Looks like my UK based TA messed up!

[ged1967]

Booked a cruise through a UK based TA. 
final payment due to TA 16th May & paid on time. 
Final payment due to Ncl would be 70days therefore 6th June. 
 

apparently I will not get the 125% FCC from Ncl as the balance hadn’t been paid by the TA to Ncl. 
 

it looks like I’m going to be over £500 short plus the TA is offering the new cruise I wish to book at full Ncl online price. Despite the fact I shopped around and had knocked over £350 off the price. 
 

im going to push the TA as he’s trying to say I can only use FCC with the TA the cancelled cruise was with!  I smell BS 

[Budget Queen]

1 hour ago, ged1967 said:

Booked a cruise through a UK based TA. 
final payment due to TA 16th May & paid on time. 
Final payment due to Ncl would be 70days therefore 6th June. 
 

apparently I will not get the 125% FCC from Ncl as the balance hadn’t been paid by the TA to Ncl. 
 

it looks like I’m going to be over £500 short plus the TA is offering the new cruise I wish to book at full Ncl online price. Despite the fact I shopped around and had knocked over £350 off the price. 
 

im going to push the TA as he’s trying to say I can only use FCC with the TA the cancelled cruise was with!  I smell BS 

Have you verified what is in your Latitudes account?    That can be used with any booking agent 

 

The escrow money you paid per the terms you agreed to with this booking agent.  That was NOT forwarded to NCL is another story with it’s own terms.    A refund isn’t an option?     I’d find out those details.     

[All-ready2cruise]

I agree with BQ, you may need to climb the ladder... keep digging. Find the real answer.  Your gov't has set policies to protect when it comes to travel.  Find out more info... JMO. 

Good luck

[ziggyuk]

Your TA has not messed up, they require the money 21 days before final payment so the money is cleared into their account in order to make payment to NCL.

 

UK law requires them to refund that payment in cash (not voucher unless you agree) within 14 days. Your deposit is more tricky, the law does not change (the TA is still requires to refund within 14 days) but the TA may be left waiting from NCL, you might want to give the TA more time.

[ged1967]

The deposit was 2x CNV they are back in my lattitudes account along with £103.50 FCC (25% of the value of my two CNV) 

nothing else is in my account. I spoke to NCL she says it looks like I asked for a refund (I didn’t) 

 

it appears my TA has not paid the balance due by June 26th (Ncl will refund cash or issue FCC according to the money paid To them by this date) 

 

the TA also stated I can only use the FCC with the original TA. That is untrue. Ncl told me I can use FCC with ANY TA. 
 

my total FCC should be around £2,800. I’ve also been able to shop around and have a quote around £350 cheaper than Ncl and the original TA

 

therefore I should have around £684 available to use on a further cruise. 

 

£2,530 cruise - (2x CNV) £414 = £2,116 to pay. 
fcc vale £2,800 - balance due £2,116 

 

I understand that TAs take payment (some many weeks) in advance of the cruise line’s due date however Ncl require payment 70 days before cruise. Sail date 16th August, 70 days out date 7th June (almost three weeks (19 days) before the Ncl cut off date of June 26th) 

 

 

[ged1967]

13 hours ago, Budget Queen said:

Have you verified what is in your Latitudes account?    That can be used with any booking agent 

 

The escrow money you paid per the terms you agreed to with this booking agent.  That was NOT forwarded to NCL is another story with it’s own terms.    A refund isn’t an option?     I’d find out those details.     

 
I don’t want a refund  I want my fcc as I requested from my TA 

[Budget Queen]

11 minutes ago, ged1967 said:

 
I don’t want a refund  I want my fcc as I requested from my TA 

You have 2 different credits.   You state-  you already have your credits with NCL.  
 

AND your agent Has the rest.  No clue why you would want to keep a credit with them however.   Your terms allow a refund.  
 

This looks quite simple.    And allows you your savings on the cruise you want to book.   

[ziggyuk]

36 minutes ago, Budget Queen said:

You have 2 different credits.   You state-  you already have your credits with NCL.  
 

AND your agent Has the rest.  No clue why you would want to keep a credit with them however.   Your terms allow a refund.  
 

This looks quite simple.    And allows you your savings on the cruise you want to book.   

 

BQ, things are a bit different in the UK, there is no escrow or direct payment to NCL, what happens here is we pay the agent the agreed fee, they bank that fee and they take care of all the payments on the customers behalf. Agents really complicate things in the UK as you have two sets of T&Cs one with the agent and one with NCL so you have to read both to see your rights.

 

In a lot of cases here, agents are telling customers they can only have a voucher for a future holiday.

 

It is illegal in the UK to do this as they have to pay a full cash refund regardless if they themselves have been refunded, due to Covid-19 these timescales are rarely being kept but it is the law, I currently have 3 section 75's (like a chargeback but with more legal power), one with British Airways, one with RyanAir and one with an agent.

 

As I said above 14-21 days before payment due date is not unusual here as the agent has to bank the payment in order to pay the final balance on the customers behalf.

 

In this case it is not reasonable to expect a FCC from NCL as the payment was not made to NCL, however it is unreasonable and illegal for the agent to say they will only provide a voucher for a credit, they must provide a cash refund within 14 days, I would certainly be starting a section 75 (chargeback) if they were not complying with their legal requirements.

[All-ready2cruise]

Thanks for this explanation.  I knew the UK was different but didn't know the details so thanks for the info. 

😉

[Budget Queen]

16 minutes ago, ziggyuk said:

 

BQ, things are a bit different in the UK, there is no escrow or direct payment to NCL, what happens here is we pay the agent the agreed fee, they bank that fee and they take care of all the payments on the customers behalf. Agents really complicate things in the UK as you have two sets of T&Cs one with the agent and one with NCL so you have to read both to see your rights.

 

In a lot of cases here, agents are telling customers they can only have a voucher for a future holiday.

 

It is illegal in the UK to do this as they have to pay a full cash refund regardless if they themselves have been refunded, due to Covid-19 these timescales are rarely being kept but it is the law, I currently have 3 section 75's (like a chargeback but with more legal power), one with British Airways, one with RyanAir and one with an agent.

 

As I said above 14-21 days before payment due date is not unusual here as the agent has to bank the payment in order to pay the final balance on the customers behalf.

 

In this case it is not reasonable to expect a FCC from NCL as the payment was not made to NCL, however it is unreasonable and illegal for the agent to say they will only provide a voucher for a credit, they must provide a cash refund within 14 days, I would certainly be starting a section 75 (chargeback) if they were not complying with their legal requirements.

Yes I know.   My point on the 2 accounts I mention where the money is with NCL and the agent.    It doesn’t sound like the op has even asked for a refund of the money the agent has?     And it’s NOT going to happen- that money now going to NCL.  
 

They have already been credited with everything NCL is going to give them.   
 

 

[ged1967]

Now I’m more confused. 
 

all I want is a Ncl fcc to value of 125% of money paid (in my case I’m fully paid)  my understanding is Ncl would issue a fcc either to my TA or directly to my latitude account. 
 

It looks like my TA haven’t paid Ncl the balance and Ncl can’t issue a fcc. So I am out over £500. 
 

once I get clarification from my TA then I’ll push for the equivalent 125% credit directly from the TA. 

[Budget Queen]

2 hours ago, ged1967 said:

Now I’m more confused. 
 

all I want is a Ncl fcc to value of 125% of money paid (in my case I’m fully paid)  my understanding is Ncl would issue a fcc either to my TA or directly to my latitude account. 
 

It looks like my TA haven’t paid Ncl the balance and Ncl can’t issue a fcc. So I am out over £500. 
 

once I get clarification from my TA then I’ll push for the equivalent 125% credit directly from the TA. 

Good luck.   Check carefully your small print booking terms from the agent.   It’s very likely the agent terms will get 100%,nothing more.     
 

NCL FCC is never issued to an agent.     Only your Latitudes account.    

[julig22]

Was your cruise cancelled before or after the NCL payment-due date? Hard to tell by the info you've provided. I may be wrong on this, but I don't believe what you get offered for a cancelled cruise has anything to do with your payment status at the time the cruise is cancelled (unless of course you haven't paid on time).  Before final payment due-date, you get a refund even if you've paid in full.  After final payment due-date, they may offer FCC and/or a discount if you re-book.

[ziggyuk]

4 hours ago, julig22 said:

Was your cruise cancelled before or after the NCL payment-due date? Hard to tell by the info you've provided. I may be wrong on this, but I don't believe what you get offered for a cancelled cruise has anything to do with your payment status at the time the cruise is cancelled (unless of course you haven't paid on time).  Before final payment due-date, you get a refund even if you've paid in full.  After final payment due-date, they may offer FCC and/or a discount if you re-book.

 

This was for the Dawn on August 17th, the OP paid their agent 3 week in advance of final payment which is not unusual in the UK as funds have to clear into the TA's account so they can pay for the cruise/vacation on the clients behalf.

 

The cruise was cancelled before final payment and as such the OP is not entitled to 125% but they appear to think that because they paid the agent that somehow entitles them to the 125%, the agent was just holding the funds in order to make final payment, this of course never happened.

 

The OP should be concentrating their efforts to recover the payment as a 100% cash refund from the TA instead of a wasted effort insisting on a 125% refund they are not entitled to. UK law is clear they are entitled to a full cash refund and if the TA does not comply they should make a claim via their credit card.

 

The only issue here is the TA are offering a 100% credit rather than a 100% cash refund which is not legal in the UK, there is no 125% due.

 

[julig22]

3 hours ago, ziggyuk said:

The cruise was cancelled before final payment and as such the OP is not entitled to 125% but they appear to think that because they paid the agent that somehow entitles them to the 125%, the agent was just holding the funds in order to make final payment, this of course never happened.

Kinda what I thought.

[ged1967]

I have email from Ncl via my TA offering choice off 100% cash refund ( if I claim it) or 125% of money’s paid  by June 26th in FCC. 

 

My issue is that the TA doesn’t appear to have paid the balance due by June 26th despite balance due to Ncl by June 7th. I paid my TA the balance due around 3 weeks earlier (15th May approximately)

 

I want what what I expect & believe I’m entitled to a FCC to the value of 125% of the cruise. 

 

If if I wanted a cash refund then there wouldn’t be a problem and my complaint isn’t against Ncl they have already refunded what they can. My complaint is against my TA. Keeping hold of my money and therefore I’m losing over £500 in credit I could use against a future cruise.

 

Question for UK based TAs: What is the due date that a TA has to pay the final balance to NCL? Is it 70 days the same as if booked direct through NCL by pax? 

 

Please stop telling me I’ve had credits. Ncl has done everything they can with what they’ve been paid. 

 

Any Uk based folk been in similar situation? 

 

 

 

 

[deniseatnycs]

22 hours ago, ged1967 said:

I have email from Ncl via my TA offering choice off 100% cash refund ( if I claim it) or 125% of money’s paid  by June 26th in FCC. 

 

My issue is that the TA doesn’t appear to have paid the balance due by June 26th despite balance due to Ncl by June 7th. I paid my TA the balance due around 3 weeks earlier (15th May approximately)

 

I want what what I expect & believe I’m entitled to a FCC to the value of 125% of the cruise. 

 

If if I wanted a cash refund then there wouldn’t be a problem and my complaint isn’t against Ncl they have already refunded what they can. My complaint is against my TA. Keeping hold of my money and therefore I’m losing over £500 in credit I could use against a future cruise.

 

Question for UK based TAs: What is the due date that a TA has to pay the final balance to NCL? Is it 70 days the same as if booked direct through NCL by pax? 

 

Please stop telling me I’ve had credits. Ncl has done everything they can with what they’ve been paid. 

 

Any Uk based folk been in similar situation? 

 

 

 

 

Hi Ged1967

I nearly always book direct with NCL uk over the phone with a CC we have used for years.  Last year I spotted an amazing deal with an online U.K. Cruise Company for a May Northern Europe cruise which I booked.   Obviously the cruise was cancelled due to Covid  (after the full payment date)and the Cruise Company emailed us with this news as soon as they were notified.  They did try to express that we had to accept a FCC and rebook with them.

I then telephoned our normal CC at NCL U.K who advised to to ask the online cruise to forward the email from NCL with our 125% FCC or 100% cash offer.  This arrived the same day, along with a credit to our latitudes account.  The credit was in three parts, Cruise next refund, payment refund and 25% FCC if we decided not to claim cash.  We were also offered a 20% reduction off a future cruise.  All was seemless using the NCL uk telephone number on the NCL U.K. site.  Hope you get it resolved soon 

[scotlandcruisegirl]

On 7/7/2020 at 10:14 PM, ged1967 said:

I have email from Ncl via my TA offering choice off 100% cash refund ( if I claim it) or 125% of money’s paid  by June 26th in FCC. 

 

My issue is that the TA doesn’t appear to have paid the balance due by June 26th despite balance due to Ncl by June 7th. I paid my TA the balance due around 3 weeks earlier (15th May approximately)

 

I want what what I expect & believe I’m entitled to a FCC to the value of 125% of the cruise. 

 

If if I wanted a cash refund then there wouldn’t be a problem and my complaint isn’t against Ncl they have already refunded what they can. My complaint is against my TA. Keeping hold of my money and therefore I’m losing over £500 in credit I could use against a future cruise.

 

Question for UK based TAs: What is the due date that a TA has to pay the final balance to NCL? Is it 70 days the same as if booked direct through NCL by pax? 

 

Please stop telling me I’ve had credits. Ncl has done everything they can with what they’ve been paid. 

 

Any Uk based folk been in similar situation? 

 

 

 

 

 

Pretty much the exact same thing happened with us.

We had paid the TA well in advance but our money hadn't been processed by NCL.

Therefore when re-booking, we are also only due the balance towards another cruise, not the 125% advertised.

This wasn't initially made clear, as we were actually promised the 125% and went through the cruise/cabin/OBC etc, before the TA realised they couldn't proceed.

 

We feel that as we had paid before the deadline, and long before it was cancelled, we feel we should be entitled to the 125%FCC.

Currently raising a query and seeing if we get anywhere.

 

Keep us updated with how you get on.

Edited July 14, 2020 by scotlandcruisegirl
Mistake

[Misself]

I don't think my TA paid NCL either as when I enquired about using the FCC with another agent, they could see no FCC on my account ( apart from £50 in respect of the cruisenext certificate which had already been returned to my Latitudes account).  However the original TA did still obtain 125% FCC on the full cruise price if we rebooked with them.   (We haven't and have now asked for refund).   But hopefully your TA will negotiate the FCC with NCL.

 

 

[ged1967]

On 7/21/2020 at 4:39 PM, Misself said:

I don't think my TA paid NCL either as when I enquired about using the FCC with another agent, they could see no FCC on my account ( apart from £50 in respect of the cruisenext certificate which had already been returned to my Latitudes account).  However the original TA did still obtain 125% FCC on the full cruise price if we rebooked with them.   (We haven't and have now asked for refund).   But hopefully your TA will negotiate the FCC with NCL.

 

 

 Our FFC showed up on out latitudes account (I think I’ve commented on your own post about this) 

So for me it’s all good. Thankfully. 

Hopefully you’ll be alright too 😀