- Karen left her headphones on her Royal Caribbean ship.
- The cruise line quoted her $332.97 to return them to Foster even though Ovation of the Seas is currently based in Sydney
- Australia Post quotes just $10.95 for an identical delivery.
Karen Dillon cruised with Royal Caribbean from Hawaii to Sydney, and when staff alerted her that she had left her Bose headphones onboard, she was delighted at the service and attention to detail.
However, she was less delighted when she was told how much it would cost to post them back. The cruise line’s outsouced provider wanted $332.97 to pop them in the post. Australia Post puts the quoted price at $10.95.
Bose Headphones retail at around $450, making the $332.97 figure a significant chunk of the initial retail price.
She certainly wasn’t getting the express service either. Australia Post estimates the delivery time at three to four business days, but Royal Caribbean’s provider informed Dillon that it would be at least three weeks for the headphones to arrive.
Dillon says: “The day after we left the ship we were notified of some Bose headphones we left onboard in our cabin which I thought was brilliant service and attention today. Today we received an email that they had the headphones and we could choose to pay them to send it to us, it would take up to three weeks to get it. Reasonable right?
“Although then, I filled out everything and got their quoted postage price, $332.98! Even though the ship is homeporting in Australia.
“This price gouging has to stop and I think for us we have to vote with our feet. We’re regular cruisers and we love the Royal Caribbean style and entertainment but we’re seriously disappointed. It’s a bad business strategy.”
After being quoted that price, Dillon simply accepted losing the headphones: “We told them to keep it at that price, it’s cheaper to just buy another.
“I’m guessing nine times out of ten people just tell them to keep it. Just results in making us feel conned.”
Dillon was told to make her claim through an outsourced lost and found system called Chargerback, the website reads “Chargerback is the leading cloud-based lost and found software. Our technology stack features sophisticated AI, advanced image recognition, full data encryption, PII protection, PCI compliance, touchless return, a full chain of custody, robust reporting, customizable user-friendly interfaces, and all at no cost to our partners.”
However, it is a company based in the United States, that uses FedEX, the United States Postal Service, UPS and DHL as its shipping partners. It is unclear why this service was referred to an incident that involved an item left in Australia, that was required to be sent to another location also in Australia.
What are people saying?
One cruiser Wendy Blain had a similar ordeal, and after rejecting the high price of return, she eventually found another way to retrieve her item.
“I accidentally left some stuff on a cruise and refused to pay the ridiculous amount they wanted to get it back to me. A few months later, I received a phone call from a company in Sydney that all the lost stuff gets sent to. They allowed me to organise for the company to pick it up for me and get it home., only cost me a fraction of the price and I got everything back. I was pretty happy.”
Other commenters on a Royal Caribbean forum were also shocked by the quoted price.
Dianne Parton wrote: “I would definitely go to a current affair with this make some noise about it totally disgusting.”
Another cruise Karen Kazco was bemused by the entire system.
“So ,they get the headphones, send them to agent in the states and they send them back again? Or the agent/company have an agent in Sydney who hold the items and then pack them up and send them via courier/Aus post direct to you and make about $300?
“They rely on people claiming on travel insurance – as if the price of that hasn’t gone up enough already.”
Zoe Borecki wrote: “Talk about ripping you off! They can’t be serious! I would ask to speak to a manager.
“I think someone wants to keep your headphones. You can buy a new pair for that price.”
Royal Caribbean lost items protocol
The Royal Caribbean website has a section for what to do if you want to report a lost item. It makes the point that customs can be a factor in the delay of recovering lost items.
It reads: “If after your cruise has ended, you discover that you have lost or left an item onboard please fill out a Lost and Found Request Form with Chargerback. We will make every attempt to locate the items and return it to you. If found, all items will be shipped to the guest at their expense at a price determined by the courier company. Due to Customs and other factors, there may be a delay in shipping, or some items may not be deliverable.”
It also lists items that can’t be recovered that includes food and beverages, clothing, credit cards, personal grooming items, alcohol and tobacco.
Simples, I have never cruised Royal Caribbean and now never will.
Just more evidence of how businesses have lost the whole idea of customer service, yet only make solutions for making more profit.
RCL outsource to this 3rd party, who sold it to them as great labour saving to them. Another solution where it costs nothing to RCL – and it fact they make money out of it. This is a selling point: “Revenue share”
This is akin to third line forcing, which is illegal – but because it’s to the consumer it’s permitted. RCL doesn’t care what you get charged, as they’re not the ones charging you, so can claim denial. But they actually make money from it. Conversely, the business has exclusive rights, so you can’t go anywhere else, so they exploit that and you have to pay, there’s no other option if you want it back. And the business has no incentive to save costs so it works with its international operators like DHL, who charge highly for this niche route for them which isn’t their main business. Again, they don’t care; if you (the business) want to ship with them at whatever they charge that’s your issue.
RCL is the guilty party here – but at a corporate level, they value profits over service, so aren’t going to spend more to deliver “non-core” activities like this by e.g. hiring extra people to deal with lost property,.