Pensioner’s ‘rabbit hole of bad luck’
Cruise holiday refund dispute
WHAT was intended to be a surprise birthday gift turned into a nightmare for an elderly couple.
Sagie Naidoo, 63, planned to take his wife on a cruise aboard the MSC Orchestra for her birthday on March 27 to the Portuguese Island and Pomene off the coast of Mozambique.
The cruise was paid for in full, R17339.50, on March 6 with an SAA Voyager Credit Card at Nedbank’s Bluff branch in Durban.
But on March 23, MSC Cruises informed Naidoo that all cruises, his and six others, had been cancelled and the 2019/2020 season suspended as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic that has swept the globe.
A consolation prize of a cruise voucher was offered that could be redeemed during the 2020/2021 cruise season.
“This news was not music to my ears but I accepted that the situation was an unforeseen act of God. But having said that, we have no assurances that it would be safe to travel during the next season so I asked for a total refund.”
Naidoo’s request was denied and on March 31 he submitted a dispute with Nedbank’s card division requesting that the payment be reversed.
“I made the transaction, however, I received no goods or services yet I am expected to continue paying monthly premiums, which are in excess of R2000, for a cancelled cruise. If I had known there was going to be a global pandemic and nationwide lockdown I would have never booked the cruise. There have been so many unfortunate expenses and I feel like I’m drowning.”
Naidoo has been unable to work or earn an income since the lockdown.
“I run a logistics company which I handed over to my son a few years back but times got tough and the business was not as successful as it once was, so I became a project manager and consultant to earn money to put food on the table. But that all stopped.”
In April, Naidoo’s van, which he used for work, was damaged by heavy rain. “The vehicle was flooded and the whole gearbox was destroyed. The mechanic said it would cost about R50 000 to get the vehicle up and running, which was money I didn’t have.
“On top of everything, I was diagnosed with diabetes and need to pay monthly medical aid bills in excess of R3000.”
As it stands, Naidoo has racked up a credit card debt of about R100 000 in an attempt to get his life back on track.
“It is heartbreaking, I am a pensioner and expected to enjoy a longawaited holiday with my wife only to fall down this rabbit hole of bad luck.”
Rakesh Ranchod, Nedbank’s card, payments and transactional customer experience executive, said in cases where a card transaction was made online or through a point of sale system, the bank would be able to raise a charge back dispute through the card associations for services not rendered.
“However, after reviewing the transaction in this case, the client did a direct transfer in branch, effectively regarded as a cash payment, to MSC Cruises. The dispute process can’t be applied as it falls outside transaction dispute types covered by the payment networks.”
Ranchod said for those reasons, Nedbank was not able to initiate a dispute on behalf of the client.
Lebo Mavuso, MSC Cruises South Africa’s public relations manager, explained that from the seven cancelled cruises there were about 18000 passengers and all of them received future cruise credit (FCC) – refunds were not offered.
“FCC gives them the opportunity to transfer the full amount paid for their cancelled cruise to a future cruise of their choice on any ship, for any itinerary – through to the end of 2021. We’re trying to offer flexibility to our guests. Guests can reschedule their cruise as late as 48-hours prior to the original cruise departure so they can travel at a time that best suits them.”
Mavuso said most guests had been proactive and had already rescheduled their bookings
“Redeeming the vouchers is straightforward. Guests can either complete an online voucher redemption form, contact our call centre or go through their travel agent.”