P&O admit switching the promised 10% 2020 discount to 5% - but won't honour the offer

[Harry Peterson]

A very tricky and deceitful company, P&O - or is it their Carnival paymasters? This is a follow-up from an earlier related thread because the full facts have now been exposed, and P&O are now finally admitting that they manipulated the prices originally offered in order to be able to charge customers more.

 

The original P&O prices issued in advance of the recent 2020 launch offered a 10% discount to past passengers. So far, so good. Except that when bookings were actually made on or after the launch date, passengers were only given a discount of 5% on those prices, instead of the advertised 10%.

 

To try to cover that over, P&O altered the prices so that anyone who didn't see them earlier wouldn't be aware of what they'd done. They then gave an apparent discount of 10% on the new higher prices - though in reality it was only a 5% discount, because they's already hiked the prices by 5% to cover over what was going on.

 

They now admit their 'mistake' and are apologising to any customers who complain. Some managed to get a price reduction to what had been originally advertised, but the line they're now taking appears to be to offer a token £50 OBC - a fraction of the overcharge they've actually profited from.

 

Not everyone is aware of the trick they've played on their loyal customers, but it leaves a nasty taste in the mouth, and any trust I once had in Carnival (and admittedly, it wasn't very great) has now evaporated. Trust has to be earned by honesty, integrity, fairness and straight-dealing. I don't see that here at all. They've offered a price, which was supposed to be fixed up to and including the launch day, offered a very well advertised discount of 10%, and then cynically manipulated discounts and prices to try to conceal the fact that the real discount was only ever 5%.

 

We've all been conned by P&O and I won't be forgetting that in a hurry. Or when I'm making those next bookings.

[majortom10]

A very tricky and deceitful company, P&O - or is it their Carnival paymasters? This is a follow-up from an earlier related thread because the full facts have now been exposed, and P&O are now finally admitting that they manipulated the prices originally offered in order to be able to charge customers more.

 

The original P&O prices issued in advance of the recent 2020 launch offered a 10% discount to past passengers. So far, so good. Except that when bookings were actually made on or after the launch date, passengers were only given a discount of 5% on those prices, instead of the advertised 10%.

 

To try to cover that over, P&O altered the prices so that anyone who didn't see them earlier wouldn't be aware of what they'd done. They then gave an apparent discount of 10% on the new higher prices - though in reality it was only a 5% discount, because they's already hiked the prices by 5% to cover over what was going on.

 

They now admit their 'mistake' and are apologising to any customers who complain. Some managed to get a price reduction to what had been originally advertised, but the line they're now taking appears to be to offer a token £50 OBC - a fraction of the overcharge they've actually profited from.

 

Not everyone is aware of the trick they've played on their loyal customers, but it leaves a nasty taste in the mouth, and any trust I once had in Carnival (and admittedly, it wasn't very great) has now evaporated. Trust has to be earned by honesty, integrity, fairness and straight-dealing. I don't see that here at all. They've offered a price, which was supposed to be fixed up to and including the launch day, offered a very well advertised discount of 10%, and then cynically manipulated discounts and prices to try to conceal the fact that the real discount was only ever 5%.

 

We've all been conned by P&O and I won't be forgetting that in a hurry. Or when I'm making those next bookings.

 

Not surprised one little bit after having dodgy practice done across me by P&O they are that expert at it that it would make Arthur Daley proud. I am surprised that nobody has complained to Trading Standards. Dont believe that it is a Carnival problem but P&O. We were affected last year by being double charged for the balance of a Princess cruise (also Carnival) by the card clearing company. My money was reimbursed and received phone call from Princess offering their deepest apologies and the offer of a freee Ultimate Beverage drinks package for my wife and I for our 14 nt cruise. We had friends who had cruises booked with P&O and who suffered the same problem some got nothing from P&O and the others £50 OBC maximum compensation.

Edited October 4, 2018 by majortom10

[Caravan 37]

A very tricky and deceitful company, P&O - or is it their Carnival paymasters? This is a follow-up from an earlier related thread because the full facts have now been exposed, and P&O are now finally admitting that they manipulated the prices originally offered in order to be able to charge customers more.

 

 

 

The original P&O prices issued in advance of the recent 2020 launch offered a 10% discount to past passengers. So far, so good. Except that when bookings were actually made on or after the launch date, passengers were only given a discount of 5% on those prices, instead of the advertised 10%.

 

 

 

To try to cover that over, P&O altered the prices so that anyone who didn't see them earlier wouldn't be aware of what they'd done. They then gave an apparent discount of 10% on the new higher prices - though in reality it was only a 5% discount, because they's already hiked the prices by 5% to cover over what was going on.

 

 

 

They now admit their 'mistake' and are apologising to any customers who complain. Some managed to get a price reduction to what had been originally advertised, but the line they're now taking appears to be to offer a token £50 OBC - a fraction of the overcharge they've actually profited from.

 

 

 

Not everyone is aware of the trick they've played on their loyal customers, but it leaves a nasty taste in the mouth, and any trust I once had in Carnival (and admittedly, it wasn't very great) has now evaporated. Trust has to be earned by honesty, integrity, fairness and straight-dealing. I don't see that here at all. They've offered a price, which was supposed to be fixed up to and including the launch day, offered a very well advertised discount of 10%, and then cynically manipulated discounts and prices to try to conceal the fact that the real discount was only ever 5%.

 

 

 

We've all been conned by P&O and I won't be forgetting that in a hurry. Or when I'm making those next bookings.

 

 

 

Seems that P&O have behaved appallingly if this is the case - now would be the time to show some integrity and make a public apology

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[ohnonotmeagain]

As I said on the previous thread,don't just moan here,take it further,what have you got to lose?

[Harry Peterson]

As I said on the previous thread,don't just moan here,take it further,what have you got to lose?

 

It's going to Trading Standards. And the Advertising Standards Authority. And ABTA.

 

This is a disgraceful piece of downright deceit by P&O, and although they'll admit they fouled up to individual customers who raise it with them they're refusing to put matters right - just a token trivial OBC credit.

 

I'm certain that in the long run it would cost them far less to settle the matter fairly now by giving customers the price they were promised, rather than seeing their name dragged across the media as the sort of company that makes promises it won't keep, and then tries to cover over with price manipulation and half-truths.

 

This is going to come back and bite them very hard indeed.

[groovechick]

Go to one of the TV consumer programmes, such as Watchdog, Fake Britain, etc. Trading Standards, the ASA etc are great but they work very slowly and it can all be forgotten about/swept under the carpet by the time they investigate and report their findings. Also, unless their findings are reported on the main news channels, they do not reach a wide audience. The TV programmes respond much faster and it scares the pants off the big corporations because the message reaches millions in one fell swoop.

[amajaa]

So we booked Iona on the first day of sale, through a travel agent. Strangely I did query the price with them and was told the advertised price already included the 5% discount for new customers so our price was the advertised price plus the 5% already taken off and then less the 10%.

So are you saying that price was wrong and we should have paid less, if so should we phone the TA or P& O.

[davecttr]

I have the suspicion that Carnival are using P&O as their cash cow. Offer the cheapest product you can and dress it up so mutton looks like lamb. After all the british don't complain, or rather they do moan a lot but don't follow it up by trying a different cruise line. We pay for our cruises in pounds and Carnivals revenue stream from P&O took a hefty hit when the value of the pound fell. they are trying to recover from that by whatever means they can get away with when really thy should have increased the price by 20% or so

[Harry Peterson]

So we booked Iona on the first day of sale, through a travel agent. Strangely I did query the price with them and was told the advertised price already included the 5% discount for new customers so our price was the advertised price plus the 5% already taken off and then less the 10%.

So are you saying that price was wrong and we should have paid less, if so should we phone the TA or P& O.

 

Exactly. If you booked as an existing customer you should have received the advertised price, less 10% - that was what the original pricing details showed.

 

All that stuff about the advertised price taking into account a 5% discount already was just made up by P&O, and they then got round it by increasing the originally advertised prices by 5%, allowing them to claim that they were still giving the full advertised 10%.

 

They admit this if you push them, but they still refuse to do anything about it, apart from offering small OBC credits. The fact that they're doing this shows very clearly that they know they're in the wrong, but they think they can get away with these minor adjustments just to shut people up and conceal what they've been doing.

 

This was a devious piece of deceit on a grand scale by P&O, and it needs airing so that deceived customers realise what P&O get up to if nobody spots what they're doing.

 

P&O will tell you to take it up with the TA, but the TA will give you the party line which P&O are telling them to shove out, so you'll have to go back to P&O to see what they're prepared to offer.

[Marmaduke]

I briefly glanced at some P & O literature I received offering past passengers 10% off new bookings. What struck me was that they were also offering new passengers 5% off. Therefore the value to past passengers is only 5% not 10%. More smoke and mirror tactics !

[jeanlyon]

Yes true! I notice that at the beginning.

[DamianG]

Interesting reading, this has prompted me to look again at our 2020 booking on Britannia. Unfortunately I do not have details of the price for our cruise and cabin grade quoted pre-launch. Can anyone suggest a way of finding this out please?

Thanks in advance.

Damian

[janny444]

A very tricky and deceitful company, P&O - or is it their Carnival paymasters? This is a follow-up from an earlier related thread because the full facts have now been exposed, and P&O are now finally admitting that they manipulated the prices originally offered in order to be able to charge customers more.

 

The original P&O prices issued in advance of the recent 2020 launch offered a 10% discount to past passengers. So far, so good. Except that when bookings were actually made on or after the launch date, passengers were only given a discount of 5% on those prices, instead of the advertised 10%.

 

To try to cover that over, P&O altered the prices so that anyone who didn't see them earlier wouldn't be aware of what they'd done. They then gave an apparent discount of 10% on the new higher prices - though in reality it was only a 5% discount, because they's already hiked the prices by 5% to cover over what was going on.

 

They now admit their 'mistake' and are apologising to any customers who complain. Some managed to get a price reduction to what had been originally advertised, but the line they're now taking appears to be to offer a token £50 OBC - a fraction of the overcharge they've actually profited from.

 

Not everyone is aware of the trick they've played on their loyal customers, but it leaves a nasty taste in the mouth, and any trust I once had in Carnival (and admittedly, it wasn't very great) has now evaporated. Trust has to be earned by honesty, integrity, fairness and straight-dealing. I don't see that here at all. They've offered a price, which was supposed to be fixed up to and including the launch day, offered a very well advertised discount of 10%, and then cynically manipulated discounts and prices to try to conceal the fact that the real discount was only ever 5%.

 

We've all been conned by P&O and I won't be forgetting that in a hurry. Or when I'm making those next bookings.

 

 

Hi....have you any proof of the prices that were quoted initially on the 3rd September that could be passed onto us some way? You are quite right to take it further but there would be more " weight" to your case if more people " shouted" along with you.

[Threeleggedtoad]

I would not normally book so far ahead for a cruise but because wewanted to sail to Canada we booked on the 20 September on the Aurora. Cruise Number R017 in a Deluxe Balcony sailing on the 18 September2020. I have no idea whether we received the past guest discount of10%. As the cost for the two of us was over £8500 a 5% “error”would make quite a difference.

[miniyorkie]

Seems that P&O have behaved appallingly if this is the case - now would be the time to show some integrity and make a public apology

 

 

 

I agree completely, and would hope that P and O would evaluate all the bookings affected by their "prolific misleading advertising" and either recalculate the charge or apply the same in OBC. Not much chance I know. I am a little uncertain as to my booking cost, most unlike me, however I have previously always booked online with P/O direct and received a confirmation email by return. I rang a cruise TA to ask the procedure regarding pre registering for a 2020 cruise on Aurora and was given a price over the phone for the cabin I requested and proceeded with the booking on the release date. I have not had any further confirmation, so although happy with the quoted price, I am not sure what discount has been applied but I will question the cost having read these remarks.

Thank you to those who also agree that this isn't the way that P/O should entice business.

[sweep2907]

Where have P&O officially admitted this ? That would be a useful start for those looking to complain officially.

[jeanlyon]

This is what it says on one of the cruises I booked

 

 

"New guests booking this cruise on Select Price will receive a 5% saving if booked before 3 December 2018. Discount has been reflected in prices below. Past guests booking this cruise on Select Price will receive a 10% discount if booked before 3 December 2018. Discount taken from full fare and will be applied at checkout."

 

 

Not sure I quite understand it. However, my cruise is now £400 pp more than it was when I booked. So if I take off 10% that's £360

[sweep2907]

My invoice on day it went on sale to higher tiers says clearly at bottom..."5% discount has been applied." Well that isn't 10% is it? I queried this at the time and was fobbed off about prices on site already included 5%????

[Rupert2251]

This is what it says on one of the cruises I booked

 

 

"New guests booking this cruise on Select Price will receive a 5% saving if booked before 3 December 2018. Discount has been reflected in prices below. Past guests booking this cruise on Select Price will receive a 10% discount if booked before 3 December 2018. Discount taken from full fare and will be applied at checkout."

 

 

Not sure I quite understand it. However, my cruise is now £400 pp more than it was when I booked. So if I take off 10% that's £360

 

Jean that wording is the new wording not the old before they changed it

[Harry Peterson]

Where have P&O officially admitted this ? That would be a useful start for those looking to complain officially.

 

If you complain to them about the fact that you were given only a 5% discount instead of the advertised 10% (and that applies to all customers who booked 2020 at launch) you'll get an apology containing words such as 'we are sorry for the error'.

 

You'll probably also get an offer of a 'free' cancellation (ie no loss of deposit) and some OBC credit, depending on the level of escalation.

 

They know exactly what's happened here, as do all the TAs, but they're trying to sweep it under the carpet. My aim is to stop them getting away with that, and to advise people that if they booked 2020 at launch they will certainly have a claim, because they will not have received the advertised discount.

 

There are those who may think they received the full 10%, but even that's not the case either, because P&O manipulated the prices before taking bookings and increased them to allow them to reduce them again to make it look as if a 10% discount had been given.

 

You couldn't legally describe this as fraud, but it's certainly a cynical attempt by P&O to mislead its customers and potential customers, and I'm very confident that they're in breach Advertising Standards Authority rules, and also ABTA regulations:

 

ABTA Members shall:

 

Fair Trading and Disrepute

 

6B) Trade fairly; and responsibly; and not conduct their business in any manner that would bring ABTA or its

Members into disrepute

[Harry Peterson]

Hi....have you any proof of the prices that were quoted initially on the 3rd September that could be passed onto us some way? You are quite right to take it further but there would be more " weight" to your case if more people " shouted" along with you.

 

I have full details of the advertised prices for the bookings I've made, but they're specific to the cabin grade and not a lot of use to anyone else. I'm sure others will have made equally careful notes of the prices quoted for their own cabins.

 

Possibly there are people who've also taken screen shots, and those would be particularly useful in pursuing this against P&O. I do agree with you that the more people that shout, and the wider this is publicised, the greater the chance of P&O acting honourably - though its track record in that respect is not a good one.

 

If it doesn't, my aim will be to ensure that the whole scam (and it's difficult to avoid that word) gets as much publicity as possible so that a wide audience can see the tricks P&O get up to.

[sweep2907]

Many thanks this is more than enough for my complaint on the matter.

Anyone have the most up-to-date email for complaints and customer service to hand? A friend of mine complained a month ago and has received nothing as yet.

[Heatherlea10]

This is what it says on one of the cruises I booked

 

 

"New guests booking this cruise on Select Price will receive a 5% saving if booked before 3 December 2018. Discount has been reflected in prices below. Past guests booking this cruise on Select Price will receive a 10% discount if booked before 3 December 2018. Discount taken from full fare and will be applied at checkout."

 

 

Not sure I quite understand it. However, my cruise is now £400 pp more than it was when I booked. So if I take off 10% that's £360

 

On 26th September P&O amended the wording on their website to show what you've written. Prior to that date there was no mention that the fares already included a 5% discount. The wording lead you to believe that you would receive a full 10% discount for past guests:

 

10% savingfor past guests

Past guests booking this cruise on SelectPrice will receive a 10% discount if booked before 3 December 2018. Discountapplied at checkout.

 

5% saving for new guests

New guests booking this cruise on SelectPrice will receive a 5% discount if booked before 3 December 2018. Discountapplied at checkout.

 

I did manage to resolve the problem directly with P&O and they have honoured the full 10% discount and emailed me new booking confirmations.

[Harry Peterson]

On 26th September P&O amended the wording on their website to show what you've written. Prior to that date there was no mention that the fares already included a 5% discount. The wording lead you to believe that you would receive a full 10% discount for past guests:

 

10% savingfor past guests

Past guests booking this cruise on SelectPrice will receive a 10% discount if booked before 3 December 2018. Discountapplied at checkout.

 

5% saving for new guests

New guests booking this cruise on SelectPrice will receive a 5% discount if booked before 3 December 2018. Discountapplied at checkout.

 

I did manage to resolve the problem directly with P&O and they have honoured the full 10% discount and emailed me new booking confirmations.

 

You're absolutely right, of course, and I congratulate you on persuading P&O to honour the terms of their offer. Some others have managed to do the same, which indicates very clearly that P&O know full well that they overcharged people - they would hardly have made refunds if they hadn't overcharged!

 

Over the last few days, though, they seem to have decided on a new policy - basically, to brazen it out and refuse to pay up. Offer a penalty-free cancellation, along with a small OBC credit, and they think that's going to be enough to get them off the hook.

 

It isn't.

[jeanlyon]

Yes I totally agree that's what it said at the beginning, then it changed to something else and that's what it says now. It's a mess.