Flawed On Board Credit Authorization Process

[Aidansmommy2]

Enjoy RCCL...don't let the door hit ya on the behind on the way out.:rolleyes:

Happy Sailing :)

Barb

[tkportersat]

Good luck, I always love the "I will Never cruise Carnival again posts".

 

First of all I work at a bank and I don't know what kind of holds cruise companies place on a credit card but it is highly possible it exceeded your daily limit for point of sale at your bank. Or as others mentioned "computer error". I would never use my bank debit card for these reasons. I bring a main credit card and a back up while traveling so that if I have problems with one then I have a plan B. As a third option I do have my bank card in case I need to withdraw cash.

 

I don't take chances on vacation, I want to be able to relax and not stress like in everyday life.

 

And just a tip, most people that work in a customer service oriented business respond much better to a firm and kind approach - not a yelling going ballistic approach. I am more likely to go above and beyond if someone is calm than the customer that is telling me how bad my company sucks, they are closing all their accounts and what an idiot I am.

[mistyinca]

I have a feeling that it was your bank that caused the problem, and not Carnival. Debit cards are NOT credit cards. Several years ago, we went on a road trip, and when we returned home, my debit card was denied at the grocery store. When I called the bank to ask about it, they said that they had spotted "unusual" activity in several states. Their idea of "unusual" was us purchasing gas in CA, AZ, NM, and TX on our debit card. Luckily, it wasn't put on hold until after we got back. I was pizzed for sure, but at my bank. They immediately undid the hold, and I even had them do something to my account that would make it never result in such a hold again. I don't know what it was, but that is what I asked for, and they said they would.

 

When you called your bank, the bank rep probably immediately undid the hold as soon as you confirmed your identity. Those holds have NOTHING to do with the amount of funds you have in your account.

 

It sounds to me like you enjoyed 6 days with no problem, had a minor issue for the attempted purchase in the DR, a quick resolution shortly thereafter, and if I read correctly you had no further issues the rest of your trip except that you did not get a free bottle of wine.:rolleyes:

 

Hold on...I must pause for a tissue as my eyes are welling up at the thought. ;)

[jetexpress]

Your situation is no different than using your DEBIT card to buy gasoline. Your bank, not the gas station puts a hold on your account until your purchase is completed.

 

Your bank most likely, not carnival put the hold on your account.

 

If a waiter handed you a note and you had quietly gotten up and went to pursers desk, perhaps you could have saved yourself the embarassment of surrounding tables becoming aware of the situation. While none of us know the exact situation it seems like letting Carnival just swipe your card again or a credit card would have been the simplest thing to do. You don't expect free Coke from a gas station when a hold is placed on your account there, why should you expect a free bottle of wine from carnival.

 

I just hope we don't catch you whining on the RCI boards because a hold was put on your account by them as well.

[remharri]

I do agree that their system is flawed. Because it happened to us on our last cruise. We did use a debit card, our my father did, and he had to go and print out his banking statement online to show that we had more then enough in his checking account to cover everything including the holds. My parents do typically use their credit cards, but for some reason my dad had put his debit card on it instead of his credit card. His mistake...but the problem was fixed, and yes, I do believe once again it is flawed.

Does this mistake stop us from cruising Carnival? Heck no! I'm going on my second cruise with them in April and a third in September. We did get an apology though. I am personally bringing cash, so I can limit my bad spending habits ;)

I'm a new addicted cruiser...this is bad...I'm still so young :p

[Kurbanfan]

Most of you good folks seem somewhat complacent about what level of service you expect on a cruise...

 

And most of you haven't taken the time to closely read and understand what I've posted...

 

Many other folks on the ship with me fully understood the situation, had experienced it themselves, and we agreed on what should have been done by Carnival to resolve the problem. I guess you just had to be there?

 

 

The pursers dept. is not one of Carnival's strong points lol! We had a similar situation with our credit card (not debit card). And the way they handled our problem was less then desirable:cool:

But I won't let a few ignorant unhappy employee's ruin my cruises:p

Good luck on your next cruise!

[tkportersat]

While I agree somewhat with what you are saying, it is not always the banks fault either. Some vendors mess things up.....for example gas stations will place way larger holds than what you actually purchased in gas or they only post a dollar. Restaurants will place holds higher than what your tab is to allow for tips. And some vendors will do a pre-auth and then run your actual purchase as well - which essentially ties up your funds twice. These sometimes linger out there for a few days. There are also folks that will run your transaction more than once, like the time Six Flags ran a purchase on my account 7 times.

 

So, in a nutshell.....I wouldn't advise using your debit card to attach to your sail and sign card. If the cruiseline places a hold on your card it could actually cause a huge mess with your regular bills and purchases trying to clear and you could come home to NSF fees. If you don't like credit cards, then it would be better to withdraw money and pay it on your sail and sign.

 

I have a feeling that it was your bank that caused the problem, and not Carnival. Debit cards are NOT credit cards. Several years ago, we went on a road trip, and when we returned home, my debit card was denied at the grocery store. When I called the bank to ask about it, they said that they had spotted "unusual" activity in several states. Their idea of "unusual" was us purchasing gas in CA, AZ, NM, and TX on our debit card. Luckily, it wasn't put on hold until after we got back. I was pizzed for sure, but at my bank. They immediately undid the hold, and I even had them do something to my account that would make it never result in such a hold again. I don't know what it was, but that is what I asked for, and they said they would.

 

When you called your bank, the bank rep probably immediately undid the hold as soon as you confirmed your identity. Those holds have NOTHING to do with the amount of funds you have in your account.

 

It sounds to me like you enjoyed 6 days with no problem, had a minor issue for the attempted purchase in the DR, a quick resolution shortly thereafter, and if I read correctly you had no further issues the rest of your trip except that you did not get a free bottle of wine.:rolleyes:

 

Hold on...I must pause for a tissue as my eyes are welling up at the thought. ;)

[bobsfamily]

 

And what the heck is a "Troll". No, sorry, I do not want to know.

Whoops, now I've really offended you...

 

Sorry I dropped in this morning.

 

I'll leave you to whatever you enjoy doing here...

 

Have a nice day!

 

You with 1... er 2 posts are a troll - you spew your bad karma and then go away. If the cruise was SO bad you would have taken the offer and gotten off at the the first non-us port. It wasn't bad until the 6th day... boohoo.

[DiamondBill102]

I see a lot wrong with this post.....Something just doesnt add up. All those cruises with suites and you never had a problem? You seem to have overreacted.

 

I was on the Miracle last week. With the volume in the dinning room I find it hard to believe others over heard the waiter. What more likely happen was when you threw your fit they heard that. You could have easily had dinnner.....(Less the wine) and went to the pusers desk after dinner and nobody would have known anything.

 

Did you contact your bank to let them know you will be getting charges for other places then your normal location? Maybe after six days of charges they flagged something?

 

How were you treated like a criminal?

I love the fact you say you to "lazy" to sue but you had enough enegry to complain to the pusers desk....come here and complain. WHAT could you POSSIBLY sue for?

 

Bill

[BullDogChief]

Maybe not. But if he was truly an IT manager with online financial systems, he would know it is impossible to pinpoint what happened without the actual electronic records that may or may not exist. He admits no system is perfect, which would include his bank's system, but assumes the mistake was made by Carnival's system.

 

Heck, it could have been the mistake of a 3rd party processor.

 

Exactly right...this whole thing sounds overblown...I can understand the feeling of being humiliated, I can even understand being upset...but I would venture a guess the whole thing would have gone much smoother if OP had been a little nicer instead of instantly blaming Carnival and demanding recompense...but that's just my opinion :rolleyes:

[Dr. Jack Daniels]

8 CRUISES in the past 4 years and this is your first post? Troll Alert!

 

Yes, of course! Didn't the OP know that you need a minimum of 1000 posts before you can say anything negative about Carnival.

 

Clearly, she does not know that her opinion is meaningless until she reaches that point.:rolleyes:

 

Dr. Jack

[mistyinca]

<snip> And some vendors will do a pre-auth and then run your actual purchase as well - which essentially ties up your funds twice. These sometimes linger out there for a few days. There are also folks that will run your transaction more than once, like the time Six Flags ran a purchase on my account 7 times.

I've had that happen before too--I've had a company mis-charge me for something on a debit card, CREDIT me, and re-charge the thing:mad:. In the meantime, the credit doesn't come through, and the bank recognizes it as 2 authorizations before the credit comes.

 

So, in a nutshell.....I wouldn't advise using your debit card to attach to your sail and sign card. <snip>

 

Same here. I would NEVER use a debit card for something like this.

[Dr. Jack Daniels]

As a newcomer to the Cruise Critic board, I'd also like someone to explain what a "Troll" is.

 

That's easy.

 

1. Anyone that makes a negative comment about Carnival.

 

2. Anyone with less than 500 posts.

 

3. Anyone that has the audacity to disagree with a Blue Ribbon Cruiser.

 

It's in the FAQs...really.

 

Dr. Jack

[bobsfamily]

That's easy.

 

1. Anyone that makes a negative comment about Carnival.

 

2. Anyone with less than 500 posts.

 

3. Anyone that has the audacity to disagree with a Blue Ribbon Cruiser.

 

It's in the FAQs...really.

 

Dr. Jack

 

Funny!

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

I used a debit card ONCE - and that was enough... with Carnival placing multiple holds (of various amounts) on my account, it did not take long to cause a problem. I might, for example, make A LOT of charges in a day (a grand or two), and pay them off that evening with cash from the casino (if I'm lucky).... rinse and repeat... as a result:

 

After a few days my onboard account may show a ZERO balance, but my checking account still shows SEVERAL thousand of HOLDS. The next time I used my card - BAM - the waiter: "sir, your signing privileges have been suspended, something to do with your account - you need to see the purser". Others were around and overheard this, and NO MATTER WHAT, if you hear that happening to someone, you tend to jump to conclusions. Heck, I felt embarrassed! After heading there, all that it took was putting another card into their system for my account. No biggie. HOWEVER -- just try and use that debit card for a few days after the cruise - forget it!!!

 

So, I ONLY use a credit card now.

 

With regard to sailing on Royal Caribbean (in protest) - I had an incident on the Celebrity Century (same parent company) in December, which was handled poorly by their staff. The problem was, and this was my fault, my credit card company spied "unusual activity" and since they could not get in touch with me - suspended the account. I will say, when my onboard card was DENIED, the fellow informing me was much more discreet. When I went to "Guest Relations" though, the experience was not pleasant. There were 3 people behind the desk, and though there was a couple/few feet between each guest being helped - I just happened to draw the short straw and was helped by someone without a volume control. They proceeded to proclaim, for all to hear, that my credit card was denied. I did manage to have a phone call made from there to my bank, and it was cleared up (after perhaps 20 minutes) - during which time I decided it would be better if they provided a more private area for this type of situation - where your (apparent) laundry is not held out to dry for others to witness.

 

I concur with another poster on here... bring a pile of cash, and you should NEVER have any problems!!!

 

Tom

[TheVegasMan]

"No, I will not sue Carnival." What exactly do you think you could sue them for?

[tkportersat]

Some people don't think about this, but I call my credit card companies before cruising to let them know I am going out of the country. Just to help in avoiding any kind of "red flags" that may pop up.

 

With regard to sailing on Royal Caribbean (in protest) - I had an incident on the Celebrity Century (same parent company) in December, which was handled poorly by their staff. The problem was, and this was my fault, my credit card company spied "unusual activity" and since they could not get in touch with me - suspended the account. I will say, when my onboard card was DENIED, the fellow informing me was much more discreet. When I went to "Guest Relations" though, the experience was not pleasant. There were 3 people behind the desk, and though there was a couple/few feet between each guest being helped - I just happened to draw the short straw and was helped by someone without a volume control. They proceeded to proclaim, for all to hear, that my credit card was denied. I did manage to have a phone call made from there to my bank, and it was cleared up (after perhaps 20 minutes) - during which time I decided it would be better if they provided a more private area for this type of situation - where your (apparent) laundry is not held out to dry for others to witness.

 

Not a BIG pile of cash - ha :D

 

I concur with another poster on here... bring a pile of cash, and you should NEVER have any problems!!!

 

Tom

[bplazo]

I would never use my debit card on a cruise since it is connected to my checking account. I am suprised that you posted on a message board since it is a waste of time.

[COMBOY]

I was on a Princess Cruise in the mid 1990's and I registered my credit card with the Purser's desk. I got a notice towards the end of my cruise to see the purser. They didn't have my credit card information. I told the purser I gave it them earlier in the week. I don't know what happen, but she swipe it again and that was it. I'm in agreement with the others posters on CC that the OP in making way too much of this situation. I would never advise anyone to establish an on board account using a debit card tied to the your bank account. There are different rules between debit cards and credit cards regarding how much you are liable for due to fraudulent activity on your account. (See below) It is also possible that sometimes a bank will disconnect your debit/credit approval if they might suspect unusually activity which would force you to call them to verify the activity on the account is by the cardholder which in this case an approval from Carnival in Florida. This is clearly not the vendors (Carnival) fault, but a protection of the cardholder, the card issuer and vendor. So from Carnival perspective this has nothing to do with them nor do they owe the cardholder anything. It is the cardholder responsibility to provide an acceptable from of payment to Carnival. Now is it possible there was a glitch with the authorization/approval system with Carnival and the cruise line needed to reestablish your form of payment. Yes is it a hassle and I think Carnival should have just sent a notice to the OP stateroom to see the purser vs disconnecting his on board account. If by the second or third day the OP didn't resolve the problem then yes disconnect his on board account. How can the OP think that he won't have any problems using his debit card on RCCL or any other cruise line.

 

Credit card companies are held to strict liability laws; the law limits consumer liability for credit card fraud to $50. For example, if you notice suspicious charges on your credit card statement such as double billing or an incorrect charge, the credit card company is obligated to investigate if you send in a written request within 60 days.

 

For debit card fraud, your liability is $50 if you notify the bank within two days of noticing the fraudulent charges. After two days, your liability increases to $500, and up to your entire account balance after 60 days. So, if you report the theft after two days, you can be held responsible for paying for purchases or charges that you didn't make. Although many banks have started to implement voluntary plans to limit customer liability to $50, there is no federal law regarding this issue.

[dan40]

That's easy.

 

1. Anyone that makes a negative comment about Carnival.

 

2. Anyone with less than 500 posts.

 

3. Anyone that has the audacity to disagree with a Blue Ribbon Cruiser.

 

It's in the FAQs...really.

 

Dr. Jack

 

I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your nomination of me, for an award on another thread.

 

Returning the favor,

I nominate you for the "Nastiest poster with the fewest posts award!"

 

And you have already wrapped up the "Least informative poster." award.

 

Congratulations!

 

Dan

[dan40]

To the OP. While you could be 100% right, I find that ALL stories have 3 versions.

 

The first person's version.

The other side's version.

And,

The truth, favoring NEITHER aide.

 

Dan

[Dr. Jack Daniels]

I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your nomination of me, for an award on another thread.

 

Returning the favor,

I nominate you for the "Nastiest poster with the fewest posts award!"

 

And you have already wrapped up the "Least informative poster." award.

 

Congratulations!

 

Dan

 

Sounds like a violation of the terms of service to me. I would think a member of the "5000+ Posts Club" such as yourself would be more familiar with the rules.:eek:

[LemurCat]

A couple of things that spring to mind ...

 

1. If he's checking his account twice a day chances are it's a debit card linked to a money market account and thus not a regular bank account. Depending on stock prices the money in there can flucuate, so checking and opening and closing balance isn't uncommon in these troubled financial times.

 

2. Has it occurred to the OP that the problem might be at the clearing house level and that there was a delay in processing the day's charges? Many banks cover that sort of activity so your account statements wouldn't reflect it but it could throw out red flags on your account.

 

3. Ultimately, these things happen. If you were so sure of the funds being available, what's with all the sturm and drang? Treated like a criminal? I mean, you make it sound like you were in one of those Amex commercials where you can't buy your fiancee the ridiculous ring she wants. You got it sorted out quickly. And you were dealing with people who probably had not a clue as to what you were speaking about in the first place. If you want to let it drive you from Carnival, fine, that's your choice. But from the attitude your posts are portraying, you sound like you'd be happier somewhere else anyway.

[Dr. Jack Daniels]

I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your nomination of me, for an award on another thread.

 

Returning the favor,

I nominate you for the "Nastiest poster with the fewest posts award!"

 

And you have already wrapped up the "Least informative poster." award.

 

Congratulations!

 

Dan

 

I was really hoping for "troll of the year". But then again everyone that disagrees with you is a troll so i would have a lot of competition.

 

Maybe next time.

[Crusin6]

8 CRUISES in the past 4 years and this is your first post? Troll Alert!

No, not a troll....just a cruiser who knows when something is a valid complaint.