Travel Troubleshooter: Bank And Cruise Line Argue Over Who Is Responsible For A Refund

Linda Carnivale wants her $250 cruise deposit refunded. But now her bank and cruise line are arguing over who is responsible for the money. Does it matter? And can she get her money back?

Q: Last year, I canceled a cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line after paying a $250 deposit. I explained that the credit card used to make the deposit was closed. NCL told me to obtain a letter from Chase confirming the closed account. Once NCL received it, the cruise line said it would send me a check.

I followed NCL's instructions. But after I submitted my refund request, NCL told me that it had refunded it to my old credit card. I called Chase, and a representative promised to "research" my problem and send me a letter within 10-15 business days.

The Chase letter informed me that the $250 refund was returned to NCL. I ended up in a three-way call with Chase and NCL that devolved into an argument over who was responsible. It got so bad that the NCL representative said she was going to file a formal complaint against the Chase representative.

I don't care who is responsible; I just want my money back. Can you help me? -- Linda Carnivale, Brooklyn Heights, Ohio

A: NCL is responsible for getting the money back to you. Full stop. The cruise line can argue with whomever it wants, but nothing will change this fact.

But first, a slight detour: I can't believe a company like NCL is still writing checks in the 21st century. It should be able to get a new credit card number or just send the refund directly to your bank account. But a check? Come on.

You did an excellent job of keeping a paper trail of your case. It shows that NCL sent the money to Chase. It also shows that Chase never received the money. These emails are helpful when you're trying to resolve a problem like this because they will help the bank and cruise line sort things out. But at the risk of repeating myself, NCL needs to find a way to return your deposit, even though it's missing.

I can understand how this ended up in a three-way phone call. It might have been the only way to solve the issue for NCL. But really, shouldn't NCL have worked quietly behind-the-scenes to fix things with Chase instead of making you a character in this drama? I think so.

I list the names, numbers and emails of all the key executives on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. You could have reached out to one of the NCL executives, and if this didn't work, you could have tried a Chase manager.

I contacted NCL on your behalf. A cruise line representative said that your refund was delayed because you closed your credit card. (There was no mention of an intransigent bank.) NCL asked for your mailing address, then sent you an old-fashioned check for $250.

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Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy (elliottadvocacy.org), a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him at elliottadvocacy.org/help/.

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