Carnival Wants More Money for Cruise Last Month

[aggieastrosfan]

Maybe the OP was given credit that belonged to someone else and it was discovered after the cruise. It does happen.

 

Sure, it could happen, but if that was the case, why are they stonewalling when OP is asking for documentation to justify their claim?

[momofzeke]

OP ~ if I'm reading your first post right, it sounds like you have both an invoice from before your cruise showing payment in full, AND an invoice showing your S&S account while on the cruise paid in full?

 

If that is the case, then I can't imagine how Carnival can demand more money from you. If they made an accounting error, that was THEIR error, not yours. I would not cave on this one.

 

I do not, however, agree with anyone who says you should just ignore this and do nothing. You need to stay on this and get it resolved, which it sounds like you are doing.

 

Best of luck to you, and I'm sorry you are having to deal with this. Carnival clearly is in the wrong on this one (and I'm one of those dreaded "Carnival Cheerleaders" that so often get chastised here on the board ;)).

[Gistfamily]

I'm new to carnival but not to business! don't ignore them, but do wait until they can explain it in writing. Keep moving up the chain of command until you get someone who can do that. Hopefully you will get to someone who will say this is not worth the bad customer relations it is creating. Keep this board updated so we can be prepared if it happens to us.

[francina]

If it was me I wouldn't give them a dime. If it does go to the collection agency you just have to show them your receipt showing paid in full.

 

However, I think this is a scam and be very weary of the information you give out to these folks.

[FantasyLineAddict]

I am with you OP. This is all so strange, especially how it's being handled. Make them give you a full accounting.

 

So bottom line is that they adjusted the price of your cruise a few times and took off fuel so they're saying the actual cost of the cruise should have been more? The amount is too high for port fees and taxes, unless you had a group of 3, but with the odd number, it sounds like that's where the mistakes were made.

[Monkeythyme]

Gary Cahill may not be the appropriate person, but you should start with someone outside the department that is trying to collect the money. As long as you stay within that department, nobody above them knows that they are trying to collect something that they cannot itemize.

So, you need someone positioned higher than the accounting department, but low enough to pursue the matter himself rather than just passing it back to the source.

[gtalum]

Maybe the OP was given credit that belonged to someone else and it was discovered after the cruise. It does happen.

 

Regardless, she has a document that says "Paid in Full". End of story.

[Crusin6]

If it was me I wouldn't give them a dime. If it does go to the collection agency you just have to show them your receipt showing paid in full.

 

However, I think this is a scam and be very weary of the information you give out to these folks.

Agree 100%. And to those that say not to ignore them, the reason to ignore this issue may well be that it is a scam. As one poster said, the op has paid in full documents/receipts so if the OP goes to get a loan and this is holding it up, the receipts are proof. It is $144 cruise charge, not her mortgage or car loan that she is not paying. Assuming the important stuff is up to date, if someone wants to deny her a loan for this type of issue, and doesn't want to recognize the paid in full receipts....something is very wrong.....oh yeah that's right, I forgot....the economy is very wrong.

 

Back to the issue, if it is a scam, the more she follows up, the more info they get from her. However, a few posts back, the op claimed it actually was a Carnival issue and was legit. I still say forget it, their mistake, they gave her paid in full receipts, they take the write off.....that is another way that business works as well.

[Crusin6]

Regardless, she has a document that says "Paid in Full". End of story.

Simply said and correct!!

[gtalum]

Agree 100%. And to those that say not to ignore them, the reason to ignore this issue may well be that it is a scam.

 

It's not a scam. The OP contacted Carnival directly, and they confirmed the info in the letter. it's some kind of accounting error by Carnival. As such, the OP has no responsibility to pay it and should simply deny responsibility for the charge.

 

I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice. :)

[Crusin6]

It's not a scam. The OP contacted Carnival directly, and they confirmed the info in the letter. it's some kind of accounting error by Carnival. As such, the OP has no responsibility to pay it and should simply deny responsibility for the charge.

 

I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice. :)

Read my post #60, I know she said it wasn't a scam but I feel that there are many many folks out there that seem to fall for these kind of things (scams) and give out way to much info. Scammers prey on these types and their guilt levels. She has paid in full papers, she has the proof, no issue for her, it is Carnival's problem and they should just write it off.

 

I can bet that there is an accounting supervisor over at Carnival insisting that a clerk try to recover the money, any way, any how. They will eventually write it off of course but not until they they bully each other for a few months.

[lsycko1]

As an accountant I can tell you that I would never send out a demand for payment letter without backup. However, I have seen this type of letter from collection companies that do not have the backup, just an amount to collect. You may be speaking to an indipendant collection agency. I would call Carnival direct and ask them! I really hope this get's cleared up :)

[okgirl]

And don't forget that the "contract" that had all of your paid in full charges is as binding on Carnival as it is on you. They can't agree to a price, put it on a contract then tell you after the fact that you owe more.

 

Is it possible that the towels from your room were left on deck or any kind of last night/day purchases didn't show up on time to make it to your S&S card transaction?

[tnt091605]

The NOT so Fun Ship Cruise, Part 2

 

My DH and I took our Carnival cruise #6 on the now infamous Holiday "Five Day Cruise to Nowhere" which started on January 31, 2009.

 

We were, of course, paid in full before the cruise and paid in full when we disembarked the ship and have the documentation that shows it.

 

We had intended to book a shore excursion, but that port was canceled and we ended up not spending any money($0.00) at all on board.

The tip charges were the only charges on the Sign and Sail bill.

 

This Saturday,(Feb 21) I received an unsigned letter instructing me to remit to Carnival $144.27 for services rendered. There was no description of said services.

Since there was no name on the unsigned letter, I decided to address my questions to G Cahill, as at least I know his name.

 

After three e-mails to GCahill@carnival.com, I received a call this evening from a woman named Martha who identified herself as a representative of G Cahill. This Martha says that there was an accounting mistake and I owe $144.27 on the January 31, 2009 cruise, even though I have a statement that shows me paid in full before the cruise and the one issued to me on board the ship that also shows me paid in full.

 

I asked for information in writing showing the accounting error and an explanation be sent to me.

Martha said that they researched and found this error and that Carnival is like a bank and I am required to pay $144.27.

 

I disagreed and told her so.

 

I also asked what action would be taken if I chose not to pay the $144.27 and she said that I would be turned over to collections.

 

I have sent another e-mail to GCahill@carnival.com and hopefully will receive a reply soon.

 

I don't know anything about the internal workings of Carnival and I really don't care to learn.

In fact, I have already learned more than I ever wanted to know.

 

I do know that I paid Carnival what they told me to pay.

I went on the trip.

I didn't complain about the messed up cruise.

I came back home and at this point in time the January 31 cruise should have been history.

Instead it's kind of like a case of sea sickness that just won't go away.

 

So, has anyone else been asked to pay more money to correct Carnival's error after a cruise is over and done with?

 

 

Do you owe the money? If this was charges you made it does not matter that you have documents showing a zero balance. You have to pay and believe me they will report it on your credit. It is not worth that unless you believe you did not charge anything else. Then I would be writing letters and sending them certified to Carnival asking them to provide a summary of all charges.

[tnt091605]

My advice,

 

Try to work it out with Carnival on your own. If that doesn't work, ignore them. So what if they turn you over to collections. Nobody in their right mind will sue you for $144.00 That wouldn't even cover the filing fee for the lawsuit. (Ok, well, maybe in small claims it would, but you get the point) The worst that happens is you get a few annoying phone calls.

 

And a collections account on your credit reports for the next 7 years!

[tnt091605]

It would be a pretty slick scam since they would have had to hack into the presidents email address.

 

I agree, she said they said they were calling from his office. This seems unlikely to be a scam. Carnival does accounting audits just like other companies. I don't think in her original post that she said she does not owe this. Just that she paid the balance presented to her.

[tnt091605]

OP ~ if I'm reading your first post right, it sounds like you have both an invoice from before your cruise showing payment in full, AND an invoice showing your S&S account while on the cruise paid in full?

 

If that is the case, then I can't imagine how Carnival can demand more money from you. If they made an accounting error, that was THEIR error, not yours. I would not cave on this one.

 

I do not, however, agree with anyone who says you should just ignore this and do nothing. You need to stay on this and get it resolved, which it sounds like you are doing.

 

Best of luck to you, and I'm sorry you are having to deal with this. Carnival clearly is in the wrong on this one (and I'm one of those dreaded "Carnival Cheerleaders" that so often get chastised here on the board ;)).

 

 

So if you get a statement from your bank saying you have 2 million in the bank that is your money? If you owe money, you owe money. The question is does she or does she not.

[lizardhowson]

also to the op, really I would say do nothing, waste no more time and forget it.

 

 

If it was me I wouldn't give them a dime. If it does go to the collection agency you just have to show them your receipt showing paid in full.

 

However, I think this is a scam and be very weary of the information you give out to these folks.

 

You can't really believe they would remove this from a credit report based on this.

 

As stated it is a long and involved process to get anything (even if it is incorrect) removed from your credit report, don't ignore this.

 

It is not likely a scam since I doubt they hacked into the CEO of Carnival's email and only want $144 for their trouble. (Remember, OP got a letter then replied herself via E-mail to Cahill, got return call from woman who responded to E-mail to Cahill) However does sound like a big mistake and badly handled on Carnival's part.

 

Could be someone raided their Mini-bar after they vacated the room, removed something from the room, whatever. Obviously the OP is likely not responsible.

[RVman]

Do you owe the money? If this was charges you made it does not matter that you have documents showing a zero balance. You have to pay and believe me they will report it on your credit. It is not worth that unless you believe you did not charge anything else. Then I would be writing letters and sending them certified to Carnival asking them to provide a summary of all charges.

 

That's what I'm thinking, if I'm wrong I truly apologize. My question is did you or your husband purchase something that did not show up on your final bill but later it did. If that happen then I don’t care what your final statement says your responsible for that bill.

This really doesn’t sound right, because I know that just last month I had a few drinks on the last night of our cruise and the drinks didn’t show up on my final bill but when I received my credit card statement they were there.

When was your cruise?

I’ve dealt with the guest relations in the past and I ask to speak with their supervisor and I had great results and I’m talking about more than a 144.00 bill. She was nothing but nice and my problem was solved way beyond my expectations.

[noblepa]

First, a caveat. I'm not a lawyer or accountant. So take what I'm about to say with a huge grain of salt.

 

The situation sucks, big time. No doubt about that.

 

The OP is absolutely right to insist that Carnival explain in detail the nature of the error. I would not pay until I received such an explanation. However, the OP should not get beligerent just yet. Keep it civil, but professional. Tell them you will be happy to pay, when a written, detailed, understandable explanation is provided. Repeat the previous sentence until they comply.

 

If Carnival does, indeed, produce an explanation, then, legally, they ARE entitled to collect. Mistakes happen, and a buyer is not entitled to benefit from a seller's honest mistake. Fraud would be a different story, but that can be extremely difficult to prove. Nothing in this thread sounds even remotely like fraud, unless this is an elaborate scam by someone pretending to be Carnival, which I doubt.

 

If Carnival can back up their claim, then taking the attitude that it is their mistake and they should attempt an anatomically impossible action, will get you no where.

 

They WILL NOT write it off and they WILL continue to attempt to collect.

 

They WILL turn it over to a collection agency and they WILL report it on your credit report.

 

If it goes to court, you WILL lose, you WILL be forced to pay and the note WILL remain on your credit report.

 

IMHO, the only way you can avoid paying this is if they can offer no explanation and documentation of the error. Even then, they may continue to pursue it. In that case, you MAY win in court, but you may face a nightmare trying to get it removed from your credit report.

 

My advice is to continue to demand written documentation, but resolve it, one way or the other BEFORE it goes to a collection agency. Either get a written statement from Carnival that you are not responsible for the amount, or you should pay it. I would not risk my credit rating for $144.

 

On a personal note, I feel that, if it truly was an honest mistake, and you really were undercharged on your S&S, the ethical thing to do is to pay it. I also believe it is the legally required thing to do.

 

Turn it around. If you were OVERcharged and you discovered this after you returned home, how would you feel if Carnival said "Yeah, you're right, it was our mistake, but too bad, we're not going to refund anything because your invoice is marked 'Paid in Full'. You should have disputed it onboard"?

 

Like I said, though, I'm not a lawyer. And I'm not a priest.

 

Paul

[bplazo]

I have read somewhere, not excacly sure, that if they find a charge after you leave the ship that they can still bill it to your account. So that is not the end of the story!

[RVman]

To the OP you stated that it was a cruise to nowhere but I read on another board that it stopped in Cozumel overnight. Did it?

[mzloolue]

Thanks for the responses.

 

To clarify, Martha Colon, who called from Carnival said that she is a Supervisor in Guest Relations.

She also verified that the $144.27 was not a purchase or a charge against me, but is instead the result of an accounting error made by Carnival. Ms Colon says that Carnival had credited my account in error.

 

I don't know anything else, at this point, about the error.

 

After I spoke with her last night I sent another e-mail to GCahill@carnival.com and hoped that when I got home that I would find some response, but I have not been contacted further.

I have re-sent the e-mail this evening in hope that it will eventually be read and this matter resolved.

 

I really don't know what my rights are in this case.

That cruise is over and done with and I am anxious to have this resolved.

At what point am I no longer responsible for dealing with their error?

Is there a time limit?

Could that be the reason for the month old date on the letter I received on 2-21-09?

[minpin04]

Thanks for the responses.

 

To clarify, Martha Colon, who called from Carnival said that she is a Supervisor in Guest Relations.

She also verified that the $144.27 was not a purchase or a charge against me, but is instead the result of an accounting error made by Carnival. Ms Colon says that Carnival had credited my account in error.

 

I don't know anything else, at this point, about the error.

 

After I spoke with her last night I sent another e-mail to GCahill@carnival.com and hoped that when I got home that I would find some response, but I have not been contacted further.

I have re-sent the e-mail this evening in hope that it will eventually be read and this matter resolved.

 

I really don't know what my rights are in this case.

That cruise is over and done with and I am anxious to have this resolved.

At what point am I no longer responsible for dealing with their error?

Is there a time limit?

 

If this is true, then you should be able to check your bank account or credit card to see if there is a credit from Carnival.

[mzloolue]

If this is true, then you should be able to check your bank account or credit card to see if there is a credit from Carnival.

 

The credit was not to my credit card.

Martha Colon said that the credit was to my bill with Carnival.