Please refrain from doing chargebacks

[oceanlovinmama]

Cruiselines have been doing the best they can.  They didn’t realize that they would be shut down for so long and the amount of refunds requested.  Most of their employees are working from home and because of the levels of security that need to be in place to deal with credit cards, most cruise lines have a skeleton crew.  Now with the country opening back up that will change.  BUT when you work with an agent and do a chargeback, the cruise line can come back to the agent for that payment and any commission that was given to that agent, that was protected because the cruise line cancelled, Will now be recalled.  We work on commission only, and that money comes AFTER you travel.  We have had no income for the past two months and probably won’t for the rest of the year, now we have to give Our commission back AND possibly be on the hook for thousands of dollars we don’t have.  Please think about your agent!

[Jimbo]

Subscribed.

[lazydayz]

I don't think this is a fair ask.  When we pay a deposit or in some instances the full cost and the company is unable to deliver, we are entitled to a full, prompt refund.  Royal has never had a problem taking money quickly, so it should be able to process refunds promptly. I don't blame anyone for going this route.

[reallyitsmema]

Travel agents are not the only people who have lost their income due to this pandemic.  Please think about your clients.

[EscapeFromConnecticut]

3 minutes ago, reallyitsmema said:

Travel agents are not the only people who have lost their income due to this pandemic.  Please think about your clients.

Right.

 

How about the agents take up that argument with the cruise companies -- who, by the way, are the ones using customers' money for interest-free loans.

[reallyitsmema]

1 minute ago, EscapeFromConnecticut said:

Right.

 

How about the agents take up that argument with the cruise companies -- who, by the way, are the ones using customers' money for interest-free loans.

 

I completely understand that the travel agents are being hit hard but what industry isn't?  My DH has now been through two furloughs and a pay cut, but has survived the layoff as of now.  We are on day 67 since we cancelled our cruise and do not plan on doing a chargeback but we feel our refund is long overdue.

[davekathy]

When it comes to my money, me first! 🤑

[xDisconnections]

I’ve long been a supporter of working with the merchant first and thinking of doing a chargeback as a last possible option. With that said, my experience with a Royal Caribbean Air2Sea has been very frustrating.

 

My transatlantic cruise was cancelled voluntarily, not due to Coronavirus. It was before final payment with a refundable deposit and flexible air. Instead of requesting a refund, I had all of the payments moved to a different booking. Royal Caribbean was very insistent though with the air portion citing it can only be refunded. Fine, no biggie — figured it’ll come within the somewhat acceptable time period. The record locator through the airline has been cancelled and is no longer ticketed.

 

After waiting the quoted 30-45 day period, it still didn’t come. After being met with a lot of deflection and some very frustrating phone calls with Air2Sea, I was told it would be an additional 60 days before seeing the refund (which I was planning to just apply towards a future booking anyway). Considering this new length of time is no longer reasonable in my opinion and much longer than the original quoted time, I felt Air2Sea was not acting in good faith and made the necessary decision to contact American Express. I’m sure Amex will work with Royal Caribbean to come up with a resolution.

 

Hopefully, if anything comes from this, we’ll see a similar protection from the DOT requiring any cruise operator to provide a timely refund within seven business days if it embarks or disembarks in a US homeport as they do for air travel.

 

https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/refunds 

Edited May 16, 2020 by xDisconnections

[deepcman]

OP is posting the same rant on all the cruise boards. I thought I was still on the Princess board.😁.

Instead of spending time here, she should be on the phone with the cruise lines demanding refunds so customers don't charge back. It's been 60 days since cancellation so my next call is with my credit card company. Sorry but my $6k is more important to me than your commission.

[CruisingHogFan]

Why are travel agents getting to keep commissions on canceled sailings? I thought they didn’t get paid till after the client actually sails? When you use your FCC will they get paid again? That’s like double dipping and not right....

[Jimbo]

I think this thread is going no where fast and it would be better if it just went away.

[Jimbo]

2 hours ago, oceanlovinmama said:

.  We have had no income for the past two months and probably won’t for the rest of the year, now we have to give Our commission back AND possibly be on the hook for thousands of dollars we don’t have.  Please think about your agent!

You might have some money if you didn't go on 10 cruises in the last year and half.

[Want2Cruise 701]

43 minutes ago, deepcman said:

OP is posting the same rant on all the cruise boards. I thought I was still on the Princess board.😁.

Instead of spending time here, she should be on the phone with the cruise lines demanding refunds so customers don't charge back. It's been 60 days since cancellation so my next call is with my credit card company. Sorry but my $6k is more important to me than your commission.

Posted on the Celebrity board too.  It's my money.  If I need the refund, I'm going to call.  

[bouhunter]

16 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

I think this thread is going no where fast and it would be better if it just went away.

Agree, this can go nowhere but downhill.

 

I will say, if I had been waiting as long as some people for THOUSANDS of dollars, I would do whatever necessary to get my money back.  

Edited May 16, 2020 by bouhunter

[cb at sea]

The cruise lines HAVE no cash on hand for this....I'm sure they operate like most businesses....the money they take in THIS MONTH is used to pay the bills from LAST MONTH.

 

They have had NO income....and I'm pretty sure some major bills.  

 

I'm sure you will get your refunds eventually, but you can't squeeze blood from a rock...and they are "the rock" right now.

[bigeck]

46 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

I think this thread is going no where fast and it would be better if it just went away.

You subscribed

[Dinglebert]

3 hours ago, oceanlovinmama said:

Cruiselines have been doing the best they can.  They didn’t realize that they would be shut down for so long and the amount of refunds requested.  Most of their employees are working from home and because of the levels of security that need to be in place to deal with credit cards, most cruise lines have a skeleton crew.  Now with the country opening back up that will change.  BUT when you work with an agent and do a chargeback, the cruise line can come back to the agent for that payment and any commission that was given to that agent, that was protected because the cruise line cancelled, Will now be recalled.  We work on commission only, and that money comes AFTER you travel.  We have had no income for the past two months and probably won’t for the rest of the year, now we have to give Our commission back AND possibly be on the hook for thousands of dollars we don’t have.  Please think about your agent!

At the end of the day you are making money from my transactions.  You don't create anything, you don't produce anything you provide a service.  When that service goes wrong they why should you retain money from a product that no longer exists?  I know its not your fault the pandemic exists, its equally not your fault many not just some of the cruise lines are doing their best to put customers last instead of first.   However, its the risk you took getting into the business.

[Jimbo]

1 minute ago, bigeck said:

You subscribed

that's before I knew better, it is entertaining though..It's like how can someone post something like that and not know they aren't going to get blasted...........btw where is the OP besides the other 10 boards this is posted on??

[Crazy planning mom]

2 hours ago, xDisconnections said:

I’ve long been a supporter of working with the merchant first and thinking of doing a chargeback as a last possible option. With that said, my experience with a Royal Caribbean Air2Sea has been very frustrating.

 

My transatlantic cruise was cancelled voluntarily, not due to Coronavirus. It was before final payment with a refundable deposit and flexible air. Instead of requesting a refund, I had all of the payments moved to a different booking. Royal Caribbean was very insistent though with the air portion citing it can only be refunded. Fine, no biggie — figured it’ll come within the somewhat acceptable time period. The record locator through the airline has been cancelled and is no longer ticketed.

 

After waiting the quoted 30-45 day period, it still didn’t come. After being met with a lot of deflection and some very frustrating phone calls with Air2Sea, I was told it would be an additional 60 days before seeing the refund (which I was planning to just apply towards a future booking anyway). Considering this new length of time is no longer reasonable in my opinion and much longer than the original quoted time, I felt Air2Sea was not acting in good faith and made the necessary decision to contact American Express. I’m sure Amex will work with Royal Caribbean to come up with a resolution.

 

Hopefully, if anything comes from this, we’ll see a similar protection from the DOT requiring any cruise operator to provide a timely refund within seven business days if it embarks or disembarks in a US homeport as they do for air travel.

 

https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/refunds 

 Don't understand.  You don't need to pay for Air2Sea until final payment.  I had booked refundable Air2Sea but hadn't paid for it yet because I cancelled before final payment.

[xDisconnections]

10 minutes ago, Crazy planning mom said:

 Don't understand.  You don't need to pay for Air2Sea until final payment.  I had booked refundable Air2Sea but hadn't paid for it yet because I cancelled before final payment.

Their reasoning was the flights were ticketed which they no longer are. Even after the flights are no longer being ticketed, Royal Caribbean and Air2Sea were still refusing to transfer the balance to another booking. Apparently the only option is to refund it.

Edited May 16, 2020 by xDisconnections

[skywonder]

3 hours ago, irzero said:

As opposed to letting someone else keep their money whilst the cruise lines play cruise credit games and refuse to cancel ships that wont sail whilst still selling cruises on them...



Sent from my SM-N975F using Tapatalk
 

BINGO!

[skywonder]

4 hours ago, oceanlovinmama said:

Cruiselines have been doing the best they can.  They didn’t realize that they would be shut down for so long and the amount of refunds requested.  Most of their employees are working from home and because of the levels of security that need to be in place to deal with credit cards, most cruise lines have a skeleton crew.  Now with the country opening back up that will change.  BUT when you work with an agent and do a chargeback, the cruise line can come back to the agent for that payment and any commission that was given to that agent, that was protected because the cruise line cancelled, Will now be recalled.  We work on commission only, and that money comes AFTER you travel.  We have had no income for the past two months and probably won’t for the rest of the year, now we have to give Our commission back AND possibly be on the hook for thousands of dollars we don’t have.  Please think about your agent!

Give me a break! Sorry but this is a selfish post and request!

[lr657]

1 hour ago, cb at sea said:

The cruise lines HAVE no cash on hand for this....I'm sure they operate like most businesses....the money they take in THIS MONTH is used to pay the bills from LAST MONTH.

 

They have had NO income....and I'm pretty sure some major bills.  

 

I'm sure you will get your refunds eventually, but you can't squeeze blood from a rock...and they are "the rock" right now.

 

Just curious to know if you've been waiting over 60 days for a refund.  Everyone has major bills due and many of the people waiting are dealing with unforeseen economic problems due to the pandemic. Not right to expect everyone to feel bad for the cruise line. They are not the only ones dealing with this health and economic crisis.

[EscapeFromConnecticut]

2 hours ago, cb at sea said:

The cruise lines HAVE no cash on hand for this....I'm sure they operate like most businesses....the money they take in THIS MONTH is used to pay the bills from LAST MONTH.

 

They have had NO income....and I'm pretty sure some major bills.  

 

I'm sure you will get your refunds eventually, but you can't squeeze blood from a rock...and they are "the rock" right now.

   Hmm. So with no money, then you mean they've cut off all compensation for Bayley, Fain & the rest of the executive "braintrust"? 
 

  And to set the record straight, several of the cruise lines absolutely are getting revenue - by selling bogus June, July and August cruises that they know full well stand no chance of sailing. Those deposits are in turn creating a new round of dissatisfied customers who'll be complaining this summer that they're getting stiffed on their request for prompt refunds.

   RCI took the customers' money - it never belonged to the cruise line. The customers merely want their money back.
   

[suzyluvs2cruise]

17 minutes ago, EscapeFromConnecticut said:

   Hmm. So with no money, then you mean they've cut off all compensation for Bayley, Fain & the rest of the executive "braintrust"? 
 

  And to set the record straight, several of the cruise lines absolutely are getting revenue - by selling bogus June, July and August cruises that they know full well stand no chance of sailing. Those deposits are in turn creating a new round of dissatisfied customers who'll be complaining this summer that they're getting stiffed on their request for prompt refunds.

   RCI took the customers' money - it never belonged to the cruise line. The customers merely want their money back.
   

 

The bogus (your words) cruises for June, July and some in August that cruisers recently purchased require full payment....and not just a deposit. More cash coming in for RCI. Many who booked those dates did so at lower rates to then "Life & Shift" the booking to next year. Win-win for RCI.