What to do when you pay for dining but do not get it?

[thymed]

Huh, very interesting. The story doesn't seem to match up. OP keeps contridicting themselves. I WAS NOT TRYING TO CONFUSE OR CONTRADICT MYSELF. When I first made the post I was trying to be sure not to incriminate the TA that runs this board and I meant to say that it was NOT Dreams Unlimited but wound up typing Small World which is the TA that made the mistake.


Was it Small World or not? Did you have FREE dining, or Regular
dining?

IT WAS SMALL WORLD and it was a reduced rate package with Disney Dining. The reduced package rate made it like getting the dining for free which is the way my mind was perceiving it. We actually paid for the dining plan, but did not get the dining while we were at the resort

I know when I get my confirmations the whole package is listed down even separate line items for Table Service, Counter Service, and Snack. You mentioned that you checked your paperwork over and rechecked. Surely you didn't assume you had something that wasn't listed.
HERE AGAIN IS THE COPY OF THE EMAIL AND THE PACKAGE WE PURCHASED
Here are the details of your Disney Magic Your Way with Dining vacation package:
Check-in: Saturday, October 4, 2008

Check-out: Tuesday, October 7, 2008
3 nights/ 4 days
2 Adults

1 Child, Age 9

Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort

1 Room

Standard View

2 Double Beds

All rooms are non smoking.

Magic Your Way 4-Day Tickets with Park Hopping

NO Water Parks, Fun & More

Theme park tickets will expire 14 days after first use

Disney Dining Plan Included
-- 2008 Package Inclusions

§ Disney's PhotoPass - Vacation memories captured by a professional photographer. Receive a voucher valid for one 5" x 7" print per package. You or your travel agent must book the package online to qualify for this feature.

§ Planet Hollywood - a $15 Certificate valid for food and non-alcoholic beverages at Planet Hollywood. VIP Preferred Seating is available from 11 am through 6 pm. Not valid with any other offers or discounts. (One certificate per room.)

§ Miniature Golf - a certificate valid for one round of miniature golf at either Disney’s Fantasia or Disney’s Winter Summerland Miniature Golf courses. (One certificate per room.)

§ Watercraft Rental - a certificate valid for 90 minutes of Sea Raycer fun when you buy 60 minutes. Offer is valid for up to 5 people at participating Marina locations. Restrictions apply. (One certificate per room.)

§ How-to Guide - available only to Guests who booked through a Travel Agent. (One per reservation.)

§ Luggage Tag - Walt Disney Travel Company commemorative luggage tags. (One per person.

§ Complimentary Ground Transfers - Disney's Magical Express (click for more detail)

No Airfare (We don't book airline tickets for our clients. This is because we can only get air from Disney Travel Company and most people can find better rates or a more direct route by purchasing their flights directly from the airlines or by booking them online.)

No Insurance** (see below for insurance information)

Total Price: $1122,51
Non-Discounted Price would be $1345.23

You are saving $222.72!!!!!
Confirmation # 89178043

(Reservation is on courtesy hold for you until 4pm EST August 20, 2008.)



Disney's Magic Your Way Package with 4-Day Tickets with Park Hopping and Disney Dining at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort will be on hold for you until 4pm EST August 20, 2008. Because your arrival date is 45 days within arrival and deposit date Disney will require full payment at this time to guarantee the reservation.



-- Magic Your Way Theme Park Ticket for Four Days includes:

-- Park Hopping Option: Four days of admission with hopping privileges to all four Walt Disney World Theme Parks (Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney-MGM Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom).

-- NO Water Parks, Fun & More



-- These passes expire 14 days from first use unless you purchase the No Expiration option.



***********************************************************************************************************************

-- Disney Dining: Choose from over 100 participating restaurants. Visit this link to your browser to view the listing of restaurants:

http://www.disneytravelagents.com/StaticFiles/DTA-Domestic/pdf/2008 Product/2008Dining.pdf

For each night of your stay, each person can enjoy:

· One Table-Service meal ( entrée, dessert and non-alcoholic beverage)

· One Counter-Service meal (entrée and non-alcoholic beverage)

· One Snack (such as snack-cart ice cream, popcorn or a non-alcoholic beverage)

· GRATUITY IS NOT INCLUDED.

· Children ages 3 – 9 must choose from a child’s menu if available.

· Meals can be enjoyed in any way you choose. For example, you can combine 3 snacks in one day if desired or you can exchange One Table-Service meal for One Character Dining Experience. Also, Two Table-Service meals may be exchanged for either One Signature Dining Experience at one of Disney’s Finest restaurants, such as the acclaimed California Grill, or for one Disney Dinner Show, such as the Hoop Dee Doo Revue.

As an added service to our guests with the Dining plan, I am pleased to offer personalized assistance in making advanced dining reservations (ADR). (Cinderella's Royal Table Character Breakfast and the Princess Storybook Breakfast are not guaranteed and, as with all Disney dining locations, are subject to availability).



THE PACKAGE HAD COUPONS FOR ALL KINDS OF THINGS BUT THERE WAS A SMALL CARD THAT SAID "IF YOU GOT THE DINING PLAN IT WILL BE APPLIED TO YOUR KEY TO THE WORLD CARD UPON ARRIVAL"

I believe FREE dining ended in the last week of September didnt it? I know they had the Free Dining for Disney Visa but wasn't that also released late September? And you traveled the first week in October correct?
We booked a quick 4 day WDW vacation at the end of our Disney Cruise

GREAT RATES and Holiday Traditions!!! Disney just released a discount on Magic Your Way Packages, valid most nights Sept 28 – Dec 23.
Disney Magic Your Way with Dining vacation package:



Mousesavers says that Small World is a Disney Specialized agency and books direct with Disney. I would be surprised if the agency was exclusively offering Free Dining, that is quite a bit of money just to get clients in.
I have posted their email and quote. I usually make all my reservations myself to avoid any problems or conflicts.
I booked this particular reservation because it included the dining and we had never tried that. I was extremely disappointed when we got there and dining was not included and it did crimp our style. The agency did reimburse us for three days of dining plan cost but strangely, it came in the form of cash which I thought was odd. However, I was happy to get it in any form!


I hope the OP does come back and explain because there seems to be some untruths to this and to post it on the web is very damaging. There are a few Disney Specialized agencies out there that get praises from customers all the time and I have read many on Small World also (and I have booked with them in the past along with Dreams Unlimited).

NOTHING WAS MEANT AS AN UNTRUTH. I mistakenly stated that it was not SMALL WORLD because when posting I was going back to check and see the name of the TA involved with the Disboards I meant to state it was NOT Dreams Unlimited. I was trying not to make a mistake and did. It was not free dining the offer was for a low resort rate including Disney Dining! Which was like getting free dining because of the reduced rate! So in my mind, it was parallel to getting free dining. ANYWAY I am not trying to damage any great reputations here. I am stating that I purchased something and did not receive it. I felt that due to their lack of concern while I was on vacation (no return calls) and the fact that it did cost us more they should have offered something in addition to the cost of the dining plan. I also think it can serve as a lesson for others to check with their resort that dining is included and not just accept the TA's word for it. This was a mistake, we are all human and we all make mistakes. I imagine that Small World has made many reservations without a problem. I am a really wonderful caterer but I am not above making a mistake and when I do I try to make up for it.

As I was proof reading my post I saw where I had inadvertantly written free dining in refering to my reservation(I have fixed thaose), in my mind it was free dining because of the cost. In actuality it was a reservation that incuded the dining plan, which we paid for but we never received it when we were there on vacation. Sorry for the confusion

 

[thymed]

I think that though the travel company should have had better customer service, they refunded the dp and that is about the best you can expect from the situation.I always double and triple check all the pieces and inclusions of what I booked vs what the travel docs state.The Dp whether free or not should be documented on the travel documents you recevied from the travel agency.I would think that if it is documented on your copy of the travel docs, and presented to them at check in , Disney would have to accomodate you.Did your travel documents state that you pruchased or got free the disney dining plan?

I got vouchers for all the freebies, pictures, mini golf etc, but it had a card a little bit bigger than a business card that stated if you purchased the dining plan it will be reflected on your key to the world card when you check into the resort. I did not even think about it further till we went to buy dinner! My mistake!! My biggest concern was the lack of a return phone call while I was vacationing. The travel agent did finally send me cash at the end of November. The agent said something about the check had inadvertently been made out to her so she cashed it and send me the money instead of making me wait!

 

[thymed]

Did you or did you not use Small World?

I did use Small World. I am sorry for the confusion.

 

[thymed]

Just a quick question on what you listed above. Do you mean that only the last 3 nights of your reservation would have been eligible for the free dining? If so then you would have had to book two totally separate reservations. One for the first part of your stay and then another when the free dining began. If your check in date was before the free dining and you wanted to keep one reservation you wouldn't have been able to get the free dining for just a portion of it

The reservation was for 4 day and three nights the dining plan is only good for the number of nights you stay (Which was something else I did not realize)
It was all one reservation and it was for a reduced rate plus dining. I paid for the dining and did not get it.

 

[dogodisney]

That's a shame that that happened. Did the TA ever say what happened? Was it their fault or Disney's?

 

[thymed]

Just a quick question on what you listed above. Do you mean that only the last 3 nights of your reservation would have been eligible for the free dining? If so then you would have had to book two totally separate reservations. One for the first part of your stay and then another when the free dining began. If your check in date was before the free dining and you wanted to keep one reservation you wouldn't have been able to get the free dining for just a portion of it

This was only a 4 day, three night stay at WDW after we had been on a separate 7 day Disney Cruise. The Disney Dining was supposed to be included in the cost of the 4 day three nights package. The dining is only available for the actual number of nights you stay, so it was dining for three days not 4 (they never really explain that to you when you book) So anyone with free dining or ANY dining plan, it is only for the number of paid nights you stay not the number of days you stay!

I am over it, I am glad that Small World reimbursed me for the cost of the dining plan. I book all my own reservations now, and I am continuously double checking to make certain that all the details are correct! I will get to try the free dining in October when we bounceback after our next cruise.

 

[Kathymcbain]

I guess all they had to do was reimburse you for the cost of the meals that you did not get...however, they should have done more. If it was my business and I made a mistake like that I would have offered you a voucher to use on a future vacation you booked with me instead. Obviously, you aren't using them for your next vacation, so they've lost a customer.

New customers are far more costly to get than old customers are to retain, so they made a mistake by not offering you something. I would imagine your overall impression of them would have been a lot different if:

a) They had returned your call the following day and fixed the problem while you were still on vacation.

or

b) They had profusely apologized when you returned instead of saying, "You should have called us back on a business day." and then followed up with a letter and a voucher to use on a future booking.

What a business has to do and what they should do if they remain interested in growing their business are two very different things! They ought to know that a satisfied customer will only tell something like 1 person about their experience, while an unsatisfied one will tell 10!!

 

[a1tinkfans]

Well OP I think you clarified your situation as best as you can and I understand it better now.
Personally I think you handled the situation GREAT,, ME I would have freaked out and though not constructive, BOY would I be madder than mad for no attempt to even contact or correct this.

I would NEVER use that travel company and I also would NEVER recommend them based on your story. So THANKS for posting, lesson learned, CHECK and re-CHECK and ASSUME nothing!! And sending you CASH????? WTH????

Sorry this happened to you, glad you still had MAGIC!

 

[dmaz]

What a business has to do and what they should do if they remain interested in growing their business are two very different things! They ought to know that a satisfied customer will only tell something like 1 person about their experience, while an unsatisfied one will tell 10!!

Or for those of us on here - will tell hundreds or maybe even thousands of readers.

OP - Sorry to hear about your bad experience.

 

[buzzmom3]

This is why I always book my own trips! OP, thank you for sharing what happened!

 

[B3LM]

Hmmmm...