{"id":8717377,"date":"2023-01-16T08:45:01","date_gmt":"2023-01-16T16:45:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/?p=8717377&preview=true&preview_id=8717377"},"modified":"2023-01-17T05:33:22","modified_gmt":"2023-01-17T13:33:22","slug":"travel-troubleshooter-after-a-traumatic-nightmare-on-amtrak-can-i-get-a-refund","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/2023\/01\/16\/travel-troubleshooter-after-a-traumatic-nightmare-on-amtrak-can-i-get-a-refund\/","title":{"rendered":"Travel Troubleshooter: After a \u2018traumatic nightmare\u2019 on Amtrak, can I get a refund?"},"content":{"rendered":"

DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER: <\/strong>I took my 7-year-old daughter on our first Amtrak trip, from Chemult, Oregon, to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to visit her cousins this summer.<\/p>\n

\"Christopher
Christopher Elliott, the Travel Troubleshooter <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The trip was a nightmare. Amtrak delayed our first train by seven hours. It failed to provide all the meals on our 26-hour trip. I had paid for a sleeper, but Amtrak seated us in the wrong section of the train. An employee yelled at me for \u201ctaking his seat\u201d on a coach train where there were no assigned seats.<\/p>\n

So I canceled our return trip and paid almost $1,000 for airfare to get home. The airfare wiped out my savings.<\/p>\n

When I canceled our Amtrak return trip and explained why, a representative assured me that I\u2019d receive a \u201cfull refund for my purchase.\u201d That promise was six weeks ago, and now they\u2019re saying I\u2019m not eligible for a refund.<\/p>\n

In my view, I purchased services that were never delivered (i.e., meals and bedroom accommodations for three days), and as a result of Amtrak not providing the services promised with my purchase, they forced me to spend money I don\u2019t really have in order to transport my daughter and myself back home.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Kimberli Eicher, Bend, Oregon<\/em><\/p>\n

ANSWER:<\/strong> I\u2019m sorry you had such a difficult trip to Oklahoma. Amtrak should have done better \u2014 no delays, putting you in the right section of the train and treating you with dignity.<\/p>\n

None of these issues rises to the level of qualifying for a refund. Amtrak doesn\u2019t provide refunds for late trains. It does refund part of your ticket for an involuntary downgrade. But it does not offer your money back because of rude employees.<\/p>\n

But taken together, these complaints add up. You also furnished me with a detailed trip report that you sent to your bank when you disputed the charges for your train fare. You were not exaggerating when you called it a traumatic nightmare. I would have fought for a refund, too.<\/p>\n

Technically, Amtrak was entitled to keep your money. After all, it had provided you with transportation from Oregon to Oklahoma. But a representative had already agreed to refund half your fare, so it\u2019s reasonable to expect Amtrak to do what it promised. Instead, Amtrak reneged and insisted on keeping your money.<\/p>\n

As I already mentioned, you filed a credit card dispute to recover your money after Amtrak told you it would not refund your ticket. You can file a chargeback for a service that you paid for but did not receive, so I think you had a case. You contacted me before the dispute was resolved, asking me to intervene.