Shoppers Beware on Sun Princess

[Hobby3333]

Just a heads up for what it’s worth.  My wife went into a clothing shop on Sun Princess couple weeks ago.  She asked to try on a Tommy Bahama dress and we were told there is no changing room.  I asked if we could take the dress to our cabin to try on.  Sales person wrote a handwritten receipt and we took the dress to try on.  Fifteen minutes later we brought the dress back and signed a receipt to purchase the dress.   That was the next to last night on the cruise.   The morning of departure, I noticed that we were charged twice and it was the exact same amount.  We made a quick stop at CS and they said that they would have to look into the charge.   When I got home I called Princess and explained what happened.  We were assigned another CS and she contacted the shop.  She was told that we didn’t take the dress to our cabin but a SAMA blouse.  The legitimate receipt was produced for the dress and the handwritten receipt (which was placed over anther receipt) for the Tommy Bahama dress to take to our cabin to try on.   
 

Lesson learned:  I should have had the sales person tear up the receipt that was handwritten.   Now I have gotten my credit card company involved.  I worked in the judicial system in Texas for 36 years.   I would never try to not pay for anything that I bought.
 

one and done with Princess. 

[arizonaperson]

Sorry this happened,but your credit card will do all the investigations now.

I know all Princess ships are different and no I don’t believe they’ve ever had a changing room in the store.

Usually they make you purchase the item and then if it doesn’t fit or you don’t like how it fits, etc. you bring it back for a refund. One receipt for buying, no handwritten “ note”. At least my experience.

Edited August 7 by arizonaperson

[Teechur]

1 hour ago, Hobby3333 said:

 

one and done with Princess. 

This seems a bit overreactive. The shops rent space on the ships and their employee who made this mistake doesn't even work for Princess. I am sure this will be resolved in your favor.

[Sprocket]

Too late for this now  since you have disputed  the charge but I would have sent Princess a private message on Instagram.  They are very good at handling disputes once you’re off the ship.

Hope it gets resolved soon.

[julia]

So, other than a simple to fix problem with a shop, how was your cruise? You are very quick to write off an entire cruise line...

[Esprit]

When I am on Sun Princess this Saturday I will ask my wife to check what the shop's exact policy is regarding such an occurrence.

[Hobby3333]

9 hours ago, julia said:

So, other than a simple to fix problem with a shop, how was your cruise? You are very quick to write off an entire cruise line...

For full disclosure, the cruise was good.  We stayed in S9 and enjoyed the suite lounge and the Suite area and service by the pool.   We didn’t care much for the location of suite dining room.  Too much noise from the outside.   I believe the Reserve Dining room was the better location.   I really didn’t like the layout of the Sun Princess.   Our room steward wasn’t very good.   I understand that the staff at the shops are independent of Princess.   I have been on over 60 cruises and for us, we just enjoy HAL more.   

[Kenhel]

I have always wondered why cruise ship clothing stores do not have change rooms? 

[TRLD]

My experience is when you take anything out of the shops it gets recorded as a sale, then if you decide against it, it gets processed as a return. If you like it then you do nothing and the sale stands.

 

[ldubs]

There is a very good lesson here.  At least for those of us who hadn't thought of this issue before.   It is better to buy and then return for refund if it doesn't fit. 

 

Sorry it happened and thanks for sharing the experience.  

 

 

[SCX22]

Princess must be having a fun time with credit card chargebacks.  They are hiring in Santa Clarita for a Senior Collections Coordinator.  If they got their folio accounting straightened out, they wouldn't have these problems.  

[whitecap]

Just my thoughts about this issue:  Princess went to a system where the shops are run by an outside company and the prices went up on everything, sales events went down or weren't sales at all; then Princess went to an outside company to run the Future Cruise office and my experience with them was very negative as we tried for 4 days to get the consultant to book a cruise and she was unable to get the booking done even after contacting her bosses several times.  Our last few cruises, we've had over 50 with Princess, we buy very little aboard ship, doing our shopping at the ports.

[Cruisemeister2002]

I think the problem is the shops as on most ships the cruise Company rent out the space and maybe the shop had a shortfall on their till and you just happened to be the person who made up the shortfall. Obviously only a theory. Mistakes do happen. We were buying a handbag for my wife, the assistance when printing the receipt quoted the price. I had to remind her that on that particular day there was a discount that needed to be applied. She obliged by tearing up the first receipt and issuing one with the discount applied.

[startedwithamouse]

23 hours ago, Kenhel said:

I have always wondered why cruise ship clothing stores do not have change rooms? 

Because your cabins are a few minutes away.

[555]

On 8/7/2024 at 6:20 PM, Kenhel said:

I have always wondered why cruise ship clothing stores do not have change rooms? 

Probably because changing rooms take up valuable space?

Although they could setup some removable screens.

 

 

On 8/7/2024 at 9:28 PM, ldubs said:

There is a very good lesson here.  At least for those of us who hadn't thought of this issue before.   It is better to buy and then return for refund if it doesn't fit. 

 

That's what my wife does. 

[Cruisemeister2002]

I don't find myself buying clothes on cruise ships. Sometimes I have bought watches and my wife has often bought handbags. I understand Princess now sell pre-loved Chanel handbags. I'll have to tear the pages out in the Patter if they advertise.

[startedwithamouse]

3 hours ago, Cruisemeister2002 said:

I don't find myself buying clothes on cruise ships. Sometimes I have bought watches and my wife has often bought handbags. I understand Princess now sell pre-loved Chanel handbags. I'll have to tear the pages out in the Patter if they advertise.

You just have to walk by the shops to see the bags. They have Celine, Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, etc. All pre-loved, no manufacturer warranty.

[Cruisemeister2002]

2 hours ago, startedwithamouse said:

You just have to walk by the shops to see the bags. They have Celine, Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, etc. All pre-loved, no manufacturer warranty.

Maybe not only tearing the adverts out of the Patter but a pair of blinkers to put on the wife whilst passing the shops as well ?

2 hours ago, startedwithamouse said:

You just have to walk by the shops to see the bags. They have Celine, Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, etc. All pre-loved, no manufacturer warranty.

 

[voljeep]

2 minutes ago, Cruisemeister2002 said:

Maybe not only tearing the adverts out of the Patter but a pair of blinkers to put on the wife whilst passing the shops as well ?

 

nah, just wait and go to the straw markets - they'll have the same bags ... just might be spelled a little different - Cuggi purses

[Cruisemeister2002]

11 minutes ago, voljeep said:

nah, just wait and go to the straw markets - they'll have the same bags ... just might be spelled a little different - Cuggi purses

Or maybe Dolce and Banana.

[voljeep]

2 minutes ago, Cruisemeister2002 said:

Or maybe Dolce and Banana.

and a card attached for a worldwide, lifetime warranty on the workmanship 

[Cruisemeister2002]

2 minutes ago, voljeep said:

and a card attached for a worldwide, lifetime warranty on the workmanship 

They do watches like that as well. Lifetime guarantee, once it goes wrong it slashes your wrist.

[Rick&Jeannie]

3 hours ago, startedwithamouse said:

 All pre-loved, no manufacturer warranty.

I always laugh when I hear that term.  They obviously weren't loved enough by the original owner to keep!

[Teechur]

On my first European urban backpacking adventure in 1975, I recall seeing knockoffs of the "Fruit of the Loom" brand on T-shirts. They said: "GREENS VEGETABLES ON THE LOOP", lol! 

Gotta wonder why? Fruit of the Loom is hardly an enviable luxury brand.

 

[startedwithamouse]

4 hours ago, SCX22 said:

This really only applies to Hermes and only on coveted pieces like the Kelly, Birkin, or Constance.  Other luxury brands don’t really appreciate unless it’s a limited edition piece like Virgil Abloh’s collections from LV.  Even the preowned Rolex market is softening.  It was nothing like it was during the pandemic.

 

I think it’s also a generational thing where the younger generation is about fast fashion.  They always want the latest “it” item so they sell something the “it” item of the past so they can finance the current “it” item.  It’s to the benefit of designers (high end, low end, and anything in between) because they always have customers.   
 

Anyway, I would never purchase preowned from a ship because the prices are ridiculous.  The Rolexes don’t even come with original boxes or papers.  I’ve never actually ever seen any one purchase anything pre owned from the ships because of this.  I was on the Majestic in June 2023 and again in April 2024 and the shop keepers were dusting off the same pre owned bags were on display on both cruises which just goes to show how little interest real buyers have.  There’s always lookie loos.

 

There's more which increase. Just not what princess carries. Wouldn't touch what they're selling either. We get luxury goods directly from the retailer with warranty and receipt for resale and insurance purposes.

Edited August 10 by startedwithamouse