Seabourn's Luggage Forward Service

[markham]

I was wondering how satisfied people are with this service.

 

When I was on the Odyssey recently I contracted with this Boston company through Seabourn Square to ship one suitcase home. The price was for a 25 pound suitcase, quoted with my Diamond 20% discount. When I left the suitcase on Dubai pier for the luggage forward service to take they immediately charged the full amount and I have been trying to get the refund for several days through my excellent travel agent. He has supplied them the shipping reference number and airway bill number. My luggage was delivered a few days ago.

 

Seabourn UK says that the service is not their concern and all dealings should be through Luggage Forward.

 

Anyone have similar problems, suggestions etc?

 

Thanks!

[Dumbtexan]

They picked up our bags from home Tuesday. I read generally good reviews on them and virtuoso recommends them as well. Unfortunately, we have been off to a rocky start. They told us our paperwork for the bags would arrive to our home the day before pick up, but it never did. Needless to say we were a little nervous when a random person in an unmarked vehicle came to our house to pick up the bags without any paperwork. Some of this confusion may have to do with the bombings in Boston as they had to shut down their office on Monday.

 

To their credit, they did try to make it up to us by providing the tracking numbers of our bags on FedEx (they don't usually do this to avoid customers fretting over customs holds). Thus far the bags seems to be appropriately en route to Venice. They have also successfully sent out outgoing paperwork (two copies of it for some reason). So the jury is still out, and I will try to remember to post a follow up on the service when the journey has been completed.

[ravenclaw]

Our experience has been extraordinary. Used them at the end of the 2012 world cruise, 4 suitcases from Venice to the USA and all logistics worked out perfectly. Matter of fact upon disembarking at Venice terminal to collect our bags used for a post-cruise trip, forgot one piece of luggage and only realized it, (duh), upon arriving in London hotel later in the day. Contacted Luggage Forward via email from London with all details and by the next day they had retrieved the luggage in Venice and shipped it to USA per instructions.

Will use them again for upcoming fall 45 day cruise.

Excellent service and execution in my opinion.

[markham]

Assuming you have had billings done in error by them and/or Seabourn, do you think Seabourn should be involved?

It just does not seem right to me that Seabourn offers the Diamond discount to me and then does not want to step up when the shipping agent charges the wrong amount.

Maybe in a few days I will have to call Seattle to make the case given that Seabourn's UK office does not want to get involved.

 

Any opinions?

 

I will revert when this episode is concluded and I get the refund I know I am due.

[wripro]

I agree, Markham. The 20% off is a Seabourn benefit, not Luggage Forward benefit. Seems ot me Seabourn should make good on this somehow.

[JaneBP]

I have had no problems and have used them for several trips. What is the Diamond Discount?

[wripro]

If you are a Diamond member (250 days or more) you get a 20% discount on luggage shipping.

[ravenclaw]

Assuming you have had billings done in error by them and/or Seabourn, do you think Seabourn should be involved?

It just does not seem right to me that Seabourn offers the Diamond discount to me and then does not want to step up when the shipping agent charges the wrong amount.

Maybe in a few days I will have to call Seattle to make the case given that Seabourn's UK office does not want to get involved.

 

Any opinions?

 

I will revert when this episode is concluded and I get the refund I know I am due.

 

If you get nowhere with Seabourn, you may want to drop an e-mail to this Luggage Forward manager I met back on a Seabourn cruise. Assuming he's still with the firm, Mr. J.V is a Manager of Strategic Partnerships, (Seabourn is a partner), and is obviously familiar with the coordination between the two.

Perhaps he can refer you to someone in their billing/accounting department that may sort out your issue.

He's at: joshua_veryser at luggageforward.com

[JaneBP]

If you are a Diamond member (250 days or more) you get a 20% discount on luggage shipping.

 

Thanks, I missed that somehow. Will see how that discount works in July.

[Miss Jet Set]

I was wondering how satisfied people are with this service.

 

When I was on the Odyssey recently I contracted with this Boston company through Seabourn Square to ship one suitcase home. The price was for a 25 pound suitcase, quoted with my Diamond 20% discount. When I left the suitcase on Dubai pier for the luggage forward service to take they immediately charged the full amount and I have been trying to get the refund for several days through my excellent travel agent. He has supplied them the shipping reference number and airway bill number. My luggage was delivered a few days ago.

 

Seabourn UK says that the service is not their concern and all dealings should be through Luggage Forward.

 

Anyone have similar problems, suggestions etc?

 

Thanks!

 

Assuming you have had billings done in error by them and/or Seabourn, do you think Seabourn should be involved?

It just does not seem right to me that Seabourn offers the Diamond discount to me and then does not want to step up when the shipping agent charges the wrong amount.

Maybe in a few days I will have to call Seattle to make the case given that Seabourn's UK office does not want to get involved.

 

Any opinions?

 

I will revert when this episode is concluded and I get the refund I know I am due.

 

 

 

I have recent dealings (two weeks ago) both with Seabourn Luggage

and with Luggage Forward.

When my tracking number was not recognized I contacted Seabourn

(Seattle) however after 4 EM's with no response I contacted Luggage

Forward direct who responded immediately as they always do (If only

other firms were as efficient) as I had not booked with them direct it was

not their responsibility but they immediately contacted Seabourn and that

is when action happened. My case was still in Dubai minus the labels

which I found very strange as the only way to remove them is to cut

them off. From then on Seabourn did their utmost to find it and get

it delivered to my home.

 

My footnote to all this is I have been dealing with both SB and LF

for several years and never had a problem before. However I would

like to point out the difference in the price was $6 after claiming my

20% discount from SB so my suggestion is check the prices from both

before booking.

P.S. I found ANY problems, countacting SB UK is a complete waste of

time.

[CraftyEC]

. However I would

like to point out the difference in the price was $6 after claiming my

20% discount from SB so my suggestion is check the prices from both

before booking.

SB must greatly inflate the price, to have such a small difference. The price on the LF site for a hypothetical standard bag from Rome to UK is $194, and for a bag from Rio de Janeira to the UK is $454 so SB would have to be charging around $225 and $538 per bag respectively for it to work out like that. I looked at this briefly for our fall cruise, but it would be much, much cheaper to pay excess baggage, even if it means dragging an extra bag :(.

[markham]

I have just heard from my TA that the refund will be processed. According to the luggage forward company no one at Seabourn instructed the 20% discount and consequently none was given when the charge was put through on my credit card. So if someone is planning on booking the service while on board (as I did), remind Seabourn Square to make sure any discount is correctly applied.

 

Happy cruising!

[wripro]

Glad it worked out, Markham.

[markham]

Thanks Wripro!

The devil was in the detail.

Happy cruising!