Question about USA Rail Pass issues

[uzbyte]

Hello! This is my first post/visit here so please forgive me if I ask anything that has already been discussed extensively. I have a bit of a predicament that I am facing and wanted to get some opinions from real Amtrak users/lovers/haters/employees before calling them directly.

I spent the last year riding the trains around Europe and I LOVED it. Ended up buying two consecutive global passes. Seeing a place by train is amazing, no stress, beautiful scenery...plus with the job I have I can work remotely. So when I returned home to New Mexico I looked in to Amtrak passes for this summer. I decided to buy the USA Rail pass for 45 days and do a Tour de America of sorts. I purchased the pass, picked it up, made my reservations, picked up my tickets. Everything was set. Now after traveling for the last year I am well aware of the convenience of making copies, so when I received my tickets I made photocopies of all of them in the event something happened to my originals...(mostly my concerned was them getting torn/damaged in my wreck of a travel pack and being unreadable via the scanners on board).

Well the worst case scenario ended up happening, and my car was stolen. I was fully insured for the vehicle itself, however my physical tickets were in the glove box. Now I have a set of photocopies, my original Rail pass, and no clue what to do. After discovering my loss I checked the webpage to see how to proceed (ie get them replaced) but it says NO REFUNDS on lost/stolen tickets. I understand that providing refunds probably opens them up to fraudulent use...but I still don't want to admit defeat...especially since it means I won't get to travel AND I lost around 800 dollars.

Here are my questions for any of you polite enough to read through my post thus far... Do you believe it would be possible to use my photocopies on the train, in lieu of my originals, along with my photo ID? If it may be possible to use them, does that mean that I should NOT report my tickets as stolen (ie will the barcode be invalid if I report them?)? Also, if the person who stole my vehicle actually used them (highly unlikely I am sure), and they were scanned on the train, and then I tried to use my photocopies...would I get in trouble for using "fake" already used tickets? I am so afraid I will turn into a horror story of an angry Amtrak Conductor who accuses me of attempting to use an 'already used' ticket. Which also makes me wonder if the thief could use them for a different date on the same train, rendering them invalid at any time. Perhaps I could use my photocopied barcode to scan my photocopy at a station kiosk, and see if the ticket was still usable?

I know these are a lot of questions, and I realize the answer will probably be that I am out the trip and the cash, but it was a substantial enough amount of money to warrant me to at least ask. I have hesitated about calling Amtrak directly because they have a somewhat poor customer service reputation, and being from the same industry originally I am very well aware that what is 'technically' the rule is definitely not always the 'actual' rule. My biggest concern is trying out my copy, and the conductor scans it, only to see that the ticket as already been used...I do not want to be arrested! :unsure: How absolutely horrible would that be...!

Thank you again to anyway with any information that could help me out...I hope nobody thinks I am trying to get away with scamming Amtrak out of additional tickets...I realize they have their rules for a reason...but I also really REALLY don't want to just say goodbye to my summer and my 800 bucks! THANKS ALL!!!!

 

[AlanB]

Uzbyte,

I hate to say it but I seriously think that your trip is over before it ever started. Amtrak considers tickets to be cash. And as such there isn't a whole lot that you can do.

I can tell you for a fact that Amtrak at present does not scan the tickets on board the train, which is a huge problem. Whoever has your tickets could well get away with using them and would never be caught. Additionally, since they don't scan the barcodes onboard, having photocopies of them won't help either.

I suppose that perhaps with the copies it might be easier for Amtrak to void the tickets and at least prevent someone from obtaining a refund. I don't think that it will help you to get replacement tickets though. There is a procedure for dealing with lost tickets, but normally one must wait 6 months to ensure that the tickets aren't used, and even then Amtrak charges a hefty fee for processing the request.

Perhaps because you have copies with the ticket numbers will help, or perhaps since the rail pass is involved that might also change something, I honestly don't know. Did you loose the pass too? Or just the tickets?

 

[uzbyte]

Uzbyte,
I hate to say it but I seriously think that your trip is over before it ever started. Amtrak considers tickets to be cash. And as such there isn't a whole lot that you can do.

I can tell you for a fact that Amtrak at present does not scan the tickets on board the train, which is a huge problem. Whoever has your tickets could well get away with using them and would never be caught. Additionally, since they don't scan the barcodes onboard, having photocopies of them won't help either.

I suppose that perhaps with the copies it might be easier for Amtrak to void the tickets and at least prevent someone from obtaining a refund. I don't think that it will help you to get replacement tickets though. There is a procedure for dealing with lost tickets, but normally one must wait 6 months to ensure that the tickets aren't used, and even then Amtrak charges a hefty fee for processing the request.

Perhaps because you have copies with the ticket numbers will help, or perhaps since the rail pass is involved that might also change something, I honestly don't know. Did you loose the pass too? Or just the tickets?

Yeah I figured that was probably the situation...I kind of already made my peace with the loss when I read the no refund policy on the webpage. I do still have the pass, it was with my copies at the time. Its still valid and everything, it just doesn't have more than a couple 'travel' days left on it since I had my other tickets all issued out.

I am surprised they don't scan on the trains...that seems like it could be a real issue...even just for situations like these. Well thanks for your help...I am glad I didn't already try to just 'jump on board' like I did in Europe with only the copies in hand. I will definitely submit the ticket numbers as stolen so whoever took them can't get anymore cash out of the deal. <_<

I just checked the amtrak webpage and if the tickets aren't used I may be able to get a partial refund on the Rail pass itself, which like you said may take awhile but that is better than nothing!

I am curious though, if they don't scan the tickets onboard, how do they know if they are used or not in order to issue a refund? The Rail pass refund is contingent on the fact that none of the associated tickets is used on board a train.

Thanks again!

 

[AlanB]

I am curious though, if they don't scan the tickets onboard, how do they know if they are used or not in order to issue a refund? The Rail pass refund is contingent on the fact that none of the associated tickets is used on board a train.

The tickets get scanned a week or two after the train reaches its final destination and the conductor turns the tickets in. This is why Amtrak waits so long before they'll consider a refund.

I'm really sorry that we don't have better news, but you should at least speak with Amtrak customer service just to make sure that the same rules that apply to normal tickets apply to the rail pass. Just call the toll free number, say "agent" when Julie answers, and then ask the agent to transfer you to customer service. They can at least confirm the policy on this.

Ps. You can always hope that the police catch the theif with your tickets. I wouldn't recommend holding your breath for that, but still there might be some hope.

 

[alanh]

If the tickets have been printed, you're required to turn in the actual tickets to get a refund.

The issue with scanning on board is that there's no data connection to Amtrak's reservation system. This is what's holding up e-ticketing. Without online access, they can't tell if a ticket has been used or cancelled. That's why the ticket itself is so important.