Checking that you have not been overcharged following your cruise

[tula45]

I know this was posted before, But please check your credit card or bank statements when you get home from cruising. 

I pre paid the crew gratuity, and had the Have it All package, on leaving the Rotterdam I check the bill and nothing was owed. A few days later my credit card was charged US$ 35.18 by Holland America. I requested a statement and could not see what the charge was for, emailed customer services, who replied very promptly that it was a mistake and the amount will be credited back to my credit card.

 

[Lyn2018]

I have had multiple billing errors also and show a balance owing on my last cruise for a photo I didn't take. On one cruise they credited my credit card with my OBC which should have gone toward Gratuities.

[tula45]

To update this post, I was charged the US$35.18 on 26 Feb 2023, this was for Crew Gratuities: even though this was pre paid and my final bill on the 24 Feb 2023 was US$0.00.

The $35.18 was finally paid back to my credit card on the 8th June 2023.  Its a relitivly small ammount of money, but if each passenger has this experience it adds up. This was  a very long wait and I think this practice is unethical.  Check your bills and credit card statements very carefully!

[AllTheSun]

35 minutes ago, tula45 said:

To update this post, I was charged the US$35.18 on 26 Feb 2023, this was for Crew Gratuities: even though this was pre paid and my final bill on the 24 Feb 2023 was US$0.00.

The $35.18 was finally paid back to my credit card on the 8th June 2023.  Its a relitivly small ammount of money, but if each passenger has this experience it adds up. This was  a very long wait and I think this practice is unethical.  Check your bills and credit card statements very carefully!

The deadline to dispute a transaction with your bank can be as soon as 60 days after it appears on your statement. Even if a merchant has promised a refund, if the refund hasn’t shown file a dispute before the window passes otherwise you have no protection if the merchant doesn’t actually refund you aside from small claims court.

 

Personally I would have contacted HAL, given them a couple weeks and then filed the dispute if the refund was not in my bank before my credit card was due. I am not going to float any merchant interest free money of any amount. You do not have to pay charges while they are dispute and will not incur fees with your issuer (obviously you have to pay all other charges on your cc statement)

Edited June 19, 2023 by AllTheSun

[Tampa Girl]

2 hours ago, tula45 said:

To update this post, I was charged the US$35.18 on 26 Feb 2023, this was for Crew Gratuities: even though this was pre paid and my final bill on the 24 Feb 2023 was US$0.00.

The $35.18 was finally paid back to my credit card on the 8th June 2023.  Its a relitivly small ammount of money, but if each passenger has this experience it adds up. This was  a very long wait and I think this practice is unethical.  Check your bills and credit card statements very carefully!

 

What makes you think that this an HAL "practice", rather than simply an error?

[DaveOKC]

19 minutes ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

What makes you think that this an HAL "practice", rather than simply an error?

Oft times it is neither, but rather inexperienced crew members who do not know the proper procedures. 

[lori A.]

This overcharging happens to us frequently.  We ask for our final bill the morning of disembarkation, and sure enough when our credit card statement comes, there is a charge from HAL.  We then contact them to find out what the charge is for.  They almost always say it is a mini bar charge.  Well, we ALWAYS have the room steward clean out the mini bar, but they continue to try and charge us for items we don't use.  This happened on our Feb/Mar cruise, and although HAL has given us written confirmation that we indeed should not have been charged, they also stated it would be a minimum of 8 weeks before the credit would appear on our statement.  To date, no credit has appeared.

[cruisemom42]

39 minutes ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

What makes you think that this an HAL "practice", rather than simply an error?

 

Whether it is practice or an error, it seems to happen on HAL more than on any other line based on how frequently it comes up on this forum.

 

HAL is well aware of the problem, and HAL should fix it.