‘My mother and father’ row with P&O Cruises was solely resolved when an audio recording got here to gentle…’
Each Tuesday, we get an professional to reply your monetary issues or shopper disputes. Learn how to submit yours on the backside of this submit. In the present day’s query is…
My mother and father booked a vacation with P&O Cruises and have been promised onboard spend credit score as a part of the reserving. This was confirmed twice, they usually have an audio recording of the dialogue the place this was promised. After paying a deposit, P&O then modified the agreed phrases and eliminated the onboard spend, regardless of this showing on the unique bill. After complaining, P&O refused to honour the settlement. Because it was too near the departure date they usually feared shedding their deposit, my mother and father went forward with the journey however with out the agreed-on onboard credit score.
Rhys
You despatched me all of the reserving data to your mother and father’ cruise, and I might see on the primary bill that there was £60 onboard credit score every (a complete of £120). However by the point a second bill was issued, this had been eliminated.
I reached out to P&O Cruises to search out out what had occurred. Initially, the corporate stated the value of the cruise had been modified beneath its Worth Promise assure – this says “in case you discover the identical vacation for much less elsewhere inside 24 hours, we’ll match it”.
Your mother and father had discovered a less expensive quote through an internet site known as Seascanner, and so P&O had agreed to match the value.
However P&O stated the agreed onboard credit score was not loyalty-related, and was as an alternative in regards to the preliminary worth of the cruise. So, basically, in case your mother and father needed the onboard credit score, they needed to pay the costlier cruise fare.
I relayed this data to you, and also you despatched me an audio recording of the decision between your mother and father and the reserving agent, during which the value matching came about.
The recording of the decision confirms that the onboard credit score was agreed to “since you are a part of the loyalty scheme” and that your mother and father would nonetheless obtain the onboard credit score, even with the cheaper cruise fare.
I despatched a duplicate of the recording again to the crew at P&O Cruises, in addition to a transcript, and after a little bit of chasing, they confirmed they’d get in contact along with your mother and father, who might select in the event that they needed a £120 refund or £120 in direction of a future cruise.
You stated your mother and father have been “delighted” after they acquired the refund, however remained “exceptionally upset” by the service they acquired.
“The dearth of any kind of customer support isn’t solely disappointing, however it’s truly fairly surprising,” you stated to me.
“Then, when offered with irrefutable proof to assist the reality, to not even provide an apology… completely disgraceful.”
I requested P&O Cruises if it had something additional so as to add, however the firm didn’t reply.
What to do if this occurs to you
We will not intervene in each shopper dispute, and what’s disappointing right here is that you simply did every part appropriately to attempt to resolve it yourselves.
You filed a grievance straight with P&O Cruises, together with that essential audio recording.
You stated the cruise firm agreed to evaluate it, and the agency claimed to have achieved so, however nonetheless stated it might not be reinstating your mother and father’ onboard credit score.
The complaints course of was additionally complicated, since you tried to complain in your mother and father’ behalf through an internet site known as Resolver to the Affiliation of British Journey Brokers (ABTA), solely to be informed to complain straight.
Your mother and father additionally tried to complain through a tracked, recorded letter (I can see on the monitoring that this was undoubtedly delivered), however this was additionally left unanswered, which is disappointing.
Many cruise clients are prone to be older, so they might not really feel as assured making a grievance on-line.
What you possibly can have achieved subsequent is file a grievance on to ABTA or the Cruise Traces Worldwide Affiliation (CLIA UK).
In case your grievance has not been resolved by one among these organisations, you possibly can ask the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to take a look at your case.
This function isn’t meant as monetary recommendation – the purpose is to offer an outline of the issues it’s best to take into consideration. Submit your dilemma or shopper dispute through:
