PIF Extension - DCL Unwilling to help

[freshmanjs]

especially over the expensive Christmas/New Year period, you'd think they would have been willing to extend it by a week for me.

To me, the issue with the original post is that, instead of sticking to facts and providing information, the poster told us what we think (and incorrectly).

 

[FigmentSpark]

To me, the issue with the original post is that, instead of sticking to facts and providing information, the poster told us what we think (and incorrectly).

Or it was a figure of speech quickly typed.

 

[freshmanjs]

Or it was a figure of speech quickly typed.

I'm not at all interested in whether the poster is a slow or fast typist. Of course, it's a figure of speech. But, the poster did not stick to informing. They were advocating for their position, which opened the door for the majority of other posters to disagree.

 

[mevelandry]

I'm with Disney on this one. You know the paid in full day when you book, months (sometimes more than a year) before the cruise. You have plenty of time to check when you get paid compared to when PIF is. Our cruise isn't until March 2020, paid in full in November 2019 and I know exactly how many pay days I have between then and now.

Lack of planning on your part isn't Disney's problem.

It's nearly impossible to plan EVERYTHING in life.

My examples are very personal but... If you had told me two months ago that we would pay 2300$ in vet bills for our family cat... (that we had to say goodbye to in the end!) ...

Or that in 2015, both my husband and I would get hit by a car while crossing a street and off work for 1 and 2 months and would have to pay for physiotherapy for a while...


Sometimes, you have a little money on the side and you think you'll be fine... but in the end, money is a little tighter than expected.

ShiP happens!

 

[mevelandry]

But isn't that what the recommended 6 month emergency fund would be for?

I don't know anybody (except my husband who's absolutely obsessed with finances) that has a 6 months emergency fund. I know it's recommended but a lot people don't have that and basically live from paycheck to paycheck and owe a certain amount to their credit line/card.

 

[freshmanjs]

I don't know anybody (except my husband who's absolutely obsessed with finances) that has a 6 months emergency fund. I know it's recommended but a lot people don't have that and basically live from paycheck to paycheck and owe a certain amount to their credit line/card.

And they are taking Disney cruises before setting money aside?

 

[mevelandry]

And they are taking Disney cruises before setting money aside?

No, they are not. (In fact, while you are asking: some of them can't even afford to vacation at all. How about that?)

Unless I missed the post, OP has never stated the reasons why he couldn't make it to the PIF date... Nor the reason why he wants to do that cruise.

Sometimes, one can chose to do a vacation, even though they can't really afford it, because someone in their family is dying and this will be the one and only chance to do a family trip together... (it happened to someone I know).

Who am I to judge?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

OP has never stated the reasons why he couldn't make it to the PIF date..

OP stated:

(To coincide with my pay dates)

especially over the expensive Christmas/New Year period, you'd think they would have been willing to extend it by a week for me.

but rather than dip into my savings I would've just preferred to pay it from general cash flow when my pay comes in a week after the PIF date.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

I don't know anybody (except my husband who's absolutely obsessed with finances) that has a 6 months emergency fund. I know it's recommended but a lot people don't have that and basically live from paycheck to paycheck and owe a certain amount to their credit line/card.

I have one, and I wouldn't be taking expensive vacations if I didn't have one. I know everyone isn't the same. I shake my head at my nephew who goes on expensive vacations, is always eating out and buying expensive things, but has thousands of dollars in credit card debt and zero savings. But it's one thing to have an unexpected expense come up (like $2300 in vet bills) and another to just say "the holidays were really expensive." You can't plan for the unexpected expenses, but you can plan for what you are buying for Christmas. Whether the expense is expected or unexpected, I still wouldn't expect DCL to change the PIF date for my cruise just because I couldn't pay on time.

The tone of the OP irritated me. The post wasn't just informational. As someone above mentioned, it could have been written as "hey, I want to pass this information along. I asked for an extension and they wouldn't budge." But instead the tone came across as "I can't believe they didn't bend to my will and grant me whatever I asked for while bowing down to kiss my feet since I am the almightly consumer of their product." Maybe the OP didn't intend that tone, but that's the way it came across. And most of the follow up posts from the OP have reinforced that tone.

 

[mevelandry]

OP stated:

Ok, thanks.

Sounds reasonable to me. I don't understand the criticism...

 

[mevelandry]

I have one, and I wouldn't be taking expensive vacations if I didn't have one. I know everyone isn't the same. I shake my head at my nephew who goes on expensive vacations, is always eating out and buying expensive things, but has thousands of dollars in credit card debt and zero savings. But it's one thing to have an unexpected expense come up (like $2300 in vet bills) and another to just say "the holidays were really expensive." You can't plan for the unexpected expenses, but you can plan for what you are buying for Christmas. Whether the expense is expected or unexpected, I still wouldn't expect DCL to change the PIF date for my cruise just because I couldn't pay on time.

The tone of the OP irritated me. The post wasn't just informational. As someone above mentioned, it could have been written as "hey, I want to pass this information along. I asked for an extension and they wouldn't budge." But instead the tone came across as "I can't believe they didn't bend to my will and grant me whatever I asked for while bowing down to kiss my feet since I am the almightly consumer of their product." Maybe the OP didn't intend that tone, but that's the way it came across. And most of the follow up posts from the OP have reinforced that tone.

The whole thread feels very tense for sure... I feel like I'm on Dave Ramsey's FB page.

 

[freshmanjs]

No, they are not. (In fact, while you are asking: some of them can't even afford to vacation at all. How about that?)

Unless I missed the post, OP has never stated the reasons why he couldn't make it to the PIF date... Nor the reason why he wants to do that cruise.

Sometimes, one can chose to do a vacation, even though they can't really afford it, because someone in their family is dying and this will be the one and only chance to do a family trip together... (it happened to someone I know).

Who am I to judge?

This whole thread is about making final payment for a vacation. The finances of people who don't go on vacations are totally irrelevant. For people going on Disney Cruises, it seems reasonable that they should be able to plan to make the PIF unless there are real extenuating circumstances (like getting hit by a car). The fact that lots of people live paycheck to paycheck is not relevant either.

 

[piccolopat]

I don't know anybody (except my husband who's absolutely obsessed with finances) that has a 6 months emergency fund. I know it's recommended but a lot people don't have that and basically live from paycheck to paycheck and owe a certain amount to their credit line/card.

I know that many people are in the same position and have no emergency funds. I just don't understand people that have no emergency fund and live paycheck to paycheck or have significant debt and yet they still spend thousands on a Disney cruise or vacation.

 

[otten]

But maybe some cruisers did not foresee the federal government shutdown when considering their PIF date...

And we don't know if Disney would grant a PIF extension in those circumstances.

It's nearly impossible to plan EVERYTHING in life.

My examples are very personal but... If you had told me two months ago that we would pay 2300$ in vet bills for our family cat... (that we had to say goodbye to in the end!) ...

Or that in 2015, both my husband and I would get hit by a car while crossing a street and off work for 1 and 2 months and would have to pay for physiotherapy for a while...


Sometimes, you have a little money on the side and you think you'll be fine... but in the end, money is a little tighter than expected.

ShiP happens!

Yep unexpected things happen and they still aren't Disney's problem. In any case the OP in this case didn't mention any unexpected thing, simply that the PIF date didn't align with pay dates so the situation as presented definitely looks like more of a lack of planning.

 

[Dug720]

Yep unexpected things happen and they still aren't Disney's problem. In any case the OP in this case didn't mention any unexpected thing, simply that the PIF date didn't align with pay dates so the situation as presented definitely looks like more of a lack of planning.

And possible holiday overspending since "the expensive holiday season" was mentioned as a reason DCL should grant an extension. Preventable "issue" - not something that came up unexpectedly.

 

[msec]

OP - Thanks for your post regarding extending the PIF date - I appreciate you sharing the information you received from Disney.

 

[quickcat]

The whole thread feels very tense for sure... I feel like I'm on Dave Ramsey's FB page.

Too funny! I think some of these posters may really be Suzy Orman

 

[mevelandry]

This whole thread is about making final payment for a vacation. The finances of people who don't go on vacations are totally irrelevant. For people going on Disney Cruises, it seems reasonable that they should be able to plan to make the PIF unless there are real extenuating circumstances (like getting hit by a car). The fact that lots of people live paycheck to paycheck is not relevant either.

The point that I am trying to make is that sometimes, people want to live a little. So they are not always perfect with their finances and sometimes, they aim for something that's a little bit bigger than what they can really afford (and end up being disappointed).

I think we could all try to show a little more empathy.

 

[mevelandry]

I know that many people are in the same position and have no emergency funds. I just don't understand people that have no emergency fund and live paycheck to paycheck or have significant debt and yet they still spend thousands on a Disney cruise or vacation.

I've had friends who did this because their were either dying or having terminally ill family members and they wanted to have a last vacation.

I also know people who are in debt and so used to it that they feel comfortable making their debt a little bit bigger to vacation.

Everybody is different, everybody have their reasons. Who are we to judge?

 

[freshmanjs]

I've had friends who did this because their were either dying or having terminally ill family members and they wanted to have a last vacation.

I also know people who are in debt and so used to it that they feel comfortable making their debt a little bit bigger to vacation.

Everybody is different, everybody have their reasons. Who are we to judge?

We all end up paying for the defaulted debt.