# amtrak vouchers for sale on ebay



## kingsgurl

I was checking on ebay today and noticed people are selling Amtrak Vouchers for sale.

They say there is no problem using them if you do an online reservation.

Do people actually use them?

I noticed in the completed auctions not many get sold.

I would not buy any, but has anybody used them and are they legal to sell.

Thanks

Kingsgurl


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## Bob Dylan

NOT legal and perhaps even phoney!

Buyer beware!


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## kings

If it is illegal to use the companion vouchers, why are people giving them away in the Guest Awards section of this forum?


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## jebr

I don't think any criminal law is being violated when someone sells a voucher or a companion coupon, but it is against the terms of service for the companion coupon to be sold, and the same may apply for a voucher.

AGR explicitly allows companion coupons, upgrade coupons, and lounge passes to be gifted to someone else. That's why it's okay to give them away here but not to sell them here.

Personally, I'd never buy an Amtrak voucher online; there's too much risk (voucher is fake, ticket becomes cancelled if Amtrak figures it out and decides it's not okay, etc.) for what's likely too little reward.


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## the_traveler

I would not trust buying them, even if it were legal!

A voucher is not a paper copy any longer, it is just a number. If it was say 142756, how do you know that number was not sold to 25 different people, until you go to use it and find out it had already been used?


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## the_traveler

kings said:


> If it is illegal to use the companion vouchers, why are people giving them away in the Guest Awards section of this forum?


That is the BIG difference: they are being given away. They are not being sold. No monetary value is being exchanged for it.


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## PRR 60

Bob Dylan said:


> NOT legal and perhaps even phoney!
> 
> Buyer beware!


While buyer beware certainly applies here, there is nothing "illegal" about the sale of Amtrak vouchers. It is not against any law. It is not even prohibited by Amtrak rules. eBay provides the means for buyers to investigate the ethics of sellers based on past sales, so a seller with no record of similar sales in the past would be very suspect, but someone with a record of many past sales like this may be OK. I would not do it, but that is just me.


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## scrollmaster

I had two conversations with AGR this afternoon and they had no problem with me trading 3 uprade coupons with someone for 3 companion coupons.


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## cpotisch

scrollmaster said:


> I had two conversations with AGR this afternoon and they had no problem with me trading 3 uprade coupons with someone for 3 companion coupons.


I would call one more time. I don't trust Amtrak agents to get that kind of stuff right anymore.


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## jebr

cpotisch said:


> scrollmaster said:
> 
> 
> 
> I had two conversations with AGR this afternoon and they had no problem with me trading 3 uprade coupons with someone for 3 companion coupons.
> 
> 
> 
> I would call one more time. I don't trust Amtrak agents to get that kind of stuff right anymore.
Click to expand...

Why? Both of the agents told him correctly (he's allowed to trade three upgrade coupons for three companion coupons.) The only thing that's against the rules is selling them.


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## cpotisch

jebr said:


> Why? Both of the agents told him correctly (he's allowed to trade three upgrade coupons for three companion coupons.) The only thing that's against the rules is selling them.


I'm just skeptical of Amtrak agents because in the past we've gotten the same nonsense information from multiple agents and then found out too late that it was wrong.


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## jebr

cpotisch said:


> jebr said:
> 
> 
> 
> Why? Both of the agents told him correctly (he's allowed to trade three upgrade coupons for three companion coupons.) The only thing that's against the rules is selling them.
> 
> 
> 
> I'm just skeptical of Amtrak agents because in the past we've gotten the same nonsense information from multiple agents and then found out too late that it was wrong.
Click to expand...

Then what would calling a third agent do? Theoretically, if Amtrak agents are giving nonsense information, then it wouldn't matter how many times we called. (There's also the thing that most agents, most of the time, give correct information. We hear about the ones that don't because that's when people complain; very few people will write in noting how their agent was correct.)

Also, there's no reason to call when the coupon restrictions never mention trading. They explicitly allow transferring it to a family member or friend, and only prohibit buying or selling the ticket. There's nothing gained in calling in for a third time (unless you're calling in to redeem the coupon, in which case I'd just mention that you got it from a friend if they ask how you got it.)


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## cpotisch

jebr said:


> cpotisch said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> jebr said:
> 
> 
> 
> Why? Both of the agents told him correctly (he's allowed to trade three upgrade coupons for three companion coupons.) The only thing that's against the rules is selling them.
> 
> 
> 
> I'm just skeptical of Amtrak agents because in the past we've gotten the same nonsense information from multiple agents and then found out too late that it was wrong.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Then what would calling a third agent do? Theoretically, if Amtrak agents are giving nonsense information, then it wouldn't matter how many times we called. (There's also the thing that most agents, most of the time, give correct information. We hear about the ones that don't because that's when people complain; very few people will write in noting how their agent was correct.)
> 
> Also, there's no reason to call when the coupon restrictions never mention trading. They explicitly allow transferring it to a family member or friend, and only prohibit buying or selling the ticket. There's nothing gained in calling in for a third time (unless you're calling in to redeem the coupon, in which case I'd just mention that you got it from a friend if they ask how you got it.)
Click to expand...

Fair enough. Point taken.


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## scrollmaster

I have always had great experience with AGR. They have been patient to help me ubderstand and enormously helpful. Amtrak itself has been somewhat disappointing at times both with advice and explainations. Amtrak Vacations though was completely disappointing. I used them to book my first long trip around the country because I knew absolutely nothing about trains and also because they could also schedule hotels..Never Again.. I call AGR for my train booking and setup my hotels and car rentals myself.


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## KmH

Amtrak Vacations - isn't Amtrak.

Amtrak Vacations is operated by Yankee Leisure Group.


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## scrollmaster

Yes I knew that but they really messed a lot of things up. I'll never use them again as in never ever.


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## the_traveler

Amtrak Vacations is only a travel agency that is under contract to use the Amtrak name. AGR are actual Amtrak agents.


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## CAMISSY55

Scrollmaster, I think what folks are trying to emphasize is that AGR and "Amtrak itself" are both Amtrak personnel. Amtrak Vacations is not run/staffed/operated by Amtrak personnel. So, perhaps mentioning them (AV) and Amtrak personnel in the same critique of Amtrak service doesn't apply. In Sesame Street terms think, which of these three is not like the others. ☺


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## scrollmaster

As I said I totally understand but I had to learn that the hard way last January when I booked my first ever train trip using AV. I used Amtrak Vacations because I knew absolutely nothing about Amtrak other than "people" ride this train and wife & I wanted to try something new. It was a 30 day trip leaving

from Louisiana and I needed train scheduling with bedrooms, hotels, car rentals, etc. We also had never been on a cruise ship and wanted to do an Alaskan trip once we reached Seattle. A Google search pointed me to Amtrak Vacations. It was only after my travel packet arrived I noticed a few errors... like where is my 2 day stay in San Antonio with hotel and rental car. And no tickets in the packet for my wife and I leaving Seattle on Coast Starlight to Los Angeles and Texas Eagle coming back home. I guess maybe he figured being a country boy from Louisiana I wouldn't mind the last half of my journey traveling by ankle express but the wife sorely objected. They did resend the ticket info but I was told they couldn't fix San Antinio without canceling and rebooking the whole train part from Seattle back home and would raise the cost quite a bit so we passed through San Antonio but no visit to the Alamo. We did have a wonderful trip otherwise and we will catch the Texas Eagle to San Antonio in October and spend a few days there to make it up. We also discovered we much enjoyed LD train traveling and with a lot of help from folks from here and at AGR I have made Select Plus and also just paid for a trip to Montana on CON & EB for wife and I using points.


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## cruisegary

Trading, gifting, selling.

The coupons I have seen specifically say they can be given to family or friends. Therefore, there is nothing Amtrak could do to "catch" a sale vs a gift unless somehow they are aware of your "circle of friends". Not saying you should or should not buy them, just pointing out some logic and reality.


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## the_traveler

While true, how can you know that e-voucher for $250 that you bought ata bargin for $100 or $50 had not been sold to numerous other people, until the use of it and then you are told that it was used already? You can not go back to your friend thru Amtrak - that is if you could even find them!

E-vouchers are just numbers (like 15376934). You no longer receive a paper voucher in most cases.

I would not buy from my friend.


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## RSG

scrollmaster said:


> They did resend the ticket info but I was told they couldn't fix San Antinio without canceling and rebooking the whole train part from Seattle back home and would raise the cost quite a bit so we passed through San Antonio but no visit to the Alamo.


Though it's now irrelevant for you (since you have sworn off Amtrak Vacations), for the benefit of others reading this thread, if there are changes or discrepancies in an Amtrak booking made by a third party, it's better to just call an Amtrak customer agent and attempt to make the change "at the source". There are no guarantees you will get the outcome you desire, but they can probably make you happy 80%-90% of the time.


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## scrollmaster

It was my first train trip and at the time I thought Amtrak Vacations was Amtrak. I knew absolutely nothing about Amtrak other than it's the train people ride. Now I either book myself or call AGR if I have questions.


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## Devil's Advocate

RSG said:


> There are no guarantees you will get the outcome you desire, but they can probably make you happy 80%-90% of the time.


That is a work of pure genius. I haven't seen a sales pitch that was so vague and noncommittal yet inexplicably comforting since someone tried to sell me a dilapidated timeshare. Do you happen to work in sales or public relations?


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