DRL Coach Lines Ltd

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 9, 2017/10/24) */
Revdex.com Complaint Case #[redacted]
Consumer: [redacted]
Attached to this letter is the e-mail correspondence between DRL and [redacted]. Additionally, one of our office staff,[redacted], talked by phone with[redacted], 3:15 to 3:** pm on 21 September 2107...

about the same issue.
Part of DRL's response in writing to[redacted], and her three travelling companions, on 07 September 2017 was as follows:
Ladies, we are truly grateful to you as patrons of our transportation service as we are to many thousands of other people of all ages and from all "walks of life" whom DRL has professionally transported across our great province, currently with 24 stops along the Trans-Canada Highway between Port aux Basques and St. John's, simultaneously east and west, 365 days a year since 1996, in all kinds of winds, weathers, and road conditions.
Given the volume of passengers, pieces of luggage, and Road Pak carried by DRL, in travelling approximately one million kilometres per year, it is inevitable that some issues are going to arise, and these we faithfully try to address in an educational and reasonable manner.
From our company's perspective, this issue was addressed in an educational and reasonable manner.
Company policy is that "purchased tickets are non-refundable".
DRL safely transported the passenger from Point A to Point B in a very timely manner.
Respectfully Submitted,
[redacted]
Manager
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (**00, 11, 2017/10/25) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
DRL bus lines has failed to address the crux of our complaint. The issue is the bus that we boarded had a pre-existing maintenance deficit and it was still put into service for a long haul across Newfoundland. We understand completely that things can happen mid trip, as stated in the company's response. However this is not one of those instances. From the DRL website the maintenance teams are "proficient and competent" and from our experience the company failed in meeting its own standards. Passengers on the bus were subjected to the strong odour of heated human waste for the long bus ride. We heard from DRL staff who changed shifts during our journey "Hasn't this bus been fixed yet?". There are a number of options DRL had at the time. For example, passengers could have been advised before they boarded the bus that there was a pre-existing maintenance issue and allowed us to decide whether or not we would take the journey. While the company refers to its policy of 'purchased tickets are non-refundable', we know policies are courses of action, they are not legislated and exceptions can be made. It can be argued it did not comply with its policy of proficiently and competently maintaining the bus we rode in and since there was an exception in that case, there can be an exception to the policy of no refunds.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2017/10/**) */
Revdex.com Complaint Case #[redacted]
Consumer: [redacted]
Second Response to Revdex.com; fourth communication with Consumer
In response to the Consumer's Rebuttal, 2017.10.25, we beg to differ on the statement that DRL failed to address the crux of the complaint!
Consumer was sent a detailed e-mail on 07 September 2017, and engaged in a 15 minute phone conversation on 21 September 2017.
Secondly, the Consumer's quote that one of DRL staff said, "Hasn't this bus been fixed yet?" may not necessarily have been about the complaint to which Consumer was referring.
Anyway, since DRL has a policy that "purchased tickets are non-refundable in whole or in part", as documented in the e-mail sent to Consumer on 07 September 2017, the company is prepared to provide a 35% discount on a one-way ticket between any two stops on the daily line-haul run, on the Island of Newfoundland, between Port aux Basques and St. John's, within a year from the date of this e-mail. That is 10 - 20% greater than the typical discount provided by major airlines for issues arising from the service they provide. And, the affected passengers stating that they do not intend to take a flight within a year basically goes unnoticed.
Trust this is satisfactory. Respectfully
submitted,
[redacted]
Manager
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 15, 2017/10/31) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
The proposed resolution is not acceptable. There is no practical use for a discount on a future ticket if we will not be anywhere near any DRL bus routes within the next year in order to use a discount. Since DRL is resolute in its unwillingness to provide a partial refund, here are two options that we put forward to draw this complaint to a close:
1. DRL, rather than providing a refund of $** X 4 passengers which they are patently unwilling to do, makes a $[redacted] donation to the [redacted] (or another benevolent agency in the area). We would expect evidence/a receipt of such a donation. We would find this resolution acceptable and would consider the matter closed.
2. If DRL does not find the above acceptable, then we wish to end the back and forth and have this case noted as unresolved on the Revdex.com website. The perspectives on the issue would be available for future passengers and others in the public domain to read and form their own conclusions.