Amtrak

Review: August 9, 2012 I booked a two way trip from San Diego to San Juan, Capistrano business class, reservation number [redacted] and [redacted]. On the return trip business class was full and no accommodations was made for additional riders. the conductors did not know where we were to board the train and we were running from one end to the other to board; and I cannot run. I ended up in a car reserved for people with disabilities. I think Amtrak should be able to do better for disabled. It was the last car, the ventilation was bad and the service was dismal. It was a trip that I do with my five granddaughters and Amtrak ruined it.Desired Settlement: Amtrak ruined my day out with my granddaughters and I would think they could, at least, respond to my complaint the them. I sent a complaint to Amtrak on August 10, 2013. If Amtrak can sell the ticket they should provide the service. Put on a second business class car. I would like a credit on my next trip to San Juan, Capistrano and I would like an apology for ruining my trip.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Friday, October 04, 2013 3:46 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 learn that you and your group experienced difficulties when you traveled with us recently with regard to seating. Amtrak conductors and car attendants are responsible for seeing to it that all passengers have a seat. They do their best to make sure that the seats are assigned in such a way as to maximize everyone’s comfort. In spite of our best efforts, there will be times when their best is not enough. I regret that this happened during your trip and that it was very inconvenient for you.

As a token of our regrets for your disappointment, we are holding on file for you a Transportation Certificate in the amount of $80.00. The Certificate must be redeemed on or before October 4, 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]

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 bought a ticket for train [redacted] on July 24th which was scheduled to depart [redacted] MA to Boston North Station at 8:29pm. Not only was the train over 45 minutes late arriving into [redacted] but also 1 hour late getting into Boston. Amtrak posted no delay info on their official website. Had I known the train would be late, I had the option to take an 8:25 commuter rail train into Boston instead. When I called the customer relations office, I spoke to Pat who refused to refund me for the trip. This delay caused me a lot of problems.Desired Settlement: A full refund back to my [redacted] card.

Business

Response:

From: S[redacted], Vanessa

Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2014 1:39 PM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: I was thrown off the bus in [redacted] falls at 930:pm and no luggage slept outside of train station all night frozen scared out of my mind. The reason is the conductor thought I was smoking it was not me there were 2 other people that were in the bathroom before me he would not even question them he waited until we were all sleeping woke me up only and threw me off. It is blatant disregard for my safety and discrimination towards female as the other 2 were male.Desired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Other (requires explanation)

I want to be compensated for my horrifying experience and the conductor fired so no other woman has to go through what I did.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2014 9:11 AM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: I'm a student traveling during spring break (March 9th to March 16th). Purchased Rail Pass on March 5th and made detail reservation by email the same day.

"Hi Sir,

I wanna make the following reservation.

Reservation Number: [redacted] Amtrak Guest Rewards Number: [redacted]

SAS to CHI upper 31hrs 22 [redacted]

7:00am (Mar 10) - 1:52pm (Mar 11)

CHI to SEA lower 46hrs 7 Empire Builder

2:15pm (Mar 12) - 10:25am (Mar 14)

SEA to SAS lower 23hrs 11 Coast Starlight

9:35am (Mar 15)- 6:15am (Mar 16)

Thanks,

Mobile: ###-###-####

"

I received confirmation on March 6th by [redacted] as follow:

"Dear [redacted],

Thank you for contacting Amtrak.

I made the reservations your reservation

Number for your itinerary is [redacted].

You also need you USA Rail Pass which is

[redacted].

I sent out an E-mail of your itinerary.

I can only get lower level seating on the

[redacted], WA to [redacted])

Hope this is helpful.

Thank You,

Gale P[redacted]

Amtrak Intl. Sales

[redacted].Amtrak.com"

I never receive the email of detail itinerary from Amtrak and treat the confirmation email agree with the itinerary I provide for reservation. I arrived in SAS amtrak station happily and expected a cosy enjoyable journey with my friend but the vacation turned down when I notice that the SEA to SAS segment was made up by 4 segments and 2 more travel days. Since I've planned in ahead to get back before March 17th, I started to arrange my travel. To save time, I took a flight from Chicago to [redacted] and all my hotel reservations were either canceled or re-reservated which adds up not only expense, but also anxiety and upset. Lacking of the email confirmation for detail itinerary from Amtrak, the problems showed up until the travel started and thus causing all the issues later.

My actually travel is changed into below:

SAS to CHI

7:00am (Mar 10) - 1:52pm (Mar 11) Arrive 4 hrs late.

CHI to OAK(Oakland)

Mar. 12th [redacted] (luggage damage) 3.5 hrs delay of flight

OKJ(Oakland) to LAX

Mar. 15th Amtrak rescheduled

LAX to SAS

Mar. 15th Amtrak rescheduled, 480 extra for sleeper

The time and energy it cost is already gone and done. The reason and responsibility is still unclaimed. Amtrak should have all my call records and my effort upon this case. I will provide further discussion after their initial response.

Besides, I was told in phone the Rail Pass can only be used within 15 days instead of 180 days since purchased which is not stated clearly on website.

Info. for Amtrak check:

Reservation No.: Wenhui Wang 9A246F ; [redacted]Desired Settlement: I want my additional $480 sleeper cost back since I can avoid it if they provided expected service. My Rail Pass validity should be extended. The trip I've used for Rail Pass is SAS to CHI 113.05, OKJ to LAX 51.85, LAX to SAS 123.25. Even without student advantage discount(15% off), still far below the Rail Pass value. I was saving the 5 out of 8 segments for next travel in summer. So I need explain about the validity of Rail Pass.

Business

Response:

From: S[redacted], Vanessa

Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2014 11:38 AM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: I purchased three tickets with Amtrak to travel on 11/30 from NYC to Rochester and Buffalo. The train ride was unbearable. We were almost 2 1/2 hours delayed in reaching our destination. The conductor was making announcements while we stood still on the tracks for over an hour at a time, but the audio system he was using was inferior in that we could not hear or understand the updates. We were unable to update our families that were traveling to pick us up. When my husband arrived at the Depew (Buffalo) station to pick us up, the train and arrival time was not listed on the board. He then asked an associate behind the counter if we were delayed and how long and her response was "I don't know." In addition to the delay and lack of communication, the temperature on the train was approx. 85-90 degrees. The heat was unbearable. Several people had asked the ticket taker as he walked by if it would be possible to turn down the heat and his response was "no, it's just because the doors are opening and closing." The heat was so severe that people were becoming ill and, like myself, felt as if they were going to pass out. As the train stood still on the tracks, the heat became even more intense. It was one of the most uncomfortable experiences of my life. Not one Amtrak employee walked the train to check on passengers. While we were suffering in this heat, there was again the lack of communication so we had no indication of how long we would be still. It became increasingly difficult to breathe. I had my 12 year old daughter with me and I was becoming very concerned for her health. On top of these issues, the bathrooms became extremely unsanitary. Out of the two that we had in our car, one was plugged and the other smelled strongly like urine.Desired Settlement: I am seeking a full refund for all three tickets that I purchased.

Business

Response:

Check Message tab.

Consumer

Response:

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

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

I will not travel with Amtrak in the future, therefore, the travel certificate does not have value to me. I previously replied to Amtrak that the delays were not the main issue. The extreme heat that was making my daughter, sister-in-law and myself (along with other passengers) very sick. It was a health issue. During this time, there was no period in which an Amtrak employee walked through our car to check on the passengers. The time frame was SEVERAL hours.

Regards,

Business

Response:

Check Message tab.

Review: VIA THEIR ONLINE SERVICE I BOOKED A TRIP BETWEEN DAYTONA BEACH, FL. AND STAMFORD CONNECTICUT (ONE WAY) ON SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2013.

THE COST WAS $166.00. IT WAS CONFIRMED VIA EMAIL AND I LATER CANCELLED IT A FEW DAYS LATER.

THEIR WEBSITE INFORMED ME THAT TICKETS WOULD BE MAILED OUT A FEW WEEKS BEFORE DEPARTURE.

I DIDN'T RECEIVE MY TICKETS!

WHERE'S MY REFUND?

IS THIS COMPANY SO LAZY THAT I HAVE TO RECEIVE TICKETS BEFORE MY REFUND IS PROCESSED?

I WISH FOR MY MONEY TO BE RETURNED IMMEDIATELY, WITH A LITTLE INTEREST ATTACHED - NOW!

WHAT ARE THEY WAITING FOR? I'VE CALLED TWICE!Desired Settlement: I WISH FOR THEM TO RETURN MY MONEY AS I CANCELED THIS LEG OF THE TRIP.

I'M DISCOURAGED!

HAVE USED THEM IN THE PAST. WHAT ARE THEY WAITING FOR??

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Monday, May 06, 2013 2:54 PM

To: '[redacted]

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: The tickets purchased 52 days in advance were sent via [redacted] 1 day prior to our departure, 1500 miles away.

My girlfriend and I purchased 2 tickets on March 11, for a travel date of May 3, of 2014.

The travel was for a one way from [redacted] BC, to [redacted], CA, departing May 2 from [redacted] at 0530am local time.

We had left on April 29 from [redacted] on a cruise to [redacted].

The method of tickets delivery chosen was [redacted].

On the departure date of May 3, at 0500am, in the station of [redacted] BC, and without tickets in hand, without any agent representative at the station of [redacted], I was on the phone with Amtrak to sort out the issue.

I was told over the phone (May 3, 2014, 0500am) that [redacted] had tried twice to deliver the tickets to our home address in [redacted], CA.

I was told by the customer service agent over the phone to buy 2 tickets with the bus driver, that would be reimbursed at a (much) later date.

We arrived home on May 4, 2014, at 2300pm local time in [redacted].

We had a note from [redacted] on the door for a package. The first delivery attempt was made on May 2, before 3pm. On May 5, [redacted] delivered the tickets to ur home address.

The customer service agent with whom I talked to the morning of May 3, 2014, had obviously been lying to me. Which to me is a terrible business practice.Desired Settlement: We leave to Amtrak the choice of settlement they want to offer.

Business

Response:

Sent: Monday, June 16, 2014 10:20 AM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Review: Hello, I was trying to book travel on Amtrak and noticed that there was a 25% off promotion for Northeast corridor travel for Memorial Day Weekend. http://www.amtrak.com/memorial-day-weekend-travel-deal-northeast-regional-train<...⇄ />
The ad states that the price will be reflected in the cart. I tried to book the ticket but nothing worked, I called a sales associate and asked for help but they were unable to get the 25% off the fare (after 20 on hold). When I inquired further as to why this was on the website the agent told me that even though the ad was up on the site, none of the fares are in fact 25% off, and that she didnt know why that was and instructed me to contact customer relations. I talked to customer relations and had the exact same thing happen, the agent admitted that there were no 25% off fares despite what the website said. That agent referred me to the internet specialist to try and resolve my issue. After a long a lengthy discussion, he also told me that as a consumer he would be upset as well because there were no 25% off fares available. This included me asking which fares would be 25% off so that I could try and book those instead of my desired travel time and dates (despite my desired travel times and dates being well within the conditions listed in the ad) he told me that there weren't any and he also did not know why the ad was up on the website.Desired Settlement: I think that for the hour plus I spent on the phone with three departments all to tell me that they agree that the ad that is up on the website is false advertising and the promotion does not exist I should be compensated with a complimentary roundtrip ticket.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted], Vanessa

Sent: Thursday, May 23, 2013 5:54 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 the promotion you mentioned in your correspondence was not available for the time period that you wanted to travel. Please accept our apologies for your inconvenience. We were disturbed to learn that you received misinformation from some of our employees regarding why the promotional fare was not available. In spite of our best efforts, there are always those times when communication breaks down and misunderstandings result. It should have been explained to you at the time that you called that “Under Terms and Conditions” on the website, the language states that seats are limited and fares may not be available on all trains at all times pertaining to this promotion. Once again, thank you for writing. We look forward to your continued patronage. Sincerely, [redacted]

Customer Relations Specialist

Office of Customer Relations

Washington, DC

Review: I arrived early in [redacted] to catch a bus to take a train in [redacted] Ca, when the bus didn't come I called Amtrak and was told the bus was running eight minutes late; when it was apparent I had missed my train in [redacted] I called Amtrak and was told I could take the next bus and was asked if I would be using the same card; I told the agent the trip was paid for; she then told me I missed my bus which I hadn't; I'd been at the bus stop getting a sunburn on the back of my neck, I didn't tell her that I may have said the bus driver was lying and tried to compose my self and asked for her supervisor; I was on hold for twenty minutes waiting for Customer Relations and was told much the same; I tried to point out that the bus was running late and may have skipped stopping in [redacted], he said the buses were contracted out and I reminded him that I had paid Amtrak and Amtrak was responsible.I then did something I've never done before; I started to cry, swore at him and hung up. I called my daughter and asked her to mediate for me because she had dropped me off and waited with me. The next bus came and I got on, sending her a text, eventually we spoke and she had been told the bus driver said they had gotten off and called for people, they also asked her if maybe I'd gone to the bathroom which ironically I did as soon as I got on the bus. My daughter told me she had paid with her credit card under protest and when I was done traveling she would call her credit card people and tell them not to honor the charge. She also told me that Amtrak was federally subsidized and we agreed they had no business in highway robbery. When I looked on line for complaints to Amtrak, one of the biggest complaints was Amtrak being slow in handling complaints and being I considered this complaint important, I did not want to deal with them.Desired Settlement: A one way [redacted] to [redacted] travel voucher.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2014 11:50 AM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

I have in the past traveled with amtrak frequently , and have accumulated many travel points ( appx 50,000 points ) which can be redeemed towards travel or other items. Amtrak guest rewards has a policy that if a customer doesn't travel for a certain period of time , customers points will expire . I was not aware of that , I had my email address changed / deleted and wasn't notified of the expiration . while granted I should have changed my profile with amtrak to my new email address , I did not .
I contacted amtrak and asked if they can reinstate my points , and the person conferred with her supervisor and was not able to do so . I understand that there is a policy like this, while I am not sure of the legality of this policy ( just like there is a law that gift cards cannot expire ) I am quite surprised that Amtrak Guest rewards would not evenconsider reinstating these points given that I had 50,000 points .

Review: I was on a train from [redacted] Station to [redacted] Station (Train [redacted]) on Nov 18, 2013 that was unable to get beyond [redacted] Station because of another train that dis-railed in the tunnel south of [redacted]. I called Amtrak on 11/20 to inquire about a refund and was told that I would be issued a credit. I was told that the credit would be an e-credit that would appear in my online account but that it would also be available to ticket agents under my name. I took down the case number as well in case there were any other problems. The refund was for the amount of the ticket, and did not cover by any means the actual cost of getting to [redacted]. When recently trying to make another reservation and to use the credit. I noticed that there was no e-voucher in my account. I called customer service and after waiting for an agent for nearly 20 minutes I was told that the actual certificate had been mailed to me and that it was an original and could not be re-issued electronically. It is appalling that after paying for a ticket that didn't get me to my destination, having to find my own way to DC, having the customer service agent mistake the form of the "refund", that Amtrak cannot do anything other than apologize.Desired Settlement: Since they cannot manage to provide an e-voucher for the "refund" and I never actually received the services that I paid for (infact, I had to spend double what the ticket cost), they should refund the charge on my credit card. Additionally, they need to work with their customer service people to make sure this doesn't happen again - they shouldn't be able to tell you one thing and do something completely different. In this day and age, the technology is available for them to make the credits immediately (especially when the reservations were made through the account online). I can only assume the agent I spoke with was either lazy or inadequately trained to perform his duties.

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Tuesday, February 04, 2014 3:27 PM

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

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

Dear -------,

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

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

Sincerely,

Maureen

Amtrak Customer Service

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

Business

Response:

From: S[redacted], Vanessa

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

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

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

Business

Response:

From: S[redacted], Vanessa

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

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

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

To: '[redacted]'

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

Customer Relations Specialist

Office of Customer Relations

Washington, DC

Consumer

Response:

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

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

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

Regards,

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

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

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

Business

Response:

From: S[redacted], Vanessa

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

To: '[redacted]

Subject: Amtrak Response

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

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

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

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

Business

Response:

From: S[redacted], Vanessa

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

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

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

$103.50 and 1 SUPERLINER ROOMETTE $386.00.

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

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

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

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

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

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

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

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

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

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

Business

Response:

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

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Dear [redacted]:

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

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

I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

Customer Relations Specialist

Office of Customer Relations

Washington, DC

Consumer

Response:

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

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

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

Business

Response:

From: [redacted], Vanessa

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

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

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

Amtrak's online refund policy states:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

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

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Dear **. [redacted]:

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

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

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

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

Sincerely,

Customer Relations Specialist

Office of Customer Relations

Washington, DC

Business

Response:

From: [redacted]

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

To: '[redacted]'

Subject: Amtrak Response

Dear **. [redacted]:

Thank you for your response.

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

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

Sincerely,

Customer Relations Specialist

Office of Customer Relations

Washington, DC

Case #: [redacted]

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

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

To: [redacted]

Cc: [redacted]

Subject: Re: Amtrak Response

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