e-Voucher and my current reservation...

[Austruck]

About a week ago I made my reservation for a cross-country train trip. Pretty pricey. I had an e-Voucher given to me by a friend (she had it made out in my name). Not for much -- just $87 -- but I wanted to use it toward this expensive trip.

I had issues with the e-voucher while making the reservation because the name on the e-voucher was sliiiiiightly different from the name on my Amtrak account. (The e-voucher was just my first and last names; the Amtrak name has my maiden name in the middle.)

So it wouldn't properly take the e-voucher when I made the reservation and paid for it. I emailed customer service about it, and finally I got a response that I should call customer service to straighten it out.

Today I called and the customer service rep said the only way she could get the voucher to credit at this point -- since the credit card had already been billed the full amount -- was to take the entire payment off, then start a new payment processing which would include the voucher. HOWEVER, she said that would mean that both the old and new payments would probably "sit" on my card for a few days...

... and it's a large enough amount that that won't work.

She suggested I use it on a future trip any time before it expires in August. (I likely won't take a trip before it expires -- just this big trip.) I thanked her and hung up.

SO... if I called again some other time, might I get someone who could help me credit this to the reservation I already have and paid for? I've seen several threads here where folks have suggested that talking to a different rep about a problem might yield a different solution... Just curious if that might work in this case.

Thanks for any information!

 

[CCC1007]

All that is needed is to PURCHASE a trip before august. The trip can be any time within 11 months of the time purchase.

 

[anuenue]

https://m.amtrak.com/mt/www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=Page&pagename=am%2FLayout&cid=1248544420619

Scroll down to get info about refunds. If applicable, getting a refund check might be easier than trying to use it in an existing (paid-for) reservation.

 

[Austruck]

The voucher is from a friend ... who was told by Amtrak that they couldn't issue her a refund but only the voucher. (This was last August.) She knew she wouldn't be able to use a voucher within a year (she lives in New Zealand and was here only for the month) and so had it made out in my name, knowing I was going on this trip.

So, refund is not an option.

As for booking by August, I'm unsure when I'll get to take another train trip (long story!)... but the rep did mention that. It just wasn't the best option for me and I was frustrated that the names on the voucher and the account had to be exactly the same down to the same strokes in order to use the voucher. (sigh)

I'll see if I can talk hubby into letting me use the train alone next time we go see his mother in Florida... (He loves to fly. I do NOT.)

 

[willem]

Some people have reported being able to book a trip using a voucher, then later canceling that trip and getting a new voucher with a new, one-year lifespan. If nothing else works, you could consider this.

 

[Austruck]

If it starts getting close to August and I still haven't found another natural use for it, I'll just have to go visit a friend in Michigan or something and pay for the difference!

Another train trip? Blessing in disguise?

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

Possibly this is based on catching someone on a good day, and being really pleasant with then, but I was once able to call up Customer Relations and they offered to take the soon-to-expire voucher, and issue me "file credit". When I went to finally make some Amtrak reservations, I did so thru Customer Relations, and they applied that "file credit".

 

[the_traveler]

Did you speak with Customer RELATIONS or Customer SERVICE? :huh: Customer Relations is the department that issues the vouchers, while Customer Service is the agent who answers the phone when you call. You must specifically ask the agent to connect you to Customer Relations.

If you can and ask for a refund, there's a penalty involved. A voucher is the full (100%) amount!

 

[jebr]

One option, assuming there's no penalty for cancellation (which I still think is true for value fares and above in coach, but not for sleeper) and the price hasn't changed:

Have the customer service rep book the same itinerary but put it on hold; I think they can do this up to seven days. Then have them refund the current reservation onto your credit card. Once the refund goes through, pick up that held reservation and pay for it with the voucher and the rest with your card.

I'm not sure how well it would work, but might be worth looking into if you're currently booked in coach.

 

[Austruck]

It's a cross-country trip with mostly roomettes... actually I'll hit almost every type except family bedroom: some coach, some roomette, some bedroom, a thruway bus... It took me a while to get the itinerary and price just where I wanted them, so I think I will call this a lesson learned and find some other, shorter trip to book before the voucher expires.

Another train trip? It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it.

 

[Asher]

Yeah,I wouldn't mess with it as it sounds like you would be starting over with the itinerary which could devour the $87.00 and then some.