Comments on: Getting stonewalled by your cruise line? Sue your bank http://www.elliott.org/blog/getting-stonewalled-by-your-cruise-line-sue-your-bank/ Consumer advocate Christopher Elliott's site. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:25:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Peter http://www.elliott.org/blog/getting-stonewalled-by-your-cruise-line-sue-your-bank/comment-page-1/#comment-28911 Peter Sat, 19 Dec 2009 16:42:34 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=5037#comment-28911 Actually, that's half right. Royal Caribbean is obligated to attempt to refund back to Mr. Sawyer's original form of payment. However, once notified by US Bank that the the accout was closed, they then were well within their rights to send a check to the client, obviating the need for court actions. US Bank had no way of returning the money to Mr. Sawyer - they no longer had a business relationship with him, as his account had been closed. Actually, that’s half right.

Royal Caribbean is obligated to attempt to refund back to Mr. Sawyer’s original form of payment. However, once notified by US Bank that the the accout was closed, they then were well within their rights to send a check to the client, obviating the need for court actions.

US Bank had no way of returning the money to Mr. Sawyer – they no longer had a business relationship with him, as his account had been closed.

]]> By: Paul Higgins http://www.elliott.org/blog/getting-stonewalled-by-your-cruise-line-sue-your-bank/comment-page-1/#comment-12338 Paul Higgins Thu, 29 May 2008 02:18:06 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=5037#comment-12338 As illogical as it seems, Royal Caribbean was doing exactly what it's required to do. The agreements the credit card associations (e.g., Visa and Mastercard) have with merchants require that all refunds be made back to the original card, be it a credit card or a debit card. Failure to abide by that requirement can result in fines, higher processing fees or suspension of the "privilege" to accept credit cards. (The requirement is there to stop fraud.) The agent at Royal Caribbean probably wasn't aware of that requirement. As many times as I've told the front desk staff where I work, I'm sure that are some who forget. It was US Bank that messed up by not accepting the refund and returning it to their customer. At least they had the brains to settle the small claims court case. As illogical as it seems, Royal Caribbean was doing exactly what it’s required to do. The agreements the credit card associations (e.g., Visa and Mastercard) have with merchants require that all refunds be made back to the original card, be it a credit card or a debit card. Failure to abide by that requirement can result in fines, higher processing fees or suspension of the “privilege” to accept credit cards. (The requirement is there to stop fraud.)

The agent at Royal Caribbean probably wasn’t aware of that requirement. As many times as I’ve told the front desk staff where I work, I’m sure that are some who forget.

It was US Bank that messed up by not accepting the refund and returning it to their customer. At least they had the brains to settle the small claims court case.

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