TA Cruise Quote vs Azamara Invoice

[Mackdogmolly]

I will preface this by saying that I have been very happy with my TA, a fairly small US company and have been working with the same person for a couple of years. I recently asked him for a quote on a cruise that Azamara currently has a good price on the website. Often he can shave a little off the price. The price he quoted me was hundreds of dollars below the mock booking I did, so I jumped on it and confirmed the price in my email back to him. He responded that he had booked it, charged the deposit, and I should see the confirmation within 48 hours. This morning , via the TA, I got confirmation from Azamara, but with the Azamara published rates, not the rates I was quoted. I emailed the TA that the invoice was not what I had been quoted and to please make the adjustment. I haven’t heard back and not sure what my recourse might be. Azamara had a fair price, but still….

[nordski]

10 minutes ago, Mackdogmolly said:

I will preface this by saying that I have been very happy with my TA, a fairly small US company and have been working with the same person for a couple of years. I recently asked him for a quote on a cruise that Azamara currently has a good price on the website. Often he can shave a little off the price. The price he quoted me was hundreds of dollars below the mock booking I did, so I jumped on it and confirmed the price in my email back to him. He responded that he had booked it, charged the deposit, and I should see the confirmation within 48 hours. This morning , via the TA, I got confirmation from Azamara, but with the Azamara published rates, not the rates I was quoted. I emailed the TA that the invoice was not what I had been quoted and to please make the adjustment. I haven’t heard back and not sure what my recourse might be. Azamara had a fair price, but still….

 

Even if Azamara’s price was “fair”, you clearly were committed to the price quoted by your TA. It would certainly be disappointing that this has become an issue.

 

I hope this issue is quickly resolved and you can begin anticipating your upcoming cruise.

 

 

[roberts2005]

Maybe he plans on giving you refundable OBC for the difference.

[Mackdogmolly]

1 minute ago, nordski said:

 

Even if Azamara’s price was “fair”, you clearly were committed to the price quoted by your TA. It would certainly be disappointing that this has become an issue.

 

I hope this issue is quickly resolved and you can begin anticipating your upcoming cruise.

 

 

Yes, well this was why I repeated the quoted price when I accepted it. To give him a chance to back out in case it was a mistake. But he took my money and booked the cruise at what turned out to be the Azamara published rates. So I will be very disappointed if they don’t honor it

[Mackdogmolly]

1 minute ago, roberts2005 said:

Maybe he plans on giving you refundable OBC for the difference.

That would be  BOATLOAD of OBC for essentially a repositioning cruise. And if I can get it refunded, why not just refund it now

[uktog]

Our travel agent adjusts the quote from the cruise line and issues a new one. Maybe that’s still to come 

[Mackdogmolly]

50 minutes ago, uktog said:

Our travel agent adjusts the quote from the cruise line and issues a new one. Maybe that’s still to come 

Oh I hope so! 

[nordski]

6 minutes ago, Mackdogmolly said:

Oh I hope so! 

Keep us informed. 

[USCAdventurer]

You mean he actually charged your credit card with the Azamara price and not his original quote to you or did he charge your credit card his original quote to you I'm a little confused here

[Mackdogmolly]

1 hour ago, USC Adventurer said:

You mean he actually charged your credit card with the Azamara price and not his original quote to you or did he charge your credit card his original quote to you I'm a little confused here

He charged my credit card with the deposit, which would have been the same no matter what the bottom line.

[avw]

Sounds like you have an issue with your TA, but you haven't even given him time to respond to you yet. It just happened this morning. 

[Mackdogmolly]

13 minutes ago, avw said:

Sounds like you have an issue with your TA, but you haven't even given him time to respond to you yet. It just happened this morning. 

He usually responds within an hour or two and I have still heard nothing. I am not trying to throw him under the bus, but the invoice did come via the TA, and it is a big discrepancy. 

[blag]

6 hours ago, Mackdogmolly said:

I will preface this by saying that I have been very happy with my TA, a fairly small US company and have been working with the same person for a couple of years. I recently asked him for a quote on a cruise that Azamara currently has a good price on the website. Often he can shave a little off the price. The price he quoted me was hundreds of dollars below the mock booking I did, so I jumped on it and confirmed the price in my email back to him. He responded that he had booked it, charged the deposit, and I should see the confirmation within 48 hours. This morning , via the TA, I got confirmation from Azamara, but with the Azamara published rates, not the rates I was quoted. I emailed the TA that the invoice was not what I had been quoted and to please make the adjustment. I haven’t heard back and not sure what my recourse might be. Azamara had a fair price, but still….

Wait and see? You TA may be a) busy or b) busy or c) trying to sort this out and will not respond until he/she has resolved this.

Either way, I feel you may be being premature.

Presumably you have nothing in writing, nor did you record the calls?

Edited August 19, 2022 by blag

[royallondon]

2 hours ago, blag said:

 

Presumably you have nothing in writing, nor did you record the calls?

The OP had has the following email:

 

“The price he quoted me was hundreds of dollars below the mock booking I did, so I jumped on it and confirmed the price in my email back to him”

[laurieb]

6 hours ago, Mackdogmolly said:

He usually responds within an hour or two and I have still heard nothing. I am not trying to throw him under the bus, but the invoice did come via the TA, and it is a big discrepancy. 

My guess is he’s working on resolving the issue before he contacts you.  

[Riocca]

I know this is a US travel agent but in the U.K. booking through a travel agent Azamara’s confirmation is always Azamara’s price the agent gives discounts from their commissions which are never shown on Azamara’s customer documentation. So, and this is a crude example, Azamara’s confirmation price is £5000 but the agent gives 5% discount you pay them £4750.

[Mackdogmolly]

Thanks for your responses. I did have the quote in writing, so I guess I will just wait and see. It was a considerable discount, which was why I e-mailed back the price to him to confirm as I accepted, and he emailed back that he had booked it. I’ll let ya’ll know what happens!

[blag]

9 hours ago, royallondon said:

The OP had has the following email:

 

“The price he quoted me was hundreds of dollars below the mock booking I did, so I jumped on it and confirmed the price in my email back to him”

Oops. Missed that.

[Mackdogmolly]

Well, it took 5 days, 2 emails, and a voice mail, but I finally got a response from my TA that he had indeed made a mistake in his pricing, but will honor the quote. 

[uktog]

13 minutes ago, Mackdogmolly said:

Well, it took 5 days, 2 emails, and a voice mail, but I finally got a response from my TA that he had indeed made a mistake in his pricing, but will honor the quote. 

Glad it is all sorted out for you.  Just highlights the need to get so much in writing when making commitments in every walk of life

[roberts2005]

Has the policy changed.  I thought TA were not able to discount Azamara, but only give rebates or OBC.

[Mackdogmolly]

46 minutes ago, roberts2005 said:

Has the policy changed.  I thought TA were not able to discount Azamara, but only give rebates or OBC.

I have no idea what the policy was/is. I just know what I was quoted. He had evidently erred, but is honoring it.

[Mackdogmolly]

Well, after all that, DH and I discussed the matter and decided to let him off the hook. Evidently, he had forgotten to add port charges, which he was going to cover. It was an excellent deal to begin with, so I have now emailed him back, telling him to go ahead and bill the correct (Azamara) amount. I’m sure that, going forward, he will scrutinize his quotes before sending them out!

[tompeter]

2 minutes ago, Mackdogmolly said:

Well, after all that, DH and I discussed the matter and decided to let him off the hook. Evidently, he had forgotten to add port charges, which he was going to cover. It was an excellent deal to begin with, so I have now emailed him back, telling him to go ahead and bill the correct (Azamara) amount. I’m sure that, going forward, he will scrutinize his quotes before sending them out!

Very honorable of you!

 

[nordski]

3 hours ago, Mackdogmolly said:

I have no idea what the policy was/is. I just know what I was quoted. He had evidently erred, but is honoring it.

Good for him, and good for you!