Whose Responsibility Is It to Notify Us of Payment Deadline?

[sparks1093]

25 minutes ago, Pyrate13 said:

Again, apples to oranges. When I delivered papers, i went to the house to collect each week. A cruise is a completely different situation.

No, it's the same premise- the person responsible for collecting, collects. They don't just rely on the customer to pay it. 

[sparks1093]

2 minutes ago, CorFour said:

***Not directly related to my original post, so if you aren't one of the snide ones please skip this one.***

For those of you with the snarky remarks about my not jumping right back into the thread the minute your replies began to roll in...

 

That post was my first and didn't appear until I'd been admitted to the group. It took me till the next day to get back to it b/c I was busy seeking medical treatment for severe asthma. Maybe in the future give people a day to come back to the thread before being so judgy, k?

Very valid reminder, thank you for posting it.

[sparks1093]

29 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

100%, so the person whose cruise payment is due has no responsibility at all to keep track of when payment is due?

It was the TA's error, but that doesn't relieve the customer from the ultimate responsibility to make sure payment is made. 

[Charles4515]

45 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

No, it's the same premise- the person responsible for collecting, collects. They don't just rely on the customer to pay it. 

My old travel agent who unfortunately passed away used to tell me stories about some clients who did not respond timely to requests for final payment. She would be running around for it at the deadline. Most travel agents don’t make big bucks. They need to collect. A surprising number of customers didn’t have the money or get it together until the last minute. One family she knew, they were local, her agency she worked for actually had an office in a strip mall so she covered the payment. She was good hearted. Guess what, they went on the cruise and never paid.  So I find it weird that the TA would not have sent a reminder. 
 

Also as to not using a TA there were a couple of recent threads where someone booked direct and missed final payment and was complaining about not getting a reminder. We can only go by OP’s word that the TA did not send a reminder. 

Edited August 3, 2023 by Charles4515

[LHT28]

Whether  they get  a reminder or not    people should always  make a note of the  date it is due  maybe even put  the  date a few days earlier

 

JMO

 

 

[Pyrate13]

2 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

It was the TA's error, but that doesn't relieve the customer from the ultimate responsibility to make sure payment is made. 

I guess we will have to agree to disagree.

[ldubs]

4 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

And the TA didn’t receive commission.

 

Yeah, that would be enough to prompt me to a reminder and especially as it would be a very simple thing to do.   I wonder who pocketed the $100/person penalty the OP mentioned.   

[2wheelin]

3 hours ago, Pyrate13 said:

Apples to oranges. Those are bills that may change every billing statement, the cruise balance remains the same.

Phone bill is the same every time; insurance bills are the same every time; garbage bill is the same every time; many others. And it makes no difference if it is the same or different. Every cruise is different too, and the payment dates fluctuate so even better reason to send a reminder. TA wants to earn their commission, they need to provide a service.

[Pyrate13]

My insurance has changed every billing for years now, as my phone does depending on calls made. Dates on these has changed at times as well. I've never had my final payment date for a cruise change ever, with over 20 cruises. 

Oh well, as with the above poster, we just agree to disagree, or not, doesn't matter to me.

[GeezerCouple]

As I wrote early in this thread

 

"After all, if things do get forgotten or some communication fails, it's *our* trip that is at jeopardy, etc. 😞"

 

And that's the bottom line.

The TA may have lost the commission, but WE would lost the trip itself *and* what might be a good part of the total cost!

 

Even IF the OP was somehow "made whole", what does that actually mean in a situation like this? 

Getting the money all refunded?

That would be great, but the aggravation...

...and the trip is still long since gone...  

Any associated plans and costs are also done and gone.

 

What's the saying about how a fraction of a gram of prevention is worth a ton of cure? 😉 

This was actually an "easy one":  just a note on a calendar with a reminder, plus perhaps ask someone else (perhaps who is also planning to go?) to help with reminders.

 

There are times when situations like this end up in trouble for reasons that could not be avoided easily or perhaps at all.  This was not one of them.

GC

[CorFour]

In answer to questions raised...

 

CL collected the penalty they imposed on us.
(Longer story: In early 2020 we booked a cruise for fall of 2020 that was cancelled d/t pandemic. CL kept our deposit toward rebooking. We rebooked the same cruise later and were made to give another upfront deposit b/c the previous deposit was in limbo [or something]. Second cruise was also cancelled d/t pandemic. CL banked both deposits. Subsequently CL sent us periodic emails stating that our banked deposits would "expire" if we didn't rebook, but our cancelled cruises were for Hawaii... and it had not yet re-opened to cruisers. We weren't going to rebook for a destination we weren't interested in. Those 2 deposits x 2 passengers--4 deposits total--ended up being banked until Jan. of '23 when we booked this cruise. The $100/person penalty was deducted from our banked deposits, so we had to repay in that amount in order to salvage our cruise. This after CL had the use of our 4 deposits for 2.5 and 3 yrs.)

For those who doubt that the TA really sent no reminders... well, I am truly speechless. Why would I be asking if he was partly at fault for not sending us a reminder if he had actually sent one?

 

No, his reminder did not go to my Spam folder. (I check it weekly.) We got zip, zero, nothing from him between invoicing and notice of cancellation.

 

Let me restate that using a TA for booking is not our custom, and in this case it seems only to have created more entanglements, confusion, and heartache. When we book for ourselves we manage everything directly with the CL and in our previous 24 yrs of travels have had nothing but good experiences. (Not cruise related... but we've also done considerable land travel with Gate 1 and have nothing but praise for all of our interactions with the company. Superb service at every step of the way!!)

Last, please hear me say this: my intent in my OP was not to blameshift nor escape personal responsibility, but to get clarity on whether or not it *was* our fault. Repeat: this is only the second time in 25 yrs that we have had to use a TA to book. After our cruise was cancelled for nonpayment the CL rep told me in no uncertain terms that it was our TA's job to keep us apprised of final payment date. TA said it was not. I asked here in hopes of getting a clear answer--not because my day is not complete w/o being called an idiot.

 

Maybe someone can shed light on why a CL would require using a TA rather than allowing passengers to book directly? 

[ldubs]

5 hours ago, ontheweb said:

100%, so the person whose cruise payment is due has no responsibility at all to keep track of when payment is due?

 

I don't think most are arguing the passenger is not responsible.  At least, I'm not.   I am saying a good TA would send a reminder.  But if a "not my job" TA is all one wants that is what they will get I suppose. 

[navybankerteacher]

7 hours ago, MCC retired said:

Collecting Final Payment is your Travel Agents job and part of what they do to earn their commission . 100% TA's error.

 

But who hired the TA?

[Toofarfromthesea]

17 hours ago, CorFour said:

We've always booked directly with cruise lines in the past... with the exception of this particular line, which requires that we use a TA. Our previous experience with this TA was for our first cruise with this CL, which went off w/o a hitch. And yes, he's a real flesh-and-blood person, not an online mass advertiser.
 

 

That could be part of the issue.  It is popular to dismiss online mass advertisers but they are more likely to have automated systems in place to do things like send out final payment date approaching.

[Toofarfromthesea]

8 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

If they never say anything how will they collect it? Seems an invoice would be warranted if they wanted to collect it.

 

Both they and the cruise line DID say it, when the trip was booked.  And I've gotten a invoice on every cruise I've booked that clearly showed the final payment date.  I've had courtesy notifications in the past but none of them ever told me of something I wasn't already aware of and ready for.  Frankly if anyone should be a little annoyed here it is the TA because they're the ones that did the work but lost out on the commission.

[Toofarfromthesea]

7 hours ago, CorFour said:

***Not directly related to my original post, so if you aren't one of the snide ones please skip this one.***

For those of you with the snarky remarks about my not jumping right back into the thread the minute your replies began to roll in...

 

That post was my first and didn't appear until I'd been admitted to the group. It took me till the next day to get back to it b/c I was busy seeking medical treatment for severe asthma. Maybe in the future give people a day to come back to the thread before being so judgy, k?

 

Fair point.

[Toofarfromthesea]

2 hours ago, CorFour said:

Maybe someone can shed light on why a CL would require using a TA rather than allowing passengers to book directly? 

 

I don't know the answer to that.  But I will say that hard as it may seem, you shouldn't take the discussion personally.  Most people are really thrashing out the issue, not you, even if sometimes it doesn't seem that way.  And while there are a few jerks, I've found that most people here post in good faith.  I hope this doesn't cause you to not come back here.

[sparks1093]

8 minutes ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

Both they and the cruise line DID say it, when the trip was booked.  And I've gotten a invoice on every cruise I've booked that clearly showed the final payment date.  I've had courtesy notifications in the past but none of them ever told me of something I wasn't already aware of and ready for.  Frankly if anyone should be a little annoyed here it is the TA because they're the ones that did the work but lost out on the commission.

Who is the business and who is the customer? A smidgen of even adequate customer care would have prevented the whole mess so I don't feel for the TA at all. 

[Toofarfromthesea]

2 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

I don't think most are arguing the passenger is not responsible.  At least, I'm not.   I am saying a good TA would send a reminder.  But if a "not my job" TA is all one wants that is what they will get I suppose. 

 

I think that when someone says it is 100% the TA's fault there is an implication, intended or not, that there is some liability there.  I don't think anyone would disagree that it is a much better business practice to send out reminders but I, and apparently many others, think that a less than ideal business practice doesn't give rise to a violated obligation or implied liability.

[sparks1093]

1 hour ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

I think that when someone says it is 100% the TA's fault there is an implication, intended or not, that there is some liability there.  I don't think anyone would disagree that it is a much better business practice to send out reminders but I, and apparently many others, think that a less than ideal business practice doesn't give rise to a violated obligation or implied liability.

I am not looking at this from a liability standpoint at all. The TA failed the customer. Yes, ultimately the customer is responsible but that doesn't let the TA off the hook for their part. And the fact that the TA is the only one that can book with the cruise line is super weird. And the TA did benefit from their mistake because the OP rebooked at a much higher fare, resulting in a higher commission. 

 

 

[Kristelle]

10 hours ago, Pyrate13 said:

Apples to oranges. Those are bills that may change every billing statement, the cruise balance remains the same.

 

My council rates don't change -  I get a bill at beginning of year and option to pay quarterly. Each quarterly payment is a quarter of the total and due 3 months  later.

 

I still get a bill  each time it is due.

 

My view is that OP has some responsibility but it is also poor service from the TA and  I would not be using them again.

 

and  I hope you keep posting OP and I hope you enjoy your cruise.

[aungrl]

6 hours ago, CorFour said:

In answer to questions raised...

 

CL collected the penalty they imposed on us.
(Longer story: In early 2020 we booked a cruise for fall of 2020 that was cancelled d/t pandemic. CL kept our deposit toward rebooking. We rebooked the same cruise later and were made to give another upfront deposit b/c the previous deposit was in limbo [or something]. Second cruise was also cancelled d/t pandemic. CL banked both deposits. Subsequently CL sent us periodic emails stating that our banked deposits would "expire" if we didn't rebook, but our cancelled cruises were for Hawaii... and it had not yet re-opened to cruisers. We weren't going to rebook for a destination we weren't interested in. Those 2 deposits x 2 passengers--4 deposits total--ended up being banked until Jan. of '23 when we booked this cruise. The $100/person penalty was deducted from our banked deposits, so we had to repay in that amount in order to salvage our cruise. This after CL had the use of our 4 deposits for 2.5 and 3 yrs.)

For those who doubt that the TA really sent no reminders... well, I am truly speechless. Why would I be asking if he was partly at fault for not sending us a reminder if he had actually sent one?

 

No, his reminder did not go to my Spam folder. (I check it weekly.) We got zip, zero, nothing from him between invoicing and notice of cancellation.

 

Let me restate that using a TA for booking is not our custom, and in this case it seems only to have created more entanglements, confusion, and heartache. When we book for ourselves we manage everything directly with the CL and in our previous 24 yrs of travels have had nothing but good experiences. (Not cruise related... but we've also done considerable land travel with Gate 1 and have nothing but praise for all of our interactions with the company. Superb service at every step of the way!!)

Last, please hear me say this: my intent in my OP was not to blameshift nor escape personal responsibility, but to get clarity on whether or not it *was* our fault. Repeat: this is only the second time in 25 yrs that we have had to use a TA to book. After our cruise was cancelled for nonpayment the CL rep told me in no uncertain terms that it was our TA's job to keep us apprised of final payment date. TA said it was not. I asked here in hopes of getting a clear answer--not because my day is not complete w/o being called an idiot.

 

Maybe someone can shed light on why a CL would require using a TA rather than allowing passengers to book directly? 

Which cruise line was it?  I've never heard of any cruise line requiring the use of a Travel Agent.  

[GeezerCouple]

4 minutes ago, CorFour said:

...

Maybe someone can shed light on why a CL would require using a TA rather than allowing passengers to book directly? 

Unless I missed something, you have continued just writing "CL" (for "CruiseLine")?

Why are you withholding the name of the cruiseline, especially if you want answers (or guesses) about why *they* "require a Travel Agent"?  We can't possibly even guess without knowing exactly which cruise line you were working with.

 

I can't remember ever reading any lengthy posts with complaints about a cruiseline without any mention of which line it was.  And if I've overlooked where you named the line, my apologies.  But if so, then why resort back to the anonymized "CL" instead of using the actual line name?  At first, I thought "CL" was one I wasn't familiar with, and I actually tried to find the name using Google. 🙄  If others also tried that, although I suspect no one else was silly enough do that, then that wasted their time, too.  Any/all of this would have been done in an attempt to --> help you, by the way, in hopes of finding out more about their policies.

 

If you read other posts just about anywhere on CC, you'll see that others are not reticent about "naming names" if they are unhappy about the service from a particular vendor, be it the cruise line, the specific ship, or some other vendor.  [Specific TA names can't be posted, but that's the only restriction, and your question is about a cruiseline's policies.]

 

To answer "why a cruiseline" (any cruiseline or a specific cruiseline; your question could be understood either way) would do something is an almost impossible question to answer, because they rarely provide rationales for their requirements.  But in some cases, those with experience may know some "behind the scenes" specifics, or perhaps even published rules (although that still might not answer the "why").

However, without your sharing the name with us, we are all at a bit of a loss to try to help you with your question.

 

GC

[Turtles06]

8 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

However, without your sharing the name with us, we are all at a bit of a loss to try to help you with your question.

Totally agree. There’s nothing wrong with identifying the cruise line here. 

[new_cruiser]

4 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

Who is the business and who is the customer? A smidgen of even adequate customer care would have prevented the whole mess so I don't feel for the TA at all. 

Anyway, in this case the TA didn't lose out on the commission because the passenger rebooked. As a matter of fact, they may have benefited because the rebooking was at a higher cost so probably their commission went up.