No excuse for this

[Raycruise2010]

My wife and I are on the Equinox March 16 and like many, I scan Celebrity's site to see if they've changed prices on staterooms. I knew this was too good to be true --- a Penthouse Suite for roughly $5,400 (with taxes) for two. When I called Celebrity, a customer service rep said the offer was for a Sky Suite. That price for a Sky Suite was more reasonable, but I wondered why Celebrity would use Penthouse Suite marketing to sell a far smaller Sky Suite, and I wondered if the ad bordered on deception and false advertising. Here was the first response: "Well, technically it doesn't because even though it says Penthouse Suite we mention the S2 category to the right." Really? That's like having a car ad with a big picture of a new Mercedes for $19,999 and in small type noting that gets you a Kia. I spoke to a supervisor who blamed this on the recent computer upgrade. I'm very disappointed in Celebrity. You shouldn't make an offer seem like one thing when it's something else. I attached a screen shot for anyone who want to look

[i guide the sky]

The attachment isn't very clear. Could you post it to a photo site so the resolution isn't downgraded?

[billie5]

I suppose the first agent was guessing (poorly) as to what might explain the ad. I do believe the supervisor was much closer to the truth: the ad was a mistake. Advertising mistakes do happen - they are not exactly the end of the world, even if they do cause you to make a wasted phone call.

[Azulann]

You were right. It was too good to be true.

Always trust your first instinct.

Enjoy your cruise and your stateroom.

[mscruisefanwoman]

Not to stir the soup, but this is illegal. I'd call them back and insist on them providing the product they advertised at the price they advertised.

[Project_gal]

Not to stir the soup, but this is illegal. I'd call them back and insist on them providing the product they advertised at the price they advertised.

 

Interesting! In the UK this would not be illegal. As I undertsand it, here the company is not legally bound to complete the contract. However, if they did complete the contract, they would then be obliged to honour the price.

 

Sue

[SFCAcruiser]

Interesting! In the UK this would not be illegal. As I undertsand it, here the company is not legally bound to complete the contract. However, if they did complete the contract, they would then be obliged to honour the price.

 

Sue

The US laws seem to be similar to those in the UK related to published mistake prices.

Here is what a well-respected US consumer organization says:

 

"It's generally a myth that retailers must honor a posted price if it's simply a mistake, although some stores might do so as a matter of policy or on a case-by-case basis. The issue gets murky if the retailer begins processing the order, something that is more likely to happen online, says Jane Winn, a professor at the University of Washington Law School. But even then, she says, a merchant might be able to cancel the purchase if the price was so low that a buyer should have known it was mistake. An online retailer's fine print may relieve it of the duty to fulfill orders based on pricing errors."

[mscruisefanwoman]

They've recently strengthened the US laws to include celebrities who "claim" to use a product, while in fact, they never have. The celebrity and company who makes these false claims can be sued. As I understand, Kim Kardash (don't know how to spell her name, don't care to learn) is having to defend herself for this very same practice.

 

Did the cruise line later submit a "corrected" publication to explain the first was and error?

[sarafinadh]

California does have consumer protection laws in place that require a store to honour a posted price in the store. Misprints in advertising are not covered, but if it says so in the store, they will, sometimes under a bit of duress, honour the price. and of course change the price as soon as they discover it!

 

But that is state based, not federal.

[Chunky2219]

Interesting! In the UK this would not be illegal. As I undertsand it, here the company is not legally bound to complete the contract. However, if they did complete the contract, they would then be obliged to honour the price.

 

Sue

As you say, in the UK they would not be legally obliged to honour a price. But misleading advertising is a problem - if referred to the Advertising Standards Authority and if serious enough it could result in a fine.

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[NukeIT]

It does seem a little Bait and Switch'ish.....

 

However it seems they left themselves an out by including the "S2" category.... Still deceptive tho

[C 2 C]

Mistakes do happen...

 

What if the posted price was adjusted upwards?

 

[Crazy Cruzer]

....Really? That's like having a car ad with a big picture of a new Mercedes for $19,999 and in small type noting that gets you a Kia. ...

 

Not a very good example because if I saw an ad for a new Mercedes for $19,999 I'd know that there was an error. They don't sell new Mercedes for $19,999 and they don't sell the Penthouse on a 10 or 11 day cruise for $5,400. Sorry.

[i guide the sky]

Mistakes do happen...

 

What if the posted price was adjusted upwards?

 

 

Well if that happened then no one would book it. So?

[Fixit2010]

Not to stir the soup, but this is illegal. I'd call them back and insist on them providing the product they advertised at the price they advertised.

 

I have to disagree, it depends on the exact wording.

A seller (in the UK) may change the price of a product and service and give you the option to take it or leave it. They can remove the item for sale. They DO NOT have to sell it at all. If the ad says somewhere on the page E+OE then they have a clause for accidental mistakes. If someone has accidentally typed penthouse suite instead of a sky suite, it is an accident and I doubt it is illegal.

If they confirmed on the phone they were selling penthouse suites at this price and took your money, gave you a receipt that stated it was a penthouse and not a sky suite and when you turned up it was a sky suite, then you have grounds to take action, but as they have said oops its a mistake and corrected the offer and made it clear before you have traded, then I am afraid they have done nothing wrong except made a genuine mistake.

[Fixit2010]

. As I understand, Kim Kardash (don't know how to spell her name, don't care to learn) is having to defend herself for this very same practice.

 

 

I could never understand why those girls named themselves after the bad guys in Star Trek DS9

[EithneMay]

There was a computer upgrade? You would never know it from the website continuously being under maintenance!

[Denny01]

Deleted

 

Den

[GRBlizz]

We're holding a booking for an Aqua Class Accessible cabin (AA) on Reflection, and when I click on View Cabin from my reservation or from the deck plan, it shows as an Accessible Sky Suite, with suite perks.

 

But when I logged out and went through the steps as if I were making a new reservation for that class, it still said Accessible Sky Suite, but it listed the proper (A1-equivalent) perks.

 

So they're not selling anyone perks they're not delivering. They just got me really excited for a few minutes!

[Ma Bell]

Yes, there is an excuse for this, it's called a mistake.

 

Are you really annoyed that you can't take advantage of an obvious mistake?

[Sloop-JohnB]

I could never understand why those girls named themselves after the bad guys in Star Trek DS9

 

Lol, very funny comment... thanks for the chuckle.

 

Actually they of course, they get their name from their famous father, Robert Kardashian... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Kardashian

 

Now some would say he was an opportunist who liked to associate with famous "bad guys" too... (similarities here?) guess at times like they say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

 

Cheers!