Agent changed my reservation to NRD without my permission

[jagsfan]

I called my TA a few months ago to ask if I could get a lower price. She came back and said I could get our cruise lowered $200 per person. 

I ok’ed it and asked for a confirmation, which I do every single time I make any change. 

I checked it over when it came, and saw my deposit was now non-refundable. 

Because I asked for and received a confirmation, I would have been able to reverse the change since it had only been 15 minutes or so. 

Saving $400 was great, and I was willing to take the risk of losing my deposit. 

Always, always get a written confirmation of any changes. That would have prevented this problem. 

If you see something great in the middle of the night, it will probably keep till morning. 

Better yet, stay off the internet when you might. be tempted!

[mayleeman]

@LMaxwell I guess because we have only been booking cruises in the past 14 months or so, we have only ever seen the current regime tending to default to NRDs. People who booked in years past might not, as you point out, know about the change.

 

I book our own, so the TA problems don't occur for me. That is also probably why I am obsessive about reading everything looking immediately, looking for any mistakes or omissions.

 

Then again, as a retired attorney, I am comfortable going to bat for myself. Lots of TA fans on here talk about how their TAs handle problems for them. The OP's TA, not so much....

Edited December 16, 2019 by mayleeman

[PhoenixCruiser]

On 12/14/2019 at 2:40 PM, cruisinfanatic said:

Non refundable is always cheaper. If it wasn't there would be no incentive and everyone would book refundable

 

Just like "we pick your room" is usually cheaper?  I just found this on an 2020 Odyssey sailing

 

Edited December 17, 2019 by PhoenixCruiser

[taxatty]

15 minutes ago, PhoenixCruiser said:

 

Just like "we pick your room" is usually cheaper?  I just found this on an 2020 Odyssey sailing

 

Gotta love computers. 😄

[Maverick61]

14 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Because the TA was the one who made the change without keeping a basic and very important principle of the booking the same.

 

That doesn't absolve the OP of his responsibility.  He never stated to the TA that this was a very important aspect he did not want changed when he called her to get the price drop.  He has responsibility too.  The TA is not a mind reader

[Maverick61]

12 hours ago, tomservo said:

 

Exactly. I know a lot of people are blaming me for requesting the price drop without explicitly asking her not to change the deposit type, but I assumed that it was obvious that I did not want to change the deposit/booking type.

 

 

 

Never assume.  I know you don't like being told you are partially to blame her but IMO you are.  You should have made it known to the TA - and the TA should have told you to get the lower price you requested the deposit was changing.  You were BOTH at fault.

 

And as someone else pointed out, given the amount your TA is kicking back to you, you seem to be expecting stellar service for a pittance in commission

[Clarea]

5 hours ago, Maverick61 said:

 

 ...  He never stated to the TA that this was a very important aspect he did not want changed when he called her to get the price drop.  He has responsibility too.  The TA is not a mind reader

 

From my point of view, if the TA does not know that a refundable deposit is very important, then I don't want them as my TA anymore.

[lhm929]

How were you able to book two rooms on the same sailing? I wanted to for my kids and was told you can’t have two reservations in the same name. If that’s the case and they let you then there’s your out. 

[John&LaLa]

1 hour ago, lhm929 said:

How were you able to book two rooms on the same sailing? I wanted to for my kids and was told you can’t have two reservations in the same name. If that’s the case and they let you then there’s your out. 

 

I've done it a few times. Nothing odd about that

[molly361]

20 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I've done it a few times. Nothing odd about that

Ditto that.  And the add you REALLY have come  over to the dark side.  Placeholders and all😇🎅

[tinkertwo]

13 hours ago, PhoenixCruiser said:

 

Just like "we pick your room" is usually cheaper?  I just found this on an 2020 Odyssey sailing

 

I've seen that several times.  I don't get why they would do that.  Of course I'll pick my own if its cheaper.  

Very odd.

[mayleeman]

Maybe it is a way to get people to book crappier cabins by making them think they got a better deal.

[fred30]

3 hours ago, tinkertwo said:

I've seen that several times.  I don't get why they would do that.  Of course I'll pick my own if its cheaper.  

Very odd.

 

Their pricing algorithms are probably very complex and based on a huge amount of constantly changing data.   Discrepancies are bound to happen.   We see this kind of thing happening everywhere.  

 

I just purchased a printer for $99.99 and if I spent $100 I would get $20 off.  So I ordered a .69 Cent  box of paper clips.   The paper clips were shipped to me in their own box.

 

Edited December 17, 2019 by fred30

[SRF]

36 minutes ago, fred30 said:

I just purchased a printer for $99.99 and if I spent $100 I would get $20 off.  So I ordered a .69 Cent  box of paper clips.   The paper clips were shipped to me in their own box.

 

 

One better, there was a rebate on 100 writable CD.  $20 rebate.  Cost for the 100 CDs?  $15.  They PAID me $5 to buy them. 😄

 

Last printer I bought, I forget the how the deal worked, but the next highest printer (faster, held more paper, larger control screen, etc), was $100 LESS than the lower level printer.

[Funky Fusion FoodsJ]

Discrepancies definitely happen.  I'm booked on a Royal Caribbean Cruise in May and just purchased "The Key" which give you unlimited wifi/internet/streaming as well as priority boarding, lunch in specialty dining etc, etc.  The price on "The Key" was $16.99 per day.  The price on the unlimited wifi/internet/streaming was $16.99 per day.  So I could have paid the higher price to not get all the perks of "The Key".

[Anita Latte]

On 12/16/2019 at 9:55 AM, Host Clarea said:

 

Does this apply to all NRD bookings?  I had the impression that the 24 hour policy was for NRD bookings made on board.

 

I've seen this online when making my own bookings. As you read through the verbiage that states the refund policy, there will be a 100% refund on a NRD up to the date following the booking date. It isn't like they make it clear, or call attention to the fact, but the information is there in the fine print.

[Clarea]

1 minute ago, Anita Latte said:

 

I've seen this online when making my own bookings. As you read through the verbiage that states the refund policy, there will be a 100% refund on a NRD up to the date following the booking date. It isn't like they make it clear, or call attention to the fact, but the information is there in the fine print.

 

Thank-you.

[tinkertwo]

9 minutes ago, Anita Latte said:

 

I've seen this online when making my own bookings. As you read through the verbiage that states the refund policy, there will be a 100% refund on a NRD up to the date following the booking date. It isn't like they make it clear, or call attention to the fact, but the information is there in the fine print.

What does that mean?  Up to the date following the booking date?

[molly361]

2 minutes ago, tinkertwo said:

What does that mean?  Up to the date following the booking date?

It means that you have 24 hours after booking to cancel and get your money back

[nelblu]

38 minutes ago, tinkertwo said:

What does that mean?  Up to the date following the booking date?

Just like the airlines.  24 hours to cancel a NR reservation without financial penalty

[Anita Latte]

8 hours ago, tinkertwo said:

What does that mean?  Up to the date following the booking date?

 

This question has been answered...but to expand on the way I said this. When you book there is a listing of the refund policy that may show 100% refund up to (date); 75% refund up to (date); etc. The inserted dates are based on the policy for a NRD if booking NRD, or RD if booking RD. With NRD, the date listed is the date following the date you are making the reservation, or booking. So booking on June 1 will have a 100% refund up to June 2.

[Desert Cruizers]

If I see a Price drop I check with my TA to verify, she will always  call me first. If the change would result in refundable reverting to Nonrefundable , then she will not make the changes but let me know.

[Maverick61]

18 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

 

From my point of view, if the TA does not know that a refundable deposit is very important, then I don't want them as my TA anymore.

 

I disagree.  That may be important to some people and not to others.  One should never assume

 

Case in point - I recently booked a cruise for May.  Ended up getting a Refundable Deposit, not because I wanted it or asked for it but because it was the lowest rate available.  I saved several hundred over the lowest NRD rate.  But again, whether it was refundable or non refundable did not matter to me at all.  When I book, I do so planning to go.  I don't book on a whim.  I simply want the best price.  So the deposit status means nothing to people like me - and I am sure TAs have encountered this.

 

So my point again is simple, never assume.  If the deposit structure is important to you, make sure you mention that to your TA when you ask them to reprice your cruise to a lower rate

[lhm929]

So I can be booked in the balcony room for my kids and the suite at the same time just pay for the extra person in the suite? In sailing on Sunday Can they add me to the suite and keep me in the other room? 

[Clarea]

7 hours ago, Maverick61 said:

 

I disagree.  That may be important to some people and not to others.  ...

 

A good TA should know what is important to their client.