75% refund due, nothing after 90 days

[easmaryland]

I cancelled an NCL cruise on March 11, before either FCC was in effect or the cruise itself was cancelled.  I have a confirmation email from NCL showing the cancellation, so I did not have a reservation anymore when the cruise itself was cancelled.  I opted to take the 75% refund that was due to me because I was still 106 days from sailing.  I have seen nothing re: that refund coming back to my credit card (90 days today).  I bought the cruise through an American Airlines Cruise travel agent (to get the miles, sort of ironic because I won't be flying anytime soon!).  Because I bought through a travel agent, NCL will not talk to me about my refund.  Not getting any help from travel agent either.  Anyway, I have two questions, if anyone knows.  First, if I dispute with credit card company is the dispute with NCL or with American Airlines travel agent?  It was NCL who actually charged my credit card.  Second and more importantly, I am only due 75% of the charge; I forfeited 25% penalty to NCL.  So what do I dispute?  The entire charge and let NCL sort it out?  Or do I give Citibank the exact amount I am due back even though that is not the charge on my card?  If anyone has been through this type of cancellation please advise.

[buckeyefrank]

1 hour ago, easmaryland said:

I cancelled an NCL cruise on March 11, before either FCC was in effect or the cruise itself was cancelled.  I have a confirmation email from NCL showing the cancellation, so I did not have a reservation anymore when the cruise itself was cancelled.  I opted to take the 75% refund that was due to me because I was still 106 days from sailing.  I have seen nothing re: that refund coming back to my credit card (90 days today).  I bought the cruise through an American Airlines Cruise travel agent (to get the miles, sort of ironic because I won't be flying anytime soon!).  Because I bought through a travel agent, NCL will not talk to me about my refund.  Not getting any help from travel agent either.  Anyway, I have two questions, if anyone knows.  First, if I dispute with credit card company is the dispute with NCL or with American Airlines travel agent?  It was NCL who actually charged my credit card.  Second and more importantly, I am only due 75% of the charge; I forfeited 25% penalty to NCL.  So what do I dispute?  The entire charge and let NCL sort it out?  Or do I give Citibank the exact amount I am due back even though that is not the charge on my card?  If anyone has been through this type of cancellation please advise.

I can help you with a portion of your question.  If you decide to dispute, you can simply look up the transaction on your statement and call your bank.  The description shows the party that processed the transaction and the bank knows that.  You just need to tell them the amount and date.

 

A dispute / chargeback may not work.  I had a June cruise (that I am supposed to be on right now) cancelled and we selected the cash refund option.  I disputed the transaction with my Chase (credit card).  They promptly issued me a credit on my account.  However a few days ago, Chase re-posted the transaction back onto my card balance without any notification.  So apparently NCL somehow fought it and won.  Bottom line if you do dispute, you may win, you may not.

[G-DawgMN]

 You certainly have a valid dispute, I would do the 75% amount since that is technically what you are entitled to. Be sure to include all documentation including a screen shot of NCL's cancellation policy.

 

 

[G-DawgMN]

1 hour ago, buckeyefrank said:

I can help you with a portion of your question.  If you decide to dispute, you can simply look up the transaction on your statement and call your bank.  The description shows the party that processed the transaction and the bank knows that.  You just need to tell them the amount and date.

 

A dispute / chargeback may not work.  I had a June cruise (that I am supposed to be on right now) cancelled and we selected the cash refund option.  I disputed the transaction with my Chase (credit card).  They promptly issued me a credit on my account.  However a few days ago, Chase re-posted the transaction back onto my card balance without any notification.  So apparently NCL somehow fought it and won.  Bottom line if you do dispute, you may win, you may not.

 

 I think your situation is a bit different since you didn't wait the 90 days. I agree it's a long time to do the refund, but NCL is starting to prove that they can validate the length of time required for a refund since some (not all)  banks are kicking back the disputes now.

[buckeyefrank]

50 minutes ago, KSSS2013 said:

 

 I think your situation is a bit different since you didn't wait the 90 days. I agree it's a long time to do the refund, but NCL is starting to prove that they can validate the length of time required for a refund since some (not all)  banks are kicking back the disputes now.

I get that for sure.  There were numerous threads in April / May when the cancellations were occurring about people immediately disputing charges and they were initially successful.  I just wanted to point out they may not be successful now.

[MechE31]

50 minutes ago, KSSS2013 said:

 

 I think your situation is a bit different since you didn't wait the 90 days. I agree it's a long time to do the refund, but NCL is starting to prove that they can validate the length of time required for a refund since some (not all)  banks are kicking back the disputes now.

 

Per Visa (https://usa.visa.com/dam/VCOM/global/support-legal/documents/faq-covid-19-apr21.pdf😞

 

Does the cardholder need to wait for a credit refund if the merchant states it will take 90 to 180 calendar days to process the credit?

 

No.The issuer only needs to wait 15 calendar days to allow the merchant to process the credit refund before initiating a Dispute Condition 13.1—Merchandise/Services Not Received

 

 

NCL is standing by this portion:

 

The acquirer has received a dispute for Dispute Condition 13.1—Merchandise/Services Not Received and responds with evidence to show the merchant was unable to provide services due to a government prohibition1 and is able to provide a reasonable alternative consistent with applicable law and its terms and conditions of purchase between the merchant and cardholder. Does the issuer have a right to pursue pre-arbitration?

 

No. The issuer does not have a right to pursue pre-arbitration as the acquirer remedied the dispute. Note, however, that a chargeback right would exist if applicable law obligates the merchant to provide a refund.

[easmaryland]

Thanks for that information.  In my case I cancelled the cruise under the cancellation policy in existence at the time, which was a 75% refund if cancelled more than 90 days in advance.  This was before the cruise itself was cancelled.  So wouldn't they owe me the 75% even though they later cancelled the whole cruise?  

 

[Turtles06]

1 hour ago, KSSS2013 said:

 

 I think your situation is a bit different since you didn't wait the 90 days. I agree it's a long time to do the refund, but NCL is starting to prove that they can validate the length of time required for a refund since some (not all)  banks are kicking back the disputes now.

 

The OP was not in any 90-day-waiting period. The OP cancelled their booking, and did so pursuant to the terms of NCL's cancellation policy applicable when the guest cancels the booking.   That policy, at least as of April, said "Refund processing time is about 3-4 weeks."   The OP should have had their money refunded by now.

[Turtles06]

41 minutes ago, easmaryland said:

Thanks for that information.  In my case I cancelled the cruise under the cancellation policy in existence at the time, which was a 75% refund if cancelled more than 90 days in advance.  This was before the cruise itself was cancelled.  So wouldn't they owe me the 75% even though they later cancelled the whole cruise?  

 

 

Of course they do.  And, as stated in the comment I posted above, per their cancellation policy, you should have received your refund already.   I would go up the chain with your travel agent until you get someone who will call NCL and insist on finding out what is going on and insist they process your refund asap.  You cancelled, not NCL; the refund did not  involved processing of FCCs or anything like that, you should automatically have had the 75% refunded to your method of payment.

 

Make your travel agent deal with this. 

 

 

[G-DawgMN]

1 hour ago, Turtles06 said:

 

The OP was not in any 90-day-waiting period. The OP cancelled their booking, and did so pursuant to the terms of NCL's cancellation policy applicable when the guest cancels the booking.   That policy, at least as of April, said "Refund processing time is about 3-4 weeks."   The OP should have had their money refunded by now.

 

Correct, I was responding the 2nd respondent, which I quoted directly.

[Turtles06]

36 minutes ago, KSSS2013 said:

 

Correct, I was responding the 2nd respondent, which I quoted directly.

 Thanks, I read over that too quickly, appreciate your correction.

[casofilia]

Could I suggest that you check with NCL directly to make sure that you were entitled to a 75% REFUND and neither a 75% FCC nor a 75% DISCOUNT on a future cruise.

 

On the Spirit the captain said we would get a 75% FCC and it turned out to be a 75% DISCOUNT that I found about here on CC and had to talk with NCL in Sydney to have the DISCOUNT confirmed.

 

The same situation looks as if it will occur with the cancelled Jewel cruises.   The offer talks about a 10% FCC but it is actually a 10% DISCOUNT

Edited June 11, 2020 by casofilia

[Turtles06]

9 hours ago, casofilia said:

Could I suggest that you check with NCL directly to make sure that you were entitled to a 75% REFUND and neither a 75% FCC nor a 75% DISCOUNT on a future cruise.

The OP was very clear about their situation:

 

21 hours ago, easmaryland said:

I cancelled an NCL cruise on March 11, before either FCC was in effect or the cruise itself was cancelled.  I have a confirmation email from NCL showing the cancellation, so I did not have a reservation anymore when the cruise itself was cancelled.  I opted to take the 75% refund that was due to me because I was still 106 days from sailing. 

They’ve also said that NCL won’t talk to them because they booked through a TA. They need to get their TA to deal with this. 

[texasgirl29]

We cancelled the November Epic transatlantic well before final payment and received every penny we had paid to date (about $4400) in two weeks. We booked the cruise online and cancelled by emailing our PCC. I don’t see why your standard refund transaction is taking so long.


Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Turtles06]

4 hours ago, texasgirl29 said:

We cancelled the November Epic transatlantic well before final payment and received every penny we had paid to date (about $4400) in two weeks. We booked the cruise online and cancelled by emailing our PCC. I don’t see why your standard refund transaction is taking so long.


Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

Agreed, that's what we've been telling the OP.   The OP has a travel agent and NCL won't talk to the OP; the OP really needs to lean on their TA. 

[jsn55]

On 6/11/2020 at 3:54 AM, easmaryland said:

I cancelled an NCL cruise on March 11, before either FCC was in effect or the cruise itself was cancelled.  I have a confirmation email from NCL showing the cancellation, so I did not have a reservation anymore when the cruise itself was cancelled.  I opted to take the 75% refund that was due to me because I was still 106 days from sailing.  I have seen nothing re: that refund coming back to my credit card (90 days today).  I bought the cruise through an American Airlines Cruise travel agent (to get the miles, sort of ironic because I won't be flying anytime soon!).  Because I bought through a travel agent, NCL will not talk to me about my refund.  Not getting any help from travel agent either.  Anyway, I have two questions, if anyone knows.  First, if I dispute with credit card company is the dispute with NCL or with American Airlines travel agent?  It was NCL who actually charged my credit card.  Second and more importantly, I am only due 75% of the charge; I forfeited 25% penalty to NCL.  So what do I dispute?  The entire charge and let NCL sort it out?  Or do I give Citibank the exact amount I am due back even though that is not the charge on my card?  If anyone has been through this type of cancellation please advise.

It's a frustrating situation for everybody.  While some are processed very quickly, most refunds from any travel provider are taking 90 days at LEAST.  Yours will go through the TA, so probably held up longer.  Filing a CC dispute will possibly stop the whole shebang, so I advise patience.  Most CCs have a time limit on filing a dispute, so you should check yours.  I'd be sort of content until about 120 days, then start shaking the trees.  Your TA should certainly be able to give you a status ... but I think it's just an online booking service, right?  Probably not a lot of customer service there.  Now having said all this, I hope your refund hits in the morning!

[easmaryland]

Thanks for all the advice and suggestions.  I can actually talk to a real person/contact at the travel agency (if he is still working there).  I will try to contact him now that the 90 days is up and see if he can get my money back for me.  

[Turtles06]

17 minutes ago, easmaryland said:

Thanks for all the advice and suggestions.  I can actually talk to a real person/contact at the travel agency (if he is still working there).  I will try to contact him now that the 90 days is up and see if he can get my money back for me.  

 

Please keep in mind that the 90 days have nothing to do with you, and you should stop focusing on it.  Because YOU cancelled the cruise, you were entitled to an automatic refund (of 75% given the penalty period), and that should have happened within 3-4 weeks.   Your TA needs to find out what the status of your refund is, why it hasn't been processed, and insist that it be processed asap.  Be sure that you and your TA understand the cancellation policy -- the one that applies when YOU cancel -- and don't get confused by the 90 day thing that has nothing to do with you.