US Coachways, Inc.

US Coachways has reviewed the consumers complaint and has denied a request for a refund. US Coachways understand that the consumer is not used to supplying drivers accommodations but it has always been US Coachways policy that the consumers supply drivers with lodging if there trip legally...

requires it. I have attached a copy of the consumers contract that clearly shows the consumer was made aware that lodging be supplied at the consumers expense.

US Coachways regrets that it had to cancel the consumer; but unfortunately we have no way of knowing that a mechanical breakdown would incur.US Coachways is like no other transportation provider; we cannot be responsible for mechanical failure and although the consumer may think...

otherwise it is unrealistic to have a replacement vehicle on standby for every client that books.  The consumer will be refunded in full however we cannot reimburse for any additional cost the consumer has mentioned as this is explained in the terms and conditions in which the consumer entered into.

The consumer was refunded $300.00 on 9/** The consumer must check with there bank

We have reviewed the consumers complaint and have offered a $300.00 refund.

As explained in the complaint; the consumer logged online to our website to request a location change of their pickup location; any changes made online the consumer is notified no changes can be guaranteed unless a confirmation is given in which this case was not.   US Coachways does concur the consumer called dispatch and spoken with [redacted] who had requested the status of the bus; below is a statement from [redacted] describing the detail of events.   Client called asking for her bus, I contacted the driver and he said that he'll be approximatly15mins late once I told the client this she stated does he have the new address? The new address was for a Brooklyn pick up and the original pick up was in Harlem . The request for the itinerary change was never confirmed and was updated 2 hours prior to pick up. Dispatch directed the driver to the new address in Brooklyn which took him over an hour to get to. the clients called several times and then decided to take their own transportation to the destination..   Based on this information; US Coachways does not agree to offer the consumer a refund as it was at the result of the consumer that the bus was not in the correct location and was the consumer who decided to cancel services.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my...

complaint has NOT been resolved because:

[Your Answer Here]
The company is 1) Lying and 2) Has stolen thousands of dollars from our group and has not returned it, or made recompense for leaving us stranded by the highway at 430 am for three hours in the freezing cold and forcibly canceling our trip. Here is how I know they are lying.1) They claim there weren't enough buses. This makes no sense and is not an excuse. We booked and PAID IN FULL for our bus weeks in advance. If the company is accepting money for services and goods they do not have, then this is a SCAM.2) The company - oddly enough - in its response contradicts its own claim that there were not enough buses. The company implies that they did have a bus for us by claiming the bus could not come because of a "mechanical issue."3) The "mechanical issue" excuse is a lie, after-the-fact, to cover the company's fraud. How do I know? Because our group called the company multiple times during the three hours we waited in the freezing winter cold for our bus to show up, and the company's dispatch service assured us they had a bus, but the problem was "they could not find a driver."  So, in summary, the company's excuses are mutually exclusive and it must be lying in at least 2 out of 3 of them (but I think we have very good reason to believe the company is lying in all 3 excuses). Furthermore, even if one were to accept any of the company's excuses, they do not justify the company's complete and utter failure to provide service. It also does not justify or remediate: 4) The FRAUD the company has perpetrated. It has FAILED TO PROVIDE A REFUND of OVER $3400 to our group. We were told by the company in writing that we would get a refund the next day. It's now 10 days later and....no refunds! This is called GRAND LARCENY. So the company is ALSO LYING IN ITS CLAIM THAT IS HAS ISSED REFUNDS. I have many written records and 55 witnesses to corroborate every inch of my account.    
 
 
 
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint...

ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

[Your Answer Here]
 
They did not give a timeline and leaving it that open ended is not acceptable. As a person on that bus that was stranded, I am a consumer!  
 
 
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

We cannot control the flow of how long the credit take to appear on the consumers credit card. We offered them a lower rate then what they are legally responsible for.

US Coachways has looked into this matter and found not evidence to support the consumers claim of reckless driving or endangering the passengers safety.I find it hard to believe that based on these allegations that the consumer would not have contacted the authorities if they felt there...

life's had been in danger. US Coachways stands by its offer of a $50.00 credit to be used towards future services. ?

After careful consideration and review US Coachways final offer is $1700.00 ation.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

[Your Answer Here]
 This does not resolve fact that they did not cover the tolls or that they did not refund us. Completely unacceptable.  
 
 
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

I have reviewed the consumers complaint and decline the
request for a refund of $1585.00
 As per the provisions of the agreement in which the
consumer entered and agreed upon the following provisions. 
 
First Come First Serve:
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Charters are reserved on a first come, first serve basis U.S.Coachways, Inc. reserves the right to cancel this reservation if your requested vehicle is has mechanical fault. If your requested vehicle is unavailable due to mechanical fault you may approve U.S. Coachways, Inc. to continue to seek other alternative vehicles to accommodate your travel needs. Authorizing U.S.Coachways, Inc. to seek another vehicle may increase your charter cost rate, you may decide at that point if you would like to proceed with the new vehicle and new charter rate or cancel your entire contract and receiving a full refund of all monies paid at that time.
Service Charge:
All charters include a 15% service charge which includes a minimal gratuity to the driver, tolls and fuel surcharge. An additional 5% administrative fee which is not included in your charter cost will be added to the total amount to be charged on your credit
card authorization form. This fee enables us to provide you with a dedicated Project Manager for your charter, 24hr Dispatch Service and 24hr Customer Service.
 
Back on 07/**/204 @ 19:59:06 the client [redacted] logged online from their PC which their IP address has been recorded as [redacted] from Ontario California agreed to the terms and conditions of our contract. It is the consumers
responsibility to fully understand the contractual terms and provisions of our agreement.
In good faith US Coachways has offered to waive the 5% admin fee which would result in a $305.25 refund should the consumer accept. 
 
  The client booked online and has agreed to the Terms and
Contract.
[redacted]
Client: [redacted]

Please consider this case closed as the consumer has accepted a $450.00 refund.

Per the provisions of the agreement; please see attached the consumer agreed to the following....US Coachways Payment PolicyU.S. Coachways requires a valid credit card to hold and secure your reservation. U.S. Coachways requires card holders signature or reservation will not beprocessed. Your credit card will be charged for deposits and balances (deposit 30% due upon receipt of confirmation - full balance due 30 days prior to departuredate) US Coachways also accepts wire transfers, ACH payments, certified checks, business checks, personal checks and money orders. US Coachways is notresponsible for any overdrawn bank fees. Customers paying by check authorize US Coachways to authorize your credit card to secure the full amount of thecharter. The client agrees if check is not received within payment due date that US Coachways will charge your credit card for the full charter cost. If thereservation is made within 15 days of charter date a certified check wire transfer or ACH Payment must be received. No exceptions.Client is responsible to payparking permits upon arrival to NATIONAL AND STATE PARKS AS REQUIRED.Any change that incurs additional fees, those fees are due when change is confirmed. First Come First ServeCharters are reserved on a first come, first serve basis. US Coachways reserves the right to cancel this reservation if your requested vehicle is unavailable, hasmechanical fault, or if client is late on their payments. If your requested vehicle is unavailable you may approve US Coachways to continue to seek otheralternative vehicles to accommodate your travel needs. Authorizing US Coachways to seek another vehicle may change your charter cost rate. You may decideat that point if you would like to proceed with the new vehicle and new charter rate. Cancellation Policy:The Cancellation Policy applies to all clients including those clients that reserve vehicle less than 30 days of departure. US Coachways must receive allcancellation requests in writing stating the charter number, departure date and reason for cancellation via email or fax (###-###-####). Verbalcancellation requests will not be accepted as valid. To be valid a cancellation must be made by the person whose name appears on the contract.Charters are subject to cancellation by US Coachways if payments are not made by due date.

We have reviewed the consumers complaint and have declined any request for a refund.  Before the consumer had made the purchased the consumer had read and agreed to the companies general terms and conditions. As per the provisions of the agreement the consumer has accepted that a 10%...

administrative fee is not included in the total quoted amount of $1361.25 The consumer also opted in to purchase “Cancellation Protection Insurance” for an additional cost of $29.99 The consumer was never informed that the credit card would not be charged; per the provisions of the agreement the consumer agreed that by supplying the credit card they are agreeing  that the card will be charged for any deposits and balances.  It is very apparent from this complaint the consumer did not fully read and or understand the terms and conditions before entering into agreement with US Coachways.  Please consider to close this case based on the information provided.

Once again I direct the consumer to the following provision and ask the Revdex.com to close this case.     “This company shall not be liable for items...

left on the vehicle or loss of time to due to mechanical failure, inclement weather, or road conditions (road repair, accidents) or other acts which U.S. Coachways, Inc. has no control.”

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response...

made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:
#1. This case was first brought to the attention of the NY General Attorney's office, who just serves as mediators on this type of customer complaint's matters.
#2. Then two members representing the group, [redacted], one of which signed the contract with this bus company, US Coachways, Inc., (USCI) ultimately decided to accept their offer after we made several strong efforts directly with them and then the above agency and now with the NYRevdex.com.  However, TO BE CLEAR it was NOT accepted due to being SATISFIED.  Their offer amounted to pretty much just over 8 cents on the dollar of the estimated lost amount—well over $11,500.  This is partly because some members came as far away as Brazil and other distant places at great personal expense.  The LOSS could have been GREATER if tallied even more comprehensibly for the actual bottom line cost.  INSTEAD, their offer was accepted because [redacted] DID NOT WANT TO SPEND another $500 to bring the case to ARBITRATION.  This would have been the next step and the only legal avenue the group had to pursue as per the
contract and/or possible costly protracted litigation. Even the legal option of bringing it to Small Claims Court for a potential maximum of $5,000 would also have not worked because of this arbitration clause in the contract.  The very restrictive contract USCI makes customers sign is riddled with all types of smaller print conditions that really only protects them.  Clearly, the only implication one can make from the use of these provisions is they addressed most likely multiple prior customer complaints.  Unfortunately, a regular lay person is typically not initially super suspicious or legally savvy, especially of such an innocuous thing as a simple bus trip, to have avoided signing it. From all their splashy wonderful advertisements and
referrals on their website, signing their contract just seemed just another formality that this business required and had to meet. After this incident on April [redacted], we since have researched USCI much more thoroughly, among them with the NY Attorney General’s office, NY Revdex.com, and several other public referral websites, finding out we should have done so beforehand.
#3. Lastly, USCI’ [redacted]’s, [redacted], defense that they did perform the service just because they were there on time (we or anyone else can’t really attest to that claim), ready to drive us to our destination, and the driver parked the (UNMARKED) bus on the large parking lot (WAY BACK) to wait for us, are by themselves indefensible because of the following other factors that follow.  
(A) We met their required payment plan well in advance of the day in question, as per their contract. They were in possession of all our fare by the date in question.
(B) We ALSO arrived at the [redacted] well before the pickup time, ready, able and anxious to have fun for that once in a lifetime 50 year high school reunion. We waited by the entrance lobby’s open and visible area to anyone from the outside. There was NO other place to wait at. They must know or we assume that they do, being in this business, that without transportation we could go nowhere.  And, since when is it common knowledge/practice that a group of people must go around parking lots looking for their rides and walking
extensively, abled bodied or not, elegantly dressed, as it is the implication USCI contends?  
(C) ALL OUR PLANS HINGED SQUARELY ON THEIR PROVIDING THE CONTRACTED TRANSPORT.  Just because they defend “SHOWING UP ON TIME AND PARKING ON THE PARKING LOT”—out of sight far back on the parking lot, without ANY BUS MARKINGS TO INDICATE CLEARLY THIS WAS THEIR BUS—does not excuse their apparent absence and/or absent-minded lack of communication or training between the office and their driver. If nothing else, most importantly had the driver had/used experience and common sense, he could always have come out reaching us on foot if necessary!
(D) When [redacted] alleges there was a “DELAYED CONNECTION” between the dispatcher, driver and us, it was also a question of too-little-to-late type of thing.  We did begin calling USCI literally minutes after the official pick-up time with no one answering, and leaving messages. After about ½ we heard from a dispatcher who would contact the driver telling him we were there. He never contacted us. Instead we have pictures of him relaxing behind the wheel with ear buds on listening to music or something. By the time we all finally found each other,
and only due to one of our member’s desperate attempt to find this phantom bus, it was due to going on an expedition search in this large parking lot. Then, the driver told us it was too late to make it from [redacted] to [redacted].  Even then we tried delaying [redacted]’ departure when contacted to wait for us but it could not do so for they had other parties on the boat.
(E) We did not “MAKE THE CHOICE”, as [redacted] claims in her answer, to stay at the hotel. RATHER, IT WAS A MATTER OF THEY MISHANDLING OUR AFFAIR AND WE HAD NO OTHER CHOICE! Without this chartered paid bus, we had no other pre-paid, arranged affair to substitute it this late (around 8PM) AND with such a large group. WE HAD TO STAY, PERIOD. Actually it was cheaper to now stay there at the hotel to have a meal and salvage the rest of the night as best as possible, than do or go someplace else. Of course, it naturally had to turn into an
unplanned involuntary expense, all of it unnecessary, as it had been included and paid for already as part of the cruise, with appetizer and a meal, alcoholic beverages and  entertainment—let alone all the additional fun/emotional activities we separately planned geared to a boat experience.  Since USCI, messed us up, are we now supposed to just do nothing after all the emotional planning due to their irresponsible mishandling of our trip?  Additionally, members who came from far away who paid to participate on the cruise also paid for an extra hotel night that otherwise they didn’t have too.
(F) It was USCI and its driver’s responsibility to make it his business once on the premises to seek us out and announce his arrival in one way or another. It was the driver’s obligation to know who his party was and exactly where he was going. We later found out that he wasn’t even sure of these details. It should have been standard for him to seek us at the [redacted]’s front lobby and/or call us back after we repeatedly tried early on to contact their dispatcher.  If necessary, he could have met us either outside by the parking lot upon VERBAL advisement first (not customary), and/or quickly drive to the customary entrance pickup area where all other uses/limos/cars/taxis were already using, coming and going. Contrary to [redacted]'s contention, we didn't expect him to "stay parked at the [redacted] Hotel entrance" but we were totally ready instead to board immediately upon him showing up. Again, this is
what is customary, and what all of us have experienced with other charter bus trips. We are after all "Seniors"!
(G) If, as they attempted to claim later after the incident—AND NOT ON THEIR CONTRACT, BY THE WAY—that they do not pick up at the proper entrance as customary, then they SHOULD HAVE ORIENTED US to that fact well before our event as part of their obligations to the customer. It was NEVER explained in any manner, WRITTEN NOR VERBAL. 
In summary, not even having gotten ALL our money back could have ever replaced that memorable night.  It’s lost forever, however replacing just the monetary value of this occasion would have been a small consolation than to feeling we were duped, instead!  We (50 members) only will have one fifties year reunion in each one of our lifetime. USCI acted in an inefficient, irresponsible manner and their satisfaction claims are without merit.  Judging by other research we conducted on their background, it is our opinion they should not be in the business of providing transportation. They do not appear to even own any transportation vehicles even though they present themselves on their website as a major nationwide operation, offering a myriad of services accommodating from the small to the large. Rather, it appears their small office is in the business to subcontract all these services to independent business' owners sprinkled throughout the nation. This would make it impossible to have a handle on quality control of such services.  [redacted]’s “GOOD FAITH” claim FOR REFUNDING us ONLY our bus fare was merely as a result of our contacting government agencies for help, FORCING US TO SPEND EXHAUSTIVE TIME AND EFFORT, adding insult to injury.  It was VEHEMENTLY RESISTED BY SEVERAL CONTACTED INDIVIDUALS AT USCI WHEN WE TRIED TO AT FIRST RESOLVE THIS CONFLICT WITH THEM DIRECTLY. In our opinion, after our devastating experience,
we don’t consider them a trustworthy business that we can ever recommend.  There are 50, [redacted] members, [redacted] Lobby staff, and a manager who witnessed and can attest to our desperation, anxiety, and attempts we made that evening to connect with US Coachways, Inc. to no timely avail.    
?
Sincerely,
[redacted]

As per our previous offer US Coachways will apply the cancellation fee towards future services.Please consider this case closed.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the...

matter has been resolved.
Sincerely,
[redacted]   This issue has been resolved. Thanks

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:
[Your Answer Here]
Yes, I agree that US Coachway stated a refund was issued. This was stated via email and on a telephone conversation with [redacted]. As I stated before, I have not signed any refund release form so until I see the funds in my account, I can not go on your (US Coachway) word alone. Also, as I also previously stated, I spoke to [redacted] on numerous occasions and he was the one who told me about the $100 cancellation fee. I have no emails from him besides a quote but I spoke to him on the phone on more than one occasion. You can ask him for your documentation but I'm sure memory may escape him. Maybe you record your calls.. That way you will have the proof. Can US Coachway send me a form to be signed by myself and them to solidify this refund? I don't trust that it was actually sent off and that this is being told to Revdex.com so that the case can be closed.
Concerning the final confirmation you posted, well it does state that, "client not confirmed charter details resolved". What exactly does that mean? That definitely does not look like a final confirmation to me. I paid a deposit of $1628.38 as stated per US Coachway's policy and logged on to the system to see why a second charge of $1799.56 had posted to my account. That prompted a call from me by which I was told it was a "glitch". So not sure what you were trying to point out with that "confirmation".
Lastly, I've read your terms and conditions. I'm actually still waiting on the polity proof that states the full balance will be charged almost 60 days prior to the trip date... Don't worry, I'll wait. This was done by US Coachways on January **, 2014. You can quote policy when it's convenient for you but when one of your employees tells a customer wrong information AND you (US Coachway) also go against company policy and blame it on a glitch is not fair at all. US Coachways has done nothing to accommodate! You are giving us a refund but thats not accommodating us, we deserve that. BUT to sit here and say you won't return ALL of our funds is ridiculous. You all knowingly made a mistake (the mistake of charging us two times) and are not taking responsibility is both unprofessional and my final recommendation is to NOT close this case.
 
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
[redacted]