Debacle with Refund Request

[susanf31]

On March 23, I filled out the form requesting a refund for two cabins on 3/22 Encore that NCL cancelled.

 

When I filled out those forms, I got a pop-up saying "Refund in 90 days."  I never received any type of confirmation email or anything other than that pop-up.

 

So, I called them today making sure they had record of my refund request.

 

GUESS WHAT!! They DID NOT!  My name was NOT on their refund requests for EITHER reservation.

 

So then the phone rep told me to go fill out the form again.  I followed his instructions and filled out the form. GUESS WHAT I GOT?

 

It was a form CANCELLING my refund request and asking for cruise credit instead!!!  AND no way to "undo" what I just did and go back to REFUND REQUEST.

 

The phone rep is checking with his superiors to figure out how to go back to my refund request and said he will get back to me.

 

So, I called my credit card company and initiated a dispute.  

 

If you are going to dispute your charge, you need to do it within 6 months (Capital One).  I made my final payment in November, so I am still within my 6 month window. Whew!

[CruiseQc]

I was just told on the phone my refund would take up to 90 days. I had to follow up because they sure did not told me when I cancelled a week ago. 

[SeaShark]

People on CC are prone to do what they want, so I've learned its never a good idea to point out errors as people here only see NCL's errors.

 

However, if this was me, I would have:

 

a) Asked the person on the phone if they were a part of the team tasked with processing refund requests or if I was simply speaking to a random agent assigned to answer incoming calls from the 1-800 line. If the answer was the latter, I would insist on only speaking to the former.

 

b) When the person on the phone told me that they had no record of my refund request and that I needed to fill out the request form again, I would first insist they they provide me with an email stating the same...an email that includes their direct contact information so that I had documentation of the issue as well as exactly who was instructing me to fill out a form that had already been filled out and submitted.

 

c) I would insist that the person on the phone agree to remain on the phone while I filled out the form and monitor my submission to ensure that it was received and was proper. Also, they should state upfront that they have the ability to immediately intervene in case of an unexpected error in the process.

 

d) Were I submitting for two cabins, I would only do one and not proceed with the second until I had assurance that the first one was properly corrected.

 

e) The OP indicates that they cancelled two cabins on one sailing. Obviously a person's name can't be on a reservation for two cabins on one sailing, so I would have had to ask how...or IF...a person can cancel a reservation for a cabin that they are not actually booked into by name.

 

 

YMMV, but working through the process, at least for me, helps to avoid "debacles".

[susanf31]

I'm the OP, so here is the response.

 

I knew the NCL rep I was speaking to.  He was our group rep since we had a group reservations for my daugther's wedding. I had his name, email and direct phone number.

 

I said I had TWO reservations. He could find no record that either had a refund request pending.   He told me to fill out the form again - which I did for ONE of those reservations.  That is the reservation that came back that I cancelled my REFUND request and changed it to ship board credit.

 

My reservation agent was on the phone with me when I did it. He walked me through it.  Of course, I got very upset when I found out what he led me to do.  He had no idea how to fix it or undo it. He was going to contact his superiors and get back to me.

 

 

[JT1962]

This doesn’t make the issue with passengers having issues getting a refund look any better.

 

“Frank Del Rio saw total compensation of $17.8 million in 2019 as President and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings for what the company reported as a record financial year.

 

The compensation package made Del Rio the highest paid cruise line executive across the major publicly-traded cruise companies in 2019.”

 

 

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/22845-18-million-for-norwegian-cruise-ceo-frank-del-rio-in-2019.html

 

 

 

 

[SeaShark]

4 minutes ago, susanf31 said:

I'm the OP, so here is the response.

 

I knew the NCL rep I was speaking to.  He was our group rep since we had a group reservations for my daugther's wedding. I had his name, email and direct phone number.

 

I said I had TWO reservations. He could find no record that either had a refund request pending.   He told me to fill out the form again - which I did for ONE of those reservations.  That is the reservation that came back that I cancelled my REFUND request and changed it to ship board credit.

 

My reservation agent was on the phone with me when I did it. He walked me through it.  Of course, I got very upset when I found out what he led me to do.  He had no idea how to fix it or undo it. He was going to contact his superiors and get back to me.

 

 

 

So, just to be clear, the person you spoke with was a reservation agent and not someone assigned specifically to the refund processing effort. Were it me, I would have been hesitant as a reservation agent isn't going to have the same knowledge, skillset, and resources that the refund group would have.

 

The fact that it came back and cancelled the refund request and changed it to an FCC shows that, in fact, the system DID have this recorded as a refund request in the first place. The reservation agent obviously did not have access to the refund system and thus had no way of seeing that information. The reservation agent should have either got their supervisor involved upfront or referred this to the refund department.

 

Reservation agents are trained to take reservations...not to review or process mass cancellations. I wouldn't expect them to have the proper knowledge or insight and would not take their advice given their inability to fix or undo unexpected errors.

 

This is, as an example, why car dealers have people who handle sales, people who handle financing, and mechanics that perform repairs instead of one person who does all three. I wouldn't ask a salesperson for assistance with a transmission repair and I wouldn't ask a mechanic to arrange my auto loan.

[susanf31]

Yes, the person I was speaking with was our NCL group reservation agent. We had been working directly with him since last June.  He said he had the most current list of those who requested a refund and neither of my reservations were on it.  He then told me to fill out the form again, and walked me through it.  So yes, it appears that my refund request had gone through and he, mistakenly, walked me through a process that undid my refund request - and then he had no idea how to reinstate it.  So I don't know where I stand now. I am waiting on a call-back from him.  In the meantime, I filed a dispute with my CC company.

 

[emm126]

I wonder if it changed it to the FCC because the deadline to apply for refunds ended yesterday? Best of luck to you!

[luv2kroooz]

3 hours ago, JT1962 said:

This doesn’t make the issue with passengers having issues getting a refund look any better.

 

“Frank Del Rio saw total compensation of $17.8 million in 2019 as President and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings for what the company reported as a record financial year.

 

The compensation package made Del Rio the highest paid cruise line executive across the major publicly-traded cruise companies in 2019.”

 

 

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/22845-18-million-for-norwegian-cruise-ceo-frank-del-rio-in-2019.html

 

 

 

 

I saw this today and thought the same. Tough to reconcile. Although it is typical of big businesd.

 

In reality, 90% of it has likely evaporated with the current 80% decline in stock value. That might bring some comfort to those that aren't FDR fans.

[Tom_3777]

I call yesterday about my gratuitues refund which still hasent been refunded been nearly a month+ the rep said 90 days. Then I asked him do you see that I requested a refund for my cruise, he looked around and said no i do not see it. i was like what? I filled out the request form online. I told him I screen recored a video of me doing it on April 13th and I got a generic email about the cancellation "Thank you.Your refund request form was submitted successfully. Please allow 90 days for us to process your request. Norwegian Cruise Line Pre Cruise Guest Relations". 

 

He wasent sure, So Im thinking they will wait 60-90 days before they acutally do the submittion of the refund or im not sure.

 

 

[Georgia_Peaches]

18 hours ago, SeaShark said:

People on CC are prone to do what they want, so I've learned its never a good idea to point out errors as people here only see NCL's errors.

 

However, if this was me, I would have:

 

a) Asked the person on the phone if they were a part of the team tasked with processing refund requests or if I was simply speaking to a random agent assigned to answer incoming calls from the 1-800 line. If the answer was the latter, I would insist on only speaking to the former.

 

b) When the person on the phone told me that they had no record of my refund request and that I needed to fill out the request form again, I would first insist they they provide me with an email stating the same...an email that includes their direct contact information so that I had documentation of the issue as well as exactly who was instructing me to fill out a form that had already been filled out and submitted.

 

c) I would insist that the person on the phone agree to remain on the phone while I filled out the form and monitor my submission to ensure that it was received and was proper. Also, they should state upfront that they have the ability to immediately intervene in case of an unexpected error in the process.

 

d) Were I submitting for two cabins, I would only do one and not proceed with the second until I had assurance that the first one was properly corrected.

 

e) The OP indicates that they cancelled two cabins on one sailing. Obviously a person's name can't be on a reservation for two cabins on one sailing, so I would have had to ask how...or IF...a person can cancel a reservation for a cabin that they are not actually booked into by name.

 

 

YMMV, but working through the process, at least for me, helps to avoid "debacles".

This is a very comprehensive list of steps.  Personally, were I in the same situation as the OP, I wouldn't have known/thought to do all of this so I appreciate the suggestions.  I've read countless threads about the nightmares people have when trying to reach a satisfactory outcome with customer service.  Fortunately, we've never had to deal with NCL directly as we always us a TA.  I certainly understand the OP's frustration...it should be so much easier.  I seriously think that a list of steps like this should be in a permanent post at the top of the page.  "Steps to Successfully Reach A Desired Outcome When Talking to NCL Customer Service"   It could go a long way to help folks work through a problem.

[Georgia_Peaches]

If it's any consolation (even a tiny bit), I've read and noticed that prices on future cruises for similar ships and itineraries are quite a bit higher than they were pre-pandemic, making what seems like a large FCC (like 150%) not stretch as far as it sounds.

[graphicguy]

Did you keep a copy of the refund request?

 

Hindsight being 20-20.....

 

I do everything via email.  That gives me a dated and written record.  Also, one of the reasons I have a TA.  She also takes care of all my booking, changes, requests, etc.  She provides redundancy for any booking, change, request, etc I make.