Company information:
Spirit Incentives
United States
spirit-incentives.com
We were given a voucher for a free cruise in return for listening to a presentation on a vacation club. We elected for the 7-day cruise, which meant a larger payment for taxes and fees. They were supposed to contact us within 10-14 days. They didn’t contact us. When we contacted them (lots of being put on hold) they said that all three-departure dates we asked for were taken. We were given one date only which I couldn’t get off work for. They told us, “sorry, too bad, guess you can’t go.” Here was the conversation my wife had with Spirit Incentives:
Wench: I have your choices down as Port Canaveral on 3/3, 6/8, and 7/13. Do you want to upgrade to an outside cabin?
Me: How much is that?
Wench: $199 per person
Me: Do I have to decide that now?
Wench: Yes, in order for me to book a cruise - you will also need to provide payment for that now.
Me: We'll stick with an inside room
Wench: Thank you - I'll check our availability
Five minutes of crappy music
Wench: We can offer you a cruise on Carnival leaving out of Miami to the Western Caribbean leaving on April 5.
Me: April 5 was not one of our dates
Wench: Unfortunately, that's all that's available
Me: For the summer months - we would have to pay extra?
Wench: There are no summer options available - your only option is April 5.
Me: My husband is a teacher and can't take a week off of school
Wench: I'm so sorry to hear that. You can accept this offer or we can send you a refund of all money spent
Me: Can I call you back?
Wench: Now that I've made an offer you need to accept it now or choose to take a refund.
Me: Why didn't we hear from you sooner rather than have to call ourselves.
Wench: We will contact you within 30 - 45 days of the first chosen date and we're in that time period now.
Me: Yes, but I had to call you and the email I'm looking at, dated Oct. says that you'll contact us within 10 - 14 days - at which point one of our choices might have been available.
Wench: We don't get our inventory until 3 - 6 months out - so that wouldn't have worked anyway
Me: Oct. was less than 6 months ago.
Wench: Would you like to accept this offer or shall I do a refund
Me: We'll take a refund.
Wench: It will take 10 - 14 days. Thank you for . . . .. Hang up!
After that, I called them back the next day. I was put on hold for about 5 minutes long distance. The lady argued with me saying that we were offered a cruise and that we turned it down. I asked to speak to a supervisor. I was put on hold for about 10 minutes this time. The supervisor was not only argumentative, but also rude. I told him how much negative information there was about Spirit Incentive online, he didn’t care. I told him how many complaints there were with the Better Business Bureau, he didn’t care. I told him that I was going to call the Better Business Bureau, he didn’t care. When I asked for me refund he said that they didn’t have any record of it!!! I had to make a copy of the cancelled check and mail it to them!
While I was getting a copy of the check and mailing it off I also contacted the Better Business Bureau. I also called the place that gave us our vacation voucher. I had extra leverage because I had become a customer of the business that gave us the voucher. I’m not sure which did it, but we received a call from Spirit Incentives the next day! It was another office. The person we talked to seemed to be the one who works with people once they complain to the right people. She found a vacation date that worked for us. When I asked her why they wouldn’t work with us before, all she would say is that, “ well we are working with you now.” She even returned our call ounce when her voicemail picked up! If the two previous routes didn’t work I was also going to contact the Florida Attorney General. Others on a blog about Spirit Incentives had said that this method had worked for them. I also found a website: www.complaint.TV I also sent them my information on the same day that we were contacted by Spirit Incentives to work with us. Now what I am doing is posting to the several blogs out there devoted to spirit incentives so that more people don’t get screwed.
How do they get away with being such a crappy business? We aren’t their customers; the businesses that give out these vouchers are their customers. They don’t have to make us happy as long it doesn’t affect their relationship with those customers who purchase large quantities of their vouchers. They make more money when they don’t give anything.
