Amtrak

Review: I was on Train ** on 8/11/14. This train was delayed arriving to New York Penn Station, then broke down multiple times as it lost power. All of the passengers had to switch to a [redacted] Commuter Rail train mid-track to get back to [redacted]. I requested refund of my ticket for the inconvenience caused by my return trip. The following day on 8/12/14 I reached two ticket agents by phone. I was unable to reach a customer service agent and was on hold for over 45 minutes waiting for assistance. I was instructed to send my request in writing, which I did on 8/12/14. On 8/14//14 I received this automated reply:

Dear -------,

Thank you for contacting us regarding your recent travel. We apologize that it has taken longer than expected to reply. We have had an unusually high number of email requests. We appreciate your patience. We apologize for the inconvenience you have experienced. We have forwarded your e-mail correspondence to our Customer Relations Department. A Customer Relations representative will contact you as soon as possible. Please be advised that a response may take several weeks. E-mails are answered in the order in which they are received. If your concerns require immediate attention, please call our toll free number 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245) and ask to speak with a Customer Relations Representative. The Customer Relations Department is available Monday through Friday (except holidays), between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. (ET).

Thank you again for taking the time to write to us.

Sincerely,

Maureen

Amtrak Customer Service

On 8/15/14, I was traveling again on Amtrak and I spoke to an agent at South Station. The agent told me that they could not help with my issue and handed me a piece of paper instructing me to send a letter to Amtrak in Philadelphia. I explained that I had already written in via e-mail. As of 8/28/14 I have heard no further correspondence.Desired Settlement: I would like a refund for my trip.

Business

Response:

From: S[redacted], Vanessa

Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2014 10:27 AM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: Over a month ago we wrote Amtrak about the horrible experience we had & as of today we have had no reply. We used Amtrak from [redacted] to [redacted].Desired Settlement: We had such a terrible time/ experience we would like a full refund.

Business

Response:

From: S[redacted], Vanessa

Review: On July 15, 2013, I made an AMTRAK train reservation for November, 2013. Today, I called to cancel the reservation. When the automated agent (not a real person) cancelled the reservation she stated that the fee would be credited to the account. Then, the call was transferred to an agent who told me the fare was non-refundable. I explained that when I made the reservation, the AMTRAK website did not state that the fare was non-refundable. When the agent said she could not issue a refund, I asked to speak with customer service. Customer service also refused to issue a refund. In the meantime, I received an email stating that the reservation had been canceled and an eVoucher had been issued. This was done against my wishes and without my consent. I would not have cancelled the reservation if I knew that I would be issued a voucher. The automated service cancelled the reservation without my authorization. The customer service office refused to provide a phone number. The agent was rude and refused to provide contact information for the Corporate Customer Relations Office. I was able to find a phone number on the Internet and called to get a refund approved. The agent there, named [redacted], was courteous, but was unable to provide a refund. He said that he was reinstating the ticket as I requested, but no confirmation has been received to indicated that a ticket was issued.Desired Settlement: Refund the ticket price of $156 to the originally charged credit card.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Thursday, August 08, 2013 4:05 PM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response Dear **. [redacted]: We are in receipt of correspondence written on your behalf from the Revdex.com. Before I can assist you with your case, I will need your reservation number. I look forward to your reply. Sincerely, [redacted]

Customer Relations Specialist

Office of Customer Relations

Washington, DC

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted] AMTRAK Case #: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because: AMTRAK did not disclose that the fare was non-refundable. When I cancelled the ticket, the automated phone person ([redacted]) stated that the ticket had been cancelled and the fare would be credited to the account from which it was purchased. This phone message is a matter of public record. It was not until later that I was informed that the fare would not be refunded.

Regards,

###-###-####

Review: My name is [redacted]. Will you please handle this letter as a complaint? My complaint is against Amtrak. My reason for writing this letter is to request my money back from the ticket that I purchased on July 3, 2014 of $89.00 from the [redacted] AZ station. The reason that I am requesting my money back is because the train was an hour late. I missed out on a personal business matter as a result of it.Furthermore, I would also like to report the employee that sold me my ticket. He was a white male working in the [redacted] station at 3:30 pm on July 3, 2014. I am certain that he was mistaken me as being someone else that he knew. However, it still does not excuse the inappropriate behavior that he displayed. I asked him if I made a reservation would I get my ticket at a cheaper rate, and he told me know. I was calling the reservation number from the telephone inside of the station prior to my approaching him. My travel was from [redacted] to Los Angeles. My ticket number was [redacted]. I did not make a prior reservation even though the ticket has a reservation number of [redacted] on the ticket.After I purchased the ticket I asked if I could check my cart and my bag. He did allow me to check the two items. However, the claim checks had 6-22-08 on one of them, another date from 08 on the other claim check. After he checked my bags he called me a whore, and he said, now whore you are going to go up. I tried to ignore him because; I know that I did not know him. I thought that he was having a mental problem. Because he then commenced to saying to me as if he knew me Ike won you two was whores. I resent what he said, because I am not a whore, and I have never been a whore. Furthermore, I do not know anyone named Ike.When I realized that he sold me an e-ticket with a reservation on it I went back up to him, and I told him that he made a mistake because I did not purchase an e-ticket and that I paid cash for my ticket. He responded you just got fked now you are going to go up. The train was getting ready to leave, and I did not have the time to speak to a supervisor. When I got on the train I was told by one of the other customers that I had a joint in my bag and now I am going to have a felony. I do not do drugs, and I do not transport drugs of any sort. I would have to be rded to check a bag knowing that I had a joint in my bag. I would not have missed the joint because, I was not responsible for placing a joint in my bag in the first place. When I retrieved my bag from baggage claim in Los Angeles it had a small plastic bag with a number inside the bag that was not in my bag when I checked it. I overheard the male employee talking to another employee in the [redacted] station by the name of Kathy planning to do something unethical towards me. I am writing this letter in hopes that he gets fired for what he did, and what he said to me. Even if he did make a mistake, and he thought that I was someone else his behavior was inappropriate, and very unethical. I pride myself on having a good character and for an Amtrak employee to plot against me and he may have planted drugs in my bag upsets me very much. If he did what he did to me and said what he said to me how many other people has he done this to? He should be fired and arrested in my opinion. I do hope that he is held accountable for what he did. Will you please have someone contact me as soon as possible via email? I would please like to have my money back as soon as possible. Thank you for your help and kindness regarding this matter. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Amtrak will lose business if the employees treat customers the way that I was treated by the employee in [redacted] AZ on July 3, 2014.Sincerely,[redacted]Desired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Other (requires explanation)

I would like a refund. I would also like the employee to be terminated. I overheard him plotting to do something unethical towards me while I was in the Amtak station. Rather he may have mistakened me for someone else or not no customer should be treated the way I was treated by him.

Business

Response:

From: S[redacted], Vanessa

Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2014 8:19 AM

To: '[redacted]

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: My husband, [redacted], is disabled. We traveled from PDX to SEA on 29 July 2014. The conductor told us to call customer service to let Amtrak know that husband is disabled.

My husband called Amtrak on 1 August 2014, per the conductor's suggestion. The customer services representative said she needed my debit card information to issue a $22.80 refund. The agent, however, did not issue a refund; she charged $22.80 to my card.

When we called Amtrak customer service, the agent my husband spoke with said that the previous agent charged my card because she gave my husband ADA seating, which changed our previous reservation. The agent said that she could not issue a refund for the additional money charged.

It is illegal, per the Americans with Disabilities Act, for Amtrak to charge extra for ADA seating. We did not make any changed to our reservation. All we did was let Amtrak know that my husband is disabled. According to Amtrak policy, agents should offer the lowest fare available, plus and extra 15 percent, for disabled passengers.Desired Settlement: I want a refund of $22.80.

Business

Response:

From: S[redacted], Vanessa

Sent: Friday, August 08, 2014 10:32 AM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: I traveled on Amtrak from [redacted] to [redacted] on 2/22/14. I paid 1 ADULT - AAA RAIL FARE

$103.50 and 1 SUPERLINER ROOMETTE $386.00.

I contacted Amtrak after the trip to complain that the raw sewer smell continually wafting into my sleeper throughout the trip surely must be a code violation. By midday of the last day I couldn't even stay in my sleeper unit due to the smell. The Car Attendant said he could smell it too but nothing could be done about it as the train would not be serviced until it got to [redacted].

In addition, I paid for a service (parlor car/dining) and it was not available for this trip.

I received an email to say a customer service representative would be in touch and no contact was made.

4/5 I received a check towards future travel from John Wojciechowski, Director of Office of Customer Relations for only $50.Desired Settlement: I would like my fare reimbursed for the total amount of $489.50

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Friday, May 02, 2014 3:14 PM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: Purchase reservation missed train by seconds was told that I forfeited entire amount and needed to pay full amount to purchase another ticket.

I purchased a round trip ticket and missed my train by seconds. I called to change reservation for the next train and was told that I should have went to ticket counter and let them know and because I did not call until I arrived back at my mother's residence I had forfeited the money for that ticket and had to pay the full amount for another reservation.

Place: Amtak terrain station in [redacted] New Jersey on May 12 at 11:35am purchased date May 1 2013. Reservation # [redacted] purchase with a [redacted] card in the amount of $154.00. Date of occurrence May 12, 2013.Desired Settlement: Forfeited ticket amount and purchase of new ticket amount.

Business

Response:

Sent: Friday, June 06, 2014 3:40 PM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Dear [redacted]:

We are in receipt of correspondence written on your behalf from the Revdex.com.

Before I can assist you with your case, could you please clarify for me if you are asking about a refund for two tickets or just one ticket. If you are asking about two different tickets, I will need the second reservation number.

I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

Customer Relations Specialist

Office of Customer Relations

Washington, DC

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], I responed to the email sent by Amtrak on June 8,2014 in a email that read:

Review: I am contacting the Revdex.com on behalf of my 72 year old mother who was mistreated and neglected on her recent trip with Amtrak from [redacted], Missouri to [redacted], IL. On March 7th, 2014, train 305, my mother was not let off at her stop. My mother was not prepared to be let of at her stop and the conductor Ms. D. Gardner neglegted to even check inside the car to ready the passenger to get off of the train. My mother is 72, with knee problems and requires assistance when boarding and deborading the train. She has utilized this service provided by amtrack consistantly on her rides to Illinois. Amtrak is fully aware that she is one of these passagers. [redacted] was fully aware that she was one of these passengers. When my mother got up to inform her off her error, her response was that she'll "let her off at the next stop and she'll be back to talk to her. She also told my mother that no one was out there waiting accept a man. That was a blatent lie. I was out there standing on the opposite side of the train and I watched the train pull up and leave. [redacted] never came back . My mother, again with the knee problems, had to find [redacted], because it had been a while and she had not returned to discuss the issue at hand. Finally, she found out that [redacted] was the next stop. While speaking to my mother, I asked her to ask [redacted] the condition of the station that they where throwing her out at (my words not my mothers) and she got no response. So I asked if [redacted] could speak with me for a minute about the station. I ask, because the original stop ([redacted], IL) is not manned by any human beings, is in the dark area with poor lightling. an elderly woman would be a perfect victim at the station, which is why I would never even be late picking her up from there. [redacted] could not take the time to talk to me and give me that answer. In the end of they wanted to drop her off in [redacted] Il, downtown [redacted], which is not a savory area at night. She would have to wait an hour until the strain came and it would take another 30 minutes for her to arrive back at the poorly lit, unmanded station, with no human beings in site. Mind you when I checked the arrival time of train [redacted], it was running approximately 20-30 minutes behind. Her original stop was for 5:37, this error and mistreatment of an elderly passenger, who normally speaks highly of her Amtrak rides, would arrive back at the intended stop at approximately 8:30. Neither my mother or myself had faith that the conducter on train [redacted] wouldn't do the same and neglect her like [redacted] did earlier. So, my husband and I drove 40 minutes away from our home 50 minutes away from her original stop in [redacted], IL and picked her up form the [redacted] train station. I imagine we should be lucky that her next stop was not [redacted]? I'm horrified at the treatment my mother got. This could have easily been a case where something could have happened to her if I was not there to look for her and look out for her. So far my mother and I have been shown that there is a value issue for human life and welfare when it comes to the elderly. My mother was mistreated and neglected during this recent amtrak journey. [redacted] virtually ignored her during her ride, during her stop and quickly wanted to remedy the situation by throwing her off of the train at the next stop..no matter where it was and who she would be around and with complete disregard for her health and safety. she paid to be let off in [redacted], IL. She was not let off in [redacted], IL. She is supposed to have help in preperation for boarding and deboarding the train, during her start and stop. She was not afforded that privilege at her stop. Instead she was ignored and forgot about, like so many elderly people. Bottom line, [redacted]s neglect and failure to do the job she's assigned to do and the job she's paid to do, caused this entire problem. But, the only one that was put out, was my mother. She and I lost time, we lost gas money and she lost some of her dignity.Desired Settlement: My mother would like to be compensated for her travel for the date of 3/7/2014 roundtrip, be given free travel for her next trip to Illinois with no expiration date and she would like retraining and discipline for [redacted] for mistreating her during her trip to [redacted], IL.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted], Vanessa

Sent: Monday, April 14, 2014 1:54 PM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: Amtrak's refund policy (when sleeper accomodation is involved) results in a 10% penalty for cancellation, when processed via the internet.

Amtrak's online refund policy states:

(1) That "the refund policy applies as soon as payment is made", which means it does not matter how soon the cancellation is made. and it does not state the amount of the penalty;

(2) For sleeper accommodations, "If canceled 15 or more days before scheduled departure, refund fee applies;" again, it does not state the amount of the penalty, but in view of (1) above, it obviously applies the instant a reservation is made.

(3) "There will be a 10% refund fee if the return of a paper value ticket" is involved in the cancellation; this is the only place "a 10% refund fee" is mentioned.

(4) "The sleeper refund policy applies to the entire trip."

Since it is not possible to make a sleeper reservation without immediate payment, it therefore means that it will cost 10% of the entire trip fare to cancel, no matter how soon after the reservation that the cancellation is made.Desired Settlement: At the very least, Amtrak MUST reword its refund policy as currently stated online. It should be made very clear that there is a 10% cancellation penalty FOR ANY RESERVATION INCLUDING A SLEEPER ACCOMMODATION FOR ANY PART OF THE TRIP!! This penalty cannot be avoided by early cancellation!

Additionally, Amtrak should refund the 10% cancellation penalty which was recently charged to me, in the amount of $68.66 USD.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2013 1:04 PM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Dear **. [redacted]:

We are in receipt of correspondence written on your behalf from the Revdex.com.

We were sorry to read about the difficulties you experienced regarding our Refund policy as it is stated on our website. Please accept our sincere apologies.

Amtrak does not offer refunds in these types of cases. However, I understand that, as a result of your conversation with our customer relations’ representative, a Transportation Certificate in the amount of $69.00, which is the same amount of the Refund fee charged, has been issued as compensation for your inconvenience. I hope that you will use it toward the purchase of your next Amtrak ticket purchase.

Once again, thank you for writing. While I cannot compensate you at the level you requested, we value your patronage and hope we may serve you again under better circumstances.

Sincerely,

Customer Relations Specialist

Office of Customer Relations

Washington, DC

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Friday, November 08, 2013 7:18 AM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Dear **. [redacted]:

Thank you for your response.

The Transportation Certificate was not mailed to you, but rather it was being held on file for your use. The expiration date was February 25, 2014; however, I will extend the expiration date to November 8, 2014 as a courtesy. The Certificate is not transferable. To redeem the Certificate, please call 1-800-USA-RAIL, make a reservation, and then ask to speak with Customer Relations. Our Customer Relations Representatives are available Monday through Friday, except holidays, between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Please note that your Certificate is being held electronically and can only be redeemed by calling Customer Relations. While it is not required, it is helpful if you refer to the case number at the bottom of this email when you call.

Once again, thank you for writing. We look forward to the privilege of serving you again in the future.

Sincerely,

Customer Relations Specialist

Office of Customer Relations

Washington, DC

Case #: [redacted]

From: [redacted] [mailto:[redacted]]

Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2013 4:31 PM

To: [redacted]

Cc: [redacted]

Subject: Re: Amtrak Response

I have received no such Transportation Certificate. I also hope you will change the wording on your web site to reflect the reality of your "no refund" policy.

Review: My Amtrak rewards account started with negative 6000 points, which I learned after I opened a new credit card with them. The company claims this was because there were expired points 5 years ago, and because there was a different company servicing the account back then, they cannot fix it. I think that they inadvertantly gave me someone else's old account number, because I did not previously have an account with them. All I want are the 6000 points back.Desired Settlement: Just want my 6000 points back.

Consumer

Response:

From: [redacted] <[redacted]>

Date: Mon, Jul 15, 2013 at 12:46 PM

Subject: Re: You have a new message from the Revdex.com of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania in regards to your complaint #[redacted].

To: [email protected]

if this is with regards to amtrak, they have resolved the issue. thank you.

Review: Hi! My family and I were looking to take the auto train for the first this Feb 2015. I went on line every day to check prices and sales for the last month. I finally seen a winter sale 20% off including my destination Lorton to Sanford on the auto train. on the website. www.amtrak.com I also was sent a email about the sale. I went right onto the web site and I did a booking for it. It would not give me a discount. I had my sister, husband, and best friend do the same thing. I finally decided to call Amtrak and they said there were no seats available for this offer. How can that be ...there are plenty of seats still available. My problem is that there is no way within 5 minutes of seeing the sale and getting the email that those discounted seats were sold out. I called and spoke to a rep and she was not helpful. So I asked to speak to another rep and she connected me to Michellene and she took all my info and gave me a case # and took my complaint. She did not attempt to resolve or further explain my issue. Just the basics.Desired Settlement: I want the sale price of what was listed on the website and the email that I received from Amtrak.

Business

Response:

Check Message tab.

Review: July 8, 2014

Amtrack Corporate Office Headquarters

50 Massachusetts Ave.

Washington DC 20002

To whom it may concerned,

I need to talk to someone about a train that was taken from [redacted] to [redacted] on Thursday, July 3rd. My mother-in-law took your train for a visit with our family over the July 4th weekend. She usually takes the bus to come over the mountains. This time she had thought that maybe the train would be a little more comfortable then the bus. At the time of purchasing her ticket she told your employee who sold the round trip ticket that she was disabled and that she would need assistance to get on the bus and could NOT walk up stairs.

My mother-in-law’s name is [redacted] and she is 79 years old. She has a steel rod down her leg from a hip replacement due to an accident around 15 years ago. Her ticket stated disabled. She is a very nice Senior citizen who does not complain much. But this time she did complain over the poor business ethics and how uncomfortable it was for her to wait for the train to arrive.

On Thursday, she sat and waited for her train to arrive. There was absolutely no consideration for others as well as her. They had to wait 4 hours for the train to arrive. This caused her a great deal of back pain and leg pain. Your company never thought anything about being 4 hours late. Customers were of no consideration to the late time. One of your employees stated that should have called before coming to the train station. My thought is that your company should have called those waiting! They were told that commercial business took precedence over the customers that were waiting for this 4 hour wait. There was no apology to anyone or reason. Customers were blown off! And that was the way it was and they could not do anything about it. Very, very poor customer service! And when people were loaded onto the train there was no consideration to the fact that [redacted] needed assistance to get on the train. She is 79 years old and walks with a limp! No one helped her! This trip took 3 times longer than it would have if she had taken the bus. That is horrible!

And her story continues to Sunday, July 6th. She was on train number [redacted] returning to [redacted]. Once again, there were problems with her trip home. She had a disabled ticket. The guy that was loading customers would not listen to her. She told him that she was disabled and her ticket was a reserved seat ticket and needed help. He did not care that she has problems with stairs or that the ticket she bought was suppose to allow her a assigned seat. He made her climb up stairs to the second level! She told him that she would need assistance climbing the stairs. His comment was, “He did not have the time to help her”! How outrageous! Especially since her ticket had printed on it, “DISABLED”! It is federal law that whether it is a public company or private company, “YOU MUST MAKE ACCOMODATIONS”! And furthermore, there was not a rest room on the second level. He would not let her use a restroom prior to climbing the stairs. My daughter took her to the train station herself and witness how they treated my mother-in-law. Shayla was shocked and tried to talk to the man that was boarding. Again, this was train 508. Shayla told me that she would be glad to talk with anyone regarding what she observed.

Is this the reputation that you want to put forward in regards to customer service? How would you like it if you were in her place? I expect that you return the money that she paid for her round trip. And what really makes me upset is that your employees did not treat her with any respect or consideration. Both ways, to [redacted] and her return to [redacted], WA..

So, my complaints are as follows:

• A 4 hour wait. No communication from your company that the train was going to be late.

• No accommodation for someone who is disabled. You violated the Washington state RWC code.

• She bought an assigned seat and the ticket also had disabled printed on it.

• No one would help get on the train or off of the train.

• She was made to go to the second level even after she pointed out that she was handicapped.

• No bathroom on second level so she had to come down the stairs and go back up the stairs to her seat. Again, with no help.

• She was treated with no respect.

• Your employees were rude as well. Especially on her trip back to [redacted].

• Poor customer service.

Expectation is:

• Refund her ticket in full.

• Issue her a free round trip ticket for a later date.

• Send a letter of apology.

You can reach me be letter (address listed below) or email [redacted]

Or by phone ###-###-#### please leave a message.

[redacted], WA [redacted]Desired Settlement: Expectation is:

• Refund her ticket in full.

• Issue her a free round trip ticket for a later date.

• Send a letter of apology.

Business

Response:

From: S[redacted], Vanessa

Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2014 1:24 PM

To: '[redacted]

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: I booked a train ticket for Sunday March 2nd at 6:05 am. However, there was no notification of a delay or anything even though I signed up for text alerts. Then when I checked the status it said the train was delayed until 7:20 a.m. I was at the train station at 5:55 and waited for almost 45 minutes out in the cold. When I would call customer service they said the train will be there at 7:20. Then 7:20 passes by and it is almost 7:40 and no update on the train. When I call customer service they said the train would was there at 7:20 am. They didn't have any answers or whereabouts. I was standing out in the cold for almost 3 hours in below freezing temperatures. After a while I got frustrated with the poor customer service and I decided to take a cab back home. The customer service representative would not let me talk to a supervisor or anything. I was refunded the money for the morning flight, but I want a refund for the evening flight as compensation for having to stand out in the cold in the below freezing temperatures without being told what was going on. Then in the evening flight, the conductors were unhelpful as I have a walking boot and the conductor didn't help with the luggage or anything. Then people were taking up 2 seats and sleeping. The train was delayed almost 2 hours. This was a horrible experience and service.Desired Settlement: I want a refund of both tickets as the service was horrible and I had to wait in below freezing temperatures for almost 3 hours without knowing where the train is. Then in the evening flight the conductors were horrible and train was delayed. My whole day went to a waste and then the next day I got sick with an 102 fever. I have never had such an bad experience with traveling before. I want a refund for all the troubles.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted], Vanessa

Sent: Friday, March 14, 2014 9:45 AM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: Reservation #[redacted]On 08.31.13 we booked online a rail vacation to the Grand Canyon. Vacation was paid in full. Trip was scheduled for Oct 5 thru 11, 2013. During this time the Government closed all the Nat'l Parks.Tues, Oct 5th, [redacted] contacted Amtrak Vacations. An individual named [redacted] was the first contact. [redacted] inquired about the park being closed due to the shut-down. [redacted] instructed [redacted] to wait a few days. [redacted] also asked if the park was still closed by Thurs, we would receive a full refund - [redacted] specifically asked if this would include the insurance and [redacted] replied that it would be a full refund including insurance. Thurs, Oct 3rd, the park was still closed. [redacted] called, [redacted] was out & [redacted] was the contact person on this date. Again, [redacted] asked [redacted] about the status of our vacation due to the park remaining closed. [redacted] said she would forward the info to the billing dept & [redacted] asked again if all would be refunded, incl insurance. She replied yes, incl insurance. The billing dept handles transactions on Fridays and we should see a credit on our card the following week during bus days. [redacted] was instructed to return the tickets & info we received via U.S. Mail. This was done on Fri, Oct 4.Approx. Oct 9/10, [redacted] noticed our credit card was only showing approx. 50% credit. [redacted] called Amtrak Vacations, this time talking to [redacted] (female). She stated the packet/tickets had not been received prior to the initial credit. She said she would make sure to send the remaining credit balance, incl ins, to bring us to the correct amount. Oct 16/17, [redacted] noticed another credit was made to our credit card. we were still missing $198; this is the amount we paid for trip protection/insurance. [redacted] called Amtrak Vacations immediately & talked to Maria. She said she forwarded the entire remaining balance to the bill dept; [redacted] forwarded [redacted] to the manager, [redacted] stated there was a mistake made and the insurance would not be refunded. [redacted] did e-mail us a $250.00 voucher.Desired Settlement: 10.17.13 eve. [redacted] left vmm to [redacted]; Voucher unacceptable as it would need to be used within year or void. [redacted] did not return call. 10.24.13 (10:05 am) [redacted] left message for [redacted] with [redacted]; call unreturned. 10.25.13 (2:44 pm) [redacted] left vmm to [redacted]; again, call unreturned.Three employees-[redacted] & [redacted] of Amtrak Vacations informed [redacted] we would receive 100% refund, including insurance. This is all we are asking for - the remaining $198 for trip protection/insurance.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Monday, December 09, 2013 4:43 PM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: I will copy and paste the letter I wrote on their Facebook page.

Dear Amtrak,

I appreciate that you have good, hardworking people running these trains and providing customer service. My problem is not with them, but rather the policies they have to adopt that are absolutely abhorrent.

I spend 402 dollars a month with you. I have a two hour commute into Philadelphia from Harrisburg, PA so that I can attend the University of Pennsylvania. Unfortunately on November 7th, a very windy night, my monthly pass blew out of my pocket and I was unable to retrieve it.

Instead of just being able to print me out another one, since you can see me, you can see that I paid, and the conductors can look me up in their system, your policy states that I have to buy another one. Right, I have to buy what I already bought. I asked for a one-time reprint due to the aforementioned circumstances, but I can't afford a second shot of 402 dollars in a month. So that night, I had to pay 27 dollars to get home.

During this ride, I called customer service, and after explaining to them the situation, they said they would take the remaining balance of my monthly pass, apply it toward a new one that I could pick up the next time I took the train, and pay the balance. By that logic, I would get what I already paid for for the rest of the month, but have to pay for what I already used. Whatever, it was better than having to buy another full monthly pass.

So tonight, I went to retrieve it, and it came up as the full 402 dollar cost. Since I didn't have that, it put me in the position of having to buy ANOTHER ticket to get home, thus making me pay another 27 dollars for something I already bought. I called customer service again, and they informed me that balance couldn't be used until the beginning of December on the NEXT monthly pass, not the one I need for getting through the rest of the month right now.

I find the way you make me keep paying for something I already purchased through you downright ridiculous, and the way you're treating someone who spends a lot of money with you just as much so. As I said, the conductors are wonderful, the ticket services people are very friendly, but the policies they have to enforce that screw people out of their money for making a small human error are insane. It's expensive enough to make a daily commute without having to pay repeatedly for something you already bought. The credit you gave me toward next month is nice, but does nothing to help me get through the rest of this month besides hoping I can get to a conductor and they can look it up for me. Seeing as in Philly they don't even let you down to the conductors without a ticket present, I don't like my chances.

I have written your customer service about this, and have received no response. When I have called customer service, they are not able to do anything about it. I will keep escalating until I can get an answer that makes sense, or I will go to the media and explain what I just did. Please make sense of this to me.Desired Settlement: All I want is credit for what I have already paid for, and to not have to repurchase something I already bought and made a human error in accidentally losing. I do not feel it is fair to force me to pay for something I already bought when they can clearly look it up on their system in two seconds.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Tuesday, November 26, 2013 4:58 PM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: I bought a TRAIN ticket on the website and was sold a BUS ticket.

I used the website to purchase a TRAIN ticket. I received a confirmation for my TRAIN ticket - a "thruway TRAIN ticket" to Santa Barbara and a "coach TRAN ticket" for Santa Barbara to San Diego.

The confirmation said it could was to be shown for boarding the TRAIN. The night before the trip I printed out the attached eticket (NOT required for boarding the TRAIN). The eticket said 'BUS thruway ticket'. This was the first time I saw the word 'BUS' on anything - including the website and the email confirmations.

As it was the night before - my son had to take the BUS to Santa Barbara.

This was a completely fraudulent sale. At no time was I informed that I was buying a BUS ticket - I was at the TRAIN website, given the TRAIN schedule, sold a 'TRAIN thruway ticket" and I was duped completely. If I had known I would be putting my son on the bus I most definitely would have bought a plane ticket instead.

Amtrak deliberately misled me and knowingly lied about the service they sold me.Desired Settlement: I would like AMTRAK to change their website and their descriptions of their tickets. A BUS ticket should be called a BUS ticket NOT a 'TRAIN thruway ticket"

Before a purchase is completed - the confirmation should say BUS if that is the mode of transportation.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Friday, May 03, 2013 2:50 PM

To: [redacted]

Subject: Amtrak Response

Dear [redacted]: We are in receipt of correspondence written on your behalf from the Revdex.com. Could you please provide me with the reservation number for your son's travel and or the date of travel so that I can assist you with your complaint? I look forward to your reply. Sincerely, [redacted]Customer Relations SpecialistOffice of Customer RelationsWashington, DC Case #: [redacted]

Review: My younger son purchased 2 Amtrak tickets for him and his brother to come home for Thanksgiving from university studies. The tickets were purchased on Nov 03. Today, Nov 20, my son received an email from Amtrak that one of the 2 reservations was cancelled. I called Amtrak to resolve this issue and was told that my older son needed to call within 24 hours, to make his own reservation. I asked what would happen if I couldn't get in touch with either son within the 24 hours and I was informed that the new fare would reflect the day's current value, now $100 more than the fare on Nov 03. I inquired why Amtrak waited 17 days to contact its customer about this matter. [redacted] in reservations couldn't answer for me. I asked to speak with a Supervisor in Customer Support. I was transferred to [redacted], a customer support rep, who explained that he would not transfer me to a Supervisor because as a customer support agent, he could answer my questions. When I asked him about the 24 hour 'courtesy hold' on the ticket price, he told me that was not true but the 24 hour hold is what was spoken, but not true. He removed any hold on the ticket price and said he maintained a price that reflects a student discount, pending the discount code. When I asked why Amtrak did not contact the customers earlier, he laughed and told me that it didn't matter whether Amtrak's customers are notified of any situations in a 'timely manner'. I continued to ask to speak with a Supervisor, and I was repeatedly refused. I was not treated in a respectful manner for an issue that stems from Amtrak's lack of customer attention so that this manner could have been resolved on Nov 03, the date of the ticket purchases.Desired Settlement: I'm not sure what settlement I'm looking for: 1. Amtrak should not take 17 days to find any discrepancies, which in this case was an 18 year old buying 2 train tickets---1 for him and 1 for his older brother---to spend Thanksgiving with their parents. 2. Customers should not be disrespected or laughed at by vendors or vendor employees. 3. Any ticket fare reflective of the date of purchase, with or without a student discount, should be offered to the customer who was wronged. 4. At the most basic level, some apology should have been offered for Amtrak's negligence toward its customers as well as for the poor customer service provided to paying customers.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2013 2:35 PM

To: '[redacted]

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: I purchased a ticket for the Amtrak Train number 63 for Sunday, December 1st going form New York Penn Station to [redacted], New York. I arrived on time and my ticket was scanned (checking me into the train). We left on time (at 7:15 AM) and began our journey. Right before we left, there was a major accident on the Metro-North line. Due to the severity of the derailment of that train, the entire railroad was shut down and our train was forced to turn around and go back to our original station (Penn Station). After 3 hours of waiting a customer service representative came onto the train and informed us that they had absolutely no estimated time of leaving and if we could find an alternative route, we could do so and call the 800 number to receive a refund due to the circumstances. That being said, I got off of the train and found an alternative route. However, when I call the department, in their system it says that I was checked into the train ride and they cannot undo the process. They have put me on hold with their "refund research" department for over 4 hours and I am furious. Apparently there is nothing that they can do for me however, I paid for a service that they did not provide for me and I would like my money back. I cannot believe that a business such as this has no way to handle this situation.Desired Settlement: I paid for this ticket via my credit card. I have been told due to the fact that they cannot refund my credit card, that they will give me an evoucher. However, due to this terrible nature of the way this whole situation was handled I am never planning on using their services again. I would like the money I paid (87.00) sent to my debit card and/or in a check mailed to me.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted], Vanessa

Sent: Thursday, December 05, 2013 3:40 PM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: I took an AMTRAK train from [redacted] to [redacted], IL on Nov 7, 2013 at 5:55 pm (AMTRAK [redacted]). When I got on board, a conductor (whose first name is [redacted] as he called himself) yelled at me

behind my back and asked me where to go. I was frustrated with his behavior and called his colleague, another conductor. The first conductor, [redacted], then

approached me with a very aggressive attitude. I told him that it was not appropriate for a conductor to shout at any passenger. We then had an argument. He

called the police when the train stopped at [redacted], IL, and then refused me to get back to the train. I was stranded at the station and had to find a hotel to stay

overnight before taking the train next morning. I called the customer relations department of AMTRAK and asked for help. The staff didn't do anything, except for

documenting the report. I felt shocked at what happened to me and psychologically hurt. I want to file a complaint against AMTRAK and request a refund of my tickets, hotel expenses,

and a formal apology from the company. It would be greatly appreciated if I could be contracted immediately. Thank you.Desired Settlement: I request a refund of my tickets, hotel expenses, and a formal apology from the company.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Monday, December 02, 2013 3:28 PM

To: '[redacted]

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: I cancelled Auto Train reservation [redacted] on November 12, 2012. I anticipated a refund of the fare charged of $817. I was informed that I would receive a voucher for future travel (we do not plan any travel on Amtrak) and if the voucher was unused within 12 month the monetary value would be lost. I called Amtrak repeatedly to reach their Customer Relations area and were never connected or told to call back and wait in queue. To lose all of my money for a cancelled fare is unethical and unfair.Desired Settlement: I am seeking a refund of the fare amount of $817.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2013 1:23 PM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Dear **. and [redacted]:

We are in receipt of correspondence written on your behalf from the Revdex.com.

We were sorry to read that you were unhappy that you were charged a refund fee for cancellation of your trip. The Refund policy is stated on our website and it also appears in all Amtrak Timetables. Please accept our apologies for your inconvenience.

After a review of your reservation, we found that the actual Refund fee charged was 10%, which amounted to $81.70 not $817.00. As a token of our regrets for your disappointment, we are holding on file for you a Transportation Certificate in the amount of $81.70. The Certificate must be redeemed on or before November 7, 2014 and is not transferable. We hope you will use it toward your next Amtrak ticket purchase. To redeem the Certificate, please call 1-800-USA-RAIL, make a reservation, and then ask to speak with Customer Relations. Our Customer Relations Representatives are available Monday through Friday, except holidays, between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Please note that your Certificate is being held electronically and can only be redeemed by calling Customer Relations. While it is not required, it is helpful if you refer to the case number at the bottom of this email when you call.

Once again, thank you for writing. We look forward to the privilege of serving you again in the future.

Sincerely,

Customer Relations Specialist

Office of Customer Relations

Washington, DC

Case #: [redacted]