Greyhound Uses Website and Customer Service to Defraud Users

This is a continuation of the article Greyhound Website Defrauds Customers and Customer Service Helps.

July 12
I was going to print out my tickets this morning when I noticed a SECOND confirmation, with a different number, from 10 minutes after the first! I was feeling pretty good until I saw that, but I didn't have time to deal with it as I was working, so I called Greyhound after I got home.

The first agent listened and researched, but transferred me to another department. The second person I talked to, also a lady, listened to my complaint, took down a bunch of information, did some research, and then uncaringly told me there was nothing that could be done because:

• it was a non-refundable ticket (which I only had because their website told me my first order had failed and that I should order again);
• to my surprise, it was departing from a different city in the same state (apparently, the website at some point decided to change that along with the false report of a failure that led to the tickets mentioned above). Prior to this, I had had one time where the website changed the information for the trip, so it wasn't a one-time fluke;
• if both had been for the same date, time, passengers and departure and arrival cities, they could've helped.

I asked for a supervisor but she refused and said that the supervisor would just tell me the same thing she'd told me. I insisted and she said the only way I'd get to talk to someone else was if I hung up. I did that immediately upon hearing her say that. She was an unpleasant piece of work.

I called back and immediately asked to speak to a supervisor. A nice Latino fellow named Jose, who listened to what SHOULD have been an easily resolved situation that their website caused, and took down all the relevant info. Much to my dismay, he said that he couldn't refund it but I could pay $60 to cancel the extra tickets! Of course, I expressed my unhappiness that I'd have to pay to cancel a ticket that was caused by their website's error. He could only offer to transfer me to the complaints department. I could hear regret in his voice. I took down the number in case the call was disconnected and then he transferred me.

A Latino woman named "Romero" (she introduced herself as just that) in the complaints dept. listened to my laundry list of issues, took all the necessary info, did some research, and told me there was nothing that could be done. She grew cold and uncooperative, so I insisted on speaking to a supervisor. I could hear her telling him the case, first in English, then she switched to Spanish. After a few minutes, a man named "Mr. Romero" came on the phone (was it coincidence or do they use fake names like so many customer service people these days?). I had to repeat everything I'd told her, including information that he should've been able to see already, such as my name, address, and so on. In the end, he said they couldn't help because it'd been ordered on their website. He didn't care that the two sets of tickets were for two cities in one state, on the same date and for the same passengers going to the same destination. He didn't care that the website had malfunctioned and caused the second order. Nothing mattered. I tried to make him understand how I felt, but he remained impersonal. I insisted on speaking to a manager but he said managers don't take calls, and that there was no one else to talk to. He said there was no one and nowhere else to complain to. I ended the call politely, but without warmth.

At no point in my calls did I insult anyone or swear.

I tried to call the local Greyhound station, but there was no way to get a human on the phone. I was prepared to go there to contest the issue. I then tried to call corporate in Cincinnati, OH, but it was closed for the day.

As I thought, I realized there was another approach, so I called my bank and contested the charges. Hopefully, they'll stand behind me.

Now, to make sure the title is relevant, I need to explain that I had had numerous website problems on Tuesday, including:

• The inability to log into my newly created Road Rewards account.
• The inability to reset my Road Rewards password (yes, I reloaded the page, and turned off ABP).
• All tickets for the date and trip I wanted were usually unavailable while logged in to my Road Rewards account.
• When I was finally able to access the tickets for the date and trip I wanted,
• -the prices were higher than they should have, and got higher if I had to start over;
• -what was available varied from one reload to another;
• -sometimes even the time I originally wanted, and had been told was sold out, appeared
• -but when I tried to place the order, the website told me the order had failed and I had to start over.
• Only when I LOGGED OUT OF ROAD REWARDS did the problems stop, at which point the prices dropped and all time slots were available, BUT the website changed my departure point.

How does CSC fit into this? Agents stuck rigidly to the rules, which is standard for the industry, but even supervisors were inflexible despite the fact that the website caused the problem. There was no one above them to talk to, and they refused to accept responsibility for their company's failure. Even my kids know better! So, in essence, the company stacks the deck to avoid being responsible for failures of their website.

Greyhound employs dirty tactics with their customers. I'm sorry if I haven't been able to state this adequately to convince you, dear reader, but at least I've tried! You've been warned. I will try to do some anonymous testing of their website to see if I can duplicate the price hikes I experienced as a Road Rewards member.

You'd better run, doggie!

(Greyhound logo from greyhound.com, scorpion from https://pixabay.com/en/scorpion-deadly-black-fear-animal-931561/)

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