Terrible experience just now

[happymom52003]

I have a feeling we're not hearing the whole story... and it seems to have been sensationalized to some degree.

I've never had the insurance added to any reservations when they haven't asked first... and I've been asked several times whether I wanted the insurance. I also understood it was non-refundable.

Well, I have. Some of you on this thread really need to realize that just because something has not happend to you personally does not mean it can't happen. There are rude cm's, and there are cm's who leave out info on calls. Just becuase you've never spoken to one does not mean they do not exist!
I just do not get the argument that some of you are giving.... "Well, (insert any type of problem here) has never happened to me, therefore you are not telling us the whole story!".:hammer: I'm now done with this thread. So continue your bashing of the OP, and have fun!

 

[Ms. Tinkerbell]

Directly from the Disney site...

Vacation Insurance protects you against covered unexpected events. Our vacation insurance policy continues to offer great benefits covering many emergency and unexpected situations prior to and during your vacation. The policy includes the following coverage and benefits, subject to certain exclusions and limitations:

• Trip Cancellation/Interruption (Up to the total cost of your vacation package. This now includes airfare purchased as part of a Walt Disney Travel Company package, through your travel agent, or on your own.)
• Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) ($25,000)
• Emergency Medical Transportation ($20,000)
• Medical Expenses ($10,000)
• Lost baggage ($2,000)
• Travel Delay ($600)
• 24-hour Travel Assistance via LiveTravel
• Baggage Delay ($500)

Most importantly...

Please note that payment for vacation insurance is non-refundable.

$66.95 per adult in your party, and children ages 17 and under are at no additional charge when all adults in your party purchase
the vacation insurance.

there is an option to decline the insurance should you book online. We have always been given that option anytime we have book via the phone, but we always take it because you never know what will happen.

I must have gotten my insurances mixed up Someone, somewhere said you have 14 days to cancel vacation insurance, and I guess I must have figured it was Disney since they are who I talk to the most, lol must have been another place I'm thinking of

 

[maggiegrace1]

Ummm....so "twisting the facts" and "exaggerating" are not considered lying? Okay.

She never said that...
She said she Thinks.... she never came out and said she was.

It is her opinion on the whole thing.

I also think that we are missing a big part of the conversation or that the op is making it seem like it was more then it was..but that is also my opinion.:shrug:

No one said she was lying at all.

Also...

Exaggerating Definition

(n.) The act of exaggerating; the act of doing or representing in an excessive manner; a going beyond the bounds of reason, or justice; a hyperbolical representation; hyperbole; overstatement.
(n.) The act of heaping or piling up.
(n.) A representation of things beyond natural life, in expression, beauty, power, vigor.


So not really lying..just making something bigger then it really is..

 

[ClemsonTigger]

*jumps on the meanie bus*:wave:

I think that IF the person at reservations was that rude..(which to me is odd about saying "I will think about it" and hanging up..Considering the calls are monitered I believe) then the OP should have just gotten the name and got off the phone and called back and let someone know what she said or asked to speak to a supervisor and tell them how she was speaking to her instead of getting rude back.

Just because someone was rude to you does not mean you should be the same way.Be the bigger person and do something else to fix it.

By the way..I just had an AMAZING!...Yes AMAZING! conversation with Disney reservations the other day..

:zipit: :zipit: :zipit:

Ummm....so "twisting the facts" and "exaggerating" are not considered lying? Okay.

Time to put this discussion to bed, don't you think?
...and have a magical day!

 

[maggiegrace1]

:zipit: :zipit: :zipit:

:lol:

 

[wannab@dis]

Well, I have. Some of you on this thread really need to realize that just because something has not happend to you personally does not mean it can't happen. There are rude cm's, and there are cm's who leave out info on calls. Just becuase you've never spoken to one does not mean they do not exist!
I just do not get the argument that some of you are giving.... "Well, (insert any type of problem here) has never happened to me, therefore you are not telling us the whole story!".:hammer: I'm now done with this thread. So continue your bashing of the OP, and have fun!

You're right... things can go wrong. However, I've personally never had SO MANY things go wrong in a SINGLE reservation.

1. Insurance not discussed, but charged.
2. Non disclosure of refund / cancellation policies
3. CMs with attitude when asked for explanations
4. Getting hung up on by a CM

 

[typhoon22]

I had reservations for two rooms at POFQ to check in on New Years Day. My grandson (11 mos old) was admitted to the hospital on Dec 27 for possible surgery. Since they were supposed to go with us to WDW, there was no way this trip was going to happen. I called disney reservations and was told that it was to late to cancel and get a refund of my deposit, but I could pospone the trip, so I postponed it til June. We go in Jun every year anyway. The CM was very polite and helpful. Grandson is fine (just a bad virus).
I always book over the phone, at least one trip/year with multiple rooms, and have never been asked about or charged for insurance. I just looked at my confirmation letter for Jun, and there is no charge for insurance.
If this a policy, it must be a new one.

 

[mousermerf]

You're right... things can go wrong. However, I've personally never had SO MANY things go wrong in a SINGLE reservation.

1. Insurance not discussed, but charged.
2. Non disclosure of refund / cancellation policies
3. CMs with attitude when asked for explanations
4. Getting hung up on by a CM

I have, and i used to work there.

CRO is hell, has the highest turn over of any area of the entire company, and BTW, when i worked there people committed suicide regularly, thank you very much. Have a magical day, that's the truth of the matter. It's not a happy place. It's a stressful place where the mission statement is money, not magic or dreams and it really needs the ship righted, but no one has ever tried and so the parks and resorts try to keep themselves as distant as possible from it.

They hire in managers from other call centers who specialize in sales and cold calling people - like cold calling the elderly to sell them insurance and cerdit cards they dont need and such - and use their brutal tactics to try and wring money out of WDW guests. That's how it works.

 

[mousermerf]

Btw, you can say i'm being sensational but all the statements i just said above are true. A CM i worked with comitted suicide over the stress of the job at the call center, the mission statement of CRO is to make and protect the profits of the WDW resort (the parks and hotels are all about magic and dreams - read them sometime, no mention of money, that's exclusive to CRO), and managers there come from these cold-call companies.

All true. Seems sensational, but true.

 

[smk]

I had reservations for two rooms at POFQ to check in on New Years Day. My grandson (11 mos old) was admitted to the hospital on Dec 27 for possible surgery. Since they were supposed to go with us to WDW, there was no way this trip was going to happen. I called disney reservations and was told that it was to late to cancel and get a refund of my deposit, but I could pospone the trip, so I postponed it til June. We go in Jun every year anyway. The CM was very polite and helpful. Grandson is fine (just a bad virus).
I always book over the phone, at least one trip/year with multiple rooms, and have never been asked about or charged for insurance. I just looked at my confirmation letter for Jun, and there is no charge for insurance.
If this a policy, it must be a new one.

We had a trip booked for November 30 thru December 5th 2007, booked in July of last year. I was going for a conference in Orlando and we (my husband and I) were going to combine work and fun with this trip. We did not have trip insurance, only a room reservation paid in advance like we always do. My husband had emergency open heart surgery in late October and was not cleared to travel and at the very last minute, the day before our flight to Orlando we saw his surgeon who said NO, he can't go just yet. We were upset and called the reservation line to cancel, expecting to lose all our money but we were very suprised when we explained the details and we were given a full refund. I did not expect that at all. I am very thankful . I understand how rare that was, they were very compassionate.

 

[ClemsonTigger]

We had a trip booked for November 30 thru December 5th 2007, booked in July of last year. I was going for a conference in Orlando and we (my husband and I) were going to combine work and fun with this trip. We did not have trip insurance, only a room reservation paid in advance like we always do. My husband had emergency open heart surgery in late October and was not cleared to travel and at the very last minute, the day before our flight to Orlando we saw his surgeon who said NO, he can't go just yet. We were upset and called the reservation line to cancel, expecting to lose all our money but we were very suprised when we explained the details and we were given a full refund. I did not expect that at all. I am very thankful . I understand how rare that was, they were very compassionate.

You are going to ruin Merf's "happy thoughts" :lookaroun :lol:

 

[wannab@dis]

It's so easy to see through you... this is hardly worth a response. But, since you directed your, um, post, at me, I'll respond.

I have, and i used to work there.

CRO is hell, has the highest turn over of any area of the entire company, and BTW, when i worked there people committed suicide regularly, thank you very much. Have a magical day, that's the truth of the matter. It's not a happy place. It's a stressful place where the mission statement is money, not magic or dreams and it really needs the ship righted, but no one has ever tried and so the parks and resorts try to keep themselves as distant as possible from it.

They hire in managers from other call centers who specialize in sales and cold calling people - like cold calling the elderly to sell them insurance and cerdit cards they dont need and such - and use their brutal tactics to try and wring money out of WDW guests. That's how it works.

Nah, maybe a response isn't necessary. :zipit:

 

[elizs77]

I totally agree you can have a bad experience any where at any time. However, here's my two cents on what happened:

1. Are three adults going? That's the only way the insurance would be $200 since it's $66.95 per adult. For our upcoming trip, our insurance total is $133.90.

2. $200 is also a basic deposit amount. We went through AAA, and I just paid my deposit yesterday. We were able to have our reservation held for 14 days, during which time we had to pay the deposi. We don't pay the insurance fee until we pay the remainder 45 days prior.

3. Always, always, always, always, always ask to speak w/ a supervisor. Escalate as necessary. Write letters. This sounds so much like an issue that can be resolved by talking w/ the right person. It may be worth the while to book the trip through a travel agent and see if they can help getting things straightened out.

4. I consider myself to be quite travel savvy, but I always book Disney through an AAA agent. When we booked in 2006, they came out with the free dining a week after we booked. Our agent fixed it so that it applied to us. Without her, we never would have known. Plus, it doesn't cost me any $$ to go through an agent. I also always do my homework before I talk with her. Not that I don't trust her, I just think it's prudent.

5. I always assume travel insurance is offered in these kinds of situations, and on big trips, I always take it. I'd rather be out $133 instead of $3500. Plus, our agent said that starting this year, the Disney insurance covers airfair regardless if it was purchased separately or with the booking (ours was separate).

 

[cococola44]

Sometimes things dont go just perfectly. Just be thankful you are able to enjoy the world and go on with things. I spent 1 year in Iraq and saw what REAL "terrible" experiences are under a dictator "Saddam". Things are getting much better but those people went through alot. Its posts like this that make me sigh. I fail to see the big deal.:shrug: It was your oversight to begin with.
All in all...no big deal.
P.S. I've booked a TON of vacations for my family. Never any issues you speak of.

Okay this was an experience with Disney...nothing to do with the extent of Iraq. Yes I appreciate what you have done and it wasn't my lack of insight.

Just because you have booked many vacations and never came up with this issue...means nothing to me.

AS I also said before, I don't care if i have to pay for it...I will. But it is the fact that she was rude on the phone and unprofessional...

PS....I was the the US Army, and been through some experiences my self...but this is not to be compared.

 

[cococola44]

I totally agree you can have a bad experience any where at any time. However, here's my two cents on what happened:

1. Are three adults going? That's the only way the insurance would be $200 since it's $66.95 per adult. For our upcoming trip, our insurance total is $133.90.

2. $200 is also a basic deposit amount. We went through AAA, and I just paid my deposit yesterday. We were able to have our reservation held for 14 days, during which time we had to pay the deposi. We don't pay the insurance fee until we pay the remainder 45 days prior.

3. Always, always, always, always, always ask to speak w/ a supervisor. Escalate as necessary. Write letters. This sounds so much like an issue that can be resolved by talking w/ the right person. It may be worth the while to book the trip through a travel agent and see if they can help getting things straightened out.

4. I consider myself to be quite travel savvy, but I always book Disney through an AAA agent. When we booked in 2006, they came out with the free dining a week after we booked. Our agent fixed it so that it applied to us. Without her, we never would have known. Plus, it doesn't cost me any $$ to go through an agent. I also always do my homework before I talk with her. Not that I don't trust her, I just think it's prudent.

5. I always assume travel insurance is offered in these kinds of situations, and on big trips, I always take it. I'd rather be out $133 instead of $3500. Plus, our agent said that starting this year, the Disney insurance covers airfair regardless if it was purchased separately or with the booking (ours was separate).

Well it was my fault that I decided to deal with this at work...

So I take that as somethingh I shouldn't have done or I would have escalated the call.

I also didn't have much of a chance since she hung up.

Thank you though, I appreciate it. I just never had that explained to me. I never go online and look at the online booking policys but the insurance just wasn't explained to me.

If it is non-refundable...then it is unavoidable. I won't make a larger stink of it. But I am just upset that the rep had the attitude that she did.

 

[mkt]

File a chargeback with your CC company. Their attitude will quickly change.

 

[jcs4evas1298]

Okay this was an experience with Disney...nothing to do with the extent of Iraq. Yes I appreciate what you have done and it wasn't my lack of insight.

Just because you have booked many vacations and never came up with this issue...means nothing to me.

AS I also said before, I don't care if i have to pay for it...I will. But it is the fact that she was rude on the phone and unprofessional...

PS....I was the the US Army, and been through some experiences my self...but this is not to be compared.

I'm a casual observer of this board and generally find it not worth posting in threads like these. I do enjoy reading what everyone has to say, but generally nothing comes of me taking sides, so I just watch and enjoy...

I do, however, feel that comparing this customer's story to Iraq and war and then saying to 'just be happy' that she wasn't given good service is absurd. Disney World and War are polar opposites. I'm sure if the op was booking a reservation into a war zone she wouldn't be so concerned with the treatment... but when we deal with Disney, right or not, we expect to always receive excellent service.

It is irresponsible of anyone to draw comparisons to war and say that the topic at hand doesn't matter because of the terrible things happening elsewhere. When booking a vacation that costs me 2 months of my pay each year, I'd want to be treated appropriately as the op did. Things like what the op experienced are allowed to be a big deal to us, we don't have to sit back and imagine ourselves in a war zone each time we encounter something we deem unacceptable.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Btw, you can say i'm being sensational but all the statements i just said above are true. A CM i worked with comitted suicide over the stress of the job at the call center, the mission statement of CRO is to make and protect the profits of the WDW resort (the parks and hotels are all about magic and dreams - read them sometime, no mention of money, that's exclusive to CRO), and managers there come from these cold-call companies.

All true. Seems sensational, but true.

Because someone committs suicide is not because their job was too tough, it was because that person did not know how to deal internally with the situation, or they were just plain ill. They had the option of quiting and finding a less stressfull job. Mickey Mouse was not holding a gun to their head to stay there.

 

[cococola44]

I was thinking that you were a CM there at one time. I am sorry that this happened to you. I would be mad too because I have always booked on the phone also, and I never get the insurance. To be charged for something that you didn't know about, for two hundred dollars, would really make me mad too. Maybe they will take care of it for you.

Thank you for posting this. I will make sure to be careful when booking in the future.

Maybe the person that booked my order just got so wrapped up in talking to me. He asked me what character I was friends with...what shows I did that maybe he just forgot. I am sure other people are more thorough then that. Most reps that I have talked to are very good. Hands down. Get you excited about your choice and help you. This experience just was different. I don't fault disney as a whole and I won't change my mind at all. But it is just noted.

 

[cococola44]

Because someone committs suicide is not because their job was too tough, it was because that person did not know how to deal internally with the situation, or they were just plain ill. They had the option of quiting and finding a less stressfull job. Mickey Mouse was not holding a gun to their head to stay there.

I agree.