Agency/Cunard payment situation

[Casshew]

What do you all think about this? :eek: (apologies for the long-windedness)

 

I booked 2 cabins last April for a 2008 QM2 Cruise, under deposit on my Visa.

 

In July the agency wrote me about a promotion that if I paid in full immediately I'd receive 10% off the cruise price plus 100.00 per cabin OBC.

 

Sounded good to me so I went for it and paid with my Visa again.

 

Last night when I was looking at my Visa Statement for something else.. I noticed the balance of the cruise was posted as the Agency name on my credit card statement... but the deposit was posted as Cunard.

 

I wrote the Agent this morning and asked if my cruise was paid in full with Cunard.

 

She just replied no, that they hold the money and pay Cunard next year. :eek:

 

This alarms me somehow... what if something happens to the Agency? what if they forget to pay and the cruise is cancelled or something?

 

What do you think?

[lvtotrvl1]

As an agent who has worked for a few very large agencies, I can say that we never charged the clients credit card...it was always passed to the cruiseline. I am not saying I haven't heard of it, but I would feel the same as you...I would let them know that you were not aware of this practice, and you would like them to pass the payment to Cunard now. Also as for the Cunard's confirmation (not the agency confirmation)showing payment in full.

[3rdGenCunarder]

As an agent who has worked for a few very large agencies, I can say that we never charged the clients credit card...it was always passed to the cruiseline. I am not saying I haven't heard of it, but I would feel the same as you...I would let them know that you were not aware of this practice, and you would like them to pass the payment to Cunard now. Also as for the Cunard's confirmation (not the agency confirmation)showing payment in full.

 

I never thought about it, but I never see the agency name on a credit card statement, just Cunard.

 

Casshew, I'd start looking for a new agent.

 

Kathy

[Casshew]

It's like they needed a Cash Infusion and that's why the promotion was offered. I honestly thought it was a CUNARD thing, but I must admit I wondered why I didn't see it mentioned here on the board.

[Casshew]

It's like they needed a Cash Infusion and that's why the promotion was offered. I honestly thought it was a CUNARD thing, but I must admit I wondered why I didn't see it mentioned here on the board.

[Linerguy]

Your booking may be part of a group booking and the $100.00 OBC may be what is known as a 'Group Amenity'; which is possible if a group is of a certain size. Though it's not the norm, the agency may be holding your payment to simply draw interest on it; they may stand to make back in interest more than the 10% discount they gave you.

 

I absolutley guarantee you though that the 10% discount for paying in full is NOT a Cunard promotion.

 

 

-Russ

[ocngypz]

I have heard of these promotions before. It is actually a credit card promo and that is the way it's handled by some agencies.

 

Also, many times with groups, payment is taken inhouse and one lump sum payment is made to the cruiseline to be posted at the group level.

 

You'll find the larger vetted agencies use paragraph #2. especially when they've blocked group space on a large group contract.

[Casshew]

Well the Agency assures me they are a very large and busy agency, mostly with internet sales and they aren't about to fold at any moment.

 

I am going to contact my credit card company and see if there is any protection should an agency holding my payment go belly up. Depending on what they say I will make a decision on what to do.

 

I think the agency should be explaining the promotion more throughly, I re read the email with the offer and it just said "We are running a promotion"

 

I should have realized that it was 'them' and not Cunard but I just didn't make the connection at the time. If I hadn't noticed the credit card statements last night - one Cunard billing, one Agency billing I would have still been clueless.

 

Having said that, it was a substancial savings as I have 2 cabins booked, one of them an A2, one a D4 just across the hall.

[travel-to-go]

Let's see 10% off the cruise price. What is the interest rate on a credit card- Interest they are in effect making (well, the time value of money) while you have nothing to show for it.

I smell something funny here and it is not warm sea air.

Despite Babette's reply, I would be highly suspicious. I have never heard of my agency doing that and the owner is a big groups promoter. I'm not sayin git isn't done, or couldn't be legit, but I might go so far as to call Cunard and ask them what they think. Do you have a guest copy of your booking confirmation from the agency? Find out your booking price code. It could be a clue to whether they have booked group space (which, if they area large agency and an internet agency, I am quite sure they do.) You might ask for guarantees from Cunard that they will honor this, since they don't have money in hand!

How much interest could you make if you put that money into, say, a 6 months certificate of deposit? Could you make 10% on it? Then you might want to ask for a refund until the money is due, or for them to apply it with Cunard.

aybe I'm paranoid, but the reason I became a travel agent was that a friend was running a group (not as a TA- just as someone who wanted to get a bunch of people together for a fun cruise) with a cruise line. They recommended a Florida based travel agency the next time she did this (She ran several of these small ship cruises) Just before the cruise, the agency went belly up (They also were a large all-cruise agency, well known on the internet) The line honored their cruse bookings and payments, but they were out their air, and had to scramble to find air at all! (This friend lives in Spokane Washington and the cruise left out of Tortola! So she and I both looked up our local junior/community college curriculum and took courses! We knew we could do better than that!

I just do this mainly for myself and a few friends, and always give them the caveat that I really am not as good as someone who does this for a living and can't possibly stay up on all of the faxed specials and emails from each travel company, what with my "real" job.

So I am far from an expert. (far, FAR) But this sounds fishy to me, and again, it's not the flying fish jumping in the wake I smell!

Of course, Babette is much much more experienced and knowledgeable than I- perhaps she has seen this often as an industry practice, but I have not. I have seen people do groups and ask for more than the minimum deposit so they can hold the entire group, but the money is given to the cruise line, not kept in the agency's bank account or used to fund their daily operations. No matter how big they are, many, many travel agencies are in trouble these days. the owner of mine gobbled up several smaller agencies as they started to fall.

 

Just my opinion, and I've been wrong before.

 

Karie,

 

"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean their NOT out to get you! "

[Casshew]

Hi Karie, it's not just the 10%. The fare I received was considerably lower than anything online or at the Cunard site to start with, then add the 10% discount that came later. They must have some ver low negotiated fares, apparently they specialize in Cunard.

 

I'll let you know what happens.

[ocngypz]

Hi Karie, it's not just the 10%. The fare I received was considerably lower than anything online or at the Cunard site to start with, then add the 10% discount that came later. They must have some ver low negotiated fares, apparently they specialize in Cunard.

 

I'll let you know what happens.

 

Canadian or US based agency???

 

The lower rate to start with tells me it was a group rate.

 

As an FYI, there are many times when POLAR just won't accept someone's credit card. If the address doesn't fit exactly into the fields provided, payment doesn't go through. Likewise, I've had perfect addresses, but the credit card issuer denied the charge through POLAR (happened to my own), yet no problem with the card issuer accepting the charges when I ran the card (including my own) inhouse. The credit issuers are getting really weird. I had no problem with one card.. charging $7000+ through the cruiseline, yet when I used the same card for $3000 with another cruiseline, the charges were denied.

 

And then, we have the new electronic funds bank to bank transfer system POLAR has set up which minimizes time and paperwork both at Princess/Cunard and the agencies.

 

Ratecodes do not appear on client copies of the invoices from Cunard. Just a group identifier iif there is a group.

 

Also, there are some Canadian travel agencies which go through a buying group in Canada.

 

Also, the 10% which came later, could have been really a refare and not a discount at all.

 

What you can request, is a copy of the Cunard client invoice which shows you paid in full.

[Casshew]

It was a US Agency based in Florida.

 

It was not an address issue. The agent has confirmed that they processed the balance payment themselves, not Cunard and they pay Cunard this spring when final is due.

 

It's possible that prices dropped since I booked and that is why they can offer 10% more. I haven't checked the pricing because I was very happy with the rates I received for the 2 cabins, I'm not going to shop around.

[Piton1]

It's like they needed a Cash Infusion and that's why the promotion was offered. I honestly thought it was a CUNARD thing, but I must admit I wondered why I didn't see it mentioned here on the board.

 

Casshew,

 

We recently had a similar type experience. The agency I dealt with offered a substantial savings if I were to pay in full via certified check, wire transfer or bank check. In that the funds were going to be payable to the agency I opted to decline the offer. I did make the deposit via credit card and called my cc company to verify amount and payee, which was Cunard. Several weeks have gone by and I still have not received a confirmation from the agent.

 

Can one transfer a booking from one agency to another and if so how do you do it and when would be the best time?

 

Paul

[ocngypz]

Casshew,

 

We recently had a similar type experience. The agency I dealt with offered a substantial savings if I were to pay in full via certified check, wire transfer or bank check. In that the funds were going to be payable to the agency I opted to decline the offer. I did make the deposit via credit card and called my cc company to verify amount and payee, which was Cunard. Several weeks have gone by and I still have not received a confirmation from the agent.

 

Can one transfer a booking from one agency to another and if so how do you do it and when would be the best time?

 

Paul

 

 

You can transfer from one agency to another. I don't know if Cunard uses the same method as Princess, but this is the way it works at Princess.

 

First you have to speak to rez, then they put you through to Customer Service. You have to send a letter... fax is fine... with your signature stating that you want your booking moved from the current agency to whomever. You can pick another agency or have Cunard hold onto the booking for the time being. If you are giving it to another agency, you will need the agents name, agency name and the agency's local phone number on record with Cunard. Their 800 will not work. Keep in mind, too that your rate may change. The current agency may have group space, Cunard won't and the new agency may not either.

 

Again, this is the way it works with Princess. The only experience I've had with Cunard is a client switching their direct booking with Cunard over to me.

 

If Cunard does not operate the same, then you would have to cancel your original booking and then rebook with a new agency.

 

Best time, asap.

 

I am astounded that agencies are asking upfront for wire transfers, cashier's checks, etc. in THEIR NAME.

 

Sometimes it's too bad Cruise Critic doesn't let us name the stinker agencies.

[Piton1]

 

I am astounded that agencies are asking upfront for wire transfers, cashier's checks, etc. in THEIR NAME.

 

Sometimes it's too bad Cruise Critic doesn't let us name the stinker agencies.

 

My thought on the matter is that it's probably a cash flow problem. Now, if you have a deposit on a cabin and the TA goes out of business (whether before final payment or after) how would Cunard handle the booking?

 

Paul

[ocngypz]

My thought on the matter is that it's probably a cash flow problem. Now, if you have a deposit on a cabin and the TA goes out of business (whether before final payment or after) how would Cunard handle the booking?

 

Paul

 

If an agency is having a cashflow problem, and they are asking for payment upfront in THEIR NAME, I'd avoid them like the plague.

 

If the deposit has been paid to Cunard and the agency goes under before final is due, you'd need to speak with Cunard. I truly don't know how this would be handled, if the agency's commissions would remain with Cunard.. or if the commissions would be paid out to the receiver of record for the agency.

 

If the agency is in such dire straits and wants final payment in THEIR NAME, it would be a snowball's day in hades before I'd give them anything in their name. They can use your credit card to make final payment as long as they are running the card through Cunard not inhouse.

[travel-to-go]

And since you can cancel up to 90 days before with no penalty, what would they do if you asked to cancel?

 

(to lazy to look up the actual penalty dates and percentages, but it is moot, since this is well within that period.

 

 

Honestly, I would call Cunard and tell them what is going on. they may say it is perfectly fine and they are having no problems with the agency. Or they may start looking into any missed or late payments or other problems with that agency.

 

Do what you can ahead of time to protect you investment.

Like I said, this could be perfectly legit. But it sounds fishy to me.

 

Karie

[smeyer418]

While a good deal of skepticism is appropriate, until you have more information you really don't know if they are doing you wrong or not. There are times that it is wholly appropriate for the agency to charge the credit card in their own name. I just don't know if this is one of those times. Just a reminder you have 60 days from the date of the statement this charge appears on your credit card to dispute it(under US law-for fraud) and most credit card companies are strict about that limit.