P&O admit switching the promised 10% 2020 discount to 5% - but won't honour the offer

[sweep2907]

I had the standard email received message when I sent it and within 45 minutes someone emailed me with an actual reference no and said it will be looked into. My email was quite detailed with copies of what was on internet before they went on sale and what it was changed too. I worked out price quoted to begin and what 10% would be etc. Will keep you updated.

[jeanlyon]

I have checked mine again and I definitely received 10% from the price I saw on 3rd September, so am quite happy.  My cruise price has shot up since I booked, quite amazingly.

[bungle66]

I sent an email (very vague in my case because to be truthful I wasn't entirely sure if and by how much the prices had changed in the few days from release of my cruise to the date it was confirmed) voicing my dissatisfaction regarding the 10% discount to both Customer Services and Christopher Edgington. Immediate phone call from Mr Edgington's team with standard apology, a vague explanation (admitting they were wrong basically because I didn't even put any figures in my email and they never pushed me or questioned me about WHY I thought there was a discrepancy) and an offer of £50 p/p obc which I accepted. I received an email several days later from Customer Services basically fobbing me off and advising me that I had received the full 10% discount and that P&O had now changed the slightly confusing wording. No offer of any compensation from that team or recognition that I had already received a reply from the company. My suggestion is even if you are not sure you didn't receive the correct discount to just contact Mr Edgington's office. They KNOW they are in the wrong and will at the very least give you £50 each.

[bee-ess]

9 hours ago, bungle66 said:

I sent an email (very vague in my case because to be truthful I wasn't entirely sure if and by how much the prices had changed in the few days from release of my cruise to the date it was confirmed) voicing my dissatisfaction regarding the 10% discount to both Customer Services and Christopher Edgington. Immediate phone call from Mr Edgington's team with standard apology, a vague explanation (admitting they were wrong basically because I didn't even put any figures in my email and they never pushed me or questioned me about WHY I thought there was a discrepancy) and an offer of £50 p/p obc which I accepted. I received an email several days later from Customer Services basically fobbing me off and advising me that I had received the full 10% discount and that P&O had now changed the slightly confusing wording. No offer of any compensation from that team or recognition that I had already received a reply from the company. My suggestion is even if you are not sure you didn't receive the correct discount to just contact Mr Edgington's office. They KNOW they are in the wrong and will at the very least give you £50 each.

 

9 hours ago, bungle66 said:

I sent an email (very vague in my case because to be truthful I wasn't entirely sure if and by how much the prices had changed in the few days from release of my cruise to the date it was confirmed) voicing my dissatisfaction regarding the 10% discount to both Customer Services and Christopher Edgington. Immediate phone call from Mr Edgington's team with standard apology, a vague explanation (admitting they were wrong basically because I didn't even put any figures in my email and they never pushed me or questioned me about WHY I thought there was a discrepancy) and an offer of £50 p/p obc which I accepted. I received an email several days later from Customer Services basically fobbing me off and advising me that I had received the full 10% discount and that P&O had now changed the slightly confusing wording. No offer of any compensation from that team or recognition that I had already received a reply from the company. My suggestion is even if you are not sure you didn't receive the correct discount to just contact Mr Edgington's office. They KNOW they are in the wrong and will at the very least give you £50 each.

Please can you tell me Mr Edgington's email address, I seem to have lost it, Thanks

[bungle66]

Happily: christopher.edgington@pocruises.com 

[Josy1953]

11 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

I have checked mine again and I definitely received 10% from the price I saw on 3rd September, so am quite happy.  My cruise price has shot up since I booked, quite amazingly.

I am exactly the same, in actual fact we have almost 15% off the 3rd September price because we got extra discount from the TA.  Our cruise has also gone up,  we paid 74% of today's price so we are quite happy.

[bee-ess]

6 hours ago, bungle66 said:

Happily: christopher.edgington@pocruises.com 

Thanksfor your help  - good result - a phone call offering £50 each OBC within a couple of hours of emailing, As our Iona cruise was about £1000 each, £50 OBC is 5%. I don't know if they are paying more for more expensive cruises.

[Strawberry field]

26 minutes ago, bee-ess said:

Thanksfor your help  - good result - a phone call offering £50 each OBC within a couple of hours of emailing, As our Iona cruise was about £1000 each, £50 OBC is 5%. I don't know if they are paying more for more expensive cruises.

 

I think it's £50 OBC per passenger across the board as my booking is for less than yours and a friends is appreciably more and we both got the same extra OBC.

[Harry Peterson]

23 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

I have checked mine again and I definitely received 10% from the price I saw on 3rd September, so am quite happy.  My cruise price has shot up since I booked, quite amazingly.

 

11 hours ago, Josy1953 said:

I am exactly the same, in actual fact we have almost 15% off the 3rd September price because we got extra discount from the TA.  Our cruise has also gone up,  we paid 74% of today's price so we are quite happy.

 

Pleased you're both happy.  However, everyone who booked was paying an artificially 'adjusted' price, because P&O had increased the prices earlier published and the discounts were off those higher prices.  All the TAs were using the higher prices (because they didn't have any other option but to use the prices on the P&O booking system (apart of course from the usual TA discounts individual customers can negotiate with them) and obviously P&O were also using them.

It wasn't possible for there to be any exceptions to this because of the way bookings are handled through the same computerised system programmed with the same prices.

Customers who booked after the wording was changed have no grievance - by then P&O had covered themselves.  Those who booked before then, though, often weren't aware of the earlier lower prices, partly because the TAs were showing the higher prices right from the outset, and partly because they just hadn't seen then and assumed (understandably) that nothing had changed.

This has all become very confused, essentially because P&O have engineered it to be that way, but I'd still contend that every passenger who booked (up to the point at which the wording changed) has a claim.  Some have received the full discount from P&O, some have received offers of OBC, and others have probably yet to claim.  I do think that almost everyone, probably everyone, has a claim, though.

Whether people want to claim, though, is of course entirely for them to decide.  Just a matter of personal choice.

[jeanlyon]

I know what the first price was for my two cruises on 3 september and that's the price I got, with 10% off and then my TA discount.  The price then changed and so did the wording.

[bee-ess]

1 hour ago, docco said:

 

 

Pleased you're both happy.  However, everyone who booked was paying an artificially 'adjusted' price, because P&O had increased the prices earlier published and the discounts were off those higher prices.  All the TAs were using the higher prices (because they didn't have any other option but to use the prices on the P&O booking system (apart of course from the usual TA discounts individual customers can negotiate with them) and obviously P&O were also using them.

It wasn't possible for there to be any exceptions to this because of the way bookings are handled through the same computerised system programmed with the same prices.

Customers who booked after the wording was changed have no grievance - by then P&O had covered themselves.  Those who booked before then, though, often weren't aware of the earlier lower prices, partly because the TAs were showing the higher prices right from the outset, and partly because they just hadn't seen then and assumed (understandably) that nothing had changed.

This has all become very confused, essentially because P&O have engineered it to be that way, but I'd still contend that every passenger who booked (up to the point at which the wording changed) has a claim.  Some have received the full discount from P&O, some have received offers of OBC, and others have probably yet to claim.  I do think that almost everyone, probably everyone, has a claim, though.

Whether people want to claim, though, is of course entirely for them to decide.  Just a matter of personal choice.

 

 

There was no quibble at all with my claim, immediately offered the £50 OBC or free cancellation. As our cruise is about £1000 pp, £50 is about 5%. I would not be quite so happy with a more expensive cruise to get £50 OBC. As you say it is probably worth anyone who booked during that period claiming

Edited October 18, 2018 by bee-ess
spelling

[terrierjohn]

After my TA got the brush off from their support team at P&O I decided to try my usual method and e-mailed Chris Edgington this morning, one of his minions rang back this afternoon to say they would investigate and get back to us, but it may be up to 2 weeks because they are very busy at present!

Nothing truly positive from that but I live in hope.

[Harry Peterson]

9 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

After my TA got the brush off from their support team at P&O I decided to try my usual method and e-mailed Chris Edgington this morning, one of his minions rang back this afternoon to say they would investigate and get back to us, but it may be up to 2 weeks because they are very busy at present!

Nothing truly positive from that but I live in hope.

You'll almost certainly get the standard offer of a free cancellation or a £50 OBC (per person). 

 

And the reason they're so busy?  I think you can guess...........

 

Good luck, though - you may get a better offer and hit the jackpot!  🙂

[terrierjohn]

2 minutes ago, docco said:

You'll almost certainly get the standard offer of a free cancellation or a £50 OBC (per person). 

 

And the reason they're so busy?  I think you can guess...........

 

Good luck, though - you may get a better offer and hit the jackpot!  🙂

At present a free cancellation would enable me to get a lower price, but whether I could get the same cabin might be the problem, unless P&O agree to do the change for me.

[davemorton]

I complained a week ago using the online complaints for, still no reply so guess an email to christopher.edgington@pocruises.com is in order. 

[Harry Peterson]

6 minutes ago, davemorton said:

I complained a week ago using the online complaints for, still no reply so guess an email to christopher.edgington@pocruises.com is in order. 

Why not.  They know all about this, but that email address seems to get reasonably quick replies (though Chris Edgington has a team of people handling his mail - as you'd expect from Vice President Marketing).  This is right up their street, too - a marketing nightmare if it backfires on them!

[Rupert2251]

As I mentioned previously we did not want to cancel - we have got the suite that we wanted in the location that we wanted and it is for a special occasion. Not sure it would be worth the hassel of cancelling and then trying to rebook the same accommodation. Also I have just noticed that P&O have changed their wording yet again to...

Up to 10% guest saving~

^{~Book your P&O Cruises summer 2020 holiday by 3 December 2018 and take advantage of a 5% low deposit for all guests, plus a 5% newcomer discount or 10% past guest discount when booking a Select Price cruise. Note that all prices shown include the 5% newcomer discount. If you're a past guest, your full discount will be applied during the booking process. Please see terms and conditions below.}

[sweep2907]

Well well....Had phone call from P&O and he spent over ten minutes convincing me that on his screen he could see that we have had the full discount. I said that is all very good but that should be showing on our invoice so we know it has been done fairly and above board which he agreed with. Seems I had a much tougher stance and got no offer whatsoever......That will mean a further complaint seeing that people are being treated unfairly when some get extra OBS and others are fobbed off!!!!

[Happy2b@sea]

On 10/18/2018 at 8:36 AM, bungle66 said:

Happily: christopher.edgington@pocruises.com 

Thanks for the tip off!  I had a reply within 24 hours and an offer of £50.  I think 5% for me would have been £65 but it's better than a slap in the face with a wet kipper!!

[pete14]

6 hours ago, Happy2b@sea said:

Thanks for the tip off!  I had a reply within 24 hours and an offer of £50.  I think 5% for me would have been £65 but it's better than a slap in the face with a wet kipper!!

Thanks for the advice. We have each been credited with an extra £50 obc for the 

Iona Maiden. 

[SausPud]

***UPDATE***

I have received my reply from P&O. Nothing from customer services but Thanks to bungle66 for the email address to Christopher Edgington. His team replies within 24 hours. The response I got did shed some light on this matter as I quoted this thread as evidence for the complaint. I was happy with my booking (I have 3 friends travelling with me. 1 booked in an inside, 2 booked in a balcony and myself & DW booked in a suite for a 2-night cruise and then just the single person in their inside and us in our suite for a 12-night.) and the prices we paid. I did query all of this wording on the day and got the normal responses. Well, today I got an extra £50 credit each on all 5 cruises. The £50 is more than 5% on the 2 nights and less than 5% for the suite only on the 12 night. This is a standard £50 OBC amount as goodwill and not for correcting any difference in percentages.  

 

This is what I got from the team:

First and foremost I am sorry to learn that the below guests are upset by the circumstances that happened regarding the website wording relating to the 5% and 10% discounts which were being offered to new and returning guests who booked with us.
What I can confirm is that the information provided to you is correct and that because each guest who booked would receive a 5% discount at a minimum, the decision was made to incorporate this discount in the advertised prices. We agree that the original wording created a misunderstanding which was why it was changed however the wording was an error. The prices paid and discounts received are correct for all guests.
Because of this error, we haven't been honouring any additional discount therefore what the guest has seen is incorrect information. However, as a gesture of goodwill, we have been adding £50 onboard credit per person to guest's bookings which in some cases is a similar value to that of honouring additional discounts, therefore, this is probably where the comments on Cruise Critic had come from.
I have added £50 onboard credit per person to each of the below bookings as a gesture of goodwill in line of the what we have been offering to date and I hope this can be acceptable to the guests. Please feel free to contact me further if you or the guests have any further queries.

 

Hope this helps others, it's worth just sending an email or in my case, let your TA do it and get an extra £50 for nothing. 

On the current offers we were getting nothing for the 2-night cruise and now have £50 to spend each, happy days.

[Windsurfboy]

Thanks

 

Seems like £50 each is standard the , nowhere near 5% For me, but as the preregistered price was pretty good, and prices have gone up nearly 2k, even if website was misleading t's better than nothing for the effort of an email. If you don't ask you won't get, so send the email to Mr Edgington

[Happy2b@sea]

On 10/19/2018 at 5:59 PM, sweep2907 said:

Well well....Had phone call from P&O and he spent over ten minutes convincing me that on his screen he could see that we have had the full discount. I said that is all very good but that should be showing on our invoice so we know it has been done fairly and above board which he agreed with. Seems I had a much tougher stance and got no offer whatsoever......That will mean a further complaint seeing that people are being treated unfairly when some get extra OBS and others are fobbed off!!!!

I waited politely until the lady had finished her spiel but wish I had asked how much the 5% discount should have been.  Travelling on my own I am paying over the odds anyway and feel sorry for anyone in a suite.

[SausPud]

21 minutes ago, Happy2b@sea said:

I waited politely until the lady had finished her spiel but wish I had asked how much the 5% discount should have been.  Travelling on my own I am paying over the odds anyway and feel sorry for anyone in a suite.

My Suite price (with Butler) is cheaper than a third tier suite on Fred Olsen, and cheaper than Marella's executive suite, so not a bad price, even with the mix up in costings.

[NoFlyGuy]

Whilst I stick with my earlier comments about not fealing confused or ripped off when doing a dummy booking, it does seem that P&O's response to complaints has been very inconsistent.

Could it be anything to do with when the booking was made i.e. whether before or after the web site was updated? Perhaps more likely to be just more P&O incompetence as with their handling of the new data protection rules earlier this year!