13 a day.

[icat2000]

Except your October cruise is 4 days, so $75 a day. Big difference to $13 a day.

 

Would have been bargain of the decade. :D

[aprilsp88]

May I ask how do I get such price drop email from cruisecritic? Never received one.

 

Thanks!

[Ron the Rev]

When running my business in the UK I had my invoices printed with E & OE (E&EO stands for errors and omissions excepted. The phrase is used in an attempt to reduce legal liability for incorrect invoicing.) But then Princess T&Cs, rest assured cover everything to their favour. Smile, some you win some you lose.:) Happy cruising.

[biker1972]

There is a lot of legal information that is available at the bottom of the Princess site. While it is not always fun to read some of this information, it does cover a lot of things including what YOU agree to when you use the Princess web site. Didn't know that you agreed to these things? Sort of a "got you" as soon as you open the page. Here is some of what they say:

 

 

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES

YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT:

THE SITE, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ALL CONTENT, FUNCTION, MATERIALS AND SERVICES IS PROVIDED "AS IS," WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTY FOR INFORMATION, DATA, DATA PROCESSING SERVICES OR UNINTERRUPTED ACCESS, ANY WARRANTIES CONCERNING THE AVAILABILITY, ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, USEFULNESS, OR CONTENT OF INFORMATION, AND ANY WARRANTIES OF TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. PRINCESS DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SITE OR THE FUNCTION, CONTENT OR SERVICES MADE AVAILABLE THEREBY WILL BE TIMELY, SECURE, UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR FREE, OR THAT DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED. PRINCESS MAKES NO WARRANTY THAT THE SITE WILL MEET USERS' EXPECTATIONS OR REQUIREMENTS. NO ADVICE, RESULTS OR INFORMATION, OR MATERIALS WHETHER ORAL OR WRITTEN, OBTAINED BY YOU THROUGH THE SITE SHALL CREATE ANY WARRANTY NOT EXPRESSLY MADE HEREIN. IF YOU ARE DISSATISFIED WITH THE SITE, YOUR SOLE REMEDY IS TO DISCONTINUE USING THE SITE.

 

Notice the line about no warranty that things here are error free which now gives Princess an out and they finally say if you don't like it, go play elsewhere. the internet is full of inaccuracies and companies pay lawyers big bucks to cover these companies from loss. If they do give you a break it is from the goodness of their hearts and not because they were in the wrong and got caught.

[Tara Jane]

Late last year, I think it was Sept or October there was a cruise from Honolulu to Sydney for $231. The cruise was something like 17 - 18 days and it was only about 3 days prior to departure. This would have given me 24 hours to organize a flight and get myself packed and off, which I could have done. Flights were about $1200 one way but had commitments I couldnt cancel. I would never have assumed it was incorrect pricing, just trying to fill the empty cabins at the very last available moment.

[Flamencacha]

Late last year, I think it was Sept or October there was a cruise from Honolulu to Sydney for $231. The cruise was something like 17 - 18 days and it was only about 3 days prior to departure. This would have given me 24 hours to organize a flight and get myself packed and off, which I could have done. Flights were about $1200 one way but had commitments I couldnt cancel. I would never have assumed it was incorrect pricing, just trying to fill the empty cabins at the very last available moment.

 

 

 

Last minute pricing is one thing but a cruise 7 months out is another.

I wouldn't expect any cruise line to honor an incorrect price. Imagine how many people jumped on that one. Heck I would have too.

 

After reading all these forums about pricing and cancellations etc. I have decided to start booking in the last 40 days. So thanks for the info.

 

 

 

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[RDC1]

If I saw a deal that I thought was too good to be true, I would book it online, but then follow up with a call to customer service for confirmation before booking airfare or anything else. That at least puts a human into the loop and provides some validation. It might not totally prevent an error from creeping in, because the customer service folks also reference a computer system, that might have the same error. But at least they know who to confirm the price with and it gives you more of an case for discussing damages.

[CrowCaw]

I see things like this and wonder if it is a mistake...

 

A 14 day Ireland and Scotland trip out of Dover.

 

 

Whoops....

 

http://www.princess.com/find/cruiseDetails.do?voyageCode=K614

 

Interior $4600CDN

OCeanview - $2200

Balcony $2900

Edited June 2, 2016 by CrowCaw
No Imgur allowed

[TwoCruisers]

If I had seen this cruise offered for the price you stated, I would have immediately known that it was a typo mistake. As you said the actual price had an extra “0” on the end making the price go from $136 to $1,360. It’s too bad that this happened, but sometimes people do make mistakes. I don’t understand why you are so demanding that they honor the incorrect price. It was clearly a mistake and I think you knew it was when you booked.

[Pierlesscruisers]

I did get a deal about 8 years ago on NCL that was probably a dropped digit price too...$149pp for an 18 day sailing from Santiago to Boston, six months before sailing. I knew of others who also had that pricing, but NCL honored the booking price. I have a 13 day Transatlantic booked on Royal Caribbean this fall, booked last October at $399, so the pricing on this cruise was not an obvious error. I've sailed Princess before for $1200pp for 29 days in the South Pacific.

 

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There is a huge difference between a price of $1200 for 29 days ($40/night) and $136 for 10 days ($13/night) and to not suspect that there was a posting error made is a gigantic leap. The simple fact that the cost of the tax ($115) was about 85% :eek: of the cost of the cruise itself ($136) should have been a dead giveaway that there was an error in the printing.

 

While I certainly don't blame you for putting in for that cruise and hoping to get it, it seems silly to me to then complain when a correction is made. Could they have been very generous and gone ahead and offered it to you at the listed price? Yes. Is it false advertising and should you make a big deal out of it? No, not with any reasonable expectation of coming out ahead in any way I wouldn't think.

 

One person's opinion.

 

Tom

Edited June 2, 2016 by Pierlesscruisers

[Alaskan Joe]

I'm not happy with Princess! :mad:

 

They refuse to honor the original price, and are only offering a choice of a free upgrade to Balcony, or $200 shipboard credit, at 5 1/2 times the original price. This is crazy.

 

OK here is what I say. If you get a crazy deal like this again I would book it if you can (wait on air fare). Then if they change the price (which you should expect) then you can call voice your opinion to them you are not happy, and maybe just maybe you will get a free upgrade or $200 OBC:). From there you can then decide if it is still worth your $$. Like the old saying "if it sound to good to be true then it probably is".

[Coveguy4]

I think the daily price of 136.00 was mistakenly put as the 10 day cruise price. I sure hope since you will no longer book and sail with Princess you cancel your upcoming 4 day with the AIBP to "show them". I would have known it was a misprint

[Pierlesscruisers]

Useless message.

Edited June 2, 2016 by Pierlesscruisers

[Pierlesscruisers]

Except your October cruise is 4 days, so $75 a day. Big difference to $13 a day.

 

$229/4 days = $57 not $75. Of course $57 is still a lot more than $13. :p

 

Tom

[RJAM3]

I Was in retail advertising for nearly fifty years. Here is the deal. There is no state that requires honoring a price that was a mistake. You would have a hard time convincing anyone that it was anything but human error. My question to you, and many consumers through the years, would you want to be held to every mistake you have made. A typo does not qualify as bait and switch. Even retailers are human enough to make errors then correcting them. If you were given the wrong change would you keep it?

[GUT2407]

$229/4 days = $57 not $75. Of course $57 is still a lot more than $13. :p

 

Tom

 

Sorry transposition of numbers, but still a massive difference, and I bet you thought $57 a day was a great bargain.

[jasbo49]

A typo does not qualify as bait and switch.

 

This seems to me to sum it up.

 

Jim

[keithm]

I'm not happy with Princess! :mad:

On Saturday morning I found a great deal for next January on the Diamond Princess. Sailing the 17th from Singapore, 10 nights, $136pp +$115pp tx + $39pp insurance = $580 total for 2 people. I booked this on their website. I have my original Travel Summary sent from Princess on Saturday showing the $136pp pricing. Monday night they sent a duplicate booking confirmation that asks me to confirm that all of my details are correct, and it showed a $1360pp pricing. Travel insurance went up too, so the cabin for two went from $580 to $3167.60.

I called Princess Tuesday morning at 9 am. After asking politely why I received a second booking confirmation at an increased price, the agent informed me that there was a notation on the account that there had been a price adjustment. I told her that was not the price that I agreed to and that was on their site at booking. After being on hold for about 5 minutes, she came back and said that someone from upper management would contact me later that day, but no call came.

I called back about the price again at 9 am this morning(Wednesday). After explaining my reason for calling, I was put on hold for 15 minutes. When he returned, he explained that it was only 6 am in California where the upper management work, so they weren't in the office yet, and would call me later today. At about 5 pm, I received the call. They refuse to honor the original price, and are only offering a choice of a free upgrade to Balcony, or $200 shipboard credit, at 5 1/2 times the original price. This is crazy.

It's pretty obvious you KNEW that the price was wrong! I mean, really! We have companies make errors like this. They post a correction. They are NOT obligated to honor an obvious mistake. You can either accept that or prepare to pay a lot of $ to an attorney to fight it. Ask him/her if they'll guarantee it in writing that you'll win the case. Trust me they won't!

[mum and son]

 

If anything you're in the wrong for trying to take advantage of a simple mistake by a princess employee who mistyped the price in their system.

 

You should really be embarrassed by your actions of trying to hold Princess to an obvious mistake in price, but you refuse to take any responsibility and place it all on Princess and then act like you're the victim of them tricking you.

 

Sorry - this is completely out of order. The OP was not in the wrong for booking a deal, nor should she be embarrassed for her "actions". What "actions" has she taken?? I've snagged plenty of good deals in my life by acting fast, and I've missed out on many more for deliberating too long. 99% of the time the offers are legitimate deals to sell a slow-moving product. I, for one, will not stop looking for and grabbing bargains because there is a chance it may not be correct.

 

I just took a look at an Interline website (for travel industry staff, which I am not) and right now they can book cruises for 7 nights or more for $149. Cruise lines sell those deals all the time.

 

I'd hate to live in a world where people were shamed for grabbing bargains because they thought what they were buying was too cheap! Filling a cabin cheaply on a cruise costs little - the cruise line does it planning on more $$$ spent onboard and staff tips etc. The cruise in question is generally not an easy one to sell and I would expect to see it sail with a lot of travel industry staff onboard paying next to nothing anyway.

 

It costs the cruise line very little - the staff are already there, and so is the food. At the end of the day the chances are that they will be selling the final cabins for a similar price anyway, so why not honour a deal that was THEIR mistake? It's of little consequence to them in the grand scheme of things.

 

Yes, it was a mistake, but Princess should surely have checks and balances in place to approve prices before they are sent live. Somebody didn't do their job here, and it's not the operator who made a simple error, it's the cruise line for not having a system in place to pick up the error before it was able to be purchased. We all know that Princess has many, many IT/customer service problems and this is just another example... don't blame the OP for that.

[Aussieflyer]

Couldn't agree more mum and son. It's not the OP's fault they booked. It was a fare advertised on the Princess site - a mistake by all accounts but Princess was sloppy in not checking before it went live. I would be very annoyed if any company came back after I had booked and deposited and said, 'Sorry, that was a mistake [our mistake, note]. You need to pay XXX' They didn't even do this - just sent a new invoice. I'd be doubly annoyed.

[mum and son]

I would be very annoyed if any company came back after I had booked and deposited and said, 'Sorry, that was a mistake [our mistake, note]. You need to pay XXX' They didn't even do this - just sent a new invoice. I'd be doubly annoyed.

 

Absolutely! At the very least they should have contacted those affected directly and explained their mistake, not just sent a new invoice! The OP phoned them more than once before they even bothered to return the call. I would think that a returned call within 48 hours is not too hard to do when you've made the error!!!

[RDC1]

Absolutely! At the very least they should have contacted those affected directly and explained their mistake, not just sent a new invoice! The OP phoned them more than once before they even bothered to return the call. I would think that a returned call within 48 hours is not too hard to do when you've made the error!!!

 

I suspect that the reason the invoice was sent and not some other form of communication is due to the holiday. Note that she received the new invoice on Monday, Memorial Day, when most employees at corporate are off. I am rather surprised that someone was even there to catch the error. I would guess that the error was caught by an audit function and the correction automatically kicked off the new invoice.

 

Also note that the call back delay was for someone in upper management, after she had already talked with customer service. So considering that Monday was a holiday and she talked with customer service on Tuesday and considering the west coast time zone she got a response 1 day after she called on Wednesday. Really not bad. Her second call was on Wednesday well before the corporate offices would have even been opened.

Edited June 3, 2016 by RDC1

[mum and son]

I suspect that the reason the invoice was sent and not some other form of communication is due to the holiday. Note that she received the new invoice on Monday, Memorial Day, when most employees at corporate are off. I am rather surprised that someone was even there to catch the error. I would guess that the error was caught by an audit function and the correction automatically kicked off the new invoice.

 

Also note that the call back delay was for someone in upper management, after she had already talked with customer service. So considering that Monday was a holiday and she talked with customer service on Tuesday and considering the west coast time zone she got a response 1 day after she called on Wednesday. Really not bad. Her second call was on Wednesday well before the corporate offices would have even been opened.

 

I guess I think a call at 9am on Tuesday to discuss a Princess error warrants a returned call before 5pm on Wednesday - but, honestly, that just adds insult to injury. I see this as poor corporate processes followed by poor customer service, regardless of the outcome.

 

My main issue here was with some of the name calling on this post directed at the OP - basically saying she was trying to steal from Princess! I'm more than happy when people post a balanced response (like you have), whether they agree or not, but there's no excuse for being aggressive or rude. :cool::p:rolleyes::D:confused::)

[RJAM3]

It is not that she booked it ... it is in fact not right to try and make a big enough stink so a mistake will be honored. We have all made mistakes. Im sure that someone with the cruise line is now in hot water. Proof reading is not as simple as it is being made out to be.