10 day World Pass - Just got mine!!!

[DVC California]

Breana - Since you used a debit card, I was wondering if you should give your bank a call to expect an overseas debit. I didn't have to with my Mastercard, but I'm not sure how your local bank may handle these types of "unusual" charges. Anything to streamline the process and keep your orders as computer automated as possible would be good. Don't want any red flags raised, if you know what I mean.

Just a thought, Steve

 

[breana902]

Originally posted by DVC California
Breana - Since you used a debit card, I was wondering if you should give your bank a call to expect an overseas debit. I didn't have to with my Mastercard, but I'm not sure how your local bank may handle these types of "unusual" charges. Anything to streamline the process and keep your orders as computer automated as possible would be good. Don't want any red flags raised, if you know what I mean.

Just a thought, Steve

Steve,

I am afraid I can be alittle clueless sometimes, not sure what you mean by red flags raised. If you mean raising them as far as virgin selling to the US - I don't think that should be a problem. I was looking at the other travel site today and they mentioned on the site that they welcome orders from the U.S. The debit card is a VISA card, so I don't expect any problems with the order. Do you think I should still call them since it is a VISA debit card? I have used the card to purchase something from Canada without any problems.

Thanks,

Joyce

 

[dvcer97]

Just received another email this time say they cannot process orders via email. Is it because I ask for tickets for june01. ok I will now try and order them for june 15 and see what happens. Does any one know the time diffs for London? I called but the store was already closed.

jackie

 

[dvcer97]

Just received another email this time say they cannot process orders via email. Is it because I ask for tickets for june01. ok I will now try and order them for june 15 and see what happens. Does any one know the time diffs for London? I called but the store was already closed.

jackie

 

[dvcer97]

Just received another email this time say they cannot process orders via email. Is it because I ask for tickets for june01. ok I will now try and order them for june 15 and see what happens. Does any one know the time diffs for London? I called but the store was already closed.

jackie:

 

[breana902]

Originally posted by dvcer97
Just received another email this time say they cannot process orders via email. Is it because I ask for tickets for june01. ok I will now try and order them for june 15 and see what happens. Does any one know the time diffs for London? I called but the store was already closed.

jackie:

Jackie,

June 1st might be cutting it just alittle too close. I believe the time difference for London is about 5 hours ahead of us.

Joyce

 

[DVC California]

Originally posted by breana902

...alittle clueless sometimes, not sure what you mean by red flags raised...

Hi Joyce - Nope, you're not clueless, it's just my paranoia creeping through. I meant to say that the easier you make it on Virgin to get the credit card authorization, the quicker the World Passes will make it's way to Jersey!

If your Visa debit has any triggers set up by your local bank against credit card fraud (i.e. a large charge from overseas that doesn't fit your spending patterns), they may place a hold on the authorization until they contact you. Or Virgin, not being able to get the charge authorized, decides to email you back that you should sign a fax authorization that the charge is legitimate.

It's probably unlikely to happen, but why tempt the Fates? It probably just takes a quick phone call to the 800 number on your card and asking them to note that a pending UK charge will be show soon. But since, you have ordered other stuff from out of country, maybe your bank doesn't "profile" your charges.

Let us know how things turn out,

Steve

 

[breana902]

Originally posted by DVC California

Hi Joyce - Nope, you're not clueless, it's just my paranoia creeping through. I meant to say that the easier you make it on Virgin to get the credit card authorization, the quicker the World Passes will make it's way to Jersey!


Steve

Steve,

LOL!!! I am afraid that I would be tempting the fates by calling my bank!! If I don't see the charge show up tomorrow I will call the bank and hopefully talk to someone that has a clue! I have called the bank before to question a pending charge, but all they are able to tell me is that a charge is pending and they have no idea where it is coming from! So - I think I am safe from this bank! I will let you know how it goes, I am very excited about this ticket - I forget how much I am saving on this one ticket - I know it was at least $65! More money for me to spend at the candy stores at all the parks. (for me - not the kids)

 

[breana902]

Steve,

Just checked my bank balance and the Virgin purchase is showing up as a pending debit - so it looks as if it will go through with no problem.

Joyce

 

[presleyg]

This is the most recent email from virgintravel, this is after another email where they told me shipping to the US was fine but they would need 4-6 weeks notice.

Thank you for your email, sorry for the delay in my reply but I have not been in the office since Sunday.

After reading this last email from you I have just realised that the prices you are looking at are only valid to clients who are based in the UK. We can still arrange your tickets for you but the it would be at the full price. If you advise me how many days you would need I can give you a definite price.

We can send the tickets on to you by swiftair which takes about 5 days and would be an extra cost of £2.85 to you.

I hope this is helpful and I am here until 1930 this evening should you need to contact me.

Yours sincerely


Leza Briggs
Virgin Travelstore

 

[DVC California]

presleyg - What do they mean by full price? Is it the £199/Adult and £159/Child price that Keith Prowse is charging? I knew Virgin was discounting their online sales but didn't know it was restricted to UK purchases. (I think so many emails flooded Virgin, asking whether there was any service/shipping charges for US sales, that my "red flag" got raised in their office!)

Even at that slightly higher price and the $4.00 Swiftair, it's still a bargain!

Steve

 

[Jen80370]

Steve,

I had a hard time with Virgin online so I contacted the Flight Shop, which now advertises that they will ship to the US.

I received an email that shipping would be insured through UPS for $70. Normally that would cost a lot more then Virgin, but Virgin uses conversions to the Dollar according to the credit card companies(in my case 1.53). Flight Shop used 1.4...which is the lowest I'd seen. So it only ended up costing me an extra $20 for the four passes combined. Does Virgin send theirs insured?


Either way we slice it, we are saving a nice chunk of change over buying in Florida. Thanks SOOOO much for the tip.


Jen


PS...Total price ended up being 188 pounds for each Adult pass...

 

[breana902]

Originally posted by DVC California
presleyg - What do they mean by full price? Is it the £199/Adult and £159/Child price that Keith Prowse is charging? I knew Virgin was discounting their online sales but didn't know it was restricted to UK purchases. (I think so many emails flooded Virgin, asking whether there was any service/shipping charges for US sales, that my "red flag" got raised in their office!)

Even at that slightly higher price and the $4.00 Swiftair, it's still a bargain!

Steve

THe way I look at it is this way, if it was only restricted to the UK there wouldn't have been an option for the country in the address form! Also, you received your tickets without a problem. Maybe Virgin never received so many orders from the US, so once they got flooded with questions they decided to add the extra charge! I am sure they are not restricting their online sales to the Uk because it seems like they and the other online one are in competition with each other (the one site states their ticket prices are cheaper than Virgins - even though they are the same price now. That is the site that also states they will ship to the US.

Joyce

 

[DVC California]

Joyce - Everything you've said is true. What I meant to write (but came out wrong) was that Virgin may now be reserving the discounted online prices for their UK customers. Keith Prowse is Virgin's UK ticket vendor and his own online price is slightly higher than Virgin Travelstore's (£199 vs. £190). Therefore Virgin was probably offering an additional discount to their own customers.

From presleyg's email, Virgin indicates that the discount was intended for UK buyers only. However, some of the online sales, yours and mine included, was probably all processed automatically through their computerized system. An order comes in through the web site, the computer sends a reply email, requests a credit card charge and schedules delivery. Passes and a receipt are packaged by hand but staff only knows the computer has authorized this shipment. A few days later, we get our tickets.

However, with the flood of orders and emails, real people actually have to respond to questions and the "red flag" is up concerning shipping fees, credit card authorizations, etc. to US customers.

I didn't mean to say the passes themselves are restricted to UK, just the online discount.

Steve

Jumped back in to add...

Jen - That's great news. I didn't think that the FlightShop would use a different exchange rate. You got a really good deal, especially with UPS insured shipping. Virgin sent my passes out via Royal Mail, which I'm guessing, is the equivalent to US Postal.

What's that noise I hear...Oh, it's the sound of the stampede of buyers going over to the FlightShop's site.



Steve

 

[Cindy B]

And another thing... the deal is off the front page of Mousesavers as well.

I was never able to get through!

 

[presleyg]

This is the latest email from them . The price goes up after May 31. Which is a bummer because I have to get the airfare by tomorrow to get the friends fly free deal and then if I want the disney passes it gonna push my financial limits!!

 

[breana902]

Originally posted by DVC California
[However, with the flood of orders and emails, real people actually have to respond to questions and the "red flag" is up concerning shipping fees, credit card authorizations, etc. to US customers.

I didn't mean to say the passes themselves are restricted to UK, just the online discount.

Steve


Steve [/B]

Steve,

I never thought you meant that the passes were restricted to the Uk. I understood what you were saying - that so many people flooded Virgin with calls that they either changed their policy or realized U.S. people were ordering from them. I do hope I didn't sound like I was challenging what you had said, that wasn't my intention. What I meant was that I didn't think Virgin would restrict their online sales to the UK when another site wasn't restricting them. I was just assuming they would want to compete. Glad I ordered them when I did. I was going to put if off for a couple of days because the money I put aside was to pay the hotel bill. Decided the hotel could wait, past experience with good deals has taught me to act right away before they get snatched away. Hmmm, I wonder if they are reprogramming their computer right now! When are you going to Disney?

 

[Jen80370]

Flight Shop...Virgin...all I know is I still saved $400 from buying these passes and I don't have to count plusses or ration my days at the park. My DS can live at DisneyQuest at night if he wants. Thanks so much for the tip Steve. There's great karmic pixie dust in your future...

Another tip that might help. Flight Shop requires that you fax the front and back of your credit card to them to prevent online fraud. I personally didn't want to get fired for faxing London from work, so I made the copy I needed, and scanned it onto my computer and emailed it...free and just as fast. Hope this helps someone else.

 

[DVC California]

presleyg - I'm not sure how you feel about carrying a balance on your credit card. Charging $2000.00 to cover airfare and tickets would incur about $30.00 of interest for one month based upon a 18% annual rate. It may be the best $30 bucks you spent if you could save "hundreds" on something else. Just food for thought.

Joyce - No offense taken. It's hard to interpret someone's meaning just from emails and messageboards. Sometimes, I go out of my way to clarify something that doesn't need it.

BTW - Our vacation is from July 2nd to the 20th. We are doing WDW at both ends of the trip with a Carnival cruise sandwiched in the middle. That's why I jumped on these tickets as soon as the word got out, they are ideal for our length of stay.

Jen80370 - That's a fantastic tip about scanning and emailing! I also was worried about faxing England from work and didn't even want to know how much Kinko's would have charged. And with the FlightShop having a better exchange rate and shipping insured UPS, I would have gone with them also.

Steve

 

[jue]

Hi There

I live in the UK and have bought these 10 day tickets from the flight shop for our trip to WDW in October this year. They are great value. Can't wait to come and use 'em!!!




Total £719 for 3 adults and 1 child.