Amtrak

Review: We were booked to take our first Amtrak train cross country from Chicago (Union Station) to Washington DC (Union Station) on Thursday, April 18th to arrive in DC at 6:06pm, however, it was laden with so many delays we didn't get into DC until 1:30am on Saturday morning, which is ridiculous. We called 1-800-AMTRAK and they told us to talk to someone at the station, we talked to someone at the station and they gave us a phone number to call that's open Monday through Friday. The woman on the phone denied any involvement with the problems plagued with Cardinal 50 where a conductor was late arriving due to a switch, tracks were broken, which needed fixing and multiple other delays that turned a vacation into a awful nightmare and I had zero sleep for my sister's wedding because we got to our destination so late and I was feeling ill from the experience. She also subsequently hung up on me. I have never experienced anything like this on public transportation and the lack of professionalism with Amtrak's customer service doesn't deem it right either. I literally spent over 32 hours on a train and then we thought coming back to Chicago would be no problem, but there was an hour and 15 minutes delay coming back due to non-weather related issues again. I was late for work because of this taking the Capitol 29 from Washington DC to Chicago on Sunday, April 21st to Monday, April 22nd. My experience has been so awful and since it was a 32-hour train ride, I didn't bring extra food, water or sanitary items. I'm not going to take the Amtrak after this experience.Desired Settlement: I want a refund for the 32-hour train ride, which was unjustly and other passengers had gotten sick, suffered panic attacks and we were distraught with the experience being so long. I would also like compensation for the more than hour delay coming back to Chicago and for the awful customer service provided by the staff at the stations and to the woman on the phone that we had called to complain about.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Friday, May 03, 2013 5:42 PM

To: [redacted]

Subject: Amtrak Response

Dear [redacted]:

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

Let me apologize on Amtrak’s behalf for the delays and service disruption that you experienced when you traveled between Chicago and Washington on April 18. We certainly understand the frustration this caused you. Delays due to weather, mechanical difficulties, other rail traffic, or operational factors are an unwelcome but unavoidable part of the transportation business. Please accept my sincere apology for your inconvenience.

We authorized an automated credit in the amount of $167.40 to be applied to the [redacted] account by which the tickets were purchased. This procedure has been performed electronically, and no paper credit receipt was generated. Depending on your bank’s procedures, one to two billing cycles may pass before this appears on your account statement.

As a token of our regrets for your disappointment with the return leg of your trip, we are holding on file for you a Transportation Certificate in the amount of $50.00. The Certificate must be redeemed on or before May 3, 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]

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], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Regards,

Review: I booked a ticket on Amtrak through its app. I missed the train. I tried to find a place in the app to change my train to a later train. I could not find this feature in the app anywhere and do not believe it exists. Since I was in the car on the way to the station, I figured I would just make the change at the window as I have done before. Once I got to the station they told me I was supposed to have called if I was going to miss the train and they made me pay full fare for another ticket. I was not aware of this policy as it is not very clearly stated within the app. I tried to call amtrak customer service afterward and they were just plain rude and would not issue a refund

I am upset for several reasons. I always use the app! I have never called amtrak. And why would I if they have an app. If your ticket can be purchased on the app it should be exchangeable on the app. I never even considered that it would be otherwise. I acknowledge that a change fee may have been necessary. And it would make sense to require a rebooking. Another reason I am upset is I have spent over 1000 on amtrak tickets this yr and this is how they treat you? Why is it necessary to penalize loyal passengers when they have a personal emergency that makes them miss a train. This is an unethical sales practice and does not make sense to me. What service did I receive for my 66 dollars?

They should change this policy and revise the app. At the very least they should make this policy more clear. I feel the purposely hide the small print to penalize customers. Just to be clear the refund policy is NOT in the app. You must click a link back to the amtrak website to access itDesired Settlement: Refund my forfeited ticket. Treat customers with respect (rude agent on phone).

Business

Response:

From: S[redacted], Vanessa

Sent: Monday, August 25, 2014 8:00 AM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: on sat Nov.2 nd I called amtrak and spoke with someone reguarding a family emergency that my friend and I had and needed to get back home the nextday earlier for than 7pm the lady indicated it was 2 seats leaving Chicago at 945 arriving at 130 so I told the lady that was fine and she took my cerdit card info and told me in order to change the time it would be 12.00 I told her that was fine ,as she came back after booking mine she said that the other seat was gone so I told her I didn't want it then so she was supposly refunded my 12 dollars bacl to my credit card, said that the others times were high so I told her that's ok i'll call back in the morning the next morning came I called to ask the same question and another lady told me it was 2 seats leaving out at 145 I told her that was fine she charged 25.00 this time and my friend also got it she got on the train the conductor didn't tell us why we were stopped until about 1 hour they indicated me may be there for 4 hours due to the engine was messed up whoever we still didn't arrive home until around about the same time we would have been if we wouldn't have had paid extra to get home eariler we wasn't offered free anything for the invonvience we still had to pay for dinner if we ordered we still had to pay for snacks it was cold on the train we arrived in st.louis at 1030 we were suppose to have been there at 7.I am requesting a refund due to how cold it was on the train and we still didn't get to our destation until later which really defeated the purpose of us paying an extra 25 to get to st.louis earlierDesired Settlement: I would like a refund for my 25 dollars I spent for nothing, I was trying to get home earlier than 1030 that was the whole purpose of me changing and buying the different ticket

Business

Response:

From: [redacted], Vanessa

Sent: Tuesday, November 26, 2013 2:27 PM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: We booked tickets on the Amtrak website in December 2012 for travel from [redacted] to [redacted] on January 1, 2013. The tickets were mailed to us and we received them. We started our trip and went to [redacted]. Once in [redacted] we asked about changing our travel date, so that we would travel from [redacted] to [redacted] on Dec 31st, spend the night in [redacted] and leave on the train from [redacted] to [redacted] on Jan 1, 2013. They said that it was no problem, but that we needed to turn in our tickets and be re-issued new tickets.

On Dec 31st, we went to the Amtrak station and handed in our existing tickets. At this point, we do not believe that we received the full tickets back from the agent there. We hopped on the bus to [redacted], spent the night and went to the train station the next morning. Once there, we were told that we needed another ticket for the [redacted] to [redacted] portion. Our names were in the system, but they would not allow us on the train without paper copies. We told them that we had not received a second set of tickets (we had given the reissued tickets to the Amtrak bus driver). To be absolutely sure, we went through all of our belongings - one bag each, and we had no such tickets, nor did we have the opportunity to have lost them. In order to board the train, we were forced to purchase another set of tickets. We reluctantly agreed, as the train was going to leave and we had to make a flight in [redacted]. The agent at [redacted] told us to call Amtrak and request a refund for the first set of tickets.

When we went to board the train, the gate agent noted that we had two tickets each and was confused as to why we were on the manifest twice.

We arrived in ** and boarded our plane. Upon return to ** on Jan 19th, we called Amtrak and explained the situation to the refunds department. We were told that we could expect to receive a refund in the mail. We thought that it was now dealt with and didn't think about it, we were just waiting for the refund check.

Today, February 27th, we received a voice mail from an unnamed Amtrak employee advising us that a refund was in fact not coming and that we should call the refund department of Amtrak.

When we called back, there was no record of this message, or the Jan 19th conversation and the employee could find no information about our claim. After some time it was explained that they would not issue a refund as it was not their policy and that we should talk to the customer relations department.

We were transfered to the customer relations department and explained the situation. We explained again that we though that we had not received the tickets or that perhaps the Amtrak bus driver had mistakenly kept the whole set. We were told that our only recourse was to file a lost ticket application and that we would have to pay a $75 application fee as well as be subject to a 10% refund fee. We told the agent that it did not seem fair that we would have to pay these fees when we didn't think we ever had the tickets in our possession. His response was only that this is their policy.

Both Amtrak agents seemed to insist that we had lost the tickets, when we don't believe that we ever received them. All we want is the refund that we were told we would receive back in January for tickets that Amtrak has record of selling to us and never having been used.Desired Settlement: We would like to receive a refund for the unused tickets that we purchased and were told would be refunded. The total amount including taxes was $217.90. We paid for the tickets with our credit card, so a credit back onto that account would be best.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Date: Mon, Mar 18, 2013 at 4:31 PM

Subject: YOUR ID #[redacted] - [redacted]

To: [redacted]

Dear [redacted]:

Please see response below.

Customer Relations Specialist

Office of Customer Relations

Washington, DC

Phone: [redacted]

From: [redacted]

Sent: Monday, March 18, 2013 3:42 PM

To: '[redacted]

Subject: Amtrak Response

Dear [redacted]:

Thank you for your email.

We are sorry to learn that your Amtrak tickets were lost and can appreciate the inconvenience this has caused you. Amtrak does not refund lost, stolen, misplaced or destroyed tickets. This is stated in all timetables, in official publications available to all Amtrak appointed travel agents, and on our website. Responsibility for safeguarding the tickets is that of the purchaser. We are sorry that we cannot respond to your request positively, but the policy is of long standing, and no exceptions are made insofar as monetary refunds are concerned.

When an Amtrak customer loses a ticket, we require the purchase of a replacement ticket to allow the customer to travel. Some customers who purchased higher value tickets are eligible for partial refund less $75.00 of the second fare by completion of a "Lost Ticket Refund Application," which is available from station agents or on our website. Though reservations and ticketing are computerized, there is still a chance that a lost or stolen ticket can be used by or refunded to someone who finds it, and our goal is to prevent that from happening.

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 March 18, 2014 and is not transferable. We hope you will use it toward your next Amtrak ticket purchase. To redeem the Certificate, please call [redacted], 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 your continued patronage in the future.

Sincerely,

Customer Relations Specialist

Office of Customer Relations

Washington, DC

Case #: [redacted]

Review: I purchased a Amtrak ticket online from [redacted], WA to [redacted], WA for Sunday (11/9/2014) at 7:05 AM. I purchased this ticket to arrive in downtown [redacted] in order to catch a flight out of [redacted]-Tacoma Airport. The train never arrived. The station was closed and there were no Amtrak staff anywhere in sight.

I talked to Krista with Amtrak Customer Service and she said the train was over 2 hours delayed. I immediately had to drive over +3 hours to the airport, instead of taking the train. I could not call because I was driving to catch my flight. How does Amtrak expect me to talk and drive?

I demand a refund since the train was over 2 hours delayed. I never boarded the train and it completely upset my travel plans. The Amtrak system is completely unreliable, unhelpful, and useless.

This is the last time I will be using Amtrak services. I absolutely received no help and I demand a refund for something I never used.Desired Settlement: Refund the Ticket!!!

Business

Response:

November 19, 2014Dear [redacted]:Thank you for your recent correspondence.We are disappointed that your departure was delayed on November 9, 2014. We can certainly understand the inconvenience and frustration this caused you. We are working hard on a number of fronts to improve our ability to run on schedule. In 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 business. Please accept our most sincere apologies for your inconvenience.We authorized an automated credit in the amount of $27.00 to be applied to the [redacted] account by which the tickets were purchased. This procedure has been performed electronically, and no paper credit receipt was generated. Depending on your bank’s procedures, one to two billing cycles may pass before this appears on your account Statement.Once again, thank you for writing. We look forward to the privilege of serving you in the future.Sincerely,Aluster FCustomer Relations Specialist

Consumer

Response:

thank you!!!!!

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

Regards,

Review: On a recent trip upon Amtrak's train system we experienced electrical/mechanical issues in which we were forced to wait an hour for possible repairs to be made. After an hour or more we were told to board another train heading in the same direction. Besides being two hours late for a meeting I was required to stand for the remaining hour and a half on the transfer train.

When filing a complaint with Amtrak in regards to refund reimbursement for having to stand the remaining time I was told by Amtrak that they would not reimburse me for standing and that they do not refund customers for having to stand.Desired Settlement: My desired outcome is to be reimbursed for having to stand the remaining time on the transfer train.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted], Vanessa

Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2014 12:07 PM

To: '[redacted]

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: An amtrak train crashed into a truck in Oregon about 1.5 hours away from the final destination. It has now been 7 hours since the crash and the train has not moved. My 18 year old niece and 15 year old nephew are on the train and have no way of paying for food or drink and Amtrak is not serving them either. They are without air conditioning and the bathrooms are not working. They are being told the dining car is closed and not able to serve the passengers.

Their service in an event like this has been horrible. They are not treating anyone with customer service to keep them even slighly comfortable. These are children that we are talking about with nothing but eachother on this train. They are tired, hungy, and scared while stranded in the middle of nowhere. They need food and drink so they can at least think clearly and stay calm.

We called Amtrak and was told that they had no way of reaching the train and that the conductor is the only one that can make decisions.Desired Settlement: they need food and water

Business

Response:

From: S[redacted], Vanessa

Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2014 8:40 AM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: On 7/14/2014 I called Amtrak to schedule a trip since I had missed my bus. When I called I was told that I was being asked to take a survey. I indicated I had no wish to do so, but the survey continued. At the end, I was told I had won a cruise. The call then disconnected. This happened not once but more than four times on at least 2 different numbers for Amtrak. It happened with family members when they attempted to call Amtrak as well.Desired Settlement: Well, it seems to me that I should get at least one of those promised cruises, two would be very nice. Minus the port fees would be nice, but not necessary, but free transportation to the port of my choice would be lovely. If only one cruise can be managed, perhaps it should be of longer duration.Lacking that. The day cost me around $70.00 all told for a trip that usually runs less than $10.Getting that back would be nice. Or maybe train expenses for a year, not including food.

Business

Response:

From: S[redacted], Vanessa

Sent: Tuesday, September 02, 2014 9:44 AM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: Complaint to amtrak was reported following day and 90 days later no response as requested re, file # [redacted] I called twice and also, handwritten a letter to headquarters requesting compensation only because the unskilled, unprofessional desk clerk on

n duty at their [redacted] station said, "both my suitcases were oversize" I am asking for postage paid to mail these two suitcases to headquarters to be reviewed as they state that the limit is 28 x 22 x 14" . My 2 suitcases are within limit and have taken pictures of oversized suitcases onboard so having left my suitcases in [redacted] I am requesting the refund of $112. Cost of ticket to have my luggage delivered.Desired Settlement: The one way $112. Refunded (cost of ticket) or a round trip ticket from ATN to [redacted] to retrive my within limit suitcase upon review.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Friday, April 25, 2014 10:50 AM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: Here is the text of my first of three letters to Amtrak I have written:

This is the first time I have ever bought sleeping car accommodations and my entire family had an unacceptably poor experience while riding the [redacted] from [redacted] to [redacted] from July 20th through 22nd of this year. Our reservation number is [redacted]. I am requesting a full refund of the travel on this segment of the round trip reservation due to the following issues:

1. The air conditioning was not operating correctly in car [redacted] during our entire three days on the train causing our room to become like a sauna. I would estimate the temperature was between 90 and 95 degrees with high humidly, especially during the portion of the trip east of [redacted]. It was cooler outside, even in July. The first night we slept poorly, and the second night it was absolutely unbearable. I personally couldn’t get to sleep until almost 3:00AM on the second night because it was so hot. We were dripping with sweat and there was no way to cool the room down. Not only would the room not cool down, there was no airflow at all to help! I have two small children, 2 and 6, and we all need our sleep. The last few hours of the trip, by proactively contacting 800-USA-RAIL, and with the assistance of the conductor, we were able to move to an air conditioned car. Our attendant, [redacted] was not helpful in any way.

2. When we mentioned the unbearable heat to our car attendant [redacted] on the night of the 21st, he said “It should be cooler in here, I opened the windows.” To our alarm, we found both windows wide open in lower level of train car while the train was in motion! We have a six year old and two year old and I found this to be an extreme safety hazard. Our six year old daughter walks in her sleep. Is this against Amtrak policy? The window is fairly large – enough for a child to fall out of with no screen. [redacted] never told us or warned us ahead of time. I was appalled and couldn’t believe it! I took a photo and video to document this if you would like proof.

3. There is a serious disconnect regarding personal food policy between the lead service attendant, the conductor, and the Amtrak offices in Washington DC. Our youngest daughter [redacted] has a documented medical condition called FPIES (Food Protein Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome), and is unable to consume any food containing soy, egg, or dairy, which is contained in most of the food served in the dining car. Before we even departed on this trip, my wife, [redacted], called the 800 number for Amtrak and spoke with an agent named [redacted] who answered all her food questions over the course of about 40 minutes. He had to place her on hold several times to consult senior level management and was specifically told to bring enough food for [redacted] for the entire trip, and that we could expect to bring her safe foods with us while we ordered three other Amtrak provided meals for the rest of us so that we could eat together as a family in the dining car. After completing four complete meals in the dining car, we were told by [redacted], the LSA that, “we could expect to be asked to leave at any time due to FDA regulations by bringing in our own food!” The Amtrak website does not specifically prohibit this. The table next to ours had a passenger drinking something in a “[redacted]” coffee cup from [redacted], and they weren’t singled out or lectured. The most current version I have of the Amtrak Service Standards Manual on page 7-30 (effective 12:01AM October 30th, 2012) states that food service cars are “intended for the consumption of only Amtrak provided meals, snacks, and beverages.” (Emphasis added). The next paragraph states that Amtrak is “prohibited from providing and refrigeration, thawing, heating, cooking, or storage of any food or beverage item brought on board”. (Emphasis added). There is a difference between prohibiting something and intending something. There is some implied flexibility involved. In my thorough research, there is no FDA violation by bringing your own meal and eating it next to someone else with an Amtrak provided meal. There was nothing occurring that is prohibited. [redacted]’s food was not prepared by Amtrak, heated by Amtrak, and didn’t even come into contact with anyone else’s food or utensils. I believe the LSA was misinformed. When we politely talked to the assistant conductor on the evening of the 21st, just past [redacted], he said “It doesn’t matter what Washington or Delaware says, it’s never been allowed in the 21 years I’ve been working for Amtrak.” He also stated that the air conditioning in this particular car had been having problems for six months! Amtrak told us over the phone that we would be able to enjoy our meals as a family in the dining car, but this was not the case as we had to get the remainder of our meals in our sleeping car room, which was 95 degrees! We couldn’t eat at separate times because [redacted] is a toddler. You can’t tell a family to expect one thing over the phone and then be told something else on the train. We did our due diligence to properly research this and were not accommodated. The entire incident brought my wife to tears. At all the restaurants we have visited, once we explain that our daughter has serious food allergies, they have no problems when we bring our own food in, and actually encourage it.

4. Our attendant [redacted] in car [redacted] provided poor customer service. The entire three days we were with him, he never once asked us if he could do anything for us after we got on board, never apologized for the air conditioning situation, or even explained what was going on with the air conditioning problems. He never delivered newspapers under our door like the other car attendants did. The ice was contained in two small plastic buckets, and there was not enough to regularly stock our small cooler; we had to go to the next sleeping car which had a whole cooler of ice. My wife had been told by Customer Service that there would be a note on our file that we needed ice provided for our small cooler and we ended up having to go looking for some in another car. Whenever we asked him a question, every response was abrupt and seemed like it was inconvenient. When we ordered our first meal through him for four people, he didn’t write any of our order down, and the order was wrong when it arrived. When I told him what kind of juice the kids wanted, he told me that I could get it myself upstairs. It took 15 minutes for him to respond to our call request to order our second meal with him with no explanation or apology. We asked for a menu to look at. He replied, “I have it all memorized”, and didn’t provide one for us to look at, which was awkward and inconvenient. When the meal that we ordered for four arrived, only two and a half meals came, and the oatmeal was missing, one of the two foods that [redacted] can eat. This meal also only came with two napkins. You need more than two napkins for a family of four with small children! On the evening of the 21st, after putting up with two days of air conditioning problems, I asked him if any other rooms were available. He said, “Not in this car.” I asked, “What about another car?” He said “I don’t know.” I asked, “Can you check?” He responded shortly, “I have a lot of beds to turn down, I’ll get to it when I can, we all have our problems.” Single handedly, this attendant made this vacation much, much worse. I am appalled at his entire demeanor and general grumpiness.

Despite all the negative issues we experienced, there are two employees I would like to recognize for providing superior customer service. In the dining car, [redacted] was amazing. She was very patient, helpful and friendly. She knew us by name towards the end of the trip and genuinely cared about taking care of us. Secondly, the sleeper attendant, [redacted], in car [redacted] was great. We were in his car the last few hours of our trip. He had a great attitude, was friendly, and actually brought us juice when we ordered it, unlike [redacted] who told me I could get it myself. [redacted] personally apologized for the issues we experienced, and encouraged us not to expect the [redacted]e Amtrak experience on future travel. [redacted] was prompt, helpful, and made the last few hours of our trip much better. Both of these employees deserve commendation.

In addition to a full refund for the [redacted] leg of our trip, I would like to have Amtrak’s official policy from the legal department, in writing, regarding personal food in the dining car solely due to a food allergy. If this is allowed, the service manual and website should state that it is. If it not, the paragraph in the service manual, and the Amtrak website needs to clearly state that personal food is prohibited and not use the word intended with regard to policy. I understand that this practice can be highly discouraged, but in the case of medically documented serious food allergy, I don’t see any actual policy stating clearly that it is not allowed. Medical issues are protected under the ADA, and as long as all FDA rules are followed, I feel we are being discriminated against, and we were clearly misled from the phone call telling us that this was allowed. We are being singled out just because our two year old has a medical condition, and discriminated from the family experience of eating in the dining car. We were not violating any FDA regulations.Desired Settlement: I would like a full cash refund for this first trip segment in the amount of $1612.30. I have already received a cash refund of $600 and a travel voucher of $600. I have no vacation time left to take a future trip in the 1 year to use the travel voucher, so it is useless to me. I would like to have the travel voucher canceled, and have a cash refund in the amount of $1012.30 (which is the full amount minus the cash refund I have already received).

Consumer

Response:

From: [redacted] and [redacted] <[redacted]>

Date: Mon, Jan 13, 2014 at 10:27 AM

Subject: RE: Your complaint has been received

To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>

I was incorrect in the amount already refunded to me for complaint number [redacted]. I was refunded $605.00 and not $600.00 which I listed in my complaint. This would adjust my requested amount to $1007.30.

I apologize for the confusion.

Sincerely,

Review: Purchased an online eTicket through Amtrak.com on September 26, 2014, and received the reservation number AF1DB8.. Later, had to cancel on November 27, 2014, and received cancellation reference number [redacted]. Had to cancel due to logistics of orchestrating 5:45AM, 3:35PM, 7:45PM, and 10:10PM [redacted], IA to [redacted], IL arrival times on [redacted] that proved incompatible. Cancelling the Amtrak ticket was efficient, but got scammed by their $17.00 travel insurance through [redacted] (of Munich, Germany, instead of a U.S. firm in compliance with the Buy American Act of 1933) when the [redacted]-ascent representative (instead of a [redacted] operator in [redacted], WA that would support the local U.S. economy) said I belatedly called past their obscure "10-day customer support" deadline I had no knowledge of in advance. When I cancelled my ticket, the insurance should have been cancelled simultaneously in reciprocity to how easy it was to buy this insurance. In full legal disclosure, Amtrak (The National Railroad Passenger Corporation) should have clearly indicated that there is only a ten-day grace period upon the Cancel Confirmation disclaimer language: "Your travel insurance purchase must be canceled separately by calling ###-###-####." I have a disability and I work 40-hours per week so I could only call [redacted] when it was convenient to do so. I feel that my trust has been violated and that I would be better off taking [redacted] Express directly to [redacted], Washington, for the Thanksgiving holiday instead.Desired Settlement: Full disclosure of all the facts if are not going to provide a direct cancellation to [redacted] through your website. Its ironic that the Amtrak eTicket will "Your travel insurance request has been forwarded to our partner [redacted]" at the time of purchase, but does not do the same when situations dictate a cancellation. Not sound business practices in my opinion.

Review: My employer had gifted myself and my wife a trip to anywhere in California that we wanted to go as a thank you for my hard work. We had always wanted to go to Yosemite so we booked a trip via Amtrak on September 30. A few days later the partial government shutdown was announced and I received a voice mail from an agent wanting to speak about the cancellation of trips going to and fro. I received another phone call, this time I was able to answer and I spoke with the agent. They apologized for the cancellation and promised they would schedule me on the next available trip. I told them about the shutdown and how it may last longer than expected and therefore that might not come for another week. Sure enough It is October 17 and just today have trips began operating to Yosemite. Not only had I not been scheduled or called, but instead was sent a voucher in the amount I paid. I called in on my own having noticed that trains were now operating in route and was told I would have to pay 52 dollars more. I asked if they could honor the original price.. They told me it wasn't their fault and that I should have booked sooner to avoid increases. I could not believe that person would say that it was my fault considering I had just finished explaining that the shutdown just ended the night before and that there were no other previously scheduled routes. They then put me on hold for a long time only to return and say they would not be honoring the original price. In defeat and having already had the reservation at the hotel, I conceded and paid the difference. In all, the entire phone call from start to finish lasted an hour and 1 minute. My employer was more than gracious to allow me this time on the clock to arrange the purchase. If that wasn't bad enough mid way through the reservation, the agent stopped and said "Oh, wait it looks like we have a canceled train, we;ll have to reroute you." Fortunately I was able to decrease the damage with my [redacted] membership discount.Desired Settlement: Money and time were abused in this situation. I would like to be refunded $35 (the difference in the amount. and $16 for time lost (I would on commission w/ hourly base). But, at the very least Amtrak should be aware that this treatment is not acceptable. Promises were broken, my ticket price was hiked, and I experienced loss of time at work.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted], Vanessa

Sent: Monday, October 28, 2013 12:04 PM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Dear **. [redacted]:

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

We are so sorry that you received misinformation from one of our employees regarding your fare. In spite of our best efforts, there are always those times when communication breaks down and misunderstandings result. Please accept our sincere apologies.

Amtrak fares are not static, and when passengers make changes to their reservations for whatever the reason, we offer the lowest fare available, but we cannot guarantee the same fare will be available when changes are made. As information, Amtrak, similar to airlines, uses a pricing system that allows fare reductions based upon availability when tickets are purchased in advance. The fares can vary depending upon the train, date, and how many seats or accommodations have already been sold on a particular train at a given point in time.

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.

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

However, 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 October 28, 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.

Once again, thank you for writing. While I cannot compensate you at the level you requested, we value your patronage and hope we may continue to have the privilege of serving your travel needs.

Sincerely,

Customer Relations Specialist

Office of Customer Relations

Washington, DC

Case #: [redacted]

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], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Regards,

Review: Amtrak did not fulfill their promise of transportation and left me stranded in [redacted], NM overnight when the amtrak shuttle never arrived.

I purchased my ticket on amtrak.com for approximately $85 on March 2, 2014 for travel the following Tuesday, March 4. On the site, on the phone with customer support before purchasing the ticket and once I was on the train, I was told that when the train from [redacted], NM arrived in [redacted], NM an Amtrak shuttle would be there waiting for all passengers heading north toward [redacted].

The train was running about thirty minutes late and I spoke with a crew member about whether we would miss the shuttle. She assured me that the shuttle waits for us.

Upon arrival, there was an announcement letting us know that the shuttle was running two hours late and it would be there at 7:15pm. They suggested that I go into the station to wait for the shuttle. When I gathered my things and went inside, I saw there was no person working the station. It was getting dark and the area did not feel safe, so I sought out an open business. There were none. The street was full of abandoned storefronts.

I contacted the police department and amtrak when the shuttle didn't arrive at 7:30. I was at the station until after 9pm with no sign of a shuttle.

I tried reaching Amtrak customer service, but there was a wait for nearly an hour and I worried my phone would run out of battery, putting me in an even more dangerous situation. I spoke to [redacted] customer support multiple times and they had no information about any shuttle that connected with the train. According to their records, everything was on time and had been in service.

It turns out the [redacted] station was across town and there was nothing running until the next day. Since there was no taxi service and the police weren't able to assist me, I payed someone to take me across town to a motel next to the [redacted] station, situated behind [redacted]. I called Amtrak from the room and was told that I needed to call back when I could speak to the resolutions department. She told me to save receipts for what I could but there was nothing she could do for me.

It took a lot of work to get the [redacted] driver to let me on board with my ticket, but he finally accepted it.

I spoke with Amtrak again today. I was shocked when my story was met with condescension, belittling and apathy. I asked why this had happened and what they will do to ensure that all passengers, especially women who are traveling by themselves, are not put in incredibly dangerous situations. I requested a refund for my ticket,my hotel room and expenses incurred due to their negligence. The flat response was that they 'apologize for an unpleasant experience,' but no action would be taken to satisfy my situation.Desired Settlement: I want full compensation for all my expenses, an apology and assurances that other passengers will not be put in danger the way I was put in danger.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Friday, April 11, 2014 12:57 PM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: Hello and my name is [redacted] and I live in [redacted] ILI am from [redacted] Ohio and take Amtrak on a semi frequent basis home to see my familyEvery time I use Amtraks services there is always on average a 2-hour delayI am aware of the state of the rail infrastructure throughout the US and how that can hamper attempts of running an on-time operationHowever, the consistent level of incompetency and continuous inability to keep to being a reliable mode of transportation escapes meFinally, my biggest complaint is with Amtraks customer serviceFinding an agent to answer questions or give trip status updates is almost impossibleFurthermore when an agent is found they never have any information or offer any accommodationBeing hearded into a room and left with no information is not anyway to treat customersThe consistent incompetency in the operation and utter lack of customer service in my opinion warrants a refund.Desired Settlement: I have taken recent trips with the same consistent issuesTotal amount paid is roughly usd
Business
Response:
Dear [redacted]:
Thank you for your recent correspondence
We apologize for the unacceptable service you receivedWe expect every Amtrak employee to provide excellent customer service and to perform their duties in a professional mannerI am sorry that you received otherwiseI have forwarded you remarks to the responsible management for review and corrective action
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 businessYour most recent delays were caused due to a rail switch failure, freight traffic, and weather/temperature issues that were beyond Amtrak’s controlPlease accept our most sincere apologies for your inconvenience
Amtrak does not own most of the tracks within the United States (except for the Northeast Corridor and a small portion in Michigan)Most of the tracks throughout the United States are owned by the freight rail companies and they are responsible for the traffic on the rails as well as the track maintenanceUnfortunately, since we are on their rails, the freight trains have priority over our trains and if there are signals out, our trains cannot move without their permissionRecently, there has been a large amount of track maintenance on these rails that did put our trains behind schedule with only a short amount of notice to AmtrakUnfortunately, this maintenance has affected our passengers and our on-time performanceWe sincerely apologize about the delays you have experienced and we will continue to work with the freight companies to help get our passengers to their destination on time
Amtrak does not normally offer refunds for these types of cases, however since you had such a long delay, we will offer you a one-time full refund on your most recent tripWe have authorized an automated credit in the amount of $be applied to the Visa account by which the tickets were purchasedThis procedure has been performed electronically, and no paper credit receipt was generatedDepending on your bank’s procedures, please allow to days to show up in your account
Once again, thank you for writingWe look forward to the privilege of serving you in the future
Sincerely,
Customer Relations Specialist
Revdex.com [redacted]
Case [redacted]

Review: forfeiture of voucher by purchasing a new voucher.

Upon trying to receive a refund to my credit card, upon which I purchased the ticket, I was told I had forfeited my previous voucher by buying a new voucher. This was not explained to me by any of the purchasing agents I had obtained these tickets through. Now I have a ticket for $135.20 as well as a credit for $95.20 which has to be used to purchase a different voucher. They informed me they would not refund the $95.20 to my card.Desired Settlement: payment in full; $228.65 for the total purchases of vouchers made to Amtrak. As I refuse to do business with any company which doesn't give a full cash refund for non-services rended.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Tuesday, November 26, 2013 2:11 PM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: Amtrak Fresno station's rude employee who misused her power and abused Amtrak policy. Resulting my finance loss and my physical sickness.

I am writing to you regarding my most terrible experience with Amtrak. On April 8, 2013, I took Amtrak from Fresno, California to connect an international flight at San Francisco airport.

I arrived at Fresno Station at 5:50 a.m. early enough to catch 6:50 a.m. train. As I reserved my ticket online, I thought the computer printout needed to be change to a ticket as my early trip. The lady in the ticket window was very rude to me. She yelled me very loudly; "you understand, you don't have to change your ticket, your printout is your ticket. You understand?" When I told her I had two pieces of baggage need to be checked in. She asked me: "what is inside? I need to check your suitcases". These two pieces of baggage were very well packed and ready to go to the international airplane. But I didn't say anything, just opened my suitcases and let her to check. She searched every piece in the suitcases, found some chocolates and nuts. These chocolates were packed very beautiful in metal gift cans so as the nuts. These were intended gifts for my family and friends. She said: "These chocolates and nuts are food, any food cannot get on to the train". I told her, "I called Amtrak and also checked your website only 'perishables' cannot go. These chocolates are not 'perishable', why they can't go? I told her these chocolate and nuts actually were brought from San Francisco and I had them in Amtrak when I came to Fresno without any problem". She seemed mad at me. She said very loudly "not from Fresno"!

At that time, I felt so embarrassed and I did not know what to do. My suitcases were open. Everything was dumped on the floor covering almost half of waiting room floor. The lady, your Fresno California station staff, looked satisfied and yelled at me again: "I give you 5 minutes, go or not to go. If you still can't decide, I will not let you go". To avoid missing the international flight, I had no other choices but left my chocolates and nuts on the bench out side of the waiting room, and checked in two pieces of baggage without them. Late some people said "thank you" and took them away.

Meantime, I saw all other passengers went through, completed their check in procedure without any baggage inspection. I noticed that I was the only person treated in this cruel way. Some passenger showed sympathy to me after they saw what had happened and said to me:

"We had nuts in our checked in suitcases, too. They are great for gifts. You are the only one being singled out. I am proud of Fresno because it produces 90% nuts of in the whole nation. I could never imagine that having nuts in Amtrak can be a disaster. Is it because I am old, woman and minority. They are younger, white and men. I felt sick for the whole day.

To make sure, Amtrak has a stated policy on baggage. I called Amtrak for three times; first one was before I made reservation; second time was I came back from the trip to make sure chocolate and nuts are allowed to in the check in baggage. The last time I called is today, middle of this letter I am writing. I was told the same answer: chocolates and nuts are no problem in the check in baggage. I firmly trust the employee in the Fresno California station was intentional to create difficult to me. It is not only abused your policy, also it is discriminations.

I filled a complaining on April, but never get any apology from Amtrak Fresno station nor the employee. I will keep fighting until they give a fair resolve.Desired Settlement: I wish they can give me a fair explanation. Are these chocolate and nuts can go to the train or not? Even they are very well packed, are they still 'perishable'? Does Fresno have different policy from than other U. S Amtrak stations? I have traveled many U. S. cities, but never have any employee was so rude to me.

Here are my three requests to Amtrak:

1. A serious apology is needed from the Amtrak Fresno station and particularly their rude employee who misused her power and abused Amtrak p

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Tuesday, November 26, 2013 1:58 PM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: On Amtrak train from Seattl to Los Angles during which attendent, [redacted], placed son's upper bunk into the up position, while family at breakfast. She removed son's head phone from upper netting container and stowed them under seat. Head phones purchased for trip by my twelve year old son 2 days prior to departure. When stowing head phones they were broken and made unusable. They were discovered immediately on return to cabin and attendent questioned. She sent suprervisor to discuss issue only to be refered to main Amtrak complaint phone number. I called number on return home but was told only checked items were covered.Desired Settlement: My son purchased these head phones with his own money and he was very crushed when they were broken. We have replaced them and the cost was 39$ plus tax.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Thursday, August 08, 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 the difficulties you experienced while traveling with us onboard the Coast Starlight. Please accept our apologies for your inconvenience. We are investigating your claim, and should be getting back to you shortly regarding reimbursement for your son’s headphones. Once again, thank you for writing. Sincerely, [redacted]

Customer Relations Specialist

Office of Customer Relations

Washington, DCCase #: [redacted]

Business

Response:

From: [redacted] <[redacted]>

Date: Wed, Aug 28, 2013 at 3:06 PM

Subject: [redacted] - YOUR ID #[redacted]

To: [redacted]

,

This case is not resolved yet. Please see my response below.

Customer Relations Specialist

Office of Customer Relations

Washington, DC

Phone: [redacted]

Fax: [redacted]

From: [redacted]

Sent: Wednesday, August 28, 2013 3:06 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 damage to your son’s headphones when you traveled with us recently. Please accept my apologies for your inconvenience. Normally, Amtrak does not accept liability for passenger’s carryon items; however, after a review of the circumstances in your case, I have decided to make an exception.

If you would please provide me the receipt, I will gladly authorize a refund for the replacement headphones. You indicated that the replacement headphones cost $39.00 plus tax. Could you please scan the receipt back to me in email?

I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

Customer Relations Specialist

Office of Customer Relations

Washington, DC

Case #: [redacted]

Review: On December 30, 2013, I took an Amtrak train from [redacted] to [redacted]). The train was originally delayed in [redacted] for an hour, which was such a hassle. Anyway, on the train from [redacted] to [redacted], the employee that was on train asked me to take my carry on bag, and put it on the back rack. The employee insisted that I place my bag in the rack of the train, and then I did even though it was a carry on suit case. As a result of this employee, my bag was stolen! I lost $3,000 worth of valuables. I filed a police report in [redacted], and filed a claim with Amtrak.

The Amtrak employee gave improper directions which caused my bag to be stolen. I have all new ite** in my bag, and I have receipts for the ite** that I purchased.

The [redacted] Police Report # [redacted]

The Am Trak Ticket #[redacted]-01 TVM: [redacted] Issued 30 Dec. 2013 One-way TripDesired Settlement: My bag had jewelry, brand new clothes, makeup sets, purses, and expensive shoes. The ite** are worth $3,000. I request compensation for the loss which was a result of the AmTrak employee.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted], Vanessa

Sent: Thursday, January 09, 2014 10:46 AM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: I booked 4 RT tickets on the auto train for a family vacation to florida (Reservation Number: [redacted] ) at a cost of $1909.40. Yesterday my son's doctor told us he is not weel enough to travel. I called amtrak and cancelled the reservation. The woman refused to credit the full amount back to our credit card. I toild her the circumstances and offered to get a doctors note to substantiate the reason for cancellation. She rudely refused, and charged us 10%. Given the circumstances, and what our family is going through, this is beyond words. What is wrong with people. I am a longtime loyal traveller on amtrak, we do not fly, but beyond that how about some compassion for what we are dealing with.Desired Settlement: Kindly refund the balance of the charge back to our credit card.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2013 1:12 PM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Dear **. [redacted]:

We are in receipt of correspondence written on your behalf from the Revdex.com. After a review of your reservation, we found that all monies due on your reservation were refunded in full with no refund fees. Once again, thank you for writing. We look forward to your continued patronage.

Sincerely,

Customer Relations Specialist

Office of Customer Relations

Washington, DC

Review: My grandson travel from/to [redacted]/from [redacted] as an unaccompanied minorI'm his grandmother and does his reservations via phoneHis latest travel date was Saturday, March 23,'reservation number [redacted]His mother calls me because she was in [redacted] waiting for him, when we called him he said he was in [redacted] waiting for them to come get himNo one came for him, when I called customer service (Agent - [redacted]) informed me he was on the train to "[redacted]", [redacted] informed me I need to contact Customer Relations on MondayCalled Monday, 3/@ 9:was placed on hold for minutes seconds and no one picked me up
This is Not the first incident concerning my grandson's travel from [redacted] to [redacted]First incident his mother waiting inside [redacted] station for him (she calls me hysterical) she could not locate himFinally, she goes outside and he's outside the station by himselfThe attendant took him outside and left him, while his mother is inside the station waiting in area where they should have brought him to turn him overThe 2nd indictment happened during his Thanksgiving trip (I believe it was this travel) an assistant never came to get him to take him off the train so he left on his ownThis week-end trip was more then enough because Amtrak is not taking my grandson's "Safety" as a priority and that disturbs meHe'll be traveling back and we're so worried because staff doesn't seem to take their responsibility seriously.Desired Settlement: For Amtrak to speak to employees assigned to unaccompanied minors and we're placing our love ones in their handsTheir policy is not being taken seriously
Business
Response:
From: [redacted]
Sent: Friday, May 03, 1:PM
To[redacted]
Subject: Amtrak Response