Need Advice OnBoard Credit Issue

[mmckm]

I don't know if the TA was 'sketchy' but I do know the only way to find out is to contact Princess.

 

Princess has nothing to do with this. It's between the TA and the OP. Princess is not going to hand you $300 obc based on a invoice from your TA. That invoice has nothing to do with Princess.

[RocketMan275]

Princess has nothing to do with this. It's between the TA and the OP. Princess is not going to hand you $300 obc based on a invoice from your TA. That invoice has nothing to do with Princess.

 

I didn't say they would give OP the $300. If it can be established that the TA is not being honest with clients and is pocketing OBC then Princess may wish to get involved and, perhaps, to sever their relationship. Dishonest TA can be harmful to Princess reputation.

 

Generally speaking, it is possible to book a cruise that has a cruise line provided promo without the promo for a lesser amount. Is it possible that the TA booked the cruise with Princess without the $300 OBC promo which would result in a lower cost to the TA and then charged OP the full promo price? You would have to talk to Princess to find out.

 

OP needs to see the TA invoice with Princess.

If TA properly booked the cruise, then Princess is on the hook for the $300.

If TA screwed the booking, then TA is on the hook.

Edited July 14, 2016 by RocketMan275

[mmckm]

If Princess gave the $300 on board credit and the TA didn't apply it its not Princess fault. Why would they get involved you decided not to go through them and got burned. If you book through a TA and you showed up at the port and the TA didn't make payments for your cruise but you had a invoice saying you had payed in full from a TA do you think Princess should let you board even though they didn't get payed. No way. The TA would be the one you have to go after. Princess can stop dealing with the TA if they chose but the $300 is not their responsibility. Thats why when you deal with a TA Princess will not speak with you about most problems, they will only talk with the TA.

[TNTLAMB]

More and more frequently TAs are not acting as true agents but rather as consolidators/resellers. I can promise you Princess very MUCH wants to know what's going on and will get involved when appropriate. They do NOT hesitate to sever a relationship when things go back. As princess expands their call centers (now locating them by market) their ultimate goal is to reestablish more control of how and who is marketing their product. They can NOT afford to have a bad actor. The traditional TA is disappearing quicker than Main Street retail.

 

In this situation it appears you are indeed dealing with a consolidators/reseller and that the particular agent you dealt with is an independent contractor working "with" not for what you are calling an agency selling off their inventory. The closest parallel in the retail industry is Amazon. When you buy from Amazon, you are actually buying from someone else. Amazon being very protective of their operation assures customer satisfaction. Your TA not so much.

[RocketMan275]

If Princess gave the $300 on board credit and the TA didn't apply it its not Princess fault. Why would they get involved you decided not to go through them and got burned. If you book through a TA and you showed up at the port and the TA didn't make payments for your cruise but you had a invoice saying you had payed in full from a TA do you think Princess should let you board even though they didn't get payed. No way. The TA would be the one you have to go after. Princess can stop dealing with the TA if they chose but the $300 is not their responsibility. Thats why when you deal with a TA Princess will not speak with you about most problems, they will only talk with the TA.

 

At this point, we do not know who was responsible for the $300 OBC. There are several possibilities:

- OP could be mistaken.

- The TA could have screwed up.

- Princess could have screwed up.

 

The only way responsibility can be established is to compare the TA generated invoice with the invoice generated by Princess and the on-board folio. The only way to get the Princess invoice and the folio is to contact Princess.

 

If it can be established that Princess advertised the $300 OBC promo, the TA properly booked the promo, and the OP paid for that promo, it does become the responsibility of Princess.

[flip side of fifty]

At this point, we do not know who was responsible for the $300 OBC. There are several possibilities:

- OP could be mistaken.

- The TA could have screwed up.

- Princess could have screwed up.

 

The only way responsibility can be established is to compare the TA generated invoice with the invoice generated by Princess and the on-board folio. The only way to get the Princess invoice and the folio is to contact Princess.

 

If it can be established that Princess advertised the $300 OBC promo, the TA properly booked the promo, and the OP paid for that promo, it does become the responsibility of Princess.

 

I agree with Rocket Man 275

 

I know that mine is not the same situation. I had a credit provided through Princess while on board as a result of a "situation". I received a check for my remaining balance over a month after I got off the cruise (it took a little time - and emails -but I got it).

 

My point is that I emailed Princess and provided all the important information, and after researching, Princess provided me with a check. I emailed the information so that all the information was there and if the Princess low level employee that receives my original email needed to forward the information for approval, it could be done. Also, if I wanted to resend my email, I could (which I did).

 

Maybe it wasn't Princess's fault in the least, and maybe they will not send you a check, but for the goodwill it will generate, perhaps you could receive a future credit on your next cruise. It's worth the time and effort.

 

At the very least I think Princess needs to be informed of the TA's conduct.

[Cruisin Kay D]

I never followed up here about this missing OBC because it was still unresolved until recently. Only tonight did I remember I had started a thread here about our problem & needed to fill all in.

 

A few days after discussion here ended, I took advice you all gave me here & on July 18, I called Princess & was able to talk to a nice sympathetic Customer Relations woman, & I explained the full situation. She looked over our history/account with Princess, and clearly saw we booked at the beginning of that promotion but said that the TA "coded" our booking incorrectly, meaning we were not entitled to OBC from Princess. After talking over the whole situation & our 23 cruise history, the Princess representative said she would call the owner to discuss the situation, and would comp us something on our next Prin cruise. (I have no knowledge if she actually did talk to the owner.)

 

After 3 more weeks of waiting for a check, finally on Sunday night, Aug 7, I composed another email to the owner reviewing the whole situation, my 10+ year business with his company for at least 2 cruises per year, often bringing in new customers or taking our grandchildren or whole family along, my phone conversation with Princess, my inability to trust dealing with his agency, particularly the woman in his office to ever book us accurately again, my plan to consult my lawyer in next 2 weeks, my plan to present my bad experience on social media, etc. and sent it off.

 

The next afternoon (Monday Aug 8) I found a reply from the owner who wrote that he was sending $350 checks to us & to our friends who came with us. On Friday Aug 12, our friends received their check & on Saturday morning Aug 13, we received our check in the mail, and I immediately rushed to my bank & cashed it!!

[dickinson]

Thanks for the follow up! Glad you received the $$. I doubt I would ever book with this agency again as it seems it took a threat that you would contact your lawyer for them to do the right thing.

[Coral]

Glad you did what you did and thanks for the follow up!

[Platinum Cruisers2]

We have had more than this amount many times.

[Reader0108598]

I never followed up here about this missing OBC because it was still unresolved until recently. Only tonight did I remember I had started a thread here about our problem & needed to fill all in.

 

A few days after discussion here ended, I took advice you all gave me here & on July 18, I called Princess & was able to talk to a nice sympathetic Customer Relations woman, & I explained the full situation. She looked over our history/account with Princess, and clearly saw we booked at the beginning of that promotion but said that the TA "coded" our booking incorrectly, meaning we were not entitled to OBC from Princess. After talking over the whole situation & our 23 cruise history, the Princess representative said she would call the owner to discuss the situation, and would comp us something on our next Prin cruise. (I have no knowledge if she actually did talk to the owner.)

 

After 3 more weeks of waiting for a check, finally on Sunday night, Aug 7, I composed another email to the owner reviewing the whole situation, my 10+ year business with his company for at least 2 cruises per year, often bringing in new customers or taking our grandchildren or whole family along, my phone conversation with Princess, my inability to trust dealing with his agency, particularly the woman in his office to ever book us accurately again, my plan to consult my lawyer in next 2 weeks, my plan to present my bad experience on social media, etc. and sent it off.

 

The next afternoon (Monday Aug 8) I found a reply from the owner who wrote that he was sending $350 checks to us & to our friends who came with us. On Friday Aug 12, our friends received their check & on Saturday morning Aug 13, we received our check in the mail, and I immediately rushed to my bank & cashed it!!

 

 

 

Please do not book with that TA or agency again. They did the right thing AFTER you made them!!!

 

 

I had a similar situation a few years back when I booked with TA's. My 450.00 OBC was not on my account, I emailed the TA/Owner . That night it was all there.

 

Too bad her future cruises were more expensive ,than I could get on my own :(.

 

Thanks for the follow-up

 

Reader

Edited September 3, 2016 by Reader0108598

[Coral]

Please do not book with that TA or agency again. They did the right thing AFTER you made them!!!

 

 

I had a similar situation a few years back when I booked with TA's. My 450.00 OBC was not on my account, I emailed the TA/Owner . That night it was all there.

 

Too bad her future cruises were more expensive ,than I could get on my own :(.

 

Thanks for the follow-up

 

Reader

 

I agree! Find a better agency!

 

They lost out big time as it sounds like you did a lot of business with them and had a lot of referrals.

[pris993]

I don't know where to turn & need some advice. I booked a Princess Cruise for us & another couple through a travel agent we trusted & had used numerous times prior. She told us each couple would get a $300 OBC from Princess & $50 from her company and the invoice reflected that amenity. I know I am prohibited from naming this TA or the company but it is located in California & I live in Tennessee.

 

After a few days on ship, I discovered that we did NOT have any OBC attached to our account. I asked about it on ship at Guest Services & was told that Princess HQ had no record of us having an OBC. I called TA from the cruise, she said she would check on it & that we should have had it. She said we would get a check once we were home.

The cruise ended on April 24 and so far we have received NO $$$. I have called &/or emailed the TA weekly since the cruise and keep getting the "run around". I have even written the owner of the company who passed the email along to the woman I used. The TA eventually acknowledged she made a mistake, but has always said a check will be mailed to us "next week".

 

I have never talked to Princess directly, because it sounds like it is not their fault. However I feel like Princess needs to know about this huge mistake.

 

This was our 23rd Princess cruise and 47th cruise overall. This TA company (not this specific woman TA) has probably handled 15-20% of our cruises and I have also referred alot of friends & family to this company. For example, I brought her 4 new couples for our Canal cruise in January.

 

What sort of recourse do I have?

 

Had a similar situation about 10 years ago, when the TA we dealt with changed ownership, after we had booked a cruise. When we returned I contacted the TA, was told we could get the credit on the next cruise. We never had another cruise with that TA. Fool me once and I move on... best approach.