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Azamara refund problems (merged)


larhode
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Just now, royallondon said:

I did raise a section 75 claim Grandma Cruising and copied the TA in on the email to the credit card provider, hence the response I received.

 

Regards

Ah, I see! What was your credit card providers response? When I did mine, the money was back on my card within a few days, but it had a marker on it that said it might be potentially withdrawn when the claim was resolved if found in Aegean’s favour.

However, I have had a look at the Consumer Credit Act and I think your TA may be right.

You May want to think about threatening them with a small claims court case. Have a look at the Which page here https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/letter/letter-before-small-claims-court-claim. This gives you a sample letter you could try sending.

 

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31 minutes ago, Grandma Cruising said:

Ah, I see! What was your credit card providers response? When I did mine, the money was back on my card within a few days, but it had a marker on it that said it might be potentially withdrawn when the claim was resolved if found in Aegean’s favour.

However, I have had a look at the Consumer Credit Act and I think your TA may be right.

You May want to think about threatening them with a small claims court case. Have a look at the Which page here https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/letter/letter-before-small-claims-court-claim. This gives you a sample letter you could try sending.

 

Thank you Grandma Cruising, I’ll take a look but my fingers are crossed that the TA does the right thing.  I found it somewhat condescending  to have received such a response from a company that has had my money returned to them by Azamara since the 1 June from a cruise cancelled on the 14 March.  

 

The section 75 claim was submitted Thursday and so as yet not response other then an acknowledgement email of the claim.


As per my previous post, I brought this matter to the forum to make people aware that the section 75 facility may not be of assistance when booking via some TA’s.

 

Regards

 

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2 hours ago, Grandma Cruising said:

Ah, I see! What was your credit card providers response? When I did mine, the money was back on my card within a few days, but it had a marker on it that said it might be potentially withdrawn when the claim was resolved if found in Aegean’s favour.

However, I have had a look at the Consumer Credit Act and I think your TA may be right.

You May want to think about threatening them with a small claims court case. Have a look at the Which page here https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/letter/letter-before-small-claims-court-claim. This gives you a sample letter you could try sending.

We did this with a large online TA after waiting over 60 days after endless e mails, and  hours waiting on the phone,  with a variety of excuses.  I asked for a refund within 14 days of receipt having sent the letter as ‘signed for on receipt’ . The money was back in our account in full,  on day 13. Wouldn’t hesitate to do this, the law in on your side. You need to write your letter claiming under the 2018 package and linked travel arrangements. https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/package-travel-regulations

Edited by sunlover33
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Sad to see we are still reading of refunds still not processed. 😡  and now the Travel Agents are not playing ball. Hope to address the balance here and give encouragement to those still waiting.

Having taken two cash refunds for cancelled cruises  both of which arrived in a timely manner direct from Azamara  ( both less than 35 working days) I decided to go down the FCC route for the third cancelled  cruise of 18 June. This was previously booked onboard so I was keen to keep the onboard loyalty discount and offers, which have been confirmed on here by the Azamara Team.

I received an email on 30 June , which was the date advised  on the website to tell me my FCC had been issued and on 9 July I received back to my Credit Card the exact amount of port fees and taxes.  
I have no idea how my experience with refunds  has been one of the smoothest by far. Only to say that we use an independant Travel Agent in the UK, I gave them my card details and the payemnt was processed by Azamara and refunds were direct to me.

 

I look forward to the time when everyone here has been reimbursed and we can at some point in the future meet up safely with friends onboard and make new friends.

Fingers crossed for those of you still waiting.🤞
 

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Still waiting for my refund. Friday (7/17) will mark 4 MONTHS since I requested it from an Azamara rep with my TA on the phone, too. 3 weeks ago, a helpful Azamara rep thought she had the problem figured out and wrote it had been "escalated to our accounting dept." Still waiting...

I'm getting close to calling my credit card company and putting in a claim against Azamara. Don't want to, but this is getting ridiculous!!

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3 hours ago, gnld said:

Still waiting for my refund. Friday (7/17) will mark 4 MONTHS since I requested it from an Azamara rep with my TA on the phone, too. 3 weeks ago, a helpful Azamara rep thought she had the problem figured out and wrote it had been "escalated to our accounting dept." Still waiting...

I'm getting close to calling my credit card company and putting in a claim against Azamara. Don't want to, but this is getting ridiculous!!

Put the claim in. You will get your money in days not months. I did it and got all my money back. I was sick of waiting for Azamara. Good luck.

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13 hours ago, gnld said:

Still waiting for my refund. Friday (7/17) will mark 4 MONTHS since I requested it from an Azamara rep with my TA on the phone, too. 3 weeks ago, a helpful Azamara rep thought she had the problem figured out and wrote it had been "escalated to our accounting dept." Still waiting...

I'm getting close to calling my credit card company and putting in a claim against Azamara. Don't want to, but this is getting ridiculous!!

How about an email to them saying if it’s not been repaid within 7 days you will claim on your credit card.

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Sadly I had to instigate a Section 75 CC claim last week.  The card provider returned the monies yesterday and will take over the baton in dealing with the TA who has had the Azamara refund since the 1 June.
 

I really was hoping not to take this action as I appreciate this awful Covid situation has been devastating for everyone including the cruise lines and TA’s.  
 

I hope your situation is soon resolved gnld

 

Regards

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4 hours ago, Grandma Cruising said:

How about an email to them saying if it’s not been repaid within 7 days you will claim on your credit card.

Why? Just do it. Azamara has taught me that threats have no value. They do not deserve that level of respect what so ever. Stop waiting for your money when you can just take it back.

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Having again chased the company I booked with in connection with the return of the taxes (I have the FCC for the balance),  I have had an email from the travel agent.  They are alleging they need 10-12 weeks from cancellation to to pay out funds (interesting but irrelevant its 14 weeks) the problem is all down to the cruise line (debatable) and here is their new ruse.  Once they come to process any money due to you they will contact you for your BACS account details as they are no longer processing refunds via credit cards.  So further delays to hang onto the money.

I have no idea how much I am due back - can any UK poster tell me what tax refund they had on the Journey May 21 or 26 or June 4 cruises thanks

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21 hours ago, gnld said:

Still waiting for my refund. Friday (7/17) will mark 4 MONTHS since I requested it from an Azamara rep with my TA on the phone, too. 3 weeks ago, a helpful Azamara rep thought she had the problem figured out and wrote it had been "escalated to our accounting dept." Still waiting...

I'm getting close to calling my credit card company and putting in a claim against Azamara. Don't want to, but this is getting ridiculous!!

Called my TA yesterday afternoon; explained the ongoing problem. She called Azamara while I was on hold. Getting back to me, she confirmed what the Azamara rep of 3 weeks ago intimated to me: back in the spring, Azamara mistakenly issued me FCC instead of the refund I requested. Then sat on it! Didn't send it to me or my TA! So I had been waiting 3 months for nothing! Major screw-up on Azamara's end!! OMG

My TA was told that the refund request was in process -- a "workflow" has been generated. Good grief, how complicated is it to issue a refund? A workflow -- really? And, get this, Azamara could not give my TA any time frame of when I would see the refund; not even a ballpark. Even though it's been 4 months now, Azamara's fault, and we're Discoverer+. Azamara needs to re-learn "customer service".

My TA suggested waiting 2 - 4 weeks. I said "no, I'll give them until the end of the month (~2 weeks). If I don't have the refund then, I call my credit card company to file a claim. I'm fed up. Azamara was one of our 3 favorite cruise lines. Not any more!

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4 hours ago, MakingUpForLostTime said:

Why? Just do it. Azamara has taught me that threats have no value. They do not deserve that level of respect what so ever. Stop waiting for your money when you can just take it back.

The issue with royallondon was not Azamara. It was the TA that had been paid, but not passed the money on.

Edited by Grandma Cruising
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4 hours ago, uktog said:

Having again chased the company I booked with in connection with the return of the taxes (I have the FCC for the balance),  I have had an email from the travel agent.  They are alleging they need 10-12 weeks from cancellation to to pay out funds (interesting but irrelevant its 14 weeks) the problem is all down to the cruise line (debatable) and here is their new ruse.  Once they come to process any money due to you they will contact you for your BACS account details as they are no longer processing refunds via credit cards.  So further delays to hang onto the money.

I have no idea how much I am due back - can any UK poster tell me what tax refund they had on the Journey May 21 or 26 or June 4 cruises thanks

Hi Ann

For information.

On 20 May our 18 June cruise was cancelled by email. We decided to take FCC and the Taxes, fees and Port expenses were refunded directly on 9 July. The amount refunded was exactly as stated on my confirmation invoice when booked on board. Thats 7 weeks from cancellation to return of money.

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3 minutes ago, combine said:

Hi Ann

For information.

On 20 May our 18 June cruise was cancelled by email. We decided to take FCC and the Taxes, fees and Port expenses were refunded directly on 9 July. The amount refunded was exactly as stated on my confirmation invoice when booked on board. Thats 7 weeks from cancellation to return of money.

Thanks, unfortunately we do not have a copy of the onboard booking and the travel agent documents never show the taxes fees and port expenses in their paperwork, they just wrap it all up in one final total.  As I say will never be using them again.  So far the only paperwork I have from them shows £0/£6/£0 per person for the three cruises which does not seem right!

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7 hours ago, uktog said:

I have no idea how much I am due back - can any UK poster tell me what tax refund they had on the Journey May 21 or 26 or June 4 cruises thanks

 

Have you thought about posting this question on the roll calls for the 3 cruises?  Since the roll calls remain open past the cruise it might save you time and would be a more "targeted" approach.  Good luck!   

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2 minutes ago, azjoy said:

 

Have you thought about posting this question on the roll calls for the 3 cruises?  Since the roll calls remain open past the cruise it might save you time and would be a more "targeted" approach.  Good luck!   

I did ask before but the roll calls are dead.  Looks like I am going to struggle to get an answer so I will just have to ride out and see what if anything the agent gives me back.  Somehow I do not think it will be all I am due

 

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20 minutes ago, azjoy said:

 

Have you thought about posting this question on the roll calls for the 3 cruises?  Since the roll calls remain open past the cruise it might save you time and would be a more "targeted" approach.  Good luck!   

Know you have problems with current TA but the should be able to easily answer your question as their invoice with Azamara has the info you need. 

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57 minutes ago, rallydave said:

Know you have problems with current TA but the should be able to easily answer your question as their invoice with Azamara has the info you need. 

No chance of getting any answers. A standard out of office says they are busy and will reply in two weeks time.  
Tonight I have had an auto generated email from Azamara for two of the cruises saying they are sorry we had our cruises cancelled and they have sent my future cruise certificate to my travel agent and when I’m ready to book I have to contact my travel agent. No amounts mentioned.  The agent is going to sit on that I’m sure but I had a copy from Azamara six weeks ago.  I’m going to insist the agent gives the certificate they hold to me as Azamara have already confirmed it can be used anywhere.  It did make me think though, as Azamara don’t include the amount in their email, and say your certificate is for 6250, what’s to stop the agent saying the certificate is for 6050 and pocketing the 200? 

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6 hours ago, uktog said:

Thanks, unfortunately we do not have a copy of the onboard booking and the travel agent documents never show the taxes fees and port expenses in their paperwork, they just wrap it all up in one final total.  As I say will never be using them again.  So far the only paperwork I have from them shows £0/£6/£0 per person for the three cruises which does not seem right!

 

Ann,

I have communicated via Messenger.

Good luck!

Trish

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Ann, if you do get an answer eventually about the June 4 cruise I would be very interested in the port taxes etc.  Azamara still owe us £517 - for that cruise and June 11th.  However I have booked a B2B next April and my TA has not asked me for the £500 deposit but is currently offsetting that against the missing £517.

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19 hours ago, gnld said:

Called my TA yesterday afternoon; explained the ongoing problem. She called Azamara while I was on hold. Getting back to me, she confirmed what the Azamara rep of 3 weeks ago intimated to me: back in the spring, Azamara mistakenly issued me FCC instead of the refund I requested. Then sat on it! Didn't send it to me or my TA! So I had been waiting 3 months for nothing! Major screw-up on Azamara's end!! OMG

My TA was told that the refund request was in process -- a "workflow" has been generated. Good grief, how complicated is it to issue a refund? A workflow -- really? And, get this, Azamara could not give my TA any time frame of when I would see the refund; not even a ballpark. Even though it's been 4 months now, Azamara's fault, and we're Discoverer+. Azamara needs to re-learn "customer service".

My TA suggested waiting 2 - 4 weeks. I said "no, I'll give them until the end of the month (~2 weeks). If I don't have the refund then, I call my credit card company to file a claim. I'm fed up. Azamara was one of our 3 favorite cruise lines. Not any more!

You are now where I was 4 months ago after our cruise was cancelled. I was an early bird demanding my refund and expecting it within days, not months. I spent about 50 hours pushing the issue. Threats are meaningless. The accounting department is detached from anybody you can communicate with. Trust me when I say they have no idea what they are doing. My advice from everything I have learned is do the chargeback ASAP.  They do not deserve your patience or respect. The Azamara crew and loyalty reps are nice people but these are not the people that hold your money. I predicted early on that Azamara as a company has such a large mountain to climb back that treating us, Discoverer plus members like they do, makes that task near impossible. Good luck!

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