***** Price Gouging on Norwegian Cruise Line*****

[WhenIsOurNextCruise]

Well, I'd be upset if that happened to me. If I were upset enough, I probably would have insisted on a refund and return the watch.

 

Gouged? Hardly. I live in hurricane country, and I know what it's like when gas stations and markets double their prices only becuse you can't get gas and milk elsewhere for a few weeks after a major storm. You can get a Fossil watch anywhere, and you can certainly go without having one. So, accusing them of price gouging is way out of line.

 

Good luck getting a refund on a piece of jewelry or watch on a cruise ship. I don't think that is an option! Everyone should always ask their "return" policy before buying.

 

And I live in hurricane country and know exactly what you mean!

[BikerAl]

As a retired veteran, I was also put off by the implication that as a veteran, you deserved something different than the other cruisers. I bet you got a really nice veterans discount, just like I do. I am grateful to NCL and Carnival. for making it so easy for us to get these wonderful discounts for their appreciation of our service. Many lines make it quite difficult or limit the availability. Enjoy the watch, I love the Fossil I got on the Pearl.

 

Al

[PokerDave]

I'm sorry you are unhappy OP. However, I don't think that you have anyone but yourself to blame here if you are unhappy with the price you paid. If you thought it was too high, then why did you pay it?

 

This story reminds me of something that happened to me years ago. A young lady called me and was looking to buy a horse. I didn't have any for sale and gave her the name of a local, reputable horse dealer. This young lady said "No way I'd ever buy anything from her..she's an outright crook". I asked her why she felt that way and she said "A couple years ago I was in college and I had to sell my horse because I needed money fast. I called this woman and she bought my horse for $400. And I found out later that she turned around 2 weeks later and sold my horse to someone else for $600!" Not believing my ears, I asked her if she had thought that $400 was a fair price at the time, and she admitted that she had. I then asked her if she knew that the woman was a horse dealer and she said that she did. I then asked her if she thought that the woman was in business to lose money and I received no answer. To say I was stunned after this conversation is an understatement.

 

So to the OP: there was a product offered for sale that you chose to buy. No one forced you. And you had to be happy with the offered price or you wouldn't have bought it in the first place. That company is there to make money and they are going to make as much as they can. The ultimate responsibility was yours to make, and you made it.

 

Regarding those flyers that they send out, I take them the same as I do flyers that I get in the mail. They are a sales gimmick and they're going to make it sound like a fantastic deal...that's what sales's flyers do. I also don't go on a cruise to get good jewelry deals. I've heard too many horror stories of people getting shafted by those bargain jewelry stores in various ports. I go on a cruise to have a wonderful vacation and will buy my jewelry from a local jeweler who I know will be there to return to should I have an issue later on.

 

I'm really sorry that you feel you got a bum deal, but I hope you enjoy your watches.

 

CG

 

Cmon Gram... you make such good posts. You are one of my favorites... but for the cruise line to insinuate they are selling things at good prices, then have things marked up above MSRP is legitimately an issue. Yes, we are all responsible for our own actions, but that doesn't mean we can't be dissappointed with the seller...

 

Buyer beware... but shame on the seller sometimes too...

[fin]

Thank you to all the other veterans here who said what I was thinking.

 

And I concur that I did not see anybody "defending NCL" on this thread.

 

I am still surprised when I see tourists looking at watches in NYC airport shops.

 

And I further concur, gouging implies suddenly inflated prices concomitant with some crisis or emergency.

[CruisnGram]

Cmon Gram... you make such good posts. You are one of my favorites...

 

Well gee, thanks Dave. You have NO IDEA how much it means to me to hear you say that after the couple of days I've had here on CC. Too much to go into but lets just say I've been fileted and sauteed! LOL

 

but for the cruise line to insinuate they are selling things at good prices, then have things marked up above MSRP is legitimately an issue. Yes, we are all responsible for our own actions, but that doesn't mean we can't be dissappointed with the seller...

 

Buyer beware... but shame on the seller sometimes too...

 

I do agree with you to a certain point. I guess I'm just a cynic. When I hear people shouting about great pricing, best deals, my radar just goes up. I guess I'm a skeptic and when I see people hurrying to get those so called deals, I just walk the other way.

 

If you noticed in another post, I did say that I understood why the OP would be upset. :)

 

CG

[BIG_Steve]

I do agree with you to a certain point. I guess I'm just a cynic. When I hear people shouting about great pricing, best deals, my radar just goes up. I guess I'm a skeptic and when I see people hurrying to get those so called deals, I just walk the other way.

 

CG

 

LOL When I hear the term "BLOW-OUT!!!!!" being used to describe a sale, I don't even give it a second thought. Trying to "Blow Smoke" is what "Blow-out" really means in the business world.

[CC Help Michell]

I guess I wouldn't have such an issue with it if they didn't send you the flyers everyday in the mail stating their price are below wholesale. Also the Asst Manager was a bit shaken when I informed him of the mistake. Such much so that he ran down to the main room where the sale was to make sure all the MSRP tags were gone. How many of you expect to get a good deal on jewery onboard cruises? That is suppose to be part of the thrill, right ???????

 

Not me! Not on the ship, and not in port, no matter the claims made. Sorry you had a bad experience -- how was your cruise other than your watch purchase?

[CruisnGram]

LOL When I hear the term "BLOW-OUT!!!!!" being used to describe a sale, I don't even give it a second thought. Trying to "Blow Smoke" is what "Blow-out" really means in the business world.

 

You got it! That and GOING OUT OF BUSINESS! There's several places in my area that have been going out of business for 10 years! LOL

 

CG

[PokerDave]

You got it! That and GOING OUT OF BUSINESS!There's several places in my area that have been going out of business for 10 years! LOL

 

CG

 

But those businesses don't have you as a captive audience in their building for a week. I understand they want to make money. Unlike many, the constant nickel and diming in terms of trying to make an extra buck with incessant pictures, etc doesn't bother me at all. But I don't mind saying no. What frustrates me is things like the OP dealt with, or with going to the art auction and having them tell you you are getting a good deal, but not having my usual resources or experience to draw on to help me make a decision. In these situations, if it isn't quite the good deal they let on, I tend to agree with a lot of the other posters that well, I thought it was good enough, so just live with it... But when the deal is worse than retail ( NOTHING sells at MSRP ), but is sold as being a good thing, then that is just wrong... no one needs to make that much money... especially from its own customers who are captive in their ship...

 

Just my opinion...

[mactrio]

Actually there was two price tags on the watch. The sales clerk asked us to pay $109 on the NCL tag and NOT the $87 on the MSRP tag. That is WHY the assistance manager scrambled to remove the rest of the tags off the remaining watches. Which would you pay?

 

This reminds of a time we were at WDW in a Rain Forest Cafe shop and I saw a cute umbrella marked down for $.99 so I grabbed one and when I got to the checkout, I was told that they were now $12.50 and I replied that my tag shows $.99 and she had to sell it to me for that price; only after we left the store with my $.99 umbrella did we notice the rain. IMO that is price gouging.

[Catz4001]

I always thought prices were more on a ship....like at a resort or hotel.

Last cruise we broke out camera and bought one on the Sky...paid $250.

and found out we way....overpaid..and didn't even like the photos the camera took....but we were stuck,,,and wanted photos...

Didn't blame the ship...figured it would be way marked up.

Sometimes they have $10. watches...but have seen the same ones for $8 at Walmart...but if you need one what can you do.

Hope they at least stay working for you

[Traveller20074]

I will NOT be buying any items on the ship if they're all that expensive. I'll just take pictures :p

[terrymtex01]

I am sorry the OP did not get the deal he thought he was getting, but I'm going to join in with the others who say if you didn't like the price you were asked to pay you should not have bought the watches. I don't care what the mark up or mark down is. I feel no differently than when someone buys a cruise and the price goes down two weeks before sailing date and they are upset they paid a certain price and now someone else is paying less. If you didn't think the price of the cruise was good enough when you bought it you shouldn't have bought it. Same thing to me. The only difference I can see at all is I do think that the ships shop should have offered to take the watches back and give him a refund. I know that is not their normal policy, but I just think they should have in this instance.

 

And to say they have captive customers, I would only say that is true on a C2N. Otherwise there are shops at just about every port you get off at.

 

I still don't get the Vet thing though. When I first read someone saying something about him being a Vet and buying something on a cruise ship it was like the OP should have known better because he was a Vet. I just don't get that at all.

 

This whole thread made me think of Circuit Citys current "goiing out of business" sale. If you shopped their stores before Christmas and now shopped them with their "going out of business" sale, they had better prices on a lot of thing before Christmas than during their current sale. A lot of it is how we as consumers preceive things. We just assume that since it is a going out of business sale that you are going to get great prices. But reality is often totally different.

 

Lastly.. I'm just curious if anyone else did what I did. When I read the title of this thread, the first thing I did when I pulled up the thread, before I read one word of the posting, I pulled up the OP to see how many postings they had made before. I was not surprised at what I had found. Not flaming, just find it almost a constant when you get such exaggerated titles on threads.

[CanadianTwosome]

I don't understand why, when someone posts negative comments about NCL, soooo many people find so many excuses to defend NCL. Isn't this board to discuss likes, dislikes, complaints , and compliments? It seems in some poster's minds, NCL can NEVER be at fault.

 

This discussion has NOTHING to do with NCL, nor do the answers have anything to do with whether NCL can be at fault for something or not. Nobody is arguing that the price was higher that the MSRP. What people are saying is that the OP CHOSE to buy the watch at the price on the tag. I'm so sick of people saying that if people disagree with a negative post it's out of some sort of misguided loyalty to NCL. Are you suggesting that none of the posters have the intelligence to base their opinions on anything other than what cruise line they sail on? Good grief.

 

As far as the issue is concerned, I'm in agreement with the rest of the posters. Buying ANYTHING on a cruise ship is like buying milk at the 7-11. It's twice the price of the milk at the grocery store, but since you want to buy it at 3am, you pay the marked up price. I was on the Pearl a month ago and I saw all those same flyers and had the opportunities to purchase Fossil watches that the OP had, but I chose not to, because I thought the prices were too high. In my opinion, the OP is basically admitting to us here that he fell for the advertising hook, line and sinker, and then got angry when he found out he'd been duped. That's NOT anyone's fault but HIS. As far as the manager removing the MSRP tags, that's what any good retail manager would have done, because they're in the business to MAKE MONEY and they charge the prices people like the OP are willing to pay.

 

The above opinion is MINE. I would have the same opinion if the incident had occurred on ANY cruise line, at any resort, or at any other place of business with a 'captive' clientele.

[terrymtex01]

This discussion has NOTHING to do with NCL, nor do the answers have anything to do with whether NCL can be at fault for something or not. Nobody is arguing that the price was higher that the MSRP. What people are saying is that the OP CHOSE to buy the watch at the price on the tag. I'm so sick of people saying that if people disagree with a negative post it's out of some sort of misguided loyalty to NCL. Are you suggesting that none of the posters have the intelligence to base their opinions on anything other than what cruise line they sail on? Good grief.

 

As far as the issue is concerned, I'm in agreement with the rest of the posters. Buying ANYTHING on a cruise ship is like buying milk at the 7-11. It's twice the price of the milk at the grocery store, but since you want to buy it at 3am, you pay the marked up price. I was on the Pearl a month ago and I saw all those same flyers and had the opportunities to purchase Fossil watches that the OP had, but I chose not to, because I thought the prices were too high. In my opinion, the OP is basically admitting to us here that he fell for the advertising hook, line and sinker, and then got angry when he found out he'd been duped. That's NOT anyone's fault but HIS. As far as the manager removing the MSRP tags, that's what any good retail manager would have done, because they're in the business to MAKE MONEY and they charge the prices people like the OP are willing to pay.

 

The above opinion is MINE. I would have the same opinion if the incident had occurred on ANY cruise line, at any resort, or at any other place of business with a 'captive' clientele.

 

VERY well said.

[Ms belp]

Has anyone purchased the $10 handbags and shawls in the gift shop? They are not overpriced and make wonderful gifts! They also have really pretty costume jewelry for a very good price.:)

[johnql]

But when the deal is worse than retail ( NOTHING sells at MSRP ), but is sold as being a good thing, then that is just wrong...

Not always true. I recall when the Mazda Miata first came out, it was all the rage. Dealerships couldn't get the cars in fast enough. They were selling for above MSRP because they were in such demand. And a couple Xmases ago, many people were forced to buy the Nintendo Wii on the secondary market (i.e., eBay) for way above MSRP. It's all about supply and demand.

[SPMorrissey]

Hello,

 

Recently I had an issue aboard the NCL pearl. I was interested in buying a Fossil watch from your ship store. I was told to wait to wait till Friday as they would have a greater selection and the prices would be reduced. I asked the sales lady why there was such a small selection. She told me that Fossil watches sell quickly. We ended up buying 3 watches, when we noticed that under the sale tag ($109) there was another tag. It was the (MSRP)Manufactured suggested retail price. It was marked $87.00!!!!! The price was marked up $22. When I talked to the sales person they said that I would need to speak with the Assistant Manager (Edwin Hamilton Leo). So I went up to the store. Edwin told us that the watches are old and can't be sold, so they had them in stock for a long time. So they marked them up to what they are worth now. I showed him the tag and he said he was fine with this and would not help me. I then asked the store clerk for his full name. Once Edwin found out he went downstairs to look over the table of watches and remove all the MSRP tags so the other passengers would NOT find out. After Edwin saw us standing there he approached us and then asked if we would like to speak to his Manager (David Atkinson). We told him that we want to file a report with the ship customer service. They then called David Atkinson. He was kind and understanding. He resolved out mistake and said he would look into the discrepancy and report back to us. He didn't! I felt I needed to write you and WARN YOU before INCL takes advantage of you with their SALE items. So Now the future and past passenger know the truth about the prices on the Pearland on NCL ships.

 

Thanks, Bill Dignan

U.S. Navy/Coast Guard Retired

 

--

A 'Veteran' -- whether active duty, discharged, retired, or reserve -- is someone who, at one point in his/her life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America,' for an amount of 'up to, and including his/her life.'

That is honor, and there are way too many people in this country today, who no longer understand that fact..

 

God bless America

Thanks for the heads up about the shady business dealings on the Pearl and thank you for protecting our country as well.

[uppitycats]

NCL didn't "gouge" you. The sellers on the ships -- any line -- don't have anything to do with the cruise line, usually, and are independent contractors. Independent sellers. Which means they can sell their items for whatever price they want to. A watch isn't a necessity..you weren't forced to buy it, you could live without it. And no, shopping on a cruise ship isn't necessarily part of the cruising experience. Lots of us have taken lots of cruises and haven't bought anything at the gift shops..

 

well, the last cruise I did buy some toothpaste. Paid way more than I should have, but knew that going in.

 

I'm sorry you were "took", in your estimation.

 

How was your cruise?

[Down-Unders]

Hello,

 

Recently I had an issue aboard the NCL pearl. I was interested in buying a Fossil watch from your ship store. I was told to wait to wait till Friday as they would have a greater selection and the prices would be reduced. I asked the sales lady why there was such a small selection. She told me that Fossil watches sell quickly. We ended up buying 3 watches, when we noticed that under the sale tag ($109) there was another tag. It was the (MSRP)Manufactured suggested retail price. It was marked $87.00!!!!! The price was marked up $22. When I talked to the sales person they said that I would need to speak with the Assistant Manager (Edwin Hamilton Leo). So I went up to the store. Edwin told us that the watches are old and can't be sold, so they had them in stock for a long time. So they marked them up to what they are worth now. I showed him the tag and he said he was fine with this and would not help me. I then asked the store clerk for his full name. Once Edwin found out he went downstairs to look over the table of watches and remove all the MSRP tags so the other passengers would NOT find out. After Edwin saw us standing there he approached us and then asked if we would like to speak to his Manager (David Atkinson). We told him that we want to file a report with the ship customer service. They then called David Atkinson. He was kind and understanding. He resolved out mistake and said he would look into the discrepancy and report back to us. He didn't! I felt I needed to write you and WARN YOU before INCL takes advantage of you with their SALE items. So Now the future and past passenger know the truth about the prices on the Pearland on NCL ships.

 

Thanks, Bill Dignan

U.S. Navy/Coast Guard Retired

 

--

A 'Veteran' -- whether active duty, discharged, retired, or reserve -- is someone who, at one point in his/her life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America,' for an amount of 'up to, and including his/her life.'

That is honor, and there are way too many people in this country today, who no longer understand that fact..

 

God bless America

 

 

I am always against putting staff names on the boards,unlike you and I they cannot defend themselves. :(:(

[2Cruise4Ever]

How many of you expect to get a good deal on jewery onboard cruises? That is suppose to be part of the thrill, right ???????

 

Ummm...... No. Not on board anyway. I expect to find good deals on jewelry in the Caribbean, but not on the ship.

 

What I find thrilling about cruising has absolutely nothing to do with shopping whatsoever (well, ok, the liquor prices are too good to pass up sometimes, but that's it).

[sjbdtz]

Keep in mind that this was only on the NCL Pearl. .

 

 

Then why is your subject line about gouging on "Norwegian Cruise LINE"????? :confused:

[sjbdtz]

They can put whatever price they want on an item. Even if it says MSRP. I worked in retail a long time and some things we could sell for alot less than MSRP as mark up was really high and other things sold higher as mark up was just minimal. If I see something I really like and price seems to be fair to me I'll buy it. I have found really good deals on NCL and than again other times not so good, but because I liked the item I purchased it anyway!

 

 

 

MSRP: Manufacturer's SUGGESTED retail price. It's illegal for the manufacturer to pre-determine the price which a retailer charges.

[sjbdtz]

Actually there was two price tags on the watch. The sales clerk asked us to pay $109 on the NCL tag and NOT the $87 on the MSRP tag. That is WHY the assistance manager scrambled to remove the rest of the tags off the remaining watches. Which would you pay?

 

 

I'd pay the one that the vendor was advising was correct.

 

What if the MSRP was $87, and the NCL price tag mistakenly said $2.

 

would you then be insisting that you should pay the NCL tag?

 

 

You're ONLY upset that the NCL tag was HIGHER, not LOWER than the MSRP.

 

Have you searched for the online prices of Fossil watches? Found yours? Try watches.com or other sites.... did you pay a fair price?

 

If not, then you'll recognize that this vendor who is renting space on an NCL ship is not one with whom you want to do future business.

 

 

But a blanket statement that NCL is price gouging is a bit outrageous, in my ever-so-humble opinion.

[sjbdtz]

As a 29 year active veteran getting ready to take my first cruise in March, I have to ask what being a veteran has to do with this scenario. If you are implying that you should have been treated differently than non-veterans, you are very wrong. I have served over 29 years and have been deployed twice and I appreciate the nice extras I receive whenever someone recognizes my service, but I have never expected anything in return for this service. Take the "Veteran" part out of this equation.

 

Still Proudly serving and looking forward to spending 7 days with my wife on our upcoming cruise. Hooah.

 

Craig

 

 

I wish there was a 'thumbs up' icon... oh....wait...there is! :)