No response from Amtrak customer service

[PeterKsfo]

I was using a 35,000 award for bedroom WMJ-LAX-SEA on SW Chief to CS. The Chief was over 5 hours late, due to mechanical problem from origin at Chicago. I knew in advance about the delay, but then needed to pay for another night hotel in Williams, (paid at my own expense) as there would have been no place to wait until 5am other than on the street. We the missed the CS at LAX due to the delay, and rerouted via Bakersfield/Martinez. Part of the desire of the trip was to get to take the CS, and missed a good part of it

I wrote email to Amtrak, requesting consideration for a refund of some or all of my 35,000 points, or other compensation. I received the automated response that someone would get back to me soon, but could take a few weeks. I waited over a month with no reply, and wrote back again. Now over another week and still no replay.

- Does anyone know if it normally takes that long to get a reply?

- Would you expect I should get some rebate for the delay?

- Any suggested recourse you suggest to escalate? Write to the Amtrak president?

Thanks

 

[Ispolkom]

I was using a 35,000 award for bedroom WMJ-LAX-SEA on SW Chief to CS. The Chief was over 5 hours late, due to mechanical problem from origin at Chicago. I knew in advance about the delay, but then needed to pay for another night hotel in Williams, (paid at my own expense) as there would have been no place to wait until 5am other than on the street. We the missed the CS at LAX due to the delay, and rerouted via Makersfield/Martinez. Part of the desire of the trip was to get to take the CS, and missed a good part of it

I wrote email to Amtrak, requesting consideration for a refund of some or all of my 35,000 points, or other compensation. I received the automated response that someone would get back to me soon, but could take a few weeks. I waited over a month with no reply, and wrote ack again. Now over another week and still no replay.

- Does anyone know if it normally takes that long to get a reply?

- Would you expect I should get some rebate for the delay?

- Any suggested recourse you suggest to escalate? Write to the Amtrak president?

Thanks

I've occasionally complained to customer relations over the years, and my experience is this:

1) Call 1-800-USA-RAIL, ask for Customer Relations. E-mail doesn't work. You'll eventually get a response telling you to call

2) You won't get points back. You'll get a voucher for future Amtrak travel.

3) The amount of the voucher is dependent on factors I don't understand. Not being woken up for a middle-of-the-night station stop = $300 voucher. No toilets in our sleeper car for the entire 26-hour Chicago-Boston trip = $200 voucher.

I've never tried to escalate, or even argue about the voucher amount, so I have no experience there.

Also, 35k points? Did you mean 25k points?

 

[the_traveler]

I would not write an email. Especially since you did not receive a reply, either call 1-800-USA-RAIL, ask for an agent then ask for Customer Relations and tell them your problem and/or write a letter and send it by snail mail.

 

[tonys96]

Bummer that your trip was so messed up. I would be raising hell. I'd start by calling, as stated above, ask for agent, then customer relations (not customer service). If not made happy, then I would write to Christopher Elliott (Elliott.org) a travel consumer advocate.

 

[Ryan]

Calling Customer Relations will get you the response you're looking for.

 

[PRR 60]

I'm note sure why they even have the "contact us" email for service complaints. If there is a response at all, it is after weeks of waiting and all it says is to call in for assistance.

 

[SarahZ]

I got a response to my email six weeks later (and was not told to call). I was okay with waiting, though. I got a $100 voucher code, a heartfelt apology, and a promise to speak to the employee's supervisor about what happened.

I suggest you call, as the others said.