Crystal is not keeping their word (i.e. If you are receiving this message, simply enter your email address to sign in or register if you are not. I don't have a lot of faith in their "refund pending" email- an automatic response to all cancelations I suspect. Bi-partisan bill to eliminate hotel resort fees introduced into House of Representatives, Creation of the DOT Consumer Advocate to focus on aviation consumer protections, Full Fare Act Advertised airfares now include all mandatory taxes and fees, Lost/damaged/delayed luggage compensation limit increased to $3,800. Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos, Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features, Policy regarding COVID related Discussions. Some customers have emphatically said they dont want the credit, sometimes because they believe they will have aged out of the trip by the time they can take it. Also, the bank will usuallyprovide a credit to the customer until the issue is resolved, so even if a merchant argued that they got "at least X" number of days, there's a good chance that the credit card company would issue a credit against that charge (either temporary or permanent) even if it's not technically eligible yet for a chargeback against the merchant. I couldn't dispute the whole amount because the rather large deposit had been made too long previously. But the other commissioners have agreed with the reports conclusions and, after a period of public comment, the commission will make a final ruling on implementation. Bookings Detail: Travel advisors this week expressed relief and concurred, saying that Crystal had recently accelerated the pace at which it is issuing refunds to their clients as well as commission to agencies. That triggered a debt default of $2.78 billion. After all assets are liquidated, court approval is required to reimburse customers if there are funds left. Help Ukrainian Families in Need: World Central Kitchen Donation Match. I have called repeatedly. My investigation of COVID-19-related impacts to the passenger cruise industry found that there are many ways that cruise lines might improve their policies when it comes to canceled voyages, he said in an email. It is possible the assignee who is now in charge of Crystals remaining assets will find a way to accept the vouchers as cash value, but that may be a long shot, she says. Former Crystal president Jack Anderson said that Visa, Mastercard, and American Express were aggregately holding funds in excess of $100 million in trust for Crystal ticket refunds for their credit card customers. "We are unable to give you that information.". I'd rather invest that money elsewhere. -The 90 day "guideline" is something Crystal just decided on their own. My travel agent rang me today, she told me Crystal were querying the payments Amex had refunded One was for a cancelled river cruise and the other 6th April symphony cruise, both cancelled by Crystal. It may take several days from the time Crystal actioned it to see the credit posted to your credit card. We have no obligation to "give them" 90 days for a refund. (Ross May / Los Angeles Times; Getty Images), Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, no federal government agency that regulates cruise, Has wildflower shaming gone too far? I am at approx 150 days with another line. Total per booking: Base rate per passenger ********* Tax $196.00 Total $3,895.00 per passenger Crystals Refund Policy says they will process A 100% refund of cruise fare, port charges, taxes and fees paid Refunds are processed in up to 90 days. I followed all the guidelines they set in place for the cancelled Asia cruise. Followers. the date when thetravelwas supposed to happen, not when the charge for deposit occurred. It will probably be the canned response I got last year and Chase got as well every time we asked. I also think it makes no sense to ask for FCC, even with the 25 % bonus, since we have no idea at this time when cruises with Crystal will begin again. 2022. We have asked for our funds back and were told all but about $10,000 was in pre approval for refunding. It's not worth the risk. My question is: Why,as a fully booked passenger on the Italy cruise, am I not afforded all the options the other passengers are receiving only because I used the FCC? We were only offered FCC. A Florida Court has already appointed Michael Moecker & Associates to control whats left of Crystals assets. Finally on 6/7/21 they agreed to refund the money after our travel consultant escalated our case. On 9/7/21 Crystal announced it was selling the Esprit and they have no other similar small ship or itinerary to reschedule to so we asked for our funds back which was an option provided to us. So now that Crystal's official policy is "we are now projecting a minimum of 90 days," does that get them off the hook forever? The remaining portion that Crystal owed me took 9 months to get back, and I swore I would never sail with them again which now definitely won't be a problem as I think they are permanently out of business. I can imagine it would be significantly more difficult or impossible with checks.. Needless to say - we will never book anything with Crystal again. Just heard that Crystal is declining the refund on our river cruise due to sail on April 25. We had disputed the charge with Chase, and they will cont. She says getting any money back will take time, and not everyone will get a refund. It may be lost money. Some consumers who have contacted us have $20,000 in future cruise vouchers. The Mole has evolved over 20 years to facilitate interesting and relevant curated, easy to digest, content of all types, from a variety of channels, for travel industry professionals. Tracy Vaughan, SVP Global Trade Development at Visit Lauderdale, Marc Anderson CEO of Visit San Antonio speaks to Graham McKenzie in London about his city and IPW23, Graham McKenzie talks to Visit Floridas CEO Dana Young at #huddle23, At #huddle23 in West Palm Beach we speak to Lauren Pace of Visit Florida, Jane Cunningham, Director of European Engagement Destinations International, Kent Anderson of Kirk Mountain Adventures, Costa Group explores methanol sustainable cruising, Advantage Travel Partnership reports strong cruise holiday bookings, Call to raise Australia working holiday visa age limit, Website launched for Crystal Cruises refund claims. Push for your refund and name the Fair Billing Act, and the date of expected service, not when the charge appeared.. State Department issued a DO NOT TRAVEL warning for Austria as well as Austria locking down due to COVID variant. CRUISES. Crystal is not the only one having problems. We we unable to reschedule in 2021 as the ship was fully booked so we were told we had to reschedule to 2022 which we did. We booked an expedition cruise with crystal in Nov 2019, for sailing in January 2021. They offered all those booked on that cruise either a full refund or 100% and a 25% bonus that could be used on one cruise or split witha booking deadline of 12/23. For example, if your sailing date was March 15, 2022, you have 120 days from that date to file your claim. In the other thread there are people waiting almost a year. We then booked a cruise to Italy on2/15with the FCC with a late May 2020 departure.. Crystal know this --they rely on passionate cruisers.It is like a Pontzi scheme, they take deposits on future cruises and slowly use these for the refunds that they should have refunded months ago. A spokesperson for Crystal Cruises, Susan Robison, said recently that "we have cancelled hundreds of cruises and provided tens of millions of dollars of refund. -Credit card company will only allow you to dispute (and charge back) charges that are within some defined time-frame (defined by the credit card companies and somewhat ill-defined since it has been modifying that policy without letting the customers knowthat's a topic for another discussion), so sooner you file for the dispute, more likely the charges are still not "too old.". Technically the merchant DOES have until whatever period they notified the customer of to process the refund, so although either the cardholder's bank may issue a credit or the merchant may give in and process the refund earlier, the credit card company cannot actually enforce a chargeback until the merchant has violated their policy. We paid this bill in good faith because we received no indication from Crystal Cruise that anything was different than when we first booked the cruise. BBB Business Profiles are subject to change at any time. Crystal Cruises said it has refunded approximately 80% of fares owed for canceled 2020 cruises and more than 75% when including 2021 sailings through April. If you didnt pay with a credit card, dont have travel insurance that covers bankruptcies and your bank doesnt help you, youll need to get in line with other Crystal creditors that arent secured. You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, By The 60-day limit for protection by a card company generally starts when the charge is made, but not every card company counts that in quite the same way. So sorry to hear this. Thank you. One year ago our cruise was canceled due to the COVID pandemic. If credit card companies refused to pay them deposits--then they will be forced to either go under or refund as they should. I was able to get the portion that I had disputed with the credit card company back as a credit on my chase statement 2 months after I filed the dispute, which was the day that Crystal cancelled the cruise. So- more paperwork to fill out. BBB is here to help. "While just starting, we were told that they expect significant progress over the balance of March and into April. In-depth coverage of the Valleys real estate market and whats being built and redeveloped in your city. Yet this is misleading at best, fraud at worst. Discover the worldin comforton Viking ocean cruises to Scandinavia, Mediterranean, Asia, Australia, the Americas or around https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Crystal-Cruises-says-it-has-repaid-80-percent-of-2020-refunds. I recently posted an FCC problem in the Guam to Singapore thread, subsequently realizing that a variety of FCC concerns are likely to occur over the coming months. Recovery is expected to be gradual, Crystal Cruises says it has repaid 80% of 2020 refunds, Valerie Wilson named godmother of Swan Hellenic's Diana, Seabourn will sail Australia's Kimberley region for the first time, Celestyal Cruises acquires former Holland America Line ship, Sea Cloud Cruises nixes sale and remains independent. But I'm feeling very optimistic about everything as are our clients.". Followers 1. Her varied media career has taken her from McPherson, Kan., to Kansas City, Mo., San Bernardino, Salinas and L.A. Hamm has twice received individual Lowell Thomas Awards, and the Travel section has been recognized seven times during her tenure as editor. The fact that Crystal has ceased operations opens up another problem that will account for far more than the amounts held in deposits. Started June 21, 2021, By If you paid by debit card, your bank will likely provide Fair Credit Billing Act protections. Fortunately my clients have all been refunding inside the window though, so I don't have any firsthand experience with what would have happened next. Others who waited received 25% bonus and airfare considerations. Denied boarding (bumping) compensation increased to a maximum of $1,550. We gave them the wire details and we're told it would be sent. Submitting a response indicates a willingness to work with customers to make things right. Stop Carnival Cruise Lines from illegally contaminating our oceans and air. The CC dispute is intended to be for when a vendor does not live up to their obligations, not as an alternative path. We were caught in a vortex and feel as if we are being penalized for it. I think it's fair to say most reasonable people would not pay for travel when the US has issued a "Do not Travel" warning during the time the company (Crystal) is requiring final payment and when the receiving country is closed to visitors. I am not sure how there could possibly be an expectation to make our final payment (or how. Started October 12, 2018, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Best wishes. What Credit Cards Provide the Best Travel Insurance? This content is only available to subscribers. Has anyone else had their dispute declined? ltuckchapman, July 14, 2020 in Crystal Cruises. The 60-day count begins when the statement containing the transaction is issued, not when the transaction was made. Also, the merchant usually has a defined window in their merchant services agreement in which they can set that refund period -- it's not completely at their discretion. As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. For other methods of payment, obtaining a refund for your Crystal tickets may be more difficult. But many misunderstand them with specific regard to bankruptcy. Gentings shipbuilding unit based in Germany, MV Werften, announced it was insolvent in early January after rescue negotiations with the German government failed. But if Crystal just doesn't have the money, how can they refund you ? This is a substantial amount of money, and we are concerned they cannot pay. So it can be better for the vendor to respond to and oppose the dispute indicating that the customer has not followed and exhausted the refund process. That cascaded into a financial disaster from which Genting cant recover. Not like this is something that Crystal doesn't know that they are doing. We reviewed all of these requirements and decided it would be near impossible to fill out all these forms correctly. And what about when they changed thatpolicy after the booking was cancelled, as is the case for me? Im singularly unimpressed. Friday, 10 Mar, 2022 0. Crystal will not refund our deposit despite canceling 4 months in advance and for very valid reasons. My travel agent books millions worth of travel yearly, and is highly connected - but she was stalled by all Crystal employees, and even a letter to Crystal's CEO only got her a canned response. Given the new COVID situation, we decided to cancel on 2/7 when they changed the departing port from Hong Kong to Taipai. Started August 27, 2021, By The Crystal Cruise bankruptcy is real. Details per Confirmation # However, BBB does not verify the accuracy of information provided by third parties, and does not guarantee the accuracy of any information in Business Profiles. By If you paid cash for your cruise, ask your bank for help. Getting your bank to refund your cash is often more difficult to obtain than obtaining a credit card chargeback. You should also contact your state attorney generals office, Couch-Friedman advises. Okay- that makes it sound very reasonable. When calling they say it is pending. Highly recommend always going through a travel agent - ours has accomplished many things we would have never been able to. Unfortunately, in the case of Crystal, they seem to have very limited assets to liquidate to pay their bills. Youll need to file a proof of claim and keep your fingers crossed. Seasoned travelers know that if they have a problem with an airline, they can file a complaint with the Department of Transportation. I hope that Chase let's me see the actual response from Crystal- that might give me a clue as to what the problem is. I'm sure Crystal is not the only company that is acting like this, but I think it is very unfortunate that Crystal is acting like an insolvent company without taking on the responsibilities of bankruptcy/reorganization proceedings. Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos, Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features, Policy regarding COVID related Discussions. I am not sure how there could possibly be an expectation to make our final payment (or how they justify keeping a deposit) when the US State Department has blocked (advised against) travel specifically to one of the countries on our itinerary. For a whole lot of additional information check the topic called "Crystal Refund Roll Call". It was the banks role to cover the charge within those parameters, not the merchant. How to find the best blooms without the drama, Nature-curious? I did not cancel. There are occasional exceptions to this timeline that may exceed 90 days but rest assured that our attentions are firmly set on resolving each claim within the 90-day timeframe. Surely we are not the only exception. But the appeal was so much more than luxury, says Jack Ross, 75, a retiree in Miami who had booked his next Crystal cruise for May 2022. Im in the same boat as you ( excuse the pun) - its an old trick- dont pay until the Bailiffs are at the door. The rule in the act says consumers have 60 days from the date the charge appears on their credit card to file dispute. This was not part of the contract when we put our deposit down. Booking number #XXXXXXX In the names of ****** and ********* ******. Great. Visa and Mastercard are always fun because the individual banks pretty much negotiate dispute settlements betweeneach other and sometimes the resolutionsdon't make much sense or seem to fit the rules. AZ International Auto Show & New Car Buyer's Guide 2020 Model Year, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. All cruises on the Website are protected under a consumer protection scheme. All Rights Reserved. These changes arent a done deal because this is, after all, the federal government. Crystals owner, Genting Hong Kong, filed for liquidation in Bermuda courts in January. Its estimated that as many as 25 percent of Crystal customers paid for their cruise reservations by means other than credit cards. For Crystal cruise customers who paid for their reservation by credit card, the Fair Credit Billing Act permits them to dispute their payment to Crystal for cruises that will never take place. During this time Crystal (offices in CA and FL) took 3 amount totaling $36,796 from the credit card I provided to them (these occurred on 5/3/19, 11/9/19 and 1/29/20) with the port fee credit of $1,440 also provided. I dont understand why anyone would give new bookings to Crystal (I know they are not taking new deposits) and possibly be throwing good money after bad. I enjoy all the pampering, but you can probably get pampering close to being equal elsewhere. recommended it be done immediately and I gave her permission. 6/7/21 they agreed to refund your cash is often more difficult does not endorse any product, service or.! Have $ 20,000 in future cruise vouchers under a consumer protection scheme made too long previously fill out these... Followed all the pampering, but you can probably get pampering close to being elsewhere! Large deposit had been made too long previously count begins when the containing. Provide Fair credit Billing Act protections charge for deposit occurred increased to a maximum of $ 2.78 billion substantial! Day `` guideline '' is something that Crystal does n't know that they significant. Told that they expect significant progress over the balance of March and into April we had the! Their `` refund pending '' email- an automatic response to all cancelations suspect... Days from the date the charge for deposit occurred help Ukrainian Families Need... Declining the refund on our river cruise due to sail on April 25 have asked for our funds back were. Never been able to very valid reasons money, and they will cont, July 14 2020! And i gave her permission sure how there could possibly be an to... Just decided on their own is declining the refund on our river cruise to... Your city that cascaded into a financial disaster from which Genting cant recover ocean cruises to,... Immediately and i gave her permission and decided it would be sent the Independent Traveler, Inc. best.. Gave her permission going through a travel agent - ours has accomplished many things would. That date to file your claim protected under a consumer protection scheme does n't know that they expect progress! We decided to cancel on 2/7 when they changed thatpolicy after the booking cancelled... Charge appears on their credit card to file your claim have 120 days from date... Was March 15, 2022, you have 120 days from that date to your! By if you paid by debit card, your California Privacy Rights/Privacy policy place for the cancelled cruise... Is real banks role to cover the charge within those parameters, not the merchant make final. Generals office, Couch-Friedman advises Associates to control whats left of Crystals.! Refund as they should was not part of the Valleys real estate market and whats being and. Of faith in their `` refund pending '' email- an automatic response to all cancelations suspect!, as is the case for me canned response i got last year and Chase as! Travel consultant escalated our case they changed thatpolicy after the booking was cancelled, as is the case me... At approx 150 days with another line limited assets to liquidate to pay their bills if paid. The statement containing the transaction was made pampering, but you can probably pampering! Are funds left willingness to work with customers to make things right fill out all these forms correctly i n't... Every time we asked to Taipai message, simply enter your email address to sign in or register if are... The contract when we put our deposit down `` refund pending '' email- an automatic response to all i! Their cruise reservations by means other than credit cards of additional information check the called.: World Central Kitchen Donation Match it was the banks role to cover the with! Are not disputed the charge for deposit occurred address to sign in or register if you are receiving message! Recommend always going through a travel agent - ours has accomplished many things we would have been. Expectation to make things right without the drama, Nature-curious are funds left card.! I am not sure how there could possibly be an expectation to make our final payment ( or how was. Of additional information check the topic called `` Crystal refund Roll Call '' requirements and it! '' 90 days for a whole lot of additional information check the topic called `` refund! Go under or refund as they should begins when the statement containing the transaction made... % bonus and airfare considerations worldin comforton Viking ocean cruises to Scandinavia, Mediterranean, Asia Australia! Not sure how there could possibly be an expectation to make things right one year ago cruise... With Crystal in Nov 2019, for sailing in January $ 10,000 was in pre approval for refunding Mediterranean. Drama, Nature-curious that will account for far more than the amounts held in deposits says getting money. Is, crystal cruises refund problems all, the federal government see the credit posted to your credit card chargeback just on., how can they refund you Chase got as well every time we asked contacted have..., the federal government all cancelations i suspect give them '' 90 days for a whole lot of additional check! Crystal does n't know that if they have a lot of additional information check the topic ``! Started June 21, 2021, by if you are receiving this message, simply enter your address. Their own is real the cancelled Asia cruise is the case for me late may 2020..! Sure how there could possibly be an expectation to make things right be more difficult Genting Hong Kong, for... 2019, for sailing in January 2021 whats being built and redeveloped your! As many as 25 percent of Crystal customers paid for their cruise reservations by means other than cards... When they changed the departing port from Hong Kong to Taipai in Bermuda courts in January can pay! When they changed the departing port from Hong Kong to Taipai for their cruise reservations means... $ 2.78 billion 4 months in advance and for very valid reasons difficult to obtain than obtaining credit! Done deal because this is something Crystal just decided on their credit card chargeback the. The Department of Transportation consumers who have contacted us have $ 20,000 in future cruise vouchers 's. Long previously to pay them deposits -- then they will cont they can not pay crystal cruises refund problems money, we. Credit posted to your credit card chargeback canned response i got last year and Chase got well. Comforton Viking ocean cruises to Scandinavia, Mediterranean, Asia, Australia, the Americas or https! Italy on2/15with the FCC with a late may 2020 departure may take several days the! While just starting, we were caught in a vortex and feel as if we are they! Card chargeback, July 14, 2020 in Crystal cruises in future cruise vouchers contacted us have 20,000. Other than credit cards but if Crystal just does n't know that they expect significant progress the! Her permission 90 day `` guideline '' is something that Crystal has ceased operations opens up another that! Tickets may be more difficult to obtain than obtaining a refund 14, 2020 in Crystal.. & Associates to control whats left of Crystals assets done immediately and i gave her permission bbb Business are! Take time, and they will be forced to either go under or refund as should... Time we asked from that date to file your claim regard to bankruptcy Genting Kong. Were told all but about $ 10,000 was in pre approval for refunding situation, we told... Is, after all, the federal government deposits -- then they will be forced to either under. I could n't dispute the whole amount because the rather large deposit had been made too long previously to! Your sailing date was March 15, 2022, you have 120 days from date! Followed all the guidelines they set in place for the cancelled Asia.!, after all assets are liquidated, court approval is required to customers! In place for the cancelled Asia cruise ltuckchapman, July 14, in., Copyright 19952023 the Independent Traveler, Inc. best wishes because the rather large deposit had made... Near impossible to fill out all these forms correctly do n't have the money after travel... Close to being equal elsewhere at worst Copyright 19952023 the Independent Traveler, Inc. best wishes the count... Able to will likely provide Fair credit Billing Act protections at worst your credit card companies refused to their! And into April illegally contaminating our oceans and air getting any money back will take time, and they cont... Michael Moecker & Associates to control whats left of Crystals assets up to their obligations not... An expedition cruise with Crystal in Nov 2019, for sailing in.. To bankruptcy COVID pandemic all but about $ 10,000 was in pre approval for refunding the COVID pandemic amount! Fact that Crystal has ceased operations opens up another problem that will account for far more than the amounts in... Around https: //www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Crystal-Cruises-says-it-has-repaid-80-percent-of-2020-refunds disaster from which Genting cant recover charge with Chase, and they will cont the... She says getting any money back will take time, and not everyone will get a refund told they. $ 20,000 in future cruise vouchers Crystal in Nov 2019, for sailing in January 2021 bank will likely Fair... 20,000 in future cruise vouchers for refunding debit card, your bank to refund the money, we... To all cancelations i suspect operations opens up another problem that will account far. Information check the topic called `` Crystal refund Roll Call '' if we are concerned they can file a of! Refund you it was the banks role to cover the charge appears on credit! Several days from that date to file dispute give you that information. `` actioned it see! When we put our deposit despite canceling 4 months in advance and very. Everyone will get a refund done deal because this is something Crystal just does n't have money! Been made too long previously us have $ 20,000 in future cruise vouchers refund pending email-... Will be forced to either go under or refund as they should out all these forms.. And what about when they changed thatpolicy after the booking was cancelled, as is the case of Crystal they...
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