Please think twice about doing a chargeback

[Oceangoer2]

3 hours ago, drakes2 said:

There was no OBC posted for that particular sailing on Celebrity site but the TA who operates in Texas who I have booked with on past sailings offered some for my category.  I just called my CVP and told him about it. He was reluctant at first but then got it approved. I did have to send a screen shot of the offer.  I don't think this is their usual practice but happy to get it along with the wine.  I've booked my last 4 cruises with this same CVP who has provided excellent service even during the pandemic.  I hope they don't let him go. 

So it seems you just call a TA who will do the work for you and they offer an OBC to get the sale;  then you don't give him the sale he worked with you on, but you give it to X because you know they will match that OBC they aren't offering to the general public and you enjoy the protections that go with X.   My CVP told me they have to do this because they are bound to match a TA's offer so X won't lose the sale.  If more did this, X would be offering bigger OBCs to some that are wise to this 'practice' and the TA's would lose many sales even though they did the initial work.  Some would think this is fair business competition and some would think it underhanded?  Maybe X should just stop matching and it's win/win for both TA and X.

Edited May 18, 2020 by oceangoer2

[mafig]

12 minutes ago, oceangoer2 said:

they will match that OBC they aren't offering to the general public and you enjoy the protections that go with X.   My CVP told me they have to do this because they are bound to match a TA's offer so X won't lose the sale.  

 

Really?  

I've never heard of this.

hmmm.....

[begood2me]

Speaking from experience, this is the not the role of the travel advisor.  Their role is to be the advocate for client.  Yes, there is a financial risk for the Travel Advisor but it's a business risk that they are to assume.  

[drakes2]

29 minutes ago, oceangoer2 said:

So it seems you just call a TA who will do the work for you and they offer an OBC to get the sale;  then you don't give him the sale he worked with you on, but you give it to X

Your statement is incorrect. I did not call any TA; the OBC was posted on the large agency's site when I logged in there was a resident rate under the category I wanted which included OBC.  No one lost a sale nor did I speak to anyone except for the Celebrity CVP who did the work and gained a sale. 

[yorky]

6 minutes ago, drakes2 said:

Your statement is incorrect. I did not call any TA; the OBC was posted on the large agency's site when I logged in there was a resident rate under the category I wanted which included OBC.  No one lost a sale nor did I speak to anyone except for the Celebrity CVP who did the work and gained a sale. 

Nice job, maybe more people should try this.

[margo2011]

Hello , I am from the UK and our sale of goods act states if you do not receive the service paid for you should receive a full refund within 14 days .

I am considering requesting a charge back as my TA is now saying that once my money is received by them  from Celebrity , I could  be waiting up to 90 days for a cash refund .

My cruise was cancelled by Celebrity on March 23 rd andI called  them a few weeks ago and spoke with a very apologetic Lady who said my TA should refund all monies with 10 days .To add to this confusion they emailed me last week asking for my bank details to help with the refund which I reluctantly gave after checking the email came from the same person I had spoken to but I am worrying as I paid on my credit card not from my bank .Can anyone advise if they have been refunded to a different payment  method .
Whilst I empathise with companies at this sad time I do feel an extra  90 days To wait  is not realistic .I am checking my bank daily in case this was a scam and it is adding to my worry .Thanks In anticipation .

 

 

 

[yorky]

11 minutes ago, margo2011 said:

Hello , I am from the UK and our sale of goods act states if you do not receive the service paid for you should receive a full refund within 14 days .

I am considering requesting a charge back as my TA is now saying that once my money is received by them  from Celebrity , I could  be waiting up to 90 days for a cash refund .

My cruise was cancelled by Celebrity on March 23 rd andI called  them a few weeks ago and spoke with a very apologetic Lady who said my TA should refund all monies with 10 days .To add to this confusion they emailed me last week asking for my bank details to help with the refund which I reluctantly gave after checking the email came from the same person I had spoken to but I am worrying as I paid on my credit card not from my bank .Can anyone advise if they have been refunded to a different payment  method .
Whilst I empathise with companies at this sad time I do feel an extra  90 days To wait  is not realistic .I am checking my bank daily in case this was a scam and it is adding to my worry .Thanks In anticipation .

 

 

 

If you were getting scammed I’m pretty sure they would have done this already. Did you phone your TA to check that they sent the email and ask why the refund is not going back onto your card ?

[drakes2]

28 minutes ago, yorky said:

If you were getting scammed I’m pretty sure they would have done this already. Did you phone your TA to check that they sent the email and ask why the refund is not going back onto your card ?

Strange that they need your CC number. I would have thought that it would automatically get refunded to the same card you booked it on. There are a lot of scams out there particularly ones related to refunds from cruiselines so you'd be wise to check with your travel agent.  Please do not give bank details to anyone via email.

Edited May 18, 2020 by drakes2
Words

[Bo1953]

1 hour ago, Gracie115 said:

 

Viking apparently has been refunding without a long delay...that's also helpful

There have been a few complaints that I have read, yet far fewer with them...

 

Then again, when the sailing has to be fully paid 18 months to one (1) year out, I would hope they have reserves to payout refunds...

 

bon voyage

[lostchild]

48 minutes ago, margo2011 said:

Hello , I am from the UK and our sale of goods act states if you do not receive the service paid for you should receive a full refund within 14 days .

I am considering requesting a charge back as my TA is now saying that once my money is received by them  from Celebrity , I could  be waiting up to 90 days for a cash refund .

My cruise was cancelled by Celebrity on March 23 rd andI called  them a few weeks ago and spoke with a very apologetic Lady who said my TA should refund all monies with 10 days .To add to this confusion they emailed me last week asking for my bank details to help with the refund which I reluctantly gave after checking the email came from the same person I had spoken to but I am worrying as I paid on my credit card not from my bank .Can anyone advise if they have been refunded to a different payment  method .
Whilst I empathise with companies at this sad time I do feel an extra  90 days To wait  is not realistic .I am checking my bank daily in case this was a scam and it is adding to my worry .Thanks In anticipation .

 

Kind of odd that they don't refund to your credit card (unless your credit card account was closed).   If they issue refund to your bank account directly, they lost the 2 to 3% they paid for the credit card fee.   Also refunding to the credit card establish a record of the refund so you can't do a chargeback later on.   Now if you decided to do a chargeback after you got the money in your bank, your TA will have to prove that they refunded the same person using a different method.

 

 

[downsmead]

It seems that for some people on here, the payment is made to the TA, who then pay  X. In these case, X would not know the credit card details for that person. This may be the case here, especially as the TA says it may be 90 days after they have received the refund, before they will pass it onto the client.

margo2011 - I would suggest that in future you use a TA who pays X directly. You can tell this from your cc statement. If the payment has gone to your TA rather than directly to X (which is generally the case), then you are using one that ‘cashes’ your payment first. If your cc statement shows payment to X, that is what most TAs do, and X will refund back to you although all discussions re payment, still go through thevTA.

[hcat]

2 hours ago, begood2me said:

Speaking from experience, this is the not the role of the travel advisor.  Their role is to be the advocate for client.  Yes, there is a financial risk for the Travel Advisor but it's a business risk that they are to assume.  

Just curious, 

Is a travel agent, an agent for the cruise line or for  the customer? Cruise line pays the Commission.

 

To whom do they have a fiduciary duty  if any?

 

 

 

[clojacks]

2 hours ago, sippican said:

 

That is very good to know.  As you mention, having an individual you trust and have established a good rapport with makes all the difference in the world. 

They do indeed have a standard cancellation fee. in addition to any cruiseline penalties. One of the only agencies i know of who has this pracrice.

I guess I wasn't thinking along the terms of the cancellation (of $100 per person that is often "penalized" in the form of an FCC) fee, as I didn't even think they were the only ones charging it. Are you sure about that?

[Oceangoer2]

2 hours ago, yorky said:

Nice job, maybe more people should try this.

 

I wouldn't be comfortable with it...shopping the ads to induce X to provide the same terms as what the TA offered. I'm sure the TAs work for their money as we do (have done) and the incentive in OBC might? come out of their commission....not a good time for them right now.  In X case, it comes out of the till which eventually raises the cruise price we pay.

Edited May 18, 2020 by oceangoer2

[Baron Barracuda]

12 minutes ago, oceangoer2 said:

 

I wouldn't be comfortable with it...shopping the ads to induce X to provide the same terms as what the TA offered. I'm sure the TAs work for their money as we do (have done) and the incentive in OBC might? come out of their commission....not a good time for them right now.  In X case, it comes out of the till which eventually raises the cruise price we pay.

Is it really any different from taking store "A"'s ad for electronics or whatever to store "B" and asking them to match price.  Many businesses today promote how they match competitors prices.

[drakes2]

33 minutes ago, oceangoer2 said:

I wouldn't be comfortable with it...shopping the ads to induce X to provide the same terms as what the TA offered

Don't understand what there is to feel uncomfortable about; there was no ad shopping involved as the OBC was clearly stated on the Travel Agency website and just so happens they (Agency XYZ) does more volume than the cruiselines themselves.  Celebrity was not induced to provide any additional incentive to book I merely inquired and it was honoured.  

[drakes2]

1 hour ago, Baron Barracuda said:

Is it really any different from taking store "A"'s ad for electronics or whatever to store "B" and asking them to match price.  Many businesses today promote how they match competitors prices.

Even the onboard duty free selling alcohol will advise you to do it. Went to purchase a couple bottles GG vodka was told 'we're in St Maarten tomorrow take a pic and I'll match the price.'  

[Gracie115]

2 hours ago, Bo1953 said:

There have been a few complaints that I have read, yet far fewer with them...

 

Then again, when the sailing has to be fully paid 18 months to one (1) year out, I would hope they have reserves to payout refunds...

 

bon voyage

 

Agree.....but I would think ALL the lines should have those reserves...unfortunately more seem to be running an Enron type accounting system....

[Oceangoer2]

1 hour ago, drakes2 said:

Don't understand what there is to feel uncomfortable about; there was no ad shopping involved as the OBC was clearly stated on the Travel Agency website and just so happens they (Agency XYZ) does more volume than the cruiselines themselves.  Celebrity was not induced to provide any additional incentive to book I merely inquired and it was honoured.  

 

In that case I misunderstood...when you mentioned "There was no OBC posted for that particular sailing on Celebrity site but the TA who operates in Texas who I have booked with on past sailings offered some for my category" I assumed you spoke with an agent from the agency in the quote.

[drakes2]

15 minutes ago, oceangoer2 said:

 

In that case I misunderstood...when you mentioned "There was no OBC posted for that particular sailing on Celebrity site but the TA who operates in Texas who I have booked with on past sailings offered some for my category" I assumed you spoke with an agent from the agency in the quote.

Yes when I went back and read my original post I could see how you would interpret what I said. By TA I was referring to the agency.  I also inquired about the OBC coming out of his commission and was assured that was not the case. 

[wrk2cruise]

Many times I will make a booking direct with Celebrity and then move it to my TA.  Often after making the booking or putting it on 24 hr hold a CVP will call.  Once when I said I was moving to a TA they said they would match the OBC.  I was moving it to my regular TA so I declined.   After the fact I realized that one of the  differences is that I would assume when the OBC comes from the Celebrity matching it would be non-refundable.  My OBC from TA is always refundable and many times we take it home at the end of the cruise.

[zestyzorra]

On 5/17/2020 at 11:09 AM, Gracie115 said:

The last time I called our "Big Box" TA and got connected to the area that concerned the cruiseline I am awaiting a refund I received this prerecorded statement.  "due to the unusual number of calls we can't take your call now"  and they hung up.....used to be, "call back later"  or "give us your number and we call you back in ____ number of minutes"  but not this time....just "too busy" and hung up...

 

Sad to say the least, hopefully our chargeback will reap better rewards (refunds!!!)

 

Just a note to say I use the same Big Box TA, and I called last week and got the same message as you did, twice in a row. Then I called back 5 minutes later and there was only a 20 minute wait. 

[Gracie115]

7 hours ago, zestyzorra said:

Just a note to say I use the same Big Box TA, and I called last week and got the same message as you did, twice in a row. Then I called back 5 minutes later and there was only a 20 minute wait. 

 

I gave up, frankly amazed at a "message" like that, have no intention of doing business with them again.  I have started a charge back for our refund at this time.  60+ days is long enough to wait.

[begood2me]

15 hours ago, hcat said:

Just curious, 

Is a travel agent, an agent for the cruise line or for  the customer? Cruise line pays the Commission.

 

To whom do they have a fiduciary duty  if any?

 

 

 

The agent must sell based on the rules that are defined by the licensing body as well as the company that they are selling representing; however, they also have a duty to represent the client's interests.  Unfortunately, many agents do not follow the rules and hurt both parties in the transaction.  This can take on many forms such as offering inappropriate discounts which violate the rules of the cruise companies to not extending pricing offers to clients for which they are entitled to receive.  I've seen it all in my time.  If you can find an advisor that is professional and takes their responsibility seriously, they can be an effective tool for mitigating the risk associated with completing the transactions with the cruise lines.  

[Bo1953]

15 hours ago, hcat said:

Just curious, 

Is a travel agent, an agent for the cruise line or for  the customer? Cruise line pays the Commission.

 

To whom do they have a fiduciary duty  if any?

Actually, a TA has 'a fiduciary' responsibility to both the consumer and the cruise line, more often than not.

 

The TA as the intermediary, is responsible for insuring that the consumers payments are remitted timely and in full to the cruise line and the cruise line in turn is responsible for insuring that payments are correctly and promptly applied to the customers account.

 

Thus the reason when one does not see their credit card statement showing the cruise line as the payee, then there may be an issue on which you want to call the cruise line to insure that they have in fact received payment.

 

For those who pay by check or cash to the TA, this is triply important to ask for and receive a statement of account from the cruise line to insure that payment has been made and timely and credited to ones account.

 

bon voyage