Unaccompanied Baggage - Beware

[makemwilts]

My wife and I are booked to cruise back to UK from Sydney following a stay in New Zealand and Australia. Not wishing to haul an Evening Suit, Tuxedo and numerous formal gowns around

New Zealand and Australia as well as the associated costs of Excess Baggage I checked the P&O website and found that I could deliver a suitcase to Southampton as unaccompanied baggage before the ship started her voyage. A booking had to be made along with a fee of £35. I telephoned Customer Services to make the booking and pay the fee only to be informed that this was no longer an option and that I had to go through a baggage handling company as this was the only way P&O would accept unaccompanied luggage but no £35 would be charged. I explained that this was contrary to current advice on the P&O website but was assured that the advice given was correct. I therefore booked collection of the suitcase with the baggage company and paid their fee. The baggage company then phoned asking if I had made a booking and paid the P&O fee. A further lengthy call to Customer Services ascertained that I had indeed been given false information. I asked them to waive their fee but this was not forthcoming. I have now been saddled with paying a non-refundable collection fee. I regularly visit Southampton to visit a friend so could easily have dropped of the case myself. So beware of advice received from Customer Services as it could cost you money.

[dasim]

We used the baggage handling company last year when we did a segment of the world cruise . We boarded in Sydney and our two suitcases that had been collected from our home before the Christmas Were in our cabin when we boarded the aurora in Sydney at the beginning of March. We paid the company for collection and delivery back to our home and paid p&o for storage of the luggage before we boarded and after leaving the ship in San Francisco. It was an excellent service and would certainly use it again

[FangedRose]

My wife and I are booked to cruise back to UK from Sydney following a stay in New Zealand and Australia. Not wishing to haul an Evening Suit, Tuxedo and numerous formal gowns around

 

New Zealand and Australia as well as the associated costs of Excess Baggage I checked the P&O website and found that I could deliver a suitcase to Southampton as unaccompanied baggage before the ship started her voyage. A booking had to be made along with a fee of £35. I telephoned Customer Services to make the booking and pay the fee only to be informed that this was no longer an option and that I had to go through a baggage handling company as this was the only way P&O would accept unaccompanied luggage but no £35 would be charged. I explained that this was contrary to current advice on the P&O website but was assured that the advice given was correct. I therefore booked collection of the suitcase with the baggage company and paid their fee. The baggage company then phoned asking if I had made a booking and paid the P&O fee. A further lengthy call to Customer Services ascertained that I had indeed been given false information. I asked them to waive their fee but this was not forthcoming. I have now been saddled with paying a non-refundable collection fee. I regularly visit Southampton to visit a friend so could easily have dropped of the case myself. So beware of advice received from Customer Services as it could cost you money.

If you trawl through these boards you will find many similar examples where customer services give wrong or conflicting information.