Excursion Price Deception

[Bo1953]

I looked back at the many emails I got for this promotion and they all, say up to 20% of in the subject line, and up to 20% off in a large banner when the email is opened and also 20% off on "select" excursions in the body of the message. These emails do not just entail excursions but other packages as well. Hardly deceptive in any way if you read them.

 

Thanks Ma... very good point to be sure.

 

I, too, can confirm your comments. Thought it was me in the reading comprehension department on this topic....

 

bon voyage

[poffles]

You do understand that there's a world of difference between saying "20% off" and "up to 20% off"?

 

 

 

Your point??? Is it that 0 % is implied??

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Fouremco]

Your point??? Is it that 0 % is implied??

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Now you've got it! :)

[Kingofcool1947]

You do understand that there's a world of difference between saying "20% off" and "up to 20% off"?

 

So? What’s your point?

Edited December 29, 2017 by Kingofcool1947

[DYKWIA]

COincidentally, i received an email this morning from a favorite retailer announcing a sale up to 30% off. I went to the website and for ths items I wanted they were out of my size, so there was nothing on sale for me. I don’t feel deceived, just unlucky. Perhaps I should be contacting the Attorney General? ;)

 

....

 

I agree with the point you make, in principal. But how would you feel if you received that same email went shopping to find that despite the advert in the whole store there was only 3 or 4 items on sale and that was some crappy old t-shirts in XXXXL size. At some point you realise the word "sale" is misleading.

 

There's a famous UK retailer that used to have good genuine sales 2 or 3 times a year - then they started this nonsense - virtually every week there'd be some sale of one kind or another - a big sign in the window Up to 50% off selected items - with the emphasis heavily on 50% off. You'd go into the big store to find hidden away one or two small racks of rubbish that no one wants - the vast majority with a miserly 10% off - one or two XXXXS / XXXXXL items with 50% off. Now I rarely bother even going in that shop because it's just wasted time.

[drew69]

Celebrity sent me an email telling me that I had only a few hours to take advantage of a sale on excursions. The link took me to excursions for my cruise. There was nothing on the Celebrity website indicating that the prices listed for each excursion on my cruise were anything other than sale prices. There was certainly nothing on the Celebrity website indicating that none of the excursions for my cruise was on sale. Sending a customer an advertisement for a sale when nothing that customer can buy is on sale, and when it is very difficult for that customer to determine that nothing for him/her is on sale (download a brochure) is deceptive. I can understand Celebrity making up excuses (e.g., unsophisticated database) to explain away a practice that could result in customers being duped into thinking they are saving money when they are not. But one has to wonder why a customer would look for such excuses. As I said earlier, consumers who accept and offer excuses for bad business practices welcome those practices onto themselves and every other consumer.

 

It is not offering excuses, it is explaining the facts. Some of us learned a useful thing called reading. amazing how many of these the cruise lines are deceptive or crooked are actually a lack of reading on the part of the person posting who is looking to blame someone else for their failure.

[DYKWIA]

... Some of us learned a useful thing called reading. .....

 

:mad:

 

That's a pretty crass thing to say, where's the evidence that the OP can't read?

 

Did you learn an even more useful thing called Comprehension?

 

Reading has little or nothing to do with it, it's comprehending what is written that is being discussed.

[TeaBag]

I agree with others that the OP should not have gotten the email in the first place since it was not relevant for their cruise. But we all know how inept Celebrity's web site is and it would just be asking too much for them to target their sale emails.

 

Join your roll call, OP and sign up for a private excursion. You'll save more than 20% (and that's leaving out the "up to") and maybe up to 50% and have a better excursion too.

[bEwAbG]

What we don't know is whether or not there were excursions that were priced at some % off for the OP's sailing. Just because there are no discounts available at the time I look doesn't mean that there weren't some that have already been sold out. These sales are done to fill slots on specific excursions and not because Celebrity is feeling generous one day. Doesn't really take reading skills or comprehension to understand that.

[Bo1953]

I agree with the point you make, in principal. But how would you feel if you received that same email went shopping to find that despite the advert in the whole store there was only 3 or 4 items on sale and that was some crappy old t-shirts in XXXXL size. At some point you realise the word "sale" is misleading.

 

There's a famous UK retailer that used to have good genuine sales 2 or 3 times a year - then they started this nonsense - virtually every week there'd be some sale of one kind or another - a big sign in the window Up to 50% off selected items - with the emphasis heavily on 50% off. You'd go into the big store to find hidden away one or two small racks of rubbish that no one wants - the vast majority with a miserly 10% off - one or two XXXXS / XXXXXL items with 50% off. Now I rarely bother even going in that shop because it's just wasted time.

 

Then you learn to ignore the signs and keep on forward to your favourite store... or I trust one would learn to do so.

 

If not, then yet, you have deceived yourself in thinking that there was really a sale going on inside which is of value.

 

Yet, it is of value to some, but not to ALL.

 

bon voyage

[sanger727]

I agree with the point you make, in principal. But how would you feel if you received that same email went shopping to find that despite the advert in the whole store there was only 3 or 4 items on sale and that was some crappy old t-shirts in XXXXL size. At some point you realise the word "sale" is misleading.

 

 

 

There's a famous UK retailer that used to have good genuine sales 2 or 3 times a year - then they started this nonsense - virtually every week there'd be some sale of one kind or another - a big sign in the window Up to 50% off selected items - with the emphasis heavily on 50% off. You'd go into the big store to find hidden away one or two small racks of rubbish that no one wants - the vast majority with a miserly 10% off - one or two XXXXS / XXXXXL items with 50% off. Now I rarely bother even going in that shop because it's just wasted time.

 

 

 

Right, except, at least in the US, this happens all the time. Up to ——% off, tells me that 1 item I don’t want will be that percentage off.

 

We had a HHGregg go out of business recently. They posted the ‘everything must go’ signs and ‘up to 80% off’. There were a few odd sized appliances that were 80% off. But most of the store was 10%-20% off; which isn’t much different than a normal day. (Every item can be 20% off if the items are priced at 20% above what they think they can sell for). Think US customers are so burnt out on false advertising that it doesn’t phase us anymore. But yes. I routinely discard sales ads without reading them because of this.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Zoedokey]

You folks are much more tolerant than I am to deception. If I received a link to a clothing store advertising a sale, and clicked to find out that not one thing was on sale, I would be annoyed.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[DYKWIA]

Right, except, at least in the US, this happens all the time. Up to ——% off, tells me that 1 item I don’t want will be that percentage off.

 

We had a HHGregg go out of business recently. They posted the ‘everything must go’ signs and ‘up to 80% off’. There were a few odd sized appliances that were 80% off. But most of the store was 10%-20% off; which isn’t much different than a normal day. (Every item can be 20% off if the items are priced at 20% above what they think they can sell for). Think US customers are so burnt out on false advertising that it doesn’t phase us anymore. But yes. I routinely discard sales ads without reading them because of this.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

This form of misleading advertising is becoming more noticeable in the UK now. For years our Trading Standards departments were on top of it and would enforce, but in the last few years their funding has been slashed massively and there is no longer the resource there - result companies pull stunts like this. Proof that self regulation doesn't work where money is involved. I suspect in a couple of years there will be little or no regulation of this sort in a couple of years time.

[Mynki]

This form of misleading advertising is becoming more noticeable in the UK now. For years our Trading Standards departments were on top of it and would enforce, but in the last few years their funding has been slashed massively and there is no longer the resource there - result companies pull stunts like this. Proof that self regulation doesn't work where money is involved. I suspect in a couple of years there will be little or no regulation of this sort in a couple of years time.

 

I saw a TV advert for 'holy water' on US TV the other week. Actors were claiming that all kinds of great stuff had happened to them shortly after purchasing bottles of the stuff.

 

At least our ASA would never let that happen here!

[C-Dragons]

Right, except, at least in the US, this happens all the time. Up to ——% off, tells me that 1 item I don’t want will be that percentage off.

 

We had a HHGregg go out of business recently. They posted the ‘everything must go’ signs and ‘up to 80% off’. There were a few odd sized appliances that were 80% off. But most of the store was 10%-20% off; which isn’t much different than a normal day. (Every item can be 20% off if the items are priced at 20% above what they think they can sell for). Think US customers are so burnt out on false advertising that it doesn’t phase us anymore. But yes. I routinely discard sales ads without reading them because of this.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Just wanted to point something out... 😊

What you described is not false advertising. You said the store posted signs saying “everything must go”, and “up to 80% off”. These are two different statements. Legally, they did offer some items that were 80% off, and since they were going out of business, everything did have to go, but they never stipulated that everything was on sale. Businesses do this all the time to entice customers to “take a look”. Some lucky people will find a bargain (one man's trash is another man's treasure). Others find something to buy that they weren’t even looking for. 😉

I also wanted to point out that there are many, many X customers that have multiple cruises booked at any given time. Perhaps those who only have one cruise booked might not find an excursion “on sale”, but others might among their multiple bookings. X is increasing their chances of making a sale through their mass marketing emails, by getting their customers “to take a look”.

Curiously, I did not receive this email from X (happens all the time) and I have 4 cruises booked.

[sanger727]

Just wanted to point something out... [emoji4]

 

What you described is not false advertising. You said the store posted signs saying “everything must go”, and “up to 80% off”. These are two different statements. Legally, they did offer some items that were 80% off, and since they were going out of business, everything did have to go, but they never stipulated that everything was on sale. Businesses do this all the time to entice customers to “take a look”. Some lucky people will find a bargain (one man's trash is another man's treasure). Others find something to buy that they weren’t even looking for. [emoji6]

 

 

I also wanted to point out that there are many, many X customers that have multiple cruises booked at any given time. Perhaps those who only have one cruise booked might not find an excursion “on sale”, but others might among their multiple bookings. X is increasing their chances of making a sale through their mass marketing emails, by getting their customers “to take a look”.

 

Curiously, I did not receive this email from X (happens all the time) and I have 4 cruises booked.

 

 

 

I was more highlighting the fact that up to ——% off is widely used and very often you won’t find anything practical or useful at that high percentage off. Agree false is the wrong word, but certainly can’t expect that you’ll find any deals in a sale like that.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[C-Dragons]

I was more highlighting the fact that up to ——% off is widely used and very often you won’t find anything practical or useful at that high percentage off. Agree false is the wrong word, but certainly can’t expect that you’ll find any deals in a sale like that.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I guess we’ll have to disagree on that. Maybe we’ve just been fortunate. 😊

[fshagan]

I was more highlighting the fact that up to ——% off is widely used and very often you won’t find anything practical or useful at that high percentage off. Agree false is the wrong word, but certainly can’t expect that you’ll find any deals in a sale like that.

 

What's more irritating is that some stores that do that also raise prices back to the "manufacturer suggested retail price" or "list price" before applying the discount, and the merchandise selling at 40% off is more than the price they were charging before the sale. The regulations the FTC has in place against that are not strong, and rarely enforced due to the fact that a corporation that goes out of business no longer exists (although in very strong cases of fraud the "corporate veil" is pierced and the former owners of the corporation are liable).

[SetU2]

Right, except, at least in the US, this happens all the time. Up to ——% off, tells me that 1 item I don’t want will be that percentage off.

 

We had a HHGregg go out of business recently. They posted the ‘everything must go’ signs and ‘up to 80% off’. There were a few odd sized appliances that were 80% off. But most of the store was 10%-20% off; which isn’t much different than a normal day. (Every item can be 20% off if the items are priced at 20% above what they think they can sell for). Think US customers are so burnt out on false advertising that it doesn’t phase us anymore. But yes. I routinely discard sales ads without reading them because of this.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

 

Not to mention the many retailers that advertise a specific product at a deep discount but the fine print tells you there are only two at this price. Very common, particularly on Black Friday.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[FunCruiser56]

We got hooked on this also, I had at least 5 emails from Celebrity telling me not to miss out on the 20% discount. Now dispite site problems in the past we were able to get right on and did book the tours we wanted, honestly we would have booked the tours anyway. But it would have been nice to get the discount ;)

 

Bev

 

Sent from my SM-T900 using Tapatalk

[TFLG]

It's hard to believe that anyone over 30 that doesn't live in a snow cave near the polar cap can't grasp what "up to 20% off" means. Every retail store in the US has this type of sale. It's not deceptive and it's certainly not a new thing. All you have to do is read the title and it's pretty easy to figure it out. I got the email too and I checked. Sure enough there were a few excursions for out upcoming Barrier reef cruise discounted. None I wanted of course, but that's the point, It made me look and maybe some people will actually book those slow selling excursions.

[sr4mjc]

I got the same email and checked my excursion prices. I already had a downloaded copy of the brochure to compare it to. I didn't see anything 20%, most everything was 5%. There were several excursions with the orange banner saying the price reflected the sale price, but they were the same price as the downloaded brochure. Now that I would say is deceptive. I did book most of my excursion onboard a previous cruise and got 10% off, which was pretty good. If they happen to drop lower, I'll cancel and rebook.