Bait and Switch DU?????

[dharma517]

On the DU home page it says that you can book a 3 night cruise "starting at $399" but it is only for certain times. So I sent an email last night to DH for a certain date and they came back with the ressie for SO much more because that catagory room was no longer available. So I emailed back that I would like to know what sailings were available at that rate since they were still having it on their website. I got a response that they would contact someone (disney rep?) to remove it but it probably wouldn't be removed because it said "starting at...". That is so wrong and reminds me VERY MUCH of bait and switch. They don't have anything available at that starting price and should list what price it is actually starting at. I want to report this but I am unsure to whom? Any thoughts on this?
Jenn

 

[Hygiene99]

Actually u can get the rate but not until September
other dates r sold out all ready asked this question....

so the rate is avaliable........

09/12/04 - 09/16/04 $399.00
09/19/04 - 09/23/04
09/26/04 - 09/30/04

other website also have this listed then when u try to get the rate it is not avaliable... such as travelosity
did search rate came up then when u clicked reserve it would tell u that no longer availiable..... for that date....

 

[starwood]

I have found that that price is usually only available off season (when the kids are supposed to be in school) so we have never been able to take advantage of it.

 

[Disneefun]

This is the way all cruise advertising is done (resort ads or almost any other type of travel, too for that matter). If you look at any magazine or TV ad, put out by Disney, Carnival, Hilton, Marriott or whoever, they all say "rates starting at $X.00" and give the lowest price. But if you'll notice, somewhere there is always fine print somewhere that reads "subject to availability, black out dates, limited number of rooms available, etc. etc." It's not bait and switch. Those rates are or were available for some date, somewhere -- it's just not likely to be dates or categories or rooms that most people will want and there aren't great quantities of them to start with. When they're gone, they're gone but the ads can say "starting at..." and be covered, because those were or are legitimate rate offers that people can get for certain times, categories, etc. And even if they are currently sold out of those rates, they can leave it up because more rooms might be made available at that rate, new dates might open up for those rates, people might cancel, etc. Since rates are constantly in flux in travel, the lowest rate can always be advertised, because it might be or become available at any time.

A true bait and switch is when an offer is made and then you get to the store and they are "out" of the offer (in a true bait and switch scam they never had the item to start with) and then the salesclerk tries to aggressively talk you into the higher priced item. At DU (or any other reputable agency) they aren't going to try to hog tie you into a different rate. If you don't want to cruise at the rates they're offering, you can pick another date, category, etc. or just not go. These rates are or were available, just maybe sold out or not available for your dates or desired category.

 

[dharma517]

Man! Can you tell how disappointed I am? I was actually going to be right there in Florida during April-May timeframe on a vacation. I wish there wasn't so much fine print!! It might not be bait and switch but it is misleading for sure...they get your hopes up and get you interested hoping that maybe you might be so interested that you would book a more expensive cruise. The fine print says that the $399 rate is good from April 22, 2004 until some time in May...that seems pretty specific to me...and it is no longer available.
Jenn

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Here's what the footnote at DU says...
<blockquote>* 3-night rate valid for most night sailings commencing 4/22/04 - 5/20/04 for stateroom category 11. 7-night rate valid for most Eastern Caribbean sailings commencing 9/4/04 and 12/11/04 for stateroom category 12. Children's rates available for children ages 3-12 traveling with 2 adults in the same stateroom. Government Taxes and Fees and excursions are not included. Package components subject to availability. Other discounts do not apply. Rates in U.S. dollars. </blockquote>
Here's what bugs me about this. There is no mention of gratuities as something that is "not included."

This isn't just an issue with DU. It's common in cruise advertising to ignore any mention of gratuities. It's unfair to the first-time cruise passenger, for whom the expected tips are a rude shock at a later date. And it's unfair to the service staff, who may not get the tips they deserve, because many passengers don't understand that the passengers -- not the cruise line -- pay for dining room service and stateroom stewards.

 

[videogal1]

Originally posted by dharma517
Man! Can you tell how disappointed I am? I was actually going to be right there in Florida during April-May timeframe on a vacation. I wish there wasn't so much fine print!! It might not be bait and switch but it is misleading for sure...they get your hopes up and get you interested hoping that maybe you might be so interested that you would book a more expensive cruise. The fine print says that the $399 rate is good from April 22, 2004 until some time in May...that seems pretty specific to me...and it is no longer available.
Jenn

You might contact your State Attorney General for information on Deceptive Trade Practices.....

 

[ivanova]

when you get your cruise docs it is clearly spelled out there that the tips are not included & are extra, and they even outline the minimum tips for each Cast Member.

 

[WebmasterPete]

First, I apologize if you found the rate confusing. Dreams is provided with it's collateral directly from Disney, and that is what goes on the web site. It is not 'bait and switch'. We have no way of knowing exactly when a particular offer or rate is 'sold out completely', so from time to time this will happen, which is why it says rates "FROM $399", which clearly implies the rate you get may be higher depending on availability. As it has been said in previous posts here, this is common practice in the travel industry. It is not possible to list every date and every price in a one inch column on the home page. Again, I sincerely apologize if you felt misled, but Dreams is extremely reputable, and has NEVER EVER engaged in anything close to bait and switch practices.

Pete

 

[currycook]

This is common in travel but I certainly wouldnt call it bait and switch. Its just the lowest possible price which I have come to realize is never still availble.

I hate it when Car dealerships do this. Advertise a car at that price and have one on the lot that they, "sorry, we already sold that one". Most states have made laws so car dealers can no longer do that.

 

[kcashner]

I'll take issue with the fact that the lowest rate is "never still available." We're fortunate in our ability to be flexible with dates. By watching internet specials, I have been able to book a 7 day cruise on the Magic for $599 once, and several times have booked it for $799.

It's not bait and switch, and it is totally legal. The rates really do exist. They just exist in small numbers for each of the listed dates. I had to call as soon as I saw the rate that I wanted, and be ready to apply my deposit right then.

If I'm looking for a cheap Disney cruise and not too picky about dates, I have a favorite web site that I check a couple of times each week. Sometimes I luck into something good! Unfortunately, we're out of low season now, so you probably won't find any really good deals till the fall.
Kathryn

 

[JLDSMD]

I have to agree with most of the people here. If the price is listed, it was available at some time. If it wasn't, you'd hear about it in the media. They are always nailing the retailer for scanner errors, this would go along the same lines.

In defense of Horace Horsecollar, I would like to point out to Ivanova that it may be printed on the docs, but those arrive less than 60 days before travel (at least that's what I've read on the boards) and that is after the full cancellation date. Plus, I don't think "extra expense of tipping" is a valid reason to cancel the trip under the insurance plans.

I just hope that first time cruiser do their homework and visits sights like this before they cruise so they can fully enjoy their trip. I'd hate to have someone unhappy because they couldn't do an excursion because they had to save money for the tip.

With that, I would like to thank everyone on this board for your posts and all the valuable informaion here. It has helped us plan our up coming cruise.

 

[Jeanny]

DU is no different than any other... rates starting at $$$... I can almost guarantee that the time that I want to go, if that price for those cabins at that price will be gone.... same thing as the airlines, there are only so many seats available at that low price on certain flight

So, no I don't think they do a switch and bait. You just have to read through or call them to get up-to-date info on what's left in inventory.

 

[poohnpiglet3]

Well I can tell you that I just booked a cruise with DU for $479 a person - then minus the rebate and it's about $450. The $399 one was sold out when I wanted to go (Feb. 26th.)

Just to let you know, good rates are still there for the finding!

Sherri

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by ivanova
when you get your cruise docs it is clearly spelled out there that the tips are not included & are extra, and they even outline the minimum tips for each Cast Member.

That's precisely my point. The gratuity expectations should be clearly spelled out up front -- before someone books a cruise -- not as a rude surprise 3 to 6 weeks before departure.

Cruise gratuities are not small, incidental expenses. For example, for a family of four on a 7-night Disney Magic cruise, DCL's guidelines call for $305.

Sure, any prospective cruise customer who reads the fine print in the back of the cruise brochure or who digs through the cruise lines' Web sites knows about gratuities. My guess is that the people who actually do so are in the minority.

Any cruise advertising that doesn't mention expected gratutities is omitting important infomation. I just spot checked a few random cruise ads that I found through Google. None of them mentioned gratuities.

Perhaps DU could lead the way with truly honest cruise advertising.

 

[Padre Disney]

And how can some sites show no cat 11's open on some dates but other sites will show GTY 11 for a price on the same date.

 

[hilltopfamily]

Originally posted by Horace Horsecollar
That's precisely my point. The gratuity expectations should be clearly spelled out up front -- before someone books a cruise -- not as a rude surprise 3 to 6 weeks before departure.

Cruise gratuities are not small, incidental expenses. For example, for a family of four on a 7-night Disney Magic cruise, DCL's guidelines call for $305.

~~Exactly~~

We did not get docs until just over 2 weeks prior to the cruise and we were a family of 5! If we had not known ahead of time by looking carefully at the cruise boards and DCL travel book (passporter) we'd have had precious little time to save almost $400!!! cha-ching!

 

[kcashner]

Yes, I agree that gratuities should be listed as an item "not included" in the quote. However, I'm sure that the justification for not listing them is that they are not a fixed expense in the same way that taxes and port charges are. That is, they will not be put on your credit card when you book the cruise.

As to why come sites show cat. 11 not available and others show a cat 11 gty for the same dates--some sites do not show gty at all. If they cannot assign a room, they show the category as "not available." That's why you can't take the first answer you find on the internet. I always check at least 3 sites before I decide that I can't get what I want....and even then, you can always make a call to DCL.

Also, the availability of cabins, especially the gty changes rapidly. DCL will allow a TA to "hold" a cabin for 48 hours for a client. It gives the agent time to get back to the client with what he/she learned from DCL and confirm that they want the booking. During this time, the cabin is considered "sold" even though DCL knows that some of these will be freed up later. I was on one cruise where the check in clerk commented that 1/2 of the cabins on that cruise had sold in the 2 weeks preceeding the cruise (they marked it down a lot!) I'm sure those were changing very quickly. The gty is a nice way for DCL to control their inventory without disappointing people, but does confound the internet system sometimes.
Kathryn

 

[WDWLVR]

Just want to add my 2 cents. I was always taught and still believe that it is the buyers responsibility to know and understand what they are buying. That means researching what is and isn't included in any purchase.

To claim "bait and switch" seems a bit drastic. Dreams has been around for a number of years and has a very good reputation with Disney.

 

[DMS_cruisers04]

DCL does put out these neat little magazine-size brochures. They list all about the ship and intineraries and such. In the back there is a 'Questions and answers' section with topic listed as "What about gratuities?"
Any first timers (no offense to anyone, but) that don't do a little more research than this board and a call to a TA to book, well can you really complain?