this post was submitted on 07 Dec 2023
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A Boring Dystopia

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Big ole business just itching to get more money from people's grief.. until they're called out in front of enough people online.

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[–] [email protected] 150 points 8 months ago (2 children)

From the article:

If Caitlin did want to try to get the original amount back, she’d have to email and send the death certificate to a specific email address

Did she try - you know - doing that?

[–] [email protected] 130 points 8 months ago (1 children)

For those that haven't had to deal with handling the closing of accounts for someone that passed away, sending a Death Certificate is an extremely common request from a company. You usually should get 10 to 20 Death Certificates because many companies (especially banks) will require a real one, not a picture or email.

[–] [email protected] 80 points 8 months ago (2 children)

My country blew a hole in that logic by making essentially any government issued document a virtual certificate accessible through a permanente code.

You can get one copy, scan and email it indefinetely and all entities receiving only need to check the permanent code online.

It was complete chaos when it rolled out, especially for old, outdated, progress resisting entities.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 8 months ago (1 children)

especially for old, outdated, progress resisting entities.

Like government agencies?

[–] [email protected] 30 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Not really, in this case. It was the government issuing the new format, so it was the early adopter; some services are even interconnected and share information in real time.

In this case, it was more about banks, telecoms, energy and water companies.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 8 months ago (2 children)

This sounds very efficient of your country. Where are you from ?

[–] [email protected] 11 points 8 months ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Hah I was about to say they tried this in Portugal but a lot of agencies (especially foreign ones) simply have no capacity to deal with digital certificates.

Hell I went to a public university a couple of years ago and they demanded I show them a stamped document proving that I'm employed.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

That's a different beast. Private entities are still lacking on that front but catchinf on fast.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

This is one those things that intrigues me.

If joining a federal government, the principle implies there is the recognition there is something good to contribute for said federation but also handicaps the federation can assist in solving.

This follows that when one member of the federation develops a solution for a problem, other members emulate it. The same way, when the federal level develops a solution for a problem, all members apply it in the exact same terms: no if, but or commas.

Yet it seems this is never what happens when dealing with federal governance.

[–] taladar 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

What happens in practice is that any solution already developed by another member is basically taboo because the members do want to be seen as leading, not following so every member develops their own "solution" that is slightly different "just because".

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

Waste of:

  • time
  • money
  • brains
[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

For real... maybe we will get something like that in germany in like a hundred years when they finally stop using fax machines lmao

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

We don't have that level of centralized documentation in the US. A death certificate is issued by a much smaller subdivision of locally controlled government. The federal government doesn't issue them.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

You should.

Centralized documentation ensures accountability from the government to the citizens and vice versa.

In my little barbarian country, every child is born a citizen. If there is no possibility to registry a newborn at the hospital, through a special representation office that exists for that sole purpose on site, there is a time limit for the child to be registered; of failed, the parents face serious problems.

This simple gesture ensures the child exists and is accounted for. Social Security, Tax Number, NHS and personal identification number are immediatly issued.

In the same way, a death is immediatly reported and all those numbers are immediatly cancelled by the funeral agent - this is mandated by law. This ensures the identity can not be abused for nefarious purposes. Driving, mariner, pilot license, etc, follows the same logic.

All official documentation are centrally issued and accounted for. This even facilitates inter-agency exchange of information and speeds the issuing of social benefits and tax calculation.

A strong, transparent, central administration provides better services for the citizens.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 8 months ago (3 children)

It says it would take 30 business days. That means it would pass the date the cruise starts, so she would not be able to get a refund at all.

[–] [email protected] 36 points 8 months ago

It says it would take 30 business days.

If Caitlin did want to try to get the original amount back, she’d have to email and send the death certificate to a specific email address, which may take up to 30 days to respond.

This kind of language usually means "Yes, we will refund you in full as you have notified us. However, this processes isn't fast and it has the requirement of us receiving the Death Certificate and validating it on our side before we issue a refund."

Did she specifically ask: "Okay, if I send in the request now to the email address you've given me, and I send the Death Certificate, does that mean I'll be receiving the full refund even if your process takes time and the ship sails without them?"

[–] [email protected] 17 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

No. That's not how things work.
The refund could take 30 days to go into her bank account. She would get the refund if she sent them the info like a normal person.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 8 months ago

It says it could take up to 30 days. That doesn't mean that the refund might still not have been granted even post-cruise.

[–] [email protected] 65 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Why can’t they just do the right thing from the get-go?

Because like all nice things, people abuse them. Not to indicate that Carnival Cruise is some saint here, but the reason most companies don't just default to "benefit of the doubt" is because there are a ton of very bad people out there that abuse any inch a company will give them.

My step mother was one of those entitled ass people who thought the world owed her. One day she put on some act about a late fee and the person on the other side of the desk was saying "oh I'm sure there's something we can swing…" And having enough of her shit, I was basically, "Do not give this lady a wavier on that late fee, everything she just said is some massive warping of the actual truth!"

Maybe it's because of her, but I find it difficult to ding companies who don't default to "benefit of the doubt". I'm glad the lady got it sorted out. But shoot, I've got massive distrust of folks in general and my step-mother is a lot of the blame for that. Side note, that's likely unhealthy kind of stuff that I should one day sort out.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago

If you're a customer who is usually in good standing, when you call and ask for late fees to be waived, they usually are.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 8 months ago (1 children)

capitalism gonna capitalism

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago

You could say they’re capitalizing on her misfortune.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Just Weekend at Bernie's it. Cruises are already floating disease incubators, what difference is a corpse or two?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 months ago (1 children)

do you want zombie covid?

because that’s how you get zombie covid.

[–] mindbleach 1 points 8 months ago

"Send more paramedics."

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Fun fact: Almost every modern cruise ship has a fully functioning morgue.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 months ago (1 children)

It sucks that you have to go to social media to reach these companies and actually get results. What if you don't have any social media or very few followers?

[–] [email protected] 29 points 8 months ago

Then you send them a copy of the death certificate like they asked her to, and they refund the full amount.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

Cancellation fees are bullshit.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 8 months ago

She should bring a lawsuit against Carnival cruiselines and tell them to go fuck themselves for being such filthy disgusting assholes.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 8 months ago (2 children)

I mean the mother signed a contract? there's a "classic" case that if an old person ordered a stair lift and then died before construction started the heirs will still have to pay for that.

It's just that you inherit not just the values but also the obligations as shitty as it might be

and that she apparently didn't even send them the death-certificate before going to the media makes this just drip from big Karen-energy...

[–] [email protected] 18 points 8 months ago (1 children)

the heirs will still have to pay for that.

I don't think you can sign your children into a contract of any kind. If there's money they're inheriting the estate would have to pay contracts before the heirs in some cases but if there's no money to be had I don't think the kids are on the hook for anything.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

The quick way around this is to be in debt to your kids!

[–] [email protected] -3 points 8 months ago

Cruses have always been no cancelations for any reason. Which is why cruise forums are full of debate on what instance is best, with few saying don't get it.