Cancelling your river cruise with Viking

[hihandycap]

"I recognize that Viking requires full payment ahead more than its competitors which is a cheap way to fund expansion. I have no problem with it as the quality and value is worth it to me." 

 

That is the essence of what is going on (i.e. not just full payments far in advance but slow-rolling legitimate, straight forward refunds).  If any entity wants to use its customers' (or its suppliers') funds as long as possible, and the counter-party doesn't object by seeking competitive  alternatives, the practice  proliferates.

 

To summarize our anecdotal account of our experience:

1. We requested a full refund from Viking the morning of March 30 when Viking canceled our cruise.

2. Viking's electronic refund in the same amount and to the same credit card we paid with months earlier was received on April 29.   In essence it took Viking a calendar month to return OUR funds.

3. We requested a full refund from Chase mid-afternoon April 29.

4.  The check we received today May 8 (which we were able to deposit electronically in our bank account before close of business today to earn interest at miniscule money market interest rates over the weekend) was drawn May 5 and postmarked the same day.  So Chase needed five calendar days (USPS took another three) to process a paper transaction.

5. Processing time in calendar days was five times longer for Viking to complete an electronic transaction than it took for Chase to complete a paper transaction while both were working under the same constraints caused by working-from-home COVID 19 constraints.

6. The difference in time-frames  can not be simplistically  rationally reconciled by concerns about fraud, inapplicable Dodd-Frank regulations, or auditor recommendations (which are precisely that--the valid ones are implemented,  and competent recipients of an audit report provide written explanations to their managements why inefficient, impractical and expensive nice-to-have recommendations are unnecessary.)   

Edited May 8, 2020 by hihandycap