Amtrak

Review: I spoke with [redacted] (Customer Service Specialist) to make reservations and received terrible service. She was VERY rude and disrespectful. Furthermore, she hindered me from making return reservations and I may not be able to at this point seeing that the return trip I would like is currently sold out. I then spoke with her Direct Supervisor ([redacted]) whom was just as rude and uncaring as [redacted]. I am very disappointed with the service I received on Friday. I have done plenty of business through Amtrak and was not treated the way I was by both [redacted] and [redacted]. It's a pity to have people displaying this type of Customer Service representing a company.Desired Settlement: I would like for both [redacted] and [redacted] to personally give me a call and apologize for their discourteous behavior.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted], Vanessa

Sent: Friday, May 02, 2014 4:51 PM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: October 19, 2013

To whom it may concern,

This letter should be considered a formal declaration of complaint regarding the Amtrak trip from [redacted], OH to [redacted], SC. We left [redacted] on Friday, October 11 and arrived in [redacted] on Saturday morning, October 12, on Train No. ** Silver Meteor.

My husband and I both checked our luggage because, as older adults, we both thought this would be the least physically challenging way for us to travel.

When my husband and I arrived and went to the baggage claim area, our luggage was not there. [redacted], the ticket agent on duty, told us that she would begin checking to find our luggage by making phone calls and sending e-mails to all of the possible locations where our luggage might be. [redacted] had no idea of what could have happened to our luggage.

Given this vague information and no offer of compensation to replace our clothes so that we could continue our trip, I called the Amtrak toll-free number to make reservations to return to [redacted] on the scheduled train leaving [redacted] that Saturday evening (the same day we had arrived). The agent that I spoke with advised me that there was only one reservation available on the train heading to [redacted]. When I explained our situation, the agent I spoke with said they could not make any exceptions. The next train would not be leaving until Tuesday, October 15 or Saturday, October 19. Given this information, we returned to the Amtrak station and requested a refund for our return trip to [redacted]. We made the decision to rent a car and spend the night in [redacted] and drive home the next day.

I received a call from [redacted] at approximately 7 PM Saturday evening stating our luggage had still not been located.

Before we left on Sunday, October 12, I called the [redacted] station again. Only my husband’s luggage had been located, but no one had called to inform us of this feet -I only found out because I called to check. We returned to the station and picked up my husband’s luggage. Since we were leaving to drive home, I left my home address, e-mail address, cell and landline numbers.

On October 13, we arrived home. I called the [redacted] Amtrak station. I was informed that my luggage had arrived and had been sent to my home and that I should receive it Tuesday afternoon. Again, it is worth noting that I only found this out because I made an outbound call to Amtrak; no one from Amtrak considered calling me to inform me of this fact.

I understand that lost luggage is not uncommon with connecting flights, but how a train loses a customer’s luggage is beyond me and completely unacceptable. And, to make matters worse, Amtrak’s customerDesired Settlement: see Attached document

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Monday, December 09, 2013 4:26 PM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: On Monday, July 15 2013, my husband and I were travelling from [redacted], Texas to [redacted], Illinois, en route to attend the funeral of my husband's father. During the last leg of the trip, approximately 2-3 stops before we were to get off the train in [redacted], the AC broke. We were forced to ride over 45 minutes with no air whatsoever in the train. To say that the ride was uncomfortable would be an understatement. We sat there in our expensive Sleeping Accommodations sweating profusely and fanning ourselves in an attempt to get whatever air we could. This was not what we imagined would happen when we paid over $1,000 for our tickets. At the next stop, with still a couple stops to go we were forced to evacuate the train, which took at least another 45 minutes to complete. After evacuation of the broken Amtrak train we were put on the [redacted] Rail and told that it would take us to its station, at which time a shuttle would await the evacuated Amtrak passengers and take us to the [redacted] station. After waiting for well over an hour in the heat, there was still no shuttle, and we were already over 3 hours behind schedule. We eventually caught a cab (additional expense) to get to the [redacted] station, and were informed while there that the shuttle had still not gotten there to pick up the displaced Amtrak passengers that we had rode with. We picked up our luggage and sought to rent a car as was our original plan, but because of the delayed hour we did not set out on the trip until after 6pm, which would have been the time we would have gotten to our destination ([redacted], OH). At that late an hour, we would not have gotten to our destination until well after 1am. Due to the late hour - and the fact that we were exhausted from having to ride in a train with no AC, then evacuated from that train, forced onto the rail, made to wait for a shuttle that did not show for a couple hours - we were exhausted and decided to buy a train ticket from [redacted] to [redacted]. This was yet another expense we had not budgeted for but were forced to spend because of repairs required and the subsequent delays of the Amtrak train. What's more, in addition to the added expense which made our tally well over $1500 with Amtrak, we did not get into town until 5:35 am the day of the funeral, and the funeral was set to start 4 hours later. We were not able to meet with family, but had to rush to shower and head right out to the funeral. Because of our Amtrak experience an already stressful time was made more stressful and unnecessarily complicated. When we called to complain about our ordeal we were offered a measly $11 compensation or a $200 transportation credit with no mention or concern about the additional $329 ticket we'd had to purchase because of Amtrak's repairs and delays. We would like to request a refund on the ticket from [redacted] to [redacted], because had it not been for Amtrak, we would not have had this additional expense nor the delays that resulted in us getting to the funeral with mere minutes to spare. The customer care team seemed uninterested at best, but we are frequent Amtrak travellers and would like to see something done about this most unfortunate event that couldn't have happened at a worse time.Desired Settlement: We would like to have the ticket we were forced to purchase from [redacted] to [redacted] refunded, in the amount of $329, because had it not been for the issues Amtrak had we would not have had this additional expense.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted], Vanessa

Sent: Friday, July 26, 2013 1:32 PM

To: '[redacted]

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: My mother, [redacted] who is 75 years old paid for a handicapped ticket through Amtrak due the fact that she requires a walker. When boarding the train empire builder 27 from Chicago to Portland the train was over booked and there was a mother and her four children sitting in the handicap seating. So my mother was sitting on her walker rolling around in a hallway when the train took off. She was terrified. Then they made her go up a flight of stairs when she can barely walk to seat in the upstairs seating and left her walker down stairs and she has no way to get to the bathroom and due to her age she has bladder issues . When I talked to Amtrak they told me that they could not find her on the train and they were not sure what they could do.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Friday, June 21, 2013 4:14 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 your dissatisfaction with your mother’s travel experience. Please accept our apologies.

Good customer service is very important to us, and we expect every Amtrak employee to treat our customers with courtesy and respect and to perform their duties in a professional manner. Please be assured that your comments and concerns have been discussed with the appropriate management.

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

Sincerely,

Customer Relations Specialist

Office of Customer Relations

Washington, DC

Review: I am legally blind and purchased tickets on Amtrak for a train from New Rochelle to Baltimore to depart on 6/28 and return on 7/06. On 6/28, I went to the New Rochelle train station and asked the agent at the station which track the train to Baltimore would be on. He directed me to track 4. On track 4, a train was there and there were no conductors outside to assist passengers. Subsequently, I boarded the train and found out about 15-20 minutes into the train ride that the agent gave me the wrong information and my train was on Track 3. I was now headed northbound to Boston instead of southbound to Baltimore.

I had to call Amtrak on my phone and purchase new tickets which cost me $345 to get back onto to correct train. A customer service agent later refunded $140, so the error on the behalf of the agent cost me $205. I relied on his information and as a disabled traveler, he was my only resource.Desired Settlement: Due to the negligence of the agent, I had to pay an additional $205 to purchase tickets to get from Stanford to Baltimore. I also spent about three additional hours commuting because of his blunder. I am requesting that I be refunded $205 plus some sort of credit for the three additional hours that I wasted. I was scheduled to take a tour in Baltimore which I missed.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2014 10:36 AM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: I have a complaint #[redacted] filed with Amtrak on 4/23/14 @ approx 7:45am. I'll start by saying that I have a long history with using Amtrak as a rail service--several years. However, they recently (within the last 6 months, as I was told by the call center rep) changed their policy about what happens if you miss a train. I purchased a ticket for travel from Boston to NYC on 4/21/14 for travel on 4/22/14. However, I missed my train, and called on 4/23/14 to try to exchange my ticket for another train, but I was told that I forfeited all of my money because I called and spoke with Amtrak about the issue 25 hours later instead of the max 24 hours, under their new policy.

I was asked about, "well did you read this (fine print), or (that fine print)." However, as someone who has used Amtrak for nearly 10 years now, a significant policy change like that was not clearly advertised to those purchasing tickets online. In the email verification received, the font for the actual reservation # was large and prominent, but their new cancellation policy was tucked away in a slew of much smaller print details. I believe that Amtrak has failed in making clear and apparent an important policy change like that to their customers; particularly those customers who have used the service for years. This constitutes negligence on their part, and I'm out $147.00 because of it. I could even understand their being a change fee or something like that where the customer forfeits some of the ticket money, but to say that I just lost 147.00 to Amtrak because I called when I did (which, as it turned out), was only 1 hour outside their new window, according to their new (poorly advertised) policy. Even the airlines do better than this, and I will not be using Amtrak again for this reason.

When I finally did speak to customer care, there wasn't even a clear indication about how my complaint would be dealt with, and I was even told that basically, there was no use in even filing the complaint with Amtrak, because I would basically just get shot down anyway. The rep, while trying in some ways to be patient and listen, could not even tell me what I could expect after filing a complaint- for example, what is the general timeline for review of complaints? Will someone call me and email me back? NO answers, no sense of what to expect if anything, so now I'm even more frustrated.Desired Settlement: I want my ticket money refunded in full due to Amtrak's negligence to clearly and fully disclose the details of this new cancellation policy. Also, the trouble I had to go through to address the matter with no indication of at all of what to expect, if anything, after complaint was filed with Amtrak. NOt at all a happy customer here.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted], Vanessa

Sent: Friday, May 09, 2014 5:55 PM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: Our family of has been trapped on the Texas eagle from 9/3/to 9/4/Rude, argumentitive, uncaring employees
From the time we left Cleveland station on 9/3/at am, our family and fellow employees have been ignored, yelled at, mistreatedSpeakers on train not working, so important announcements could not be heardRestaurant staff, [redacted], yelled at me for wanting lunchEmployee [redacted] walked up and down isles ignoring concerns of passengersOur train was trapped over hours outside Chicago due to broke bridgeMultiple mixed messages from crew from us sitting hours to bridge us fixed to going back to Chicago and starting overAt Chicago station our party has citizens, handicappedWe asked over and over for cart but none cameTwo of us got physically sick from confusionOur party is so upset and we have return tickets on 9/but we can't imagine ever getting back on this death trap on wheelsPlease please help us asapWe spent thousands of dollars for this wedding trip and your company has ruined it for many reasons.Desired Settlement: Full refund and not Amtrak vouchersMy handicap niece crys and has had migraines for all these extra hours, probably extra hoursAll our snacks and beverages are gone and didn't plan on spending hundreds on food
Business
Response:
January 29,
**& [redacted][redacted]
Dear **& [redacted][redacted]:
Thank you for your recent correspondence
We are disappointed that you experienced a delay while traveling with usWe can certainly understand the inconvenience and frustration this caused youWe are working hard on a number of fronts to improve our ability to run on scheduleIn spite of our best efforts, delays due to weather, mechanical difficulties, other rail traffic, or operational factors are an unwelcome but unavoidable part of the transportation businessWe are also disappointed to hear of the service disruption you experiencedRegrettably when such incidents occur, we must obtain alternate transportationPlease accept our most sincere apologies for your inconvenience
The reasoning for your delay and the use of the buses as alternate transportation was due to a bridge being out of service south of [redacted], NebraskaSince Amtrak does not own the track in that area and since the bridge was deemed impassable by the freight train company that owns the rails and the bridge, we had to provide buses for our passengers to complete their tripWe apologize for the delay and we always want to get our passengers to their destination online, however this delay was beyond Amtrak’s control
We would also like to apologize for the speakers not working correctlyAmtrak’s first priority is to provide safe, reliable and efficient transportationWe have concentrated our efforts on expediting repairs to equipment, rails and rights of wayOur progress thus far includes major overhauls of sleepers, coaches, locomotives and trackWe are committed to bringing our equipment and services to the level of comfort that you have come to expect, and will continue to work toward this goal
?
We sincerely apologize for the service that you received on our train and for the lack of assistance at the Chicago stationEmployees are expected to treat our valued customers with courtesy and respect, and we are sorry to learn that this did not occurWe understand and appreciate the importance of good customer serviceJust as we have taken vigorous steps to return our railroad to a state of good repair, we are also working hard to improve the level of customer service that we deliver to each of our passengersWe have established a company-wide database to track and monitor employee performance to be sure that our passengers are receiving the courteous and professional service they deserve, on every train, every dayBe assured that your concerns have been forwarded to the responsible management
Amtrak does not provide full refunds for these types of cases so we must respectfully decline your request for a refundWe have, however, issued you a refund of $due to the loss of accommodations between [redacted] and [redacted]We did provide buses for this portion of the trip and it did arrive in [redacted] approximately hour lateWe sincerely apologize again for the inconvenience that you experienced
As a token of our regrets for your disappointment, I will hold on file for you a Transportation Certificate in the amount of $It can be used toward another Amtrak ticket purchase so you can travel the next time at least partially “on us.” The Certificate must be redeemed on or before January 29, 2015, and is not transferableTo redeem the Certificate, please call 1-800-USA-RAIL, make a reservation, and then ask to speak with Customer RelationsOur Customer Relations Representatives are available Monday through Friday, except holidays, between the hours of a.mand p.mEastern TimeIt will be helpful if you reference case number when you callPlease note that there is normally a higher volume of calls on Mondays and wait times may be longer than other days of the week
Once again, thank you for writingWe hope to have the privilege of serving you in the future
Sincerely,
Customer Relations Specialist
Case [redacted]

Review: I purchased a train ticket for my mother, [redacted], eticket #[redacted], from [redacted], MI to [redacted], TX on Monday May 20,2013. On Sunday May 19, 2013 she fell ill and was admitted into the hospital for the subsequent 6 days. Amtrak created an evoucher for this trip and said to call back when ready to redeem. On May 26, 2013 I called and was advised the evoucher could only be redeemed in person and the closest station is in [redacted], MI. I was 5 months pregnant at the time, with two children in tow and a disabled mother and cannot make the drive to [redacted] so I purchased another ticket for my mother to travel back to Texas and thought we could use this evoucher at a later date. My mother can redeem it in [redacted], TX. My mother went back to Texas and had an accident on the train. When she returned home, her doctor put her on a no travel restriction as other health conditions surfaced that cannot be disclosed. I called Amtrak on June 6, 2013, spoke to [redacted] and she gave me case number [redacted] and stated they would issue a refund to my credit card since the passenger named has a serious legitimate medical condition. It is now August 10, 2013 and I have yet to receive the refund to my credit card.Desired Settlement: Refund in the amount of the ticket purchased of $144.95

Business

Response:

From: [redacted], Vanessa

Sent: Wednesday, August 28, 2013 12:06 PM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Dear **. [redacted]:

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

I was sorry to read about the difficulties you have experienced with receiving your refund. When I looked at our records, I did see that the refund was authorized, but a glitch in our system prevented the refund from being processed. Please accept my apologies.

Today, I have authorized an automated credit in the amount of $141.95 to be made to your [redacted] account. This transaction will be performed electronically and no paper credit slip will be generated. Depending upon your bank’s procedures, it may take one or two billing cycles to appear on your account statement.

Once again, thank you for writing. We look forward to your continued patronage.

Sincerely,

Customer Relations Specialist

Office of Customer Relations

Washington, DC

Case #: [redacted]

Review: Non-refund on trip I didn't take. I am a senior citizen, I was schedule to leave on train #**(Reservation #[redacted])at (1am) on June 27, 2014. I fail to realized that (1am)meant the beginning of the next day..I arrived at my local station on June 27, 2014 (before) (12am)to board the (12:45am) train on this night..at ticket window I was told that "after midnight is the beginning of the next day for the train schedule also...it was really an "urgent" for my traveling..my mind was or has been (distrubed) all week due to my Mother who was very sick in the hospital(the reason for my traveling)If truly didn't register the time(as such) but I was focusing on the date. I didn't have money for another train due to the fact there is no type of refund given (when such error occur)said ticket window personnel....my income is needed very much...and Amtrak stated they cannot refund any amount...Errors as such don't occur intentionlly, therefore, I would deeply appreciate if they will take this error in sincere consideration.Desired Settlement: A ticket for another trip, refund funds, or a portion of the monies given back

Business

Response:

From: [redacted], Vanessa

Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2014 12:56 PM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: In December 2013 I again wrote because of missing miles. I am in Amtrak rewards program and to date they have not given me credit for at least one of my trips that I took while being a member. My daughter and I went to see our friend at [redacted] in [redacted], Canada. I filled out the missing miles form and called about it and called about it but still no credit for that trip. I also was a member of the rewards program before 2005 which is on my card and to date I still haven't heard anything. We are pushing for the credit for these miles because we have my mom/grandmother who is up in years and we want to see her while she's still alive.Desired Settlement: We would like credit for the trips we took.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2014 8:00 AM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: Train was much delayed because of weather on Feb 5, and I had to miss it.

I called on Feb 18 for it. I was told I will receive transportation certificate of full amount $29.00 after 4-6 weeks.

I didn't receive anything until April 22.

I called customer relation dept. on April 22. I was told a refund was credited to my credit card on April 12, but with $5 penalty due to their new refund policy after March 1.

I couldn't agree with that because this ticket is for Feb. I can get full credit in transportation certificate before the new policy. Now this time it is really because of the much delay.

The representative Diane at the beginning said at the beginning $5 can be credited as transportation certificate. But don't know why she later changed her mind and refused to honor that $5 penalty refund and insist she couldn't do anything further.

She lost her patience at the end. She said she had no supervisor that I can talk to, when I requested to speak with her supervisor.Desired Settlement: Get full refund without penalty, i.e., getting that $5 back.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted], Vanessa

Sent: Friday, May 09, 2014 3:34 PM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: On the 25th of May 2013, I called Amtrak Auto Train and set up a round trip reservation for 2 adults, 2 babies ages 1 and 2 and our minivan to be transported from [redacted], VA to [redacted], FL on November 9th, 2013 and to depart from [redacted], FL to return to [redacted], VA on November 16th. When I spoke to their representatives on the phone, I was very clear in stating that the passengers would be my wife, [redacted], my mother, [redacted], my daughter, [redacted] who is 2 years old and my son, [redacted] who is 1 year old making it 2 adults and 2 babies. I asked if they had any military discounts since I am active duty Coastguard and they said they did, giving me a small discount. They informed me that the 2 babies would be free so long as they were not taking up a seat and so that is what was agreed on and I paid in advance a total of $750 for 2 coach seats. The first difficulty encountered dealing with Amtrak began when I spoke to customer service to schedule the trip. After I made the reservation I personally recorded my reservation number: [redacted] and was told I would receive an email confirmation. After checking my email for a few days I called customer service back confirming my email and requesting the confirmation be sent again. I had to call a third time after a week due to the failure to receive a confirmation. On the third call I requested my information to be verified, which resulted in finding out there had been an error in recording my email address. The next issue arose when my wife and mother arrived at Amtrak in [redacted], VA on November 9th to get their tickets and board the train; they gave my wife 3 meal tickets for her, my mother and our daughter, [redacted]. At that time, [redacted] assumed that they did not give a meal ticket for our son because he is only 1 and does not eat all solid foods yet, but that was not the case. There had been another miscommunication, my son [redacted] had been completely removed from the reservation without any notification. They boarded the train, were taken to their Coach seats and had a somewhat smooth ride. Once in FL, my wife and mother expressed to me that the ride was difficult with two infants, with trying to get them to sleep, but overall things went okay. The peak of our distress dealing with Amtrak arose on November 16th, when my family drove to the Auto Train in [redacted], FL as they were pressured into a situation regarding purchasing a cabin. Previously I called Amtrak inquiring how much it would cost to rent a cabin. I was told that it was an additional $285 so I chose to NOT have this added to our trip. When my wife, mother and kids arrived to the Amtrak Auto Train in [redacted] they arrived 5 minutes late due to being lost and were told they needed to hurry to get their tickets to board the train back to [redacted], VA on November 16th. When my wife went to the ticket counter to check in and get the tickets, the Amtrak representative stressed her to pay an additional $285.00 so that the van could be loaded and they could board the train as it was going to be leaving soon, as all passengers were already on board. Confused, she asked what the $285 was for since we already paid in full, in advance for the trip, but the Amtrak representative behind the counter said she could not see what it was for. Meanwhile, the employee who took care of taking the vehicle and instructing them to get on the train was becoming more urgent in demeanor by demanding that they needed to board the train right now or else they werent going to be able to get on. So my wife paid the $285 by credit card, in order to get on the train because my mother and her needed to be home with the kids the next day, Sunday (as the ride is a 17 hour trip one way) in order to be able to go back to work on Monday morning. When boarding the train to depart from [redacted], FL to [redacted], VA my family was escorted to a cabin instead of the Coach seats that we made reservations for. Now understanding where the $285 charge came from, my family sat in the seats to start the ride, feeling pressured and obligated to sit there. However after 1 hour, the cabin was too small to accommodate the 4 of them, as it is designed for 2-3 people max and my mother began having panic attacks. Additionally the babies were too loud for the other passengers in neighboring cabins, so my wife and mother requested to their attendant, [redacted] to move them to Coach seats instead as this is what they reserved and wanted. [redacted] said he would speak with the Chief on Board, [redacted] and see what he could do. [redacted] came back and communicated to my family that they have 2 Coach seats on the lower level below, but they could still use the cabin if they wanted to for 1 of them with a baby while the other adult and baby went downstairs. My wife said, No thank you. We will all go downstairs to the Coach seats. So then my family moved themselves and all of their bags/belongings down to the Coach seats below and did NOT use the cabin. So when arriving in [redacted], VA on November 17th my wife went to the ticket counter and explained to the Amtrak representative that we NEVER agreed to add this cabin to our reservation and we did not use this cabin as it was too small for all of the passengers and was actually a fire hazard to have that many people in the cabin. The Amtrak representative recognized that it was a fire hazard, but said she was not able to provide a refund. The Amtrak representative said that she needed to call customer resolutions where we could file a complaint to receive our money back for the cabin that we did not order or use, but did document it in their system. So at that time, my wife requested that the Chief on Board also provide proof that they did not use the cabin so he wrote a letter stating that they did not use the cabin, in which we have too. The next day on Monday, I called Amtraks customer resolution number provided by the Amtrak attendant ; ###-###-####, which was the wrong number and I had to be transferred. Once theDesired Settlement: The resolution that I am seeking is a full refund on the $285 spent on this cabin that we did NOT reserve/request or use and full refund of $730, which was the initial transportation expense. I am requesting a total refund of $1015. This experience has put me and my family through unnecessary stress, hardship and frustration from the beginning to the end. My experience with Amtrak has been horrible regarding the overall service. The full refund may lead my family to give Amtrak another chance in making our experience a good one.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Monday, December 02, 2013 4:32 PM

To: [redacted]

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: Re: Case #02724116

On April 22, 2013, I bought a train ticket leaving [redacted], NC on July 12, at 8:54 AM. This was the first train available that morning and it was supposed to arrive in Washington, DC at approximately 3:00 PM. Upon arrival at the train station, I was informed that the train was delayed for a period of two hours. Within an hour and half, passengers were once again informed that the train was going to be further delayed. Train #** finally left the [redacted] station at 12:15 PM. While traveling to DC the train was again further delayed by sitting on the tracks for over 50 minutes. The train finally arrived at 7:00 PM. I had to search for my luggage which was sent on an earlier train (one that left [redacted] at 10:55 AM, which I was not permitted to board).

Unfortunately, the Amtrak service was inadequate because this caused me to arrive in the Washington, DC area several hours past the scheduled time. I am disappointed because after finally arriving at my hotel (at 8:00 PM) I tried to go to an event that I had purchased three tickets prior to arriving in DC at the [redacted] center. Upon arrival at the box office, I found that they were closed so I could not get my tickets and therefore missed the entire event.

To resolve the problem, I would appreciate having the money that I purchased the three tickets refunded to me (3 x $50.00 = 150.00). I sent the company copies of my unused tickets which were given to me the next day when I went back to the [redacted] Center to pick up other tickets for events that were taking place later in the week. Although Amtrak sent me a voucher and it is appreciated, based on the service that I received, I would not use the voucher as I would not want to travel by Amtrak again.Desired Settlement: That I be reimbursed for 3 tickets at $50 a piece for a total of $150.00. I was unable to go to the show as my tickets were held at the box office which closed before I could get to the venue. I would have been able to go to event if train had arrived on time.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Friday, October 04, 2013 3:36 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 that your train arrived so late that you were inconvenienced. Please accept my apologies.

It is not Amtrak’s policy to reimburse the expenses that passengers might incur, nor do we assume liability for the plans and commitments of our passengers. Therefore, we must respectfully decline your reimbursement request for your event tickets.

I understand that you do not wish to travel with us again. However, in the hopes you will change your mind, and as a token of my regrets for disappointing you, I will hold on file for you an additional Transportation Certificate in the amount of $20.00. The Certificate must be redeemed on or before July 19, 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]

Review: I bought Amtrak tickets from [redacted] station-dc to [redacted] station-NYC online for myself and 3 others that were in town visiting. The reservation number is [redacted]. We took the train to NYC and on Monday 10/6 we went to the station. I went up to the customer service counter and asked if there was an earlier train we could get on. She pulled up the account after I have her the reservation number and she said there was one boarding in 10 minutes and that we could get on that one and she would change the tickets. She did not say that there was going to be any extra fees as I asked her if there was a change fee and she said no. We boarded the train and we were almost to New Jersey when the worker came around to scan our tickets. He scanned the ticket and said that we were on the wrong train. I explained to him what customer service told us at [redacted] station and He said we had 15 minutes to call reservations from my cell phone and fix the problem. I called reservations and she said that the tickets were not changed and than our only option was to pay an extra 488.00. I asked her if we could get off in New Jersey and wait for the train that she had in her computer system in the reservation and she said no. The only option was to pay the 488.00. If I would have known there was going to be a price difference and if we would have been told that [redacted] Station we would have never gotten on the train.Desired Settlement: Since we were not told that there was going to be extra charges and if we were told that we would never have gotten on that train, I am requesting the refund for 488.00. I had already paid for the 4 tickets.

Business

Response:

November 3, 2014

Dear [redacted]:

Thank you for your recent correspondence.

I understand how frustrating a misunderstanding can be, and we are extremely sorry that communications between you and one of our Ticket Agents evidently “misfired.” In the customer service business, we realize that excellent listening and communications skills are vital. Even though such instances as you report are comparatively rare, they are always disappointing.

We are sorry that you were not aware that changes to your reservation would result in your paying a higher fare. Amtrak offers several different fare costs between each city pair. The least expensive fares are sold on a first come first served basis. Once these fares are sold the next highest fare is offered.

When passengers change their reservation, we offer the lowest fare available, but we cannot guarantee the same fare will be available when changes are made. We firmly believe, however, that our prices accurately reflect the value of the services we provide. Nevertheless, we have not ignored the need to remain reasonably competitive with other carriers, and we have responded to this need by establishing several carefully constructed discount fare programs. Customers who have been able to plan their trips in accordance with the restrictions of these reduced fares have benefited from exceptional travel bargains.

We do not offer refunds in these cases; however, in an effort to win back your patronage, we have enclosed a Transportation Certificate in the amount of $488.00. This Certificate is valid for one year towards future Amtrak travel. Kindly refer to the reverse side for usage instructions. We must respectfully decline your reimbursement request.

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

Sincerely,

Aluster *. F[redacted]

Customer Relations Specialist

Case #: [redacted]

Review: I paid $79 for an Amtrak ride from NYC to Albany, NY that was supposed to take 2 and 1/2 hours. Instead it took 3 and 1/2 hours. During this time, Amtrak personnel failed to explain why the train was running late even when asked directly. They also failed to announce the stops or circulate throughout the train, so it was impossible for passengers to know where they were or notify people of their estimated time of arrival. This is not the first time Amtrak has run an hour late on what should only be a 2 and 1/2 hour ride. It has happened on 50% of the Amtrak trains I've been on. The last time I took the Amtrak train from NYC to Albany, it was 90 minutes late. Of course, these late arrivals are not announced and people are stuck waiting to pick up passengers with no idea of when they will arrive. The failure to announce stops is also a repeat issue. This is not a freak one time occurrence; it is a repeat issue with incompetency.Desired Settlement: Because Amtrak fails to get its passengers to their destination within a reasonable time frame, I expect a refund. I also want to know what they are going to do to address the issue of personnel failing to fulfill their only two job duties (announce the stops and get passengers to their destination on time).

Business

Response:

To: '[redacted]

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: To Whom It May Concern,

I would like to file a complaint against Amtrak due to a few matters that has taken place per my departure as well as during. The first being that train 97 which was scheduled to depart the [redacted] VA train station on Wednesday July 2, 2014 at approximately 7:50pm arrived two hours plus behind schedule and there were no updates provided by the train station agents. The next matter, at the [redacted] VA train station location all restrooms were locked in which I had a hard time understanding as the train station was open for business with paying customers awaiting their trains to arrive, restrooms were not unlocked until customers begged train station attendants. Upon waiting hours on the train to arrive I called Amtrak with my cellular phone and requested an update on the matter of train ** late arrival, I was then provided with an update. With all of the ruckus going on I remained patient while awaiting for the train to arrive. The train arrived at 10:04pm I then boarded along with the other passengers settled in and pressed the attendant call button, there was no response after pressing the button twice within 10minute incruments I then over heard the attendant outside of my room door and peeped my head out to inform her that I had pressed the call button she then let me know that the button was out of order. I asked the attendant would dinner still be available and served for I hadn't eaten prior and the delay was no fault of the customers also inquiring that my reservation is to include all meals, I was told that if I wanted dinner that I would have to pay otherwise everything is closed; I wasn't accommodated in any way after spending the extra hundreds of dollars to have all meals included with my travel arrangements. I then called Amtrak and requested to speak to a manager after explaining all that has happended and I was told that managers did not handle any matters and that I would need to contact customer relations whom by the way were closed per 10:00pm the time was then 10:50pm after getting this explanation from the customer service agent I made a statement asking if what she was explaining to me was that I would not be accommodated and for me to starve and for me to contact customer relations in the morning during business hours, she then replied yes. I thanked her and disconnected the call. I am strong believer in great customer service for customer's! I wasn't accommodated in any way and the matter is still unresolved.Desired Settlement: I honestly expected Amtrak to be more understanding to this matter as well as providing updates and better customer service to all customers as well as offering better solutions as to how customers were and accommodated for this mishap.

Business

Response:

From: S[redacted], Vanessa

Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2014 9:40 AM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: On March 28, 2014, I booked and paid for a 3-day hotel stay at the [redacted] in [redacted], MO. through Amtrak-iSeatz.The cost totaled $478.59. When I arrived at hotel on June 6th, I was informed that they had my reservation, but no confirmation that my stay was paid for by Amtrak-iSeatz. Therefore, I had to provide a credit or debit card to secure my 3-day stay. After checking into my room, I immediately called Amtrak-iSeatz support line, and was told that I would have to fax a copy of my costs to them for a refund after my stay. They made no attempt to correct the situation with the hotel. I asked to talk to a person of higher authority and was put on hold and I eventually gave up. This situation tied up funds I had planned to use on this trip. An amount of $549.03 to be exact.(Hotel cost and incidentials) On my day of checkout, June 9th, the hotel still had not received confirmation of my paid trip from Amtrak-iSeatz. My checkout costs totaled $399.03. Since June 9th I have sent numerous emails to Amtrak and Amtrak-iSeatz of my issue. I finally received an email response on June 18th from iSeatz Amtrak Customer Support which stated they were sorry for the inconvenience and that the hotel ([redacted] in [redacted]) would refund my $399.03 in several business days. I requested to be refunded the $478.59 that I paid Amtrak-iSeatz. They did not provided the service I paid for. In fact the amount I directly paid the hotel was much cheaper than the so-called bargain I was suppose to get from Amtrak-iSeatz. Plus the hassle and problem I experienced.Desired Settlement: I deserve the $478.59 refund from Amtrak-iSeatz for the product/service they did not provide. Plus the $399.03 I paid the hotel directly was much cheaper.Amtrak-iSeatz did not help me when I called their support number soon after check-in. Did not provide the product/service I paid for on my check-in on June 6th nor my check-out on June 9th.Or at least along with the $399.03 refund, compensate me some way with hotel stay or Amtrak tickets.Something.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2014 11:59 AM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: Every time you try to purchase the lowest price ticket, even though it is advertised on the list of possible fares, it says they are sold out after you have already typed in your credit card information. All other ticketing agencies lock in the price as soon as you enter your credit card information. I called customer service and they said there were seats available, just not at the price that was posted on the website. All of the posted $46 seats from [redacted] to [redacted] could not be purchased. There was no warning of "only three seats left at this price" like to other fares. I was then able to purchase a higher priced ticket with "only one seat available" ($66). They have no proof that the tickets were purchased, and the seats were still on the fare list on the website. I believe they are trying a "bait and switch" advertising because they are not allowing you to purchase the ticket once it is in your cart and entering the passenger information like you can do on the airlines. They are the only train available and they are taking advantage of their monopoly.Desired Settlement: I would like my refund of $20, which was the stated fare before they jacked the price up after I had already put in my credit card information.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Friday, January 17, 2014 11:01 AM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: On July 5th , 2013, I boarded a MARC Train, Leaving Baltimore Penn Station on my normal work schedule at 8:50 am and Arrived at Washington DC, Union station, at approx 9:05 to 9:15am that friday morning. There was no indication of schedule changes at either station at this time.

I retired from work at the normal 5pm, arrive at Washington's Union Station after a meeting with some friends at 9:30pm, in time for the last MARC, train which is normally scheduled to leave between 9:45pm or 10pm.

Once I arrive I purchase something from the vendor to eat. And I check the board and it show that the last MARC Train departed at 7:30pm. So I look around to see if anyone had placed notice of a schedule change any were and checked my email for a schedule change as i'm suppose to get email alerts. Nothing. No announcements at the station.

So I go to the customer service desk for the MARC train, No one is there, So I walk over to the amt rack Customer service counter, to inquire about the boarding schedule.

I was advised that the MARC, service had been cut at 7:30pm. and all trains are now operating on the weekend schedule. As per policy, the am track trains are suppose to honor the MARC train, MONTHLY OR WEEKLY PASSES. And it is further no marc train pass holder was notified at any time of a schedule change. So one hundred or so passengers were forced to purchase tickets from amtrak at full market rate of 32.00 one way. Or remain at the station overnight until, the next Train arrived.

In any case could prove do be a danger to the costumers who would have chosen to stay do to the high crime area in which the station sits. So I reluctantly purchased. the ticket. and demanded to speak with someone in charge of the situation, the two shift supervisors refused to speak with any of the MARC, passengers in regard to honoring the MARC paasses they possesed, To include myself.

Once I boarded the train, the ticket was not taken from me in any way to indicate acceptance, In fact the conductor allowed me to use my MARC, train pass instead. I retained the ticket and purchase receipt in order to return the ticket for a full refund at stated "This ticket is valid for carriage or refund (subject to the refund rules of the fare purchased for twelve months after date of issue unless otherwise specified. This was a cash purchase not an e ticket reservation This was a counter cash purchase not an online reservation.

Refund: Subject to the conditions below, if a passenger does not take the entire trip paid for, the remaining ticket value is calculated by subtracting the fare for any travel already taken from the total amount paid. The fare for travel already taken is the fare the passenger would have paid for that travel had that been the only travel purchased. The word "ticket" applies to both an e Ticket and a paper value ticket. The refund policy applies as soon as payment is made, whether or not any ticket is printed, and applies to entire fare paid including both rail fare and any accommodation charge.

Since this was a cash purchase I returned on monday morning to the Washington Union Station, where I purchased the ticket to request a full refund for the ticket I had purchased since it had not been used for the trip I purchased it for, and I was present for boarding however, my MARC train pass was honored thus leaving me with a ticket that would not be used for current or future travel.

My request for a refund was denied, the rep, stated that the eticket had been placed in there system as a eticket as a no show, and no refund will be honored.

Boarding Train Late or Leaving Train Early, or Downgrading on the Train

No refund or exchange credit is given if a passenger boards a train at a station beyond, or detrains at a station before, the station from or to which he or she was reserved, or if the passenger downgrades accommodations on the train. To receive a fare adjustment the passenger must change the reservation before the train departs the original boarding station of that train. This restriction will not apply if there is a service disruption.

Refund Restrictions and Late Trains

The above restrictions and fees will not apply to refunds requested by passengers who chose not to travel due to a long distance train being two or more hours late or a corridor train being one or more hours late at the departure station.

Time Limits

An Amtrak ticket becomes non-refundable, not valid for carriage and has no exchange value, after one year from the date payment was made for that ticket (or other period if so endorsed on the ticket). An eVoucher or other exchange credit is valid for one year from date of issue, and may be renewed provided this is done before its expiration date.

Must Return Original Tickets

Cancellation or change of reservations does not generate a refund (except for eTicket reservations); the actual original unused or partially used ticket (not a photocopy) must be submitted.

Where to Obtain Refunds

Refunds of eTickets may be processed at ticket offices, by calling 800-USA-RAIL or through the Amtrak Refunds department. If paper value tickets were printed, they must be returned for any refund. Stations do not keep large amounts of cash on hand and refunds of eTickets or paper value tickets paid by cash may have to be sent to Amtrak Refunds, which will send a refund check. Paper value tickets purchased from a travel agency must be returned to that agency, except when there is a service disruption.

I contacted the refund department and a note was entered by the desk clerk at the union station, location, explaining what went wrong and that a refund should be issued. this is on July 12th 2013, I was assured the refund would be processed and I should receive it in approx, 10 weeks. I called to follow up on Aug 13th 2013, I was informed that the refund was never processed and the system notes had been removed, leaving no record of the noted issue sent to the department on july 8th, 2013, So the Operator, Tameka advised that she would process the required paper work to have my $32.00, refunded to me within 6-8 weeks. this was her word. I contacted the refund department today spoke with Vicky, At the philadelphia, office who advised me that one again the refund request was not processed, And my cash will not be refunded to me for any good reason what so ever, and there the end of the line and there will be no supervisor to speak with because they do not have supervisors. That I would have to contact corporate if I needed to override their authority. In addition, I'm not allowed in the building of the main office to speak with anyone, nor does the main office accept phone calls from there consumers.Desired Settlement: The company needs to return customers their money as they receive, payment for services. not ten weeks from the time of purchase, IF THEY RECEIVE CASH, CASH CAN BE REFUNDED, ALL STATIONS CARRY ENOUGH CASH TO REFUND $32.00.

Secondly The company had the duty to provide a service to their customer especially, when the consumer spends $175.00, for a monthly pass and can not get timely service, customer service fails to alert the customer of scheduling issues. Amtrak and MARC, are partners there was no reason this scheduling issue could not be resolved by simply honoring the MARC, passes. And I Paid cash And never used the ticket so in this case the refund should be provided.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Friday, November 08, 2013 4:18 PM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Dear **. [redacted]:

We are in receipt of correspondence written on your behalf from the Revdex.com. We are investigating your complaint regarding a refund, and will respond back to you by early next week. Once again, thank you for writing.

Sincerely,

Customer Relations Specialist

Office of Customer Relations

Washington, DC

Case #: [redacted]

Business

Response:

November 19, 2013

**. [redacted]

Dear **. [redacted]:

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

After checking with the MARC transportation system, we were informed of the following regarding the date you were traveling. On July 5, 2013, MARC/MTA decided that it would only operate on an "S" schedule which is an abbreviated schedule and only trains with an "S' above the train number on the printed schedule would operate on that day. MARC/MTA puts out text messages to MARC Passengers, if they are signed up for the text messages, advising passengers of the abbreviated schedule. They also post the information on the Gate "A" board a couple of weeks prior to the Holiday as information for MARC Passengers. The Conductors also make announcements on the trains during the week prior to the abbreviated schedule. It is unfortunate that you did not receive the messages or see the information on the Gate "A" board. However, the policy is that Amtrak does not honor MARC Tickets on holidays or any other weekday that the MARC does not operate weekday service except for the trains listed in the Amtrak/MARC cross honor agreement; namely, Amtrak trains 151, 181, 85, 137, 148 and 188. Amtrak Train 66 is not included and does not accept MARC weekly or monthly tickets for travel. We are very sorry for any inconvenience.

As a one-time courtesy, a refund has been authorized and a check in the amount of $32.00 will be mailed under separate cover. You should expect to receive it within the next few weeks.

Once again, thank you for writing.

Sincerely,

Customer Relations Specialist

Case #: [redacted]

Review: On August 8th, 2013 I purchased a one way ticket from Kansas City to St. Louis MO for travel on 9/2/2013.

On Amtrak's Website it states a price for the fare for a trip 29.00. On the right side of the fair you can select 1 Reserved Coach seat or 1 Business Class Seat ($18.00).

The total shows $47.00 for the ticket next to the Add to Cart after clicking on the 1 Business Class Seat.

When selecting the $18.00 the new price of say $29.00 for coach changes to $47.00. So you think you are paying $47.00 for the ticket.

When I finishes the purchase, I then saw I was charged $88.00 for the ticket.

So how did I end up paying 88.00 when the first page stated $29.00 and an additional $18.00 for the business class?

It looks like the Business class is $70.00 + $18.00 for the upgrade which does not even make sense. They should just advertise $88.00 for Business Class not $29 then show only $18.00 for selecting the business class ticket.Desired Settlement: I believe they should give me the ticket for $47.00 and fix the web so it does not miss lead the customer. Show the full fair before adding it to the cart.

Also why show the +18.00 for Business class when really it's 18.00 + some other fair for business class?

I actually like taking the train, but the business practice of baiting and switching on an upgrade is a really bad business practice.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted], Vanessa

Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2013 1:01 PM

To: [redacted]

Subject: Amtrak Response

Dear [redacted]:

We have received correspondence written on your behalf from the Revdex.com.

We were sorry to read about the difficulties you have been experiencing online with regard to selecting Business Class accommodations. Our website is working as designed. Whenever space is added to a cart, this note appears: "Fares are not guaranteed until we provide you with a reservation confirmation." There is also an error message added if the fare in the cart does not match the fare available at the time of confirmation. We believe incidences of this issue will be reduced by changes to the booking process that Amtrak is planning to implement later this year. We have forwarded your comments to the appropriate management for their handling.

As a token of our regrets for your disappointment, we are holding on file for you a Transportation Certificate in the amount of $50.00. The Certificate must be redeemed on or before August 15, 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 of7 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]