P&O admit switching the promised 10% 2020 discount to 5% - but won't honour the offer

[Harry Peterson]

7 minutes ago, NoFlyGuy said:

Whilst I stick with my earlier comments about not fealing confused or ripped off when doing a dummy booking, it does seem that P&O's response to complaints has been very inconsistent.

Could it be anything to do with when the booking was made i.e. whether before or after the web site was updated? Perhaps more likely to be just more P&O incompetence as with their handling of the new data protection rules earlier this year! 

 

It would be nice to think that, but I think it has a lot more to do with how readily people accept being fobbed off, how gullible they are, how vociferously they complain, who they complain to, whether they're perceived to be profitable customers and whether - ultimately - P&O think it would be better for them to pay up than not pay up.

[Happy2b@sea]

4 hours ago, SausPud said:

My Suite price (with Butler) is cheaper than a third tier suite on Fred Olsen, and cheaper than Marella's executive suite, so not a bad price, even with the mix up in costings.

Oh that's great.  Which ship and when did you book?  I presume it's not Iona...

[SausPud]

7 hours ago, Happy2b@sea said:

Oh that's great.  Which ship and when did you book?  I presume it's not Iona...

Ventura for Canaries July 2020 and booked on launch day. The earlier the better price. 

[jeanlyon]

I am inclined to think incompetence and not deceit, going by the usual stuff.  I checked into Cruise Persionalizer to update my travel insurance and what do I find, my passport details have changed to my friend#s and so had my address.  I had to change it on all 4 cruises we have b ooked.

[jeanlyon]

Based on this thread, I did write to P&O and got a call from my TA today saying that we had received £50 pp extra OBC for both cruises and so did my friend who travels with us.  I didn't even ask for her!1

[Harry Peterson]

11 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

Based on this thread, I did write to P&O and got a call from my TA today saying that we had received £50 pp extra OBC for both cruises and so did my friend who travels with us.  I didn't even ask for her!1

 

Delighted to hear that, Jean - I've been hinting at that for quite a while in the hope that you might take it up with them.  I think there are far more people entitled to this than think they are.  Not their fault at all - entirely the fault of P&O for concealing things so well that it became very difficult to find out what discount had actually been given (and from what price).

 

It's taken a campaign thread like this to get them to own up, and pay up.

[jeanlyon]

Talking to my TA I really don't think it's P&O being cunning or deceitful, I think it's more their IT department who cock things up.  MY TA told me he can type in someone's name and it comes up with the wrong date of birth and it happens all the time.  I rather feel it's incompetence.

 

It was my lovely TA who got the extra OBC for our friend.  We did the bookings at the same time and they are linked.  So well done to him.

Edited October 25, 2018 by jeanlyon

[Harry Peterson]

16 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

Talking to my TA I really don't think it's P&O being cunning or deceitful, I think it's more their IT department who cock things up.  MY TA told me he can type in someone's name and it comes up with the wrong date of birth and it happens all the time.  I rather feel it's incompetence.

 

It was my lovely TA who got the extra OBC for our friend.  We did the bookings at the same time and they are linked.  So well done to him.

Such faith.......if you only knew.  🙂

[grapau27]

11 minutes ago, docco said:

Such faith.......if you only knew.  🙂

It's strange how these mistakes never benefit the passengers.

[jeanlyon]

Of course I could be wrong, but it seems an odd thing to do.  Anyway, good outcome for me.  my cruise is £680 pp more than we paid.

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, docco said:

Such faith.......if you only knew.  🙂

If you have specific info. then please let us know as well.

I believe that this years launch was an excellent offer compared to recent years, but very badly thought out and implemented. We all like to secure a bargain, but you need to be able to understand and appreciate how it has been applied so you can bask in the satisfaction it brings.   Unfortunately someone at P&O thought it would be a good idea to apply the 5% discount that applied to everyone as soon as you went into the booking process, which rather defeated that idea.

Let's hope they learn from this debacle, and that they still offer similar benefits next year.

[jeanlyon]

Yes I kind of agree with you.  Incompetence rather than direct cunning.  We;ll never know.

[Happy2b@sea]

On 10/24/2018 at 8:02 PM, jeanlyon said:

I am inclined to think incompetence and not deceit, going by the usual stuff.  I checked into Cruise Persionalizer to update my travel insurance and what do I find, my passport details have changed to my friend#s and so had my address.  I had to change it on all 4 cruises we have b ooked.

I still can't update my personal details because I am apparently an an Unauthorized user for MY PERSONAL DETAILS!!  I have mentioned this twice to P&O but STILL NO CHANGE!!  

 

As for the 5%/10% fiasco don't forget this is Carnival now!  I would have expected more from an American company!  I've not had this problem with NCL!

[oxygenbanditnot]

It's time we had the "When is the best time to book" thread again, so that numerous people can say how its always best to book on launch, price is never bettered, my cruise is now "X" pounds pppn more; etc.

Always ambiguous, hardly ever mention bottom line price, what grade of cabin they book and the fact that cost can actually go down. 

Two examples:-   

Repositioning cruise to Caribbean was available for inside cabin 14 nights £899(£64pppn) or 22Nights at £1299(£59pppn), flight included back to Bournemouth.

35 day January cruise £1999(£57pppn).

Cabins allocated on arrival!

 

[jeanlyon]

OK, mine is an inside cabin.  Paid £1350, it's now £1908 - select fare.  Saver fare is £1700.

[jeanlyon]

Sorry wrong.  Now £1984, not £1908

[Josy1953]

23 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

Based on this thread, I did write to P&O and got a call from my TA today saying that we had received £50 pp extra OBC for both cruises and so did my friend who travels with us.  I didn't even ask for her!1

Thanks for posting this Jean, it gave me the nudge to write to P&O this morning even though we had the 10% discount and paid £623 each less than today's price.  I had a phone call from a lady in Christopher Edgington's dept this afternoon and we have also been given £50 each OBC.

A

[jeanlyon]

Don't ask, don't get is my motto.  Well done.

Edited October 26, 2018 by jeanlyon

[miniyorkie]

57 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

Don't ask, don't get is my motto.  Well done.

I'm pleased that others have been fortunate to get some OBC and that Docco initially  brought this to the forum. I've sent emails to p and o and to my T.A but have been told that the costing was correct . I pre registered on 3rd September but unfortunately I don't have any evidence to prove/disprove the prices at that time. There seems to have been a varied response to this issue but hopefully there will be more transparency with future P/O promotions. 

[jeanlyon]

I didn't have any evidence either.  I simply wrote to Christopher Edgington, suggest you do the same.  Christopher.edgington@pocruises.com

[Harry Peterson]

7 minutes ago, miniyorkie said:

I'm pleased that others have been fortunate to get some OBC and that Docco initially  brought this to the forum. I've sent emails to p and o and to my T.A but have been told that the costing was correct . I pre registered on 3rd September but unfortunately I don't have any evidence to prove/disprove the prices at that time. There seems to have been a varied response to this issue but hopefully there will be more transparency with future P/O promotions. 

Having initially highlighted this issue, as you say, my advice would be to keep at them, using the christopher.edgington@pocruises.com email address and referring specifically to this thread.  If you explain that others have been offered £50 per person OBC in the same situation you should, with luck, get a better outcome.

 

They have been evasive and inconsistent over this.  They know full well they're in the wrong, but they're only making this gesture where they have to.  The last thing they want is to have to pay out to everyone who booked - if that were the case they'd have done so already and advised agents.

 

Don't let them get away with it - and that would be my advice to everyone who made a booking in similar circumstances.

[jeanlyon]

Yes have to agree with that.

[bungle66]

6 minutes ago, miniyorkie said:

I'm pleased that others have been fortunate to get some OBC and that Docco initially  brought this to the forum. I've sent emails to p and o and to my T.A but have been told that the costing was correct . I pre registered on 3rd September but unfortunately I don't have any evidence to prove/disprove the prices at that time. There seems to have been a varied response to this issue but hopefully there will be more transparency with future P/O promotions. 

I didn't have any evidence either but I did contact Christopher.edgington@pocruises.com directly and for me pretty much immediately I received a phone call with an APOLOGY from P&O admitting that their wording had been misleading. I hadn't mentioned any figures in my email just that I was aware that (and couldn't understand why) the wording AND the prices had (apparently) )changed from the date of my registration on the 3rd September to the time my cruise was actually confirmed, giving me only a 5% and not a 10% discount. That's all you have to tell them really. They know they were in the wrong and they will offer you the £50 p/p obc. Ironically when I did subsequently hear from Customer Services days after this had all been dealt with, THEY only offered some waffle about the discrepancy and confirmed that I had indeed paid the correct price which included the 10% discount. No offer of £50 p/p from them, so my advice - go to Christopher Edgington's office directly. If necessary mention this thread, they are already aware of it! Good luck.

[Josy1953]

I had no proof either but I went my email to Christopher Edgington because in the past I have found this is the quickest way to get a response from P&O.

 

 

 

Edited October 26, 2018 by Josy1953

[miniyorkie]

Thanks guys for your support. Much appreciated and that's why I enjoy this forum. My first email last week was to Chris Edgington as advised but although i had a confirmation of receipt email within hours it was P/O  customer service who replied. I then sent 2 further emails but was instructed to contact the TA as my contract was with them directly and P/O  politely declined to become involved. I emailed my T A and  today received a phone call to say that although they were aware of this situation they were adamant all was correct. I have tried,  as I would have been annoyed with myself  if I hadn't,  but it's not worth taking a more argumentative stance as I don't want to tarnish the prospective cruise and in the scheme of things its not a fortune, (although I agree it's the principle).  I genuinely say well done  to others who have been more successful.