Unethical agent
 

Have any of you had dealings with ecruisestore.com? I've spent the better part of the past couple of days dealing with what I consider to be a highly unethical agent. Only AFTER charging a cruise in full to my credit card did he begin to add conditions to the promised shipboard credit. Since the payment, Princess says, was in full, it's neither refundable nor transferable to another agent.

I've got many many emails documenting the issues (after the agent, Richard Tanner, threatened to 'work to destroy my business' during a phone call, I refused to correspond other than by email, but I'm being catch-22'd. Diners Club says "we can't open a dispute until the charge goes through. Agent won't put the charge through until I sign a statement that I was informed about cancellation policies (I wasn't) and that the contract includes everything I was promised (it doesn't). Princess says it's booked, and I'm subject to cancellation.

Understand, I DO want to go on the ship on which I'm booked, in the room in which I'm booked, on the date I chose. I can't, however, either agree to things that are lies, nor do I feel good about an unethical agent- especially one who has threatened me- making a commission on my room while not delivering what is promised.

Any attorneys out there, or folks who have had similar bad experiences who can offer guidance?

Thanks
Steve

Steve..NOT a lawyer...But, if Princess is saying the cruise is PAID IN FULL, then the charge has gone through.The agent called the credit card payment into Princess.It's a done deal.The murky issue seems to be the agent's BS.In this case, Princess is the "marchant" not the "agent". The Agent is just that, the middle man.That is at least my understanding of what happens when I book a cruise through my own Travel Agent.In any case, best of luck.Have fun on your cruise.

Steve,
I've been using the same agent for years, and we just booked a cruise to Mexico in December. He told me that we could get a $300 shipboard credit if we used Amex, so I did. He subsequently told me that my card did not qualify for the credit as albeit platinum, it is a "cash rebate" card.

Enjoy your cruise.

It's hard to believe the sorts of emails we've been exchanging....as this one, below.


RE: invoice xxx69 for $2909, hold placed on my Diner's club card, for cabin xxx on Crown Princess sailing Date

Dr.

Apparently you have discovered you have a better price and booking than was being offered.

ME-I will gladly accept an offer for EXACTLY the same amount as you had originally quoted to me, -and so declare to Princess cruises and Diners Club-or, frankly, pay MORE not to have to deal with someone of your questionable integrity. You are, am I not correct?, unwilling to release the reservation with Princess cruises, answer my questions about how to sign the charge slip, or make good on your promises to me.

AGENT-The required forms must be filled out for the full amount charged for your booking to prevent any interruption of the documentation process or on yourr boarding.

me-I have asked you the specific question of how to fill out the forms without lying and saying you informed me of cancellation penalties, which you certainly did not.

agent-we do beleive that you fully understood the importance of the representation of past passenger status when obtaining price quotes.

me-I have no way of knowing why you believe that, especially in light of the virtually immediate response on my part as soon as you mentioned contingencies with respect to the credit, and with NO documentation in any of your emails that the credit was in any way tied to my past passenger status

With regards to your threat of dissemination of faulty information regarding this booking and the agency. We will pursue any means available to defend, counter and protect our interests against any unwarranted claims made by you.

me-I would never under any circumstances disseminate "faulty... or unwarranted" claims, only issues for which I have clear, written (email) documentation.

I consider it, frankly, quite bizarre that you would so fervently work to make it impossible for me to move to another agent. HOW, I ASK AGAIN, DO I ADRESS THE PART OF THE FORM THAT WOULD, IF I ENDORSE IT, FORCE ME TO LIE ABOUT YOUR DISCLOSURE OF CANCELLATION CHARGES AND FAILURE TO INCLUDE THE CREDIT IN THE INVOICE?

Your most recent email, threatening to void the $37.50 offer, once again demonstrates your unwillingness/inability to be held to your (even written) agreements.

Awaiting your written reply.

Exactly why I prefer a living, breathing person whom I have actually met as well as spoken to on the phone. He also treats us very fairly, & gets us some good deals.

No email trails for me, I don't care how much more I can save.

Isn't it true for every cruise line that until paid in full you can get adjustment for lower price if avail?
So I would say cancellation policy available to read - but who does? Wasn't it available to you?
Is Richard Tanner the owner of ecruisestore? If not I would ask for owner. If yes - I would cancel it.
And re-book with somebody else.
How does Richard Tanner knows you have business? If this is legal business how could he destroy it?
I can ask tons more questions but there is a way if there is a will...

thought some of you might benefit from the longer version on Cruisecritic.com http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=356607

When I clicked on your link, cruise critic said it was an invalid thread.

Looks like there's sensorship on the Cruisecritic board, since the entire thread has 'disappeared'. Will keep you posted

I'll be happy to send a copy of what was written, with all replies, if you email.

Do you know why cruise critic pulled your thread?

It seems like it is possible that there might have been a misunderstanding about whether or not you were a Princess past passenger, and therefore entitled to the $50 credit from Princess, and that the agency tried to make you happy, when that credit was not available to you, by offering their own $37.50 credit. But it's also possible that I am the one not understanding.

Could you change the spot that says you know about the cancellation penalty, etc, initial that change, and then sign?

Cruisecritic pulled Steve's and all threads that mention a Travel Agency by name whether it is a good or bad review.

They have it completely clear on their website.

Steve, sorry you are having a bad time. Tell Princess you do not want to work with the agency and want to turn the booking over to them directly. Per customer's wishes, they switch travel agencies all the time as far as ownership of their booking, as long as ecruisestore.com agrees to let the booking go and respect your wishes. It's worth a try. Keep caling them, speak to a Supervisor etc til they call Princess and let go of ownership.

actually, I've gone up THREE supervisory levels at Princess. This guy is SO angry and vindictive I don't think there's a chance he'll release the reservation.... I already have another agent happy to pick it up. Please DO understand that, at this point, I'm so totally revolted by his behavior that I've even told Princess I'd be happy to rebook at a substantially higher cost to me, rather than have this guy have the booking. It is NOT about the money, but rather, misrepresentation and threats to me.

Abram- I'm intending to change and initial...just hoping that in the end I don't end up disappointing my mom (taking her on something out of her native brooklyn is what this is REALLY all about). Just hoping he doesn't find some way to sabotage the booking at the last minute, since apparently he's done so before. I paste in below a response from the CC board before they removed it:

"TorontoTL
Cool Cruiser
I have also had a really really bad experience dealing the the same agency. I paid them in full quite early on for my cruise so I could have a specific cabin. They missed final payment with Princess and thus my cabin was lost. They rebooked me in a lower category cabin without my knowledge. I eventually noticedt that this had occured when I checked my cruise personalizer. After much arguing they changed me to a guarantee at the original category, but not in my aft balcony cabin. To make matters worse, they charged my credit card again. I noticed that they were charging me at a lower cost because I guess the price had come down. Again it took me much work to deal with them as they never returned calls and many many emails. They finally agreed to credit my card the new lower cost, despite the fact that they are thus pocketing the difference and making that extra money. I think in fact it was their plan from the beginning to miss final payment to allow them to keep my original payment and then pay the new lower charge without passing the savings on to me.

Interesting that you are dealing with the same agent, Richard Tanner because he was the original agent and suddenly when all these problems started he dissappeared and someone by the name of Richard Turner was the new agent.

I would never ever deal with that company again. I believe they are truly dishonest.
__________________
Benny"

Next step....better business bureau

"I paid them in full quite early on for my cruise so I could have a specific cabin".
I wonder how early? It is usually 60 to 75 days before sail. No legit travel agency requires a full payment too early, deposit is enough to hold the cabin. That should have raised a red flag right there for Benny. It seems to me that some people are being careless without doing a bit of research and now paying for the lesson. BBB should have been your first step, not next.

We recently paid in full for a cruise about six months in advance because Visa was having a special that gave you another 5% off the price of the cruise.

Is there a governing board you can go to? That is when we once had a problem w/ a realtor I found out about a governing board I could protest to and one mention of that led to a quick resolution. Then I once had an encounter with a jeweler who proved himself to be, well a con man and I found out about the JVC or Jewelers Vigilance Committee who investigated and gave him a reprimand. I do agree about the BBB and how about the states atty. as well? Good luck.

Steve,
Are you arguing over a $13 credit? Or am I missing a point here?

yes, your missing something. For ME, has nothing to do with the money. I feel that an unethical agent charged my entire cruise, THEN changed the criteria we had agreed to, and now refuses to allow me to cancel or transfer the booking to someone else. I've already told Princess I would be happy to pay more for the same cabin/ same sailing, but hate to feel like someone who played 'bait and switch' was making commission off of the act.

When are you going on this cruise?

Steve, I think that whether you like what this agent did or not, you can't take the commission away from him at this point. He did, after all, make your booking. Why would some other agent deserve a commission for what this agent booked, whether or not you liked his method of operation?

Did you want the cruiseline to refund the amount of his commission to you?