Website Pricing Glitch - RCCL Would Not Honor Price - Pics Included!

[lonzwinery]

So I went to book a 7 day cruise on the Symphony of the Seas, and I entered all my credit card info, and just as I was about to pay the down payment, I decided to change the configuration from 2 inside cabins to 1 inside cabin and 1 mini-suite, so that I could see how much more it would cost me to go with a mini-suite (wanted to surprise my wife with a mini-suite, and put our 4 children in the inside cabin).

 

Much to my surprise, when I changed one of the rooms to a mini-suite, I noticed that the price did not change. I thought, "Well, that's weird... Maybe there's some sort of flash sale..." So I went aheads and booked it. I also decided to take screenshots, just in case (please see pics). I even videoed too. Lol! Just seemed too good to be true!

 

As you'll see in the screenshots, the reservation went through at the price for 2 inside cabins, and my total remaining (after the $1500 deposit) was $6734.72. A few days go by, and I decided to check my balance due, and sure enough, it was several thousand dollars more than $6734.72. I called RCCL, and mentioned that the website quoted me $8234.72. I also sent them all the screenshots as proof. They put me on hold, and after 15 minutes, finally got back to me and told me that they could not honor the price, and that they cancelled my reservation and issued me a full refund.

 

Being the person I am, I took the high road, and accepted a full refund. Bummed out for sure, but I get it, website glitches happen. Funny thing is though, this happened almost a week and a half ago, and just the other day, I noticed that the glitch is still there! I was able to make it happen again! LOL! I didn't pull the trigger though. LOL!

 

Thanks!

Edited October 20, 2018 by lonzwinery
Changed title

[newcruzer2]

I would keep after them. You have proof , with resv# and totals. Glitch or not when you pushed the button to purchase , you entered into a agreement. 

[S.A.M.J.R.]

7 minutes ago, newcruzer2 said:

I would keep after them. You have proof , with resv# and totals. Glitch or not when you pushed the button to purchase , you entered into a agreement. 

But check that agreement.  I'm sure there's somewhere in the fine print RCI doesn't have to honor "glitches".  IMO, not much different than a store putting the wrong price on an ad.  They don't have to honor that either. 

[lazydayz]

They may not have to honor it, but the best ones do.  At Publix, if you are charged the wrong price, you get the item free. I bought multiple packs of cupcakes for a party. When I told them the price was incorrect, they double checked  and gave me all of them for free.  That is one reason why they have such a loyal customer base. Royal seems to go the other way. They don’t seem to mind irking their customers. 

[Mikeandliz]

From the RCCL (term and agreement link)

 

16.           Purchases

 

All purchases through the Digital Platforms or other transactions for the sale of goods, or services or information formed through the Digital Platforms or as a result of visits made by you may be governed by separate terms of sale and terms of use.  Separate terms may be provided through the Digital Platforms, onboard our vessels, or via a separate channel (i.e., a port agent, prior to boarding).

We reserve the right to refuse or cancel any order prior to delivery.  Some situations that may result in your order being cancelled include system or typographical errors, inaccuracies in product or pricing information or product availability, fairness among customers where supplies are limited, or problems identified by our credit or fraud departments.  We also may require additional verification or information before accepting an order.  We will contact you if any portion of your order is cancelled or if additional information is required to accept your order. 

When you provide payment information in connection with a purchase on the Digital Platforms, you represent and warrant that the information is accurate, that you are authorized to use the payment method provided, and that you will notify us of changes to the payment information. 

We may revise the pricing for products and services we offer.  When you place your order, we may estimate the tax and include that estimate in the total for your convenience.  The actual tax amount that will be applied to your order and charged to your payment method may differ from the estimate provided.

 

[newcruzer2]

Well, rccl  CAN refuse to honor. But like the publix post. Good company \ supervisor know customer satisfaction and word of mouth is priceless. 

Because imho royal won't honor because op will complain  and discuss THEN still book the 2 insides and he will still travel on rccl. 

A company has to be afraid of losing a customer, to act nicely

[Ourusualbeach]

5 minutes ago, newcruzer2 said:

Well, rccl  CAN refuse to honor. But like the publix post. Good company \ supervisor know customer satisfaction and word of mouth is priceless. 

Because imho royal won't honor because op will complain  and discuss THEN still book the 2 insides and he will still travel on rccl. 

A company has to be afraid of losing a customer, to act nicely

But when the customer knows full well that it is a mistake then it becomes the customer taking advantage of the situation.

 

In this particular case I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone who would not recognize this as a mistake.

 

Royals policy in the recent past has been to honour those errors that a reasonable person could assume was a legitimate price or sale. Those that were obvious errors they have not honoured. A fair policy IMO. 

 

 

[teddybear231]

Something similar happened to me several years back. I was planning a trip to Italy, and late one night while checking prices I noticed the fare was only $98! I thought there is no way this can be true, since when I looked the day prior the price was about $1400. So I immediately booked them. I thought I was in the clear, about a week later I received an e-mail from United stating there was a technical error so they cancelled my reservation and issued a full refund. I knew it was too good to be true! 

 

I do remember reading a similar article where the airline actually honored the prices, unfortunately that didn't happen in my case. It certainly does make some good PR if they did honor the prices though...

[SPacificbound]

1 hour ago, Ourusualbeach said:

But when the customer knows full well that it is a mistake then it becomes the customer taking advantage of the situation.

 

In this particular case I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone who would not recognize this as a mistake.

 

Royals policy in the recent past has been to honour those errors that a reasonable person could assume was a legitimate price or sale. Those that were obvious errors they have not honoured. A fair policy IMO. 

 

 

 

I agree. OP knew it was a glitch.

 

On comments about Publix, which I am assuming is a grocery store or similar, there is a big difference in a loaf of bread and a cruise/flight etc.

[MsOne]

If it's still there doesn't seem like a glitch or price mistake. I'd let the cruise line book me, then submit it all to my credit card company for price protection.

[Ourusualbeach]

39 minutes ago, MsOne said:

If it's still there doesn't seem like a glitch or price mistake. I'd let the cruise line book me, then submit it all to my credit card company for price protection.

 

Pretty sure that a cruise is not covered under the price protection plans on credit cards.

 

I just pulled this from the fine print.

 

“Traveler’s checks, tickets of any kind (e.g., for airlines, sporting events, concerts, or lottery), negotiable instruments, bullion, rare or precious metals, stamps, and coins, currency or its equivalent.”

 

A cruise would definitely fall under tickets.

[lonzwinery]

Glitch is definitely still there, nearly two weeks after I originally booked my reservations. Looks like I can book 1 inside room and 1 Star Loft Suite (which is only $55,894 lol!), for $8,578.72. Hysterical! Please see pics below.

[Ourusualbeach]

40 minutes ago, lonzwinery said:

Glitch is definitely still there, nearly two weeks after I originally booked my reservations. Looks like I can book 1 inside room and 1 Star Loft Suite (which is only $55,894 lol!), for $8,578.72. Hysterical! Please see pics below.

 

Funny how this glitch happens only when you change the cabin assignment for cabin 2. If you change the assignment for cabin 1 it does correct the price.

[steveru621]

I don't know of any grocery store that will give you the item free if the price is lower than the shelf price, only higher.  Pricing laws in most states allow stores not to TAG an individual item as long as they offer this incentive for a price greater than the shelf price.  Even then there is a cut-off price and quantity limit.

[swoopy2110]

3 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

 

Funny how this glitch happens only when you change the cabin assignment for cabin 2. If you change the assignment for cabin 1 it does correct the price.

 

Rubbish website coding, but this is absolutely nothing new for them.

[TubbyMrT]

Unfortunately a webpage can easily be modified by the user thus the photographs are worthless.  The only document that may hold up in court would be their order acknowledgment.

[Biker19]

On 10/21/2018 at 12:54 PM, Ourusualbeach said:

 

Royals policy in the recent past has been to honour those errors that a reasonable person could assume was a legitimate price or sale. Those that were obvious errors they have not honoured. A fair policy IMO. 

 

 

I was bored and reading through the Terms of Service link on the dashboard and found this:

 

22. Disclaimers; No Warranties

The Company has used reasonable efforts in collecting, preparing and providing quality information and material, but does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, adequacy or currency of the information contained in or linked to the Digital Platforms. We assume no liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in the content of any Company Digital Platforms. The Company is not responsible for pricing, typographical, or other errors and reserves the right to cancel without liability any bookings made at erroneous rates.

 

[schmeed]

On 10/20/2018 at 4:17 PM, lazydayz said:

They may not have to honor it, but the best ones do.  At Publix, if you are charged the wrong price, you get the item free. I bought multiple packs of cupcakes for a party. When I told them the price was incorrect, they double checked  and gave me all of them for free.  That is one reason why they have such a loyal customer base. Royal seems to go the other way. They don’t seem to mind irking their customers. 

Your comparing cupcakes to an $8k+ cruise?

Edited October 23, 2018 by schmeed

[lazydayz]

It is an analogy as to how businesses respond to their errors. Of course Royal is not obligated to give them a cruise. However, once Royal was aware of the error, it should have fixed it. 

[gerif]

Some years ago my mom called to ask if I wanted a bread machine. Sure, but they’re expensive. Well, seems a local department store had a mistake in their newspaper ad. The $249 machine was supposed to be on sale for $199 but a misprint listed the price at $99. To add insult to injury, the serial number listed was for the $299 model. While it was limited to store stock, mom got three of them for $99 each. Great machine. Not sure if it was law or goodwill that made them honor the price. 

[JAMESCC]

On 10/20/2018 at 4:17 PM, lazydayz said:

They may not have to honor it, but the best ones do.  At Publix, if you are charged the wrong price, you get the item free. I bought multiple packs of cupcakes for a party. When I told them the price was incorrect, they double checked  and gave me all of them for free.  That is one reason why they have such a loyal customer base. Royal seems to go the other way. They don’t seem to mind irking their customers. 

That is pretty incredible on the part of Publix. That is a stand up company.

[El Abuelo]

This is a flaw in their pricing systems. It happened to me a couple of years ago when I was pricing multiple cabins for a family cruise on the Allure. It didn't take long to figure out it is a system error.  Clearly RCI knows it, as evidenced by their quick turnaround to refuse the order.  Another IT issue with RCI - shocking ... 

[molsonschooner]

14 hours ago, lonzwinery said:

Glitch is definitely still there, nearly two weeks after I originally booked my reservations. Looks like I can book 1 inside room and 1 Star Loft Suite (which is only $55,894 lol!), for $8,578.72. Hysterical! Please see pics below.

a Star Loft for $27,947 per person. Wow

[lazydayz]

Bargain!

[The_Big_M]

On ‎10‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 12:17 PM, molsonschooner said:

a Star Loft for $27,947 per person. Wow

I reckon there's a pricing error there too. That price is ridiculous.