Wrongful Billing

[frequentrider]

I actually called Princess customer service within a week after disembarking ship. After about 6 calls to Princess customer service with no success, about 3 weeks after cruise, I did, contact my credit card company BofA to stop and challenge payment. So, I did fall  within the 30 or 60 day challenge time period.  Both BofA and Princess asked me to provide a copy of the statement showing where my wife had paid for the Lotus Spa and Masssage prior to boarding.  We did provide this statement as they requested only to be told (after waiting 4 weeks) that our challenge had been denied due to not providing proof!  

[frequentrider]

At this point, I have sent correspondence to Carnival stating intent to sue in small claims court or I will pay the $150 for their mediator to arbitrate settlement. 

[Rick&Jeannie]

Definitely following this one!  Please do come back and update us.

[frequentrider]

I will keep posting!

[Guardsy]

Send a message (email) to Jan Schwartz.  She has answered any of our emails in a timely, and positive, manner.

[Wandawithdogs]

53 minutes ago, frequentrider said:

I will keep posting!

We were billed for a excursion that was canceled and I was charge $500 for chips in casino that was my free play. I submitted for a refund after several different phone calls with no answers. I have to wait several weeks to see what happens.

[cr8tiv1]

Isn't this the same as your other thread?

 

 

[skynight]

Try this. Write to CA Department of Consumer Affairs, hard copy.

Include all the details and documented proof including names and dates of those in Princess you spoke with. Copy John Padget and the Princess legal department.

You may not get results, but it probably will make you feel better.

[frequentrider]

Yes.  This is my second posting.  I did not know my first submittal posted.

[frequentrider]

Thank you Skynight!  I will definitely do that.  I usually try every possible avenue I can to resolve an issue.  One of those avenues might work so why not try all!!  I was always told if you knock on enough doors, eventually you will sell a vacuum!!

[frequentrider]

Hi Wandawithdogs,

i would only give them 4 weeks at max to respond.  Sometimes they file our complaint in file #13 and don't tell us! 

[Wandawithdogs]

I got a confirmation it was recieved. Says 4-6 weeks for refund.

[Southern_Roots]

3 hours ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

It may very well be too late, but do you have any recourse through your CC company to decline/reverse those charges?  You may have to open a case with them and show all of your documentation...

This is the correct course of action at this point. You’ve made multiple attempts in good faith to get this resolved directly with Princess, let the bank deal with them now.

[Dan Ashley]

On 2/1/2023 at 1:32 PM, Guest ldtr said:

I have seen some minor errors such as a soft drink that got charged but not delivered.  But pretty much all minor.  As with other aspects of medallion there seemed to be more errors early in the restart than lately.  Probably as much the crew getting used to selecting and charging as much as the system.

It is not GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles). Their on board methods is known as "church accounting". It is nearly impossible for most people to understand completely.  Wheras it is lousy, it is legal.

[Steelers36]

On 3/20/2023 at 1:43 PM, frequentrider said:

Yes.  This is my second posting.  I did not know my first submittal posted.

Someone resurrected this old thread, so I am curious what happened to your billing issue.  As others said, what you pre-paid should have been posted as OBC when you first boarded.  If it wasn't, it seems they did not record your payment to shipboard account.  Did you ever check your Personalizer or Travel Summary (not sure if it posts there)?  Too bad you didn't keep screen shot of the transaction.  At least the credit card charge should align with what you owed. 

 

Also, I noticed in the old discussion about amounts.  The Spa adds 18% gratuity to whatever the service fee is for massage, etc.

[frequentrider]

After nearly 6 months of back and forth with our credit card company and Princess Cruise Line, i decided to submit the $150 for arbitration. When their attorney reveived the arbitration request, within a few weeks, the cruise line sent me a check. Though it was not what was rightfully owed, we decided to accept the check as paid in full and also the $150 arbitration fee was reimbursed to me. We have learned to check our folio every night on any cruise we take. Once you are off the shop, it is nearly impossible to right their wrong. On another note, i was fully prepared to win arbitration! On or account it showed that we were both having a couples massage that ginish at 11 am. This was obviously an error! On the same folio it showed we bought something in one of their gift shops WHILE we were getting the massage!!!! The gift shop was also 2 floors up from spa! I just dont think an arbitrator would have voted in the cruise lines favor on this one!!!!!

[cclvr]

Glad to hear you finally got this resolved...Princess should not have made it so difficult.  Good evidence by the way.  Last year and this year I printed out Special Services Order Summary...shows all Gifts (from Princess) and prepaid packages/services and total paid.  Also received emails from Princess acknowledging receipt of payments.  We shouldn't have to but will print them out and bring them with me on the ship in case they charge me for something I already paid for in advance.  We have been lucky, have not had any billing/folio issues.  One thing I really do like about the app is being able to check our charges on a regular basis without having to go to a machine and get a printout. 

[antsp]

It should be a stick on cruise critic, it's not like they don't like stickys. Check your account the morning you disembark, before leaving the ship. 

[Pbbobkanobi]

We just back from a 3 day Princess coastal cruise out of San Pedro and did not do any onboard purchases other than six $3 drink upcharges for a few drinks that were above the $15 Plus Package limit so i figure i would be charged about $18-$20 for these total. I look at my bank account this morning and there is a $252.73 charge from Princess for some unknkown reason. I made the mistake of not checking the p[aper portfolio onboard because I assumed that everything would be on the fancy medallion app. which is a complete joke. I called customer service and they said I have to wait for my folio to be emailed to me to dispute the charges. I am contacting my bank to reverse these charges since they were not for any pre-booked activites, etc. We will definately not be giving Princess, Carnival etc. another penny of our money. I was actually thionking about buying some Carnival stock but I think it is a sinking ship at this point. I see a ton of negative reviews from first time Princess customers like me. Lesson learned. Never again. We had very mediocore food and service on the Discovery and are very dissapointed in Princess. I am stinking with Celebrity becuase they always come through with quality service.

[memoak]

On 3/20/2023 at 10:32 AM, Wandawithdogs said:

We were billed for an excursion that was canceled and I was charge $500 for chips in casino that was my free play. I submitted for a refund after several different phone calls with no answers. I have to wait several weeks to see what happens.

I always check with the casino cage on the first night to make sure they show our free play. At least 20% of the time I have found it does not show and I have to show them my screen shot of my travel summary to get it corrected 

[memoak]

Troll alert

[nasa1974]

I was on the Crown last October and using the app to check your foli was convenient, but I was still able to print one out near customer service from the stand-alone printer. All I had to do was touch the medallion to it. 

 

I agree with @Rick&Jeannie that it is a different kind of accounting. 

[kywildcatfanone]

Wrongful billing is a benefit of the medallion 

[Arizona Wildcat]

Glad the OP got things sorted.  Sadly as an Ombudsman in my state we see all manner of things.  About once a month a complaint about incorrect billing from a cruise company.

With few exceptions,  the cruise companies are foreign companies and as such you are #1 bound by the cruise contract requiring arbitration, or #2 fighting them with an attorney in their country.  Difficult and hard to win.

Captain Kate of Celebrity said always get a copy at guest relations the afternoon of your last day aboard and check it carefully.  Missing that,  contact your credit card issuer and dispute the charge.  Preferably within 30 days of your cruise.  A short clear explanation will usually get things sorted.