CRUISE REFUND RECEIVED

[jeanlyon]

I see the above as the other way round.  I paid my TA less than the cost of the P&O cruise, because the TA gave me a discount.  So if P&O refund me by cheque for the whole cost, then I will owe the TA.  P&O have no way of knowing if I got a discount from the TA.

[grapau27]

1 minute ago, Eglesbrech said:

This is a cruise forum to discuss cruising issues. The lack of refunds is a cruise issue.
 

So the law should be suspended then, that is effectively what you are saying. So how far does this suspension of the law go. What else can people get away with at the moment,  what other civil and criminal laws should just be ignored?

+1.

Perfectly said

 

[happy v]

6 hours ago, majortom10 said:

The tone of my reply was aggressive and sarcastic was in your mind only all I asked was a simple question as why you are so special to get an extra 5% discount when I never have. Amazing you can imagine aggressive and sarcastic tone form a simple written question.

 

6 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Asking is fine, it’s the tone I objected to. The discount is not to do with the number of cruises we have been on. A number of years ago I posted about the discount and where it originated from and I got into a lot of bother over it as I apparently flouted forum rules. Even if I could share it, I don’t think that it’s open to new users anymore (I cant find reference to it online now) but for reasons that I don’t fully understand (and have not questioned) the relevant ‘code’ still sits on my account and applies to my bookings. Sorry to be a bit mysterious, but hope having explained you can understand why. 

I thought I should step in here to back Selbourne up and say I also receive this discount.

As Selbourne  says it equals, sometimes beats TAs. Also you pay when required by P&O. Last and only time I used TA payment was requested FIVE weeks before P&O. As we now all know only too well....a lot can happen in five weeks!

[NoFlyGuy]

13 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Hardly.

3 friends died last week with coronavirus.

I am in extra lockdown because I had a heart attack at Xmas.

You obviously are not waiting for thousands of pounds back from a cruise company.

I am waiting for a refund of  £1650 and a cruise credit of around £2300.

[jeanlyon]

20 minutes ago, happy v said:

 

I thought I should step in here to back Selbourne up and say I also receive this discount.

As Selbourne  says it equals, sometimes beats TAs. Also you pay when required by P&O. Last and only time I used TA payment was requested FIVE weeks before P&O. As we now all know only too well....a lot can happen in five weeks!

I used to be with a TA like that!  That's one of the reasons I changed to the one I'm with now.  We ony pay them about 2-3 weeks before the 90 day mark.  I don't mind that, after all it's not earning interest these days!!

[Selbourne]

41 minutes ago, happy v said:

 

I thought I should step in here to back Selbourne up and say I also receive this discount.

As Selbourne  says it equals, sometimes beats TAs. Also you pay when required by P&O. Last and only time I used TA payment was requested FIVE weeks before P&O. As we now all know only too well....a lot can happen in five weeks!

Thanks. Much appreciated. 

[NoFlyGuy]

11 minutes ago, miniyorkie said:

A tad harsh NoFlyGuy. You admit that your financial circumstances are such that you can afford to wait.  Others have no work,  no automatically paid  pensions. The refund is required by many  to pay  household expenses and the uncertainty as to when it may be refunded causes more anxiety. It cannot be denied that P.O are not playing fair to customers who have to abide by their rules on payment terms. 

Point taken.

But the world isn't like it was 3 months ago.

Financial rules, both on the positive and negative, have to be reviewed.

Processing refunds within 14 days is just one that is not realistic in the current climate.

[Eglesbrech]

4 minutes ago, NoFlyGuy said:

Point taken.

But the world isn't like it was 3 months ago.

Financial rules, both on the positive and negative, have to be reviewed.

Processing refunds within 14 days is just one that is not realistic in the current climate.

It’s not the 14 days though is it, most people accepted the 45 days they set. They are missing their own 45 target and then changing the goalposts yet again.

[Selbourne]

20 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

I used to be with a TA like that!  That's one of the reasons I changed to the one I'm with now.  We ony pay them about 2-3 weeks before the 90 day mark.  I don't mind that, after all it's not earning interest these days!!

Agree about the interest Jean and for a lot of people having to pay a few weeks earlier than required by P&O won’t be an issue and is worth it for the discount. However, it was interesting with the latest batch of cancellations that all those who had booked with a TA will now be waiting for a prolonged period for a refund of the whole cruise cost (if that was their choice) whereas a small number of people who had booked direct, and were sensibly waiting to the final balance due date before paying the balance, will now just be waiting for their deposit to be refunded. 

[jeanlyon]

yes agree and my TA said it was better for us if P&O refunded us directly.  We will see.  I am hoping for a response from my P&O contact tomorrow.

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, happy v said:

 

I thought I should step in here to back Selbourne up and say I also receive this discount.

As Selbourne  says it equals, sometimes beats TAs. Also you pay when required by P&O. Last and only time I used TA payment was requested FIVE weeks before P&O. As we now all know only too well....a lot can happen in five weeks!

My TA gives me 5% off the nett P&O price, as a deduction from the invoice price and not as OBC, and their normal payment terms are 7 days before P&O date.  Although I have even had them allow me to pay later, as long as it was by credit card and no later than 4:30 on the last working day before P&O payment date.  This was for me to ensure the payment was after the CC statement date, ie an extra months credit.  

Beat that if you can P&O.

[molecrochip]

2 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

I see the above as the other way round.  I paid my TA less than the cost of the P&O cruise, because the TA gave me a discount.  So if P&O refund me by cheque for the whole cost, then I will owe the TA.  P&O have no way of knowing if I got a discount from the TA.

AIUI, agents must declare to P&O when making the booking what cash incentives they have given so that P&O know exactly what you have paid.

[cruisefan2012]

On 4/27/2020 at 8:24 AM, Selbourne said:

Out of interest, did you cancel under health grounds during the very narrow window when it was allowed? The reason I ask is that if you cancelled a cruise before P&O had cancelled it (which you did) then under normal circumstances you would have lost your deposit (no refund due) and under the revised T’s and C’s all you were entitled to was your deposit converted to Future Cruise Credit? As I understand it, refunds are only an option when P&O cancels the cruise, which hasn’t yet happened in the case of August cruises. I am obviously missing something!

 

Edit - Having re-read your post and some of the responses, it may be that you had paid more than your deposit, so it may be that the ‘refund’ you refer to is the surplus paid above the deposit? But presumably, if that’s the case, your deposit will still be FCC and not a refund? As I say, I’m a bit confused!

Firstly Apologies for not replying sooner, I`ve been busy - Key worker !!

 

I cancelled as I did not feel it would be a good time at present ( then & now & during the duration period of the cruise) to travel abroad...

 

I was told my deposit would be converted to a future cruise credit off a new cruise to be booked before the end of December 2021, to sail before the end of March 2022... I have spoken to P&O since regarding booking a future cruise and my FCC is on my account !!

 

Ordinarly Yes I would have lost my deposit but not this time (thankfully)

 

I`m 36 so thankfully dont fall into the over 70s health restrictions bracket !!

 

Still no refund - 46 days later...... I may ring P&O tomorrow - I use the freephone number I found on this website

 

 

[peteukmcr]

3 hours ago, NoFlyGuy said:

 

The law says 14 days. Do you not listen to the news? Half the worlds population is in some form of lockdown. Hundreds of thousands dying (and it's probably far worse than actually reported especially from 'dubious' sources).

This is a world wide disaster and all you, and certain others can do, is whinge about when you will get your refund

And you have stated that you are not concerned about when you will be reimbursed. Good for you. 
You don’t know everyone’s personal circumstances so please don’t make such blatant superiority insulting comments.

We have been furloughed, we have a 20% reduction in income from 1st April. 
One of us experienced a heart attack mid March resulting in procedures to have stents inserted. No individual follow up consultations possible due to the current situation. 
We are not “whingeing” about when we get our refund, we are stating in our case we need it now as per the timescales we accepted from P&O at the time of 45 days, but now they are reneging on that. 
 

[wowzz]

8 hours ago, molecrochip said:

AIUI, agents must declare to P&O when making the booking what cash incentives they have given so that P&O know exactly what you have paid.

If that is the case, when requesting a cash refund from P&O using their online form,  why do P&O ask how much you paid for the cruise.

I'm not necessarily disputing your statement,  but I do find it unusual that P&O are asking the value of your requested refund? If the TAs have to declare what cash incentive they have given, surely the P&O IT system would be able to reconcile the required cash refund to your booking reference?  Oh, hang on !!

[Selbourne]

8 hours ago, cruisefan2012 said:

Firstly Apologies for not replying sooner, I`ve been busy - Key worker !!

 

I cancelled as I did not feel it would be a good time at present ( then & now & during the duration period of the cruise) to travel abroad...

 

I was told my deposit would be converted to a future cruise credit off a new cruise to be booked before the end of December 2021, to sail before the end of March 2022... I have spoken to P&O since regarding booking a future cruise and my FCC is on my account !!

 

Ordinarly Yes I would have lost my deposit but not this time (thankfully)

 

I`m 36 so thankfully dont fall into the over 70s health restrictions bracket !!

 

Still no refund - 46 days later...... I may ring P&O tomorrow - I use the freephone number I found on this website

 

 

Thanks for replying and, more importantly, thank you for all you are doing as a key worker. NHS staff and Carers are understandably getting a lot of praise at present, but I am also very appreciative of other key workers in areas such as supermarkets, distribution, transportation, postal workers etc who are still out there working and putting themselves at risk, usually with nothing like the level of protection that health workers are provided with. 
 

Sadly (and it’s probably me being dim) but I remain confused! You’ve clarified that your deposit was converted to FCC, which is as per current policy, but I still don’t follow why you are waiting for a refund of the balance. P&O are only paying refunds on cruises which they have cancelled. You cancelled an August cruise which, although extremely unlikely to go ahead, is technically still sailing, so no refunds are yet possible. The only explanation I can come to is that because you paid the balance before the balance due date then you are entitled to that back by way of a refund? Don’t worry about answering again if you are busy!

 

For what it’s worth, I completely agree with your thoughts about not travelling this year. Cruises have been our main holidays for many years but we won’t set foot on one, even if they start sailing again, until Covid-19 has died out (which seems impossible as it is going to be with us for many years, according to the experts) or we are vaccinated against it (which looks like next year at the earliest). Keep safe in your key work. 

[AndyMichelle]

Some of us need our refunds ASAP, the rest of us want our refunds ASAP to make sure we are actually getting them... 

I don't like stalling tactics, alarm bells start ringing, there is usually a deeper plot than the excuse given. 

It may just be the lack of qualified/authorised staff and unprecedented demand that is causing the delays, but we are not seeing the reported steady but slow stream that you would expect across all forums, just the odd reported refund. 

As for the legalities, of course they should be adhered to but they are obviously not without any or very little consequences. 

I warned of this week's ago and was shot down being quoted the law and rights but, unfortunately, they are counting for very little at the moment. 

Andy 

 

[Selbourne]

37 minutes ago, wowzz said:

If that is the case, when requesting a cash refund from P&O using their online form,  why do P&O ask how much you paid for the cruise.

I'm not necessarily disputing your statement,  but I do find it unusual that P&O are asking the value of your requested refund? If the TAs have to declare what cash incentive they have given, surely the P&O IT system would be able to reconcile the required cash refund to your booking reference?  Oh, hang on !!

I wondered why the form asked how much I was expecting and thought that was odd. I was very tempted to add the OBC to the amount but thought it might delay the proper refund. However, given P&O’s IT I might have got away with it!

 

As an aside, I have watched a few dramas on TV recently where the world has been devastated by catastrophic events, such as solar flares and pandemics (who’d have thought it). I might try to make my debut in the TV industry by writing a screenplay where all the critical computer infrastructures (air traffic control, military, government, HMRC etc) were all taken over by P&O. Imagine the devastation. I could be on for an Oscar...

[grapau27]

10 hours ago, NoFlyGuy said:

Point taken.

But the world isn't like it was 3 months ago.

Financial rules, both on the positive and negative, have to be reviewed.

Processing refunds within 14 days is just one that is not realistic in the current climate.

I think we all accepted 14 days was not going to happen.

It was being told 28 days

Then 45 days

Then 60 days  

Then TA says 60-90 days.

Then waiting 1-2 hours on the phone to TAs and P&O and told conflicting stories that is concerning especially when a lot of money is involved and it is not whinging like you said which is insulting.

[grapau27]

11 hours ago, miniyorkie said:

A tad harsh NoFlyGuy. You admit that your financial circumstances are such that you can afford to wait.  Others have no work,  no automatically paid  pensions. The refund is required by many  to pay  household expenses and the uncertainty as to when it may be refunded causes more anxiety. It cannot be denied that P.O are not playing fair to customers who have to abide by their rules on payment terms. 

+1.

[grapau27]

10 hours ago, Eglesbrech said:

It’s not the 14 days though is it, most people accepted the 45 days they set. They are missing their own 45 target and then changing the goalposts yet again.

Exactly.

[Selbourne]

9 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

Some of us need our refunds ASAP, the rest of us want our refunds ASAP to make sure we are actually getting them... 

I don't like stalling tactics, alarm bells start ringing, there is usually a deeper plot than the excuse given. 

It may just be the lack of qualified/authorised staff and unprecedented demand that is causing the delays, but we are not seeing the reported steady but slow stream that you would expect across all forums, just the odd reported refund. 

As for the legalities, of course they should be adhered to but they are obviously not without any or very little consequences. 

I warned of this week's ago and was shot down being quoted the law and rights but, unfortunately, they are counting for very little at the moment. 

Andy 

 

Agreed Andy. I am waiting for around £5k. As I am (early) retired my income is unaffected by the crisis and we are thankfully in a comfortable position financially, so the delay isn’t a major worry for us, just irritating when you know that they are deliberately stalling to hold on to cash for as long as possible. However, an awful lot of P&O customers will be struggling financially at present and fearful that their jobs or businesses might not survive this crisis.
 

I have been shot down as well for suggesting that the delays are about cash flow, the challenge to me being that Carnival doesn’t have a cash flow issue. Well, as we know, P&O will still be under pressure from their bosses to keep as much cash in the business for as long as possible and if cash flow isn’t an issue then why deliberately hold on to our money? It can’t be solely attributable to workload. Staff are still working and certainly aren’t being swamped with new bookings.

 

I also agree with you that it is a matter of grave concern that we have only heard of two customers who have received their refunds so far. Sounds to me as though we will all get them en-masse towards the end of the 60 day period and, if so, this will trash the red herring that it is ‘workload’ because how can it be that they are processing virtually none at present and can then do tens of thousands all at once. I genuinely hope that I am wrong and that we now start to get a steady flow of posters confirming that they have received their refunds. I won’t hold my breath though!

[AndyMichelle]

Just spoke to our ta regarding one of our refunds. 

She stated that, whichever way you booked, if you paid by card you will be refunded on your card and NOT be paid by cheque. 

She also said that it does not matter if you have a new card as the account is the same. 

She said it could take up to 60 days so we asked if that was working days and she said no!!! 

I am not claiming any of this is correct, just what a very reputed cruise specialist has just told us. 

Andy 

 

[Eglesbrech]

36 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

Some of us need our refunds ASAP, the rest of us want our refunds ASAP to make sure we are actually getting them... 

I don't like stalling tactics, alarm bells start ringing, there is usually a deeper plot than the excuse given. 

It may just be the lack of qualified/authorised staff and unprecedented demand that is causing the delays, but we are not seeing the reported steady but slow stream that you would expect across all forums, just the odd reported refund. 

As for the legalities, of course they should be adhered to but they are obviously not without any or very little consequences. 

I warned of this week's ago and was shot down being quoted the law and rights but, unfortunately, they are counting for very little at the moment. 

Andy 

 

I agree P&O  just seem to be thumbing their nose at the law with impunity. To me that says a lot about them as an organisation. They are now not even making a pretence of trying to make refunds in any reasonable timescale.
 

The consequences are likely to be longer term. I wonder how many people will stop booking with P&O because of this or move some or all of their business to holiday companies who have treated them better than P&O have.

 

Personally I would never say never with regard to a future booking but it would be last minute for a good price, they would now never be a first choice. 

Edited April 29, 2020 by Eglesbrech
See to say

[molecrochip]

Delete please

Edited April 29, 2020 by molecrochip