RCCL not honoring website pricing?!?!?

[firerecruit71295]

So my wife and I found a good deal on the Allure of the Seas this morning while looking on the RC site. It is for the October 22-29 sailing with the two of us and our son. We did a "fake booking" all the way to the end to see what final cost would be with taxes, fees, gratuities, and insurance. Price showed $2280.99 for the Central Park View stateroom with Balcony. It showed 1-2-FREE deal -$620, Crown and Anchor rates -$125, AND $75 on board credit. I took a screen shot of the booking just so I knew what room and price until we decided.

 

We decided to book it but when I went on it didnt show the $75 on board credit. We decided to book it anyways to lock in the price and then call and inquire with RC about the lack of on board credit.

 

I called and he stated that the Crown and Anchor cannot be combined with the on board credit (which we already knew) but thought maybe it was a "special sale" or even if it was a glitch that isnt our problem. As I was on the phone with RC I did ANOTHER "fake booking" and the on board credit showed up AGAIN. He said to go ahead and book it and he would cancel our other reservation. I did so but then he went on and looked and said that our on board credit didnt show up again....

 

Any recommendation on how to handle this. I have screenshots of both reservations showing the credit. I think it is ridiculous that they can show all of that on the booking while purchasing but then refer back to the "fine print" and say sorry we wont honor it.

 

Any help or recommendations would be helpful!

[jticarruthers]

I experienced the same thing in the past, the system would show both discounts even though only one is applicable.

 

Booked it and then when the invoice came it only had one of the two, never got a resolution I liked and ended up cancelling it for other reasons.

[molly361]

The balcony discount and OBC is never combinable, not sure why you were sable to see it online.

[setsail]

 

 

Any recommendation on how to handle this. I have screenshots of both reservations showing the credit. I think it is ridiculous that they can show all of that on the booking while purchasing but then refer back to the "fine print" and say sorry we wont honor it.

 

Any help or recommendations would be helpful!

 

Yes, read the terms and conditions to get your answer

Edited December 1, 2016 by setsail

[firerecruit71295]

But that's the issue I have. Its false advertising. They should not have anything like that populate on their website and then just respond with "oh but the fine print says..." The website made an error (which I don't think is even an error because it showed up on two different occasions)... they should be forced to honor it!

[MrYellowDuck]

Yes, read the terms and conditions to get your answer

 

It's fascinating to read about differences in consumer protection between countries. Here, if the advertisement says something different to the terms and conditions then the advertisement holds.

[firerecruit71295]

Both screenshots should be attached. I know it wont do anything but I will be writing corporate. We have been loyal to Royal and would like to continue but times like this is when I wouldn't mind trying another line.

 

 

[Biker19]

But that's the issue I have. Its false advertising..... they should be forced to honor it!

 

Would you feel better if they had initially honored it and then canceled on you? That has happened when their IT system had a glitch and a few folks were able to secure "wrong" price bookings.

[whitshel]

If you know that they are not combinable, why are you trying to take advantage of them? Whether it showed up or not, you know its not, once you go to the final boooking it drops off, you are not entitled to to it. If it showed up and you booked and paid it it said you had the $75 obc and then they came back and took it away then I would say you have a complaint, but since the website corrected itself as you know it should have then what's the complaint?

 

Or are you saying since the $75 was included, that made you book it? If it didn't include the $75 obc you wouldn't have booked?

 

My guess is you just trying to take advantage...... To each his own I guess.:confused:

[ONECRUISER]

But that's the issue I have. Its false advertising. They should not have anything like that populate on their website and then just respond with "oh but the fine print says..." The website made an error (which I don't think is even an error because it showed up on two different occasions)... they should be forced to honor it!

 

Sorry but a glitch isnt false advertising, it's not intentional and this one is self correcting anyway. As others have said read the fine print and in past Companies have canceled reservations that were priced wrong. Hope you can move and and not ruin a vacation over this.

[micmacmissy]

It isn't false advertising, but it's definitely shady.

 

They calculate the total price, they should honor it.

 

Car dealers do the same thing- they show military discount, student discount, etc- but you can't combine all of those.

 

Difference here is RCCL tallies up the fare- and shows you a final cost- and that cost should be honored.

 

That said, don't stress over $75.

[Aus ATC]

Had a similar experience on the Australian website. I was able to proceed through a booking which combined OBC, C+A discount and the current "sale", almost all the way, but it was always failing on the credit card payment page - but not with the actual reason: "The price we have quoted is a mirage - give up now, we are not going to sell you this".

 

Rang up to try and get it over the phone; the agent could not see the price I was seeing, so I had to settle for the non C+A price (the OBC was better).

 

Another example of half baked IT systems leading customers to an expectation of a certain price, only to fail to deliver.

[El Abuelo]

The outrage.

 

We reserved a cruise in April and with this sale were able to reprice it and save. They gave us the lower rate (kids sail free) which was a substantial reduction, but did not give us the $75 credit. The reason our travel agent (AmEx) gave us

Per Royal Caribbean the $75 On Board Credit/cabin with their current lower priced promotion is NOT combinable with our American Express Platinum Benefit (CPP).

So, I didn't see that detail anywhere, but I don't doubt that it exists, and I certainly don't think there is anything unethical going on. Would the extra $75 be nice to have? Sure, but the "does not apply to you" is an inconvenience, not a misrepresentation - IMHO. If you do think there is an intent to mislead or deceive, then cancel the cruise and file a complaint with your state consumer protection bureau or attorney general.