Be Wary of Royal Caribbean Virtual Gift Cards Purchased through AARP

[cm7407640]

After several attempts to pay for my upcoming cruise using Royal Caribbean virtual gift cards purchased through AARP, they keep getting rejected as "invalid." I followed all the procedures for submitting them to Royal as shown on the certificates and they keep getting rejected such that they will not pay for my upcoming cruise. I spent more time on the phone with Royal today and they told me to check back in another 3 - 5 days as their team works on the problem. My advice to anyone thinking they may save a few bucks by purchasing the discounted gift cards is to think twice about it as you may just be out several hundred dollars as well as wasted time on the phone with nothing to show for it. Just be wary of purchasing the Royal Caribbean virtual gift cards through AARP as they may end up showing up as "invalid" after you have already paid for them.

[cm7407640]

So sorry you have had the same problem. AARP should not be selling such worthless cards to their members on their site. Since it has happened to both of us, it shows AARP is the source of the problem and it is not the purchasers!

[FayP339229]

AARP probably did not know until you and others let them know.  I have always found AARP willing to help solve a situation of one kind or another.  Things happen.  I feel your frustration.

[cm7407640]

Thank you for your comments. If AARP did anything to help resolve this, they did it in the background. I was on my own as far as I know. AARP never offered to help me find a solution or help resolve the situation except to comment that I must have submitted the Royal Caribbean virtual gift cards for payment in error.

[a170938b]

Hopefully those gift cards were bought with a credit card. Which gives you more power to protest and not pay at all.

My main problem with AARP is that they do not stand by the products they sell. 

[cm7407640]

I did buy the virtual gift cards with a credit card. However, that $540 charge to the credit card company is already paid off. I was not expecting there to be a problem with use of the virtual gift cards as Royal Caribbean gave me the impression that it was only a temporary glitch.

[GailL1]

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@cm7407640 wrote:

I did buy the virtual gift cards with a credit card. However, that $540 charge to the credit card company is already paid off. I was not expecting there to be a problem with use of the virtual gift cards as Royal Caribbean gave me the impression that it was only a temporary glitch.

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I think this may be the problem - at least the immediate one.  As @170938b said below, there is a 60-day period to which you can dispute a charge - 

Has it been over 60-days since you purchased the virtual travel cards with your credit card?  It does not matter whether or not you have paid the specific charge - you could still dispute it for the legally stated time - This is covered in Regulation Z - Truth in Lending.

OCC.gov Help with My Bank - Credit Cards - Disputes & Unauthorized Charges

It could be that AARP doesn't activate the gift cards until this period is over - thus the request for the email copies - so Royal can follow the activation or whomever was the issuer of the gift cards (actually they are debit cards - per the link below)  - could be also be Expedia or Tango cards or even Bancorp Bank - since I don't know who issued them.  

AARP Travel Savings, Discounts and Offers - Disclosure

I am pretty sure that this is a processing problem - and I am sure you understand how this problem could happen.  I mean none of parties want to get stuck trying to collect on a virtual travel card that has been secured by a credit card that the person receiving it can dispute - so it seems that they (whomever they may be) may not activate the cards until the credit card funds cannot be reversed in a dispute.  

But on the other hand, your query to AARP CS should be followed up and the process explained to you.  Seems they are lacking in basic knowledge of their programs and benefits - 

[a170938b]

 "so it seems that they (whomever they may be) may not activate the cards until the credit card funds cannot be reversed in a dispute." 

I think this type of practice could be considered a scam. 

@AARPJanelleM please kindly look into this possibility and let us know the result of your inquiry. 

[GailL1]

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@a170938b wrote:

I think this type of practice could be considered a scam. 

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This doesn't sound like a scam to me - it just seems like a processing procedure that all the parties may not be aware of when using these type gift card which they purchased with their credit card. 

Heck, who even knows what these cards are actual process as - gift card? - travel card?  Are they a retailer's card or a retailer branded VISA/MC/AE labeled ???? card - all that makes a difference in the processing and rules of use.

It is hard to determine because it also depends largely on the Card issuer and their policiies on gift card purchases.  Again who is the issuer of the egift card?  

Some Credit Card issuers will process gift card purchases with their card as a "cash advance" transaction thus there is no customer dispute time period at all.  That could be the case here but it doesn't sound like it because of the delay in affirming the gift card amount.

All I know is this sounds very much like a processing procedure and if so, the consumer needs to be aware of it so they can make their best decision in how to pay for the gift cards especially if time is of essence. 

As I have said, I don't have privy to the detailed info on any side of it - not the credit card policy of the person using it to pay for the egift card purchase and not how such a purchase is categorized, nor the classification of these type of virtual gift card for travel by the credit card company nor the egift card retailer.

It is always best to always read the small mice print.  In this situation, one has to figure out who might be controlling the process and what their mice print might say -  AARP ?  Royal?  The CC company on which the egift card purchase was made.   

There is also a difference in "open loop gift cards" and "closed loop gift cards".  Most likely these are "closed loop gift cards" - but there are so many possible go-betweens, it is hard to tell -

American Express.com 12/20/2019 - Can You Buy Gift Cards with a Credit Card?

[a170938b]

You wrote earlier:  "so it seems that they (whomever they may be) may not activate the cards until the credit card funds cannot be reversed in a dispute." 

If this is true. it looks like a way of tricking people. Maybe scam is not the right word. But as said, if this happens at any level, it is a trick to negate credit card protection. How would you call such an intentional administrative processing procedure?

[GailL1]

@a170938b 

Think about it - the "trickiness" could flow both ways.

1st I am only guessing here since I don't have access to all the details but because the purchaser in this case used a credit card to purchase the ecards rather than a debit card or bank account ACH there is that 60 day time limit where they could dispute the CC purchased depending on the terms of their credit card.  

IF this is the processing delay of the ecard problem, then that needs to be detailed in the disclosure when the purchase of the ecard is made as a possible outcome of using the credit card rather than a debit card or bank ACH.  

[cm7407640]

Thanks for your reply. I called Royal Caribbean this morning, Friday, June 24. They said they applied the virtual gift cards to my reservation yesterday, but it would take 7 - 10 days more before it would show up on my reservation. It has been 18 business days since I was notified that they had received the cards by email. That is way over the amount of time that it should have taken the "cards" should have been activated. There is no indication anywhere of who actually issues the cards, so don't know that for sure. Following is a link to where the cards are available for purchase. AARP Rewards: Members Only Rewards

[GailL1]

Since I am not a member, I can't access the details.  

What date did you use your credit card to purchase the virtual cards?  Has it been over the number of days (60 days from when it appeared on your CC statement) where you could do a chargeback?  I am pretty sure that this problem has to do with the processing and how you paid for the vitual cards initially.  

That's what the AARP CS folks need to find out - would the virtual cards have performed better for you if say, you had used a debit card or if it came directly out of your bank account?  If so, perhaps they need to disclose this in the routine of purchasing them.

[a170938b]

There is usually a 60 days period during which you can protest.

[cm7407640]

If it comes to that, I will certainly dispute the charges with the credit card company.

[cm7407640]

I was applying it to a brand new reservation as instructed on the virtual gift card instructions from day one. I made the reservation online and paid the deposit just as the instructions state. I then emailed a copy of the gift cards (one for $100 and one for $500) to pay for the remaining balance. This has been nothing but a problem ever since. They are not working! 

[GailL1]

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@cm7407640 wrote:

 I then emailed a copy of the gift cards (one for $100 and one for $500) to pay for the remaining balance.

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Never heard of that process before - 

That's how they told you to use the gift cards?  Inserting the unique number(s) of the cards when you put in your deposit amount would have been the better way.

Bu emailing a copy of the gift cards - anybody could use them - did you send front and back ?

[cm7407640]

That is not what the instructions said to do. That probably would probably be a better process, however. I followed the instructions as they were written. There is nothing on the back of the page. You can't use the virtual gift cards for your deposit. Here are the redemption instructions:

REDEMPTION INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1 Book your Royal Caribbean cruise vacation
Online: www.RoyalCanbbean com
Call: 866-504-3941
Deposit Required at the time of reservation.

lncomm Certificate Program - ID 302647

STEP 2 Redeem Certificate
After making your cruise reservation, email a copy or the
Gift Certificate along with your cruise reservation booking
number to
SharedServ1cesGlftCert1ficateRedempt1on@rccl com

The value of the Gift Certificate will then be applied to your
cruise reservation. Please allow up to 10 business days.
You will be notified once certificate has been applied to your
reservation.

[GailL1]

@cm7407640 wrote

You can't use the virtual gift cards for your deposit.

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Yes, I realize that from the instructions - I'm just trying to figure out where the problem is coming from -  seems it may be a Royal processing problem.

\

Did you make the reservation, make your deposit with cash or credit card and then email the certificates?  Did they give you some sort of correlating number or tag to link the certificates to your reservation?

Seems like there is a disconnect - because it also says:

Certificates may be used in multiples and may be used to supplement cash payment or credit card.

Just sorry that this happened to you - trying to book an enjoyable trip - seems like stuff just keeps getting more and more complicated to get done.

[cm7407640]

Thanks for your concern. Yes, there is definitely a disconnect somewhere. I was on the phone Tuesday, at least, 30 minutes with Royal as they tried to figure out the problem. I would think they would have experience with such virtual gift cards as they have a specific department to handle them. No matter how much they tried and rechecked the numbers and PIN, the virtual gift card came up as "invalid." They said for me to call back in 3 - 5 days as their "team" continues to work on the problem. As it stands now, AARP has my $540, Royal Caribbean has my "invalid" virtual gift cards and I'm still left with the balance due on my cruise reservation as the countdown continues until the final payment is due on July 8.

[WendyG869874]

I am very surprised by these reviews I read here prior to purchasing one of these gift certificates. I read the rules, and only bought one $500.00 certificate to see if it would be applied. I sent in the information to the email address stated and immediately got a "we received your request" and three days later an email saying "your certificate has been applied and will appear within 7-10 business days. One week later, I saw the payment posted so I bought some more (1000.00 this time) and the same exact thing. Immediately "we received your request" three days later "it's been applied" and one week later I saw the payment post. Perhaps all the past complaints fixed the process or perhaps people did not read the fine print. I saw they do not allow these certificates for anything booked at "group" pricing, so if you are not sure, always check your reservation at the top to see if a group ID is listed after your reservation ID number. I had nothing but excellent results and saved $300 in total for my upcoming birthday cruise. 🙂