No discount if booking with FCC through TA

[keeven]

I was just told by my TA that if I book by using FCC, the quote is the same as P&O website, plus I need to pay the agency fee. 

If I don't use FCC, there is £200 discount ( 4 persons), plus agency fee. So I think there is no point to book through TA if I need to use FCC, I would rather book directly with P&O.

[wowzz]

I've never known a TA charge an agency fee. Perhaps you should try a different TA.

[happy v]

How much is the agency fee?

[Selbourne]

35 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I've never known a TA charge an agency fee. Perhaps you should try a different TA.

Agreed. I would add that I struggle to understand why people even contemplate using a 3rd party (TA) for often piffling savings. With the delays / added complexity etc that many have reported when trying to get refunds, I would only be tempted to engage a middle man if I was saving a minimum of 10% versus booking direct. 

[Morgans]

Never book with an agency that demands a fee - there is no reason why they should be asking for one at all.

[pete14]

54 minutes ago, Morgans said:

Never book with an agency that demands a fee - there is no reason why they should be asking for one at all.

I think agents are an interesting economic model that to me seems a little illogical. If they don’t charge the customer a fee for the service they provide, their running costs and profits need to come from the companies whose cruises / holidays they sell. For the commission or discounts companies give agents to be partially used to offer discounts to customers tells me that the commission or discounts given by the companies to the agents are too high. In effect, the companies are paying agents to undercut prices they themselves charge those who book directly with them. In the current times, when income is plummeting and profits non existent, this would seem to be an effective way of reducing costs. Whether or not reducing agent commission / discounts would result in fewer cruises and holidays being booked is an unknown. Having to deal with emergencies themselves, such as in the recent and current refunds situation because the agents who made the bookings on behalf of their customers were understandably unable to do it for their customers can only have undermined the relationship between companies and agents. 
 

I am not suggesting that agents asking for a fee is happening because their commission or discount is reduced because there would appear to be no evidence that it is. It would seem to be a logical step though in order to reduce losses, provided bookings did not fall rather than being made directly with the company. A brave, possibly a foolish step to take if any holiday company was prepared to try it.

[keeven]

okay, the one I look at the official price is £2618, the agency price is £2416 plus £39 agency fee. So I could save  £163. I don't know if it is a good deal or not? I have used this TA a few times. I thought it was the cheapest I could find. 

But if I use the FCC, I will pay the full price plus £39 agency fee, which is not attractive at all.

[terrierjohn]

13 minutes ago, keeven said:

okay, the one I look at the official price is £2618, the agency price is £2416 plus £39 agency fee. So I could save  £163. I don't know if it is a good deal or not? I have used this TA a few times. I thought it was the cheapest I could find. 

But if I use the FCC, I will pay the full price plus £39 agency fee, which is not attractive at all.

So if you wish to use the FCC try another agent who won't charge a fee, or go direct to P&O.

[ann141]

I have never heard of a TA charging an agency fee apart from possibly a cancellation fee.Try a different TA and ask for a discount.Usually you can get a further discount to the price TA s are advertising the cruise online but sometimes you need to ask.Most TA s will price match so possibly go to another agent and say your TA is selling the cruise at £2416 and ask if they can better that.

[pete14]

1 hour ago, keeven said:

okay, the one I look at the official price is £2618, the agency price is £2416 plus £39 agency fee. So I could save  £163. I don't know if it is a good deal or not? I have used this TA a few times. I thought it was the cheapest I could find. 

But if I use the FCC, I will pay the full price plus £39 agency fee, which is not attractive at all.

Just guessing here but as this is using fcc, it is a replacement cruise rather than a new booking, so maybe P&O are not prepared to give the agent commission / discount bearing in mind they gave it on the original cancelled cruise. Hence no discount and a booking fee.

[majortom10]

1 hour ago, keeven said:

okay, the one I look at the official price is £2618, the agency price is £2416 plus £39 agency fee. So I could save  £163. I don't know if it is a good deal or not? I have used this TA a few times. I thought it was the cheapest I could find. 

But if I use the FCC, I will pay the full price plus £39 agency fee, which is not attractive at all.

Simple dump the TA they dont deserve business if they are asking for an agency fee. Would be interesting to find out why they are charging an agency fee and how do they justify it.

[Son of Anarchy]

Unfortunately, as we have seen, the cruise operators and others in the travel industry have been playing hard ball in these times, disregarding legislation regarding refunds.

 

Could this previously unheard of paying the agent's fee malarkey be the thin end of the wedge of a new normal for the travel industry?  Although we tend to book direct anyway, this scenario would certainly put me off further from using a TA.

Edited July 3, 2020 by Son of Anarchy

[wowzz]

I suppose that if it is still substantially cheaper, even after paying a fee, than booking direct, it still makes sense to book

through a TA

[pete14]

1 hour ago, majortom10 said:

Simple dump the TA they dont deserve business if they are asking for an agency fee. Would be interesting to find out why they are charging an agency fee and how do they justify it.

Presumably those who do not charge an agency fee give smaller discounts in order to recoup their costs. It is the bottom line that matters, not how the bottom line is arrived at. 

[jeanlyon]

I've never heard of an Agency fee.  We used to use an agency a long time ago who took a 20% deposit, plus they wanted the balance 4 months before the cruise.  We didn't use them again!

[Bazrat]

We have not used an agent for years always booked direct 

[Tikka234]

Phone P.O. They rebook very easy process I found them very helpful. Are cancelled cruise was with Tui  could not get hold of them at at my cruise was in May they eventually phoned me in June to say cruise cancelled and what did I want to do with my FCC ? I said I have already booked direct with Po. 

I also have a cruise book through a local TA for next year I wanted to make a change they were very helpful no problem getting hold of them during shutdown. 

Neither charged a booking fee.

[keeven]

The problem for me is P&O has not issued the FCC for me yet although I phoned P&O once and my TA contacted P&O twice. I can't rebook until the FCC is issued. However the TA said they can book for me even the FCC is not issued, they can handle with that later. I do want to rebook asap in afraid of the price might go up further (although it is already high for next summer) 

I will phone P&O again

[Pennbank]

3 hours ago, keeven said:

The problem for me is P&O has not issued the FCC for me yet although I phoned P&O once and my TA contacted P&O twice. I can't rebook until the FCC is issued. However the TA said they can book for me even the FCC is not issued, they can handle with that later. I do want to rebook asap in afraid of the price might go up further (although it is already high for next summer) 

I will phone P&O again

I suggest contact P&O Directly, If you have any FCC available  or Future Cruise Deposit (FCD)  it should be recorded against your P&O Peninsular Club number. P&O will be able to look up your "cancelled" Voyage reference and cross reference it. With their Complete Cruise Solution booking engine.

 

 

Edited July 4, 2020 by Pennbank

[happy v]

7 hours ago, keeven said:

The problem for me is P&O has not issued the FCC for me yet although I phoned P&O once and my TA contacted P&O twice. I can't rebook until the FCC is issued. However the TA said they can book for me even the FCC is not issued, they can handle with that later. I do want to rebook asap in afraid of the price might go up further (although it is already high for next summer) 

I will phone P&O again

P&O can definitely rebook before your FCC is issued. I did it.

[Son of Anarchy]

17 hours ago, happy v said:

P&O can definitely rebook before your FCC is issued. I did it.

Same here.

[pete14]

36 minutes ago, Son of Anarchy said:

Same here.

And us

[sidekick180]

I have never used a T/A I have only ever booked direct with P&O. they have always been very helpful and the deals have always been pretty fair, especially with the OBC. Obviously, a bit more difficult to get through on the phone at the moment, but I will still only book direct with them. Mind you, only if they manage to sort out the problem I currently have with my booking on Britannia for next April.

[Bazrat]

On 7/4/2020 at 11:22 AM, keeven said:

The problem for me is P&O has not issued the FCC for me yet although I phoned P&O once and my TA contacted P&O twice. I can't rebook until the FCC is issued. However the TA said they can book for me even the FCC is not issued, they can handle with that later. I do want to rebook asap in afraid of the price might go up further (although it is already high for next summer) 

I will phone P&O again

We booked our next cruise using the fcc not showing yet on our booking so we phoned them and they told us wait till the payment due if not shown than they will do it manually.

[DamianG]

On 7/4/2020 at 11:22 AM, keeven said:

The problem for me is P&O has not issued the FCC for me yet although I phoned P&O once and my TA contacted P&O twice. I can't rebook until the FCC is issued. However the TA said they can book for me even the FCC is not issued, they can handle with that later. I do want to rebook asap in afraid of the price might go up further (although it is already high for next summer) 

I will phone P&O again

 

Does your FCC cover the full cost of the new cruise (or nearly cover it)? If it does then maybe that is why the TA has made you a counter offer of a cheaper price for cash as essentially that is a new booking for them with the associated commission that they will make.

 

Alternatively, if they make the booking on your behalf using your FCC then what is in it for them? They would be only assisting you to use up your credit with P&O (not generating a new cash sale with the associated commission) hence the seemingly newly invented agency fee for their services.

 

Or is this theory too simplistic?

 

Edited July 23, 2020 by DamianG