Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/29/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Railbookers mis***resented themselves, by calling themselves Amtrak Vacations and saying I was booking through Amtrak. They booked me an anniversary trip where u was to take a trip beginning in **********, PA going to ******* where we had an approximate 8 hour layover prior to getting on the Empire Builder train to *******, where we were to stay over night in a hotel downtown, and go to the space needle as well as museum. The following day we were to board the coast starlight and exit in ************* where we were staying two nights in a hotel in downtown ************* and taking some excursions prior to boarding the Zephyr back through ********** up to ******* then home to ********** ***I spoke to Amtrak Vacations several times prior to this trip. They advised they would let me know if there were any delays PRIOR, and we would be taken care of, they would move everything back if needed. At the time of booking, we were offered trip insurance, I spoke to the *** at booking who stated this insurance is for if WE needed to change or cancel, or if we made mistakes that led us to miss anything. We arrived 1 hour and 47 minutes before our first trains scheduled arrival to depart to *******. When we arrived, we were told by the Amtrak employee that the train is NEVER on time. It is habitually late. They stated it was running late by 6.5 hours. I called Amtrak Vacations, who said we would be fine, due to our layover in *******. I made them aware they never called me to tell me about the train being late/delayed and that I was in an unsafe place waiting. They told me hang there but stay safe. They said I shouldnt miss my train. We werent able to rest at all, the train ended up being 7 hours late and as it travelled became more and more late. Thought I was told several times we would just push everything back. The empire builder left without us, and we were stuck in ******* over night. They were unable to push anything back or refund me for what was missed.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/03/2025

  Hello *******,
  
  We appreciate the time you have taken to share your recent travel experience, and we are very sorry to hear about the rail delay that you experienced as well as your confusion regarding our company as Amtrak Vacations is the US and Canada brand of Railbookers that offers rail packages or rail only tickets as our website indicates.
  
  As you are aware, the insurance was declined on this reservation, and we have issued a Future Travel Credit in the amount of $1,221.57. Unfortunately, the ************************************************ is non-refundable and subject to full penalty and cannot be included as part of the credit. You may want to look into filing a claim with your own travel insurance. 
  
  We are not able to provide a cash refund per our terms and conditions, however we have made an exception due to the disruption by retrieving as much compensation as possible as a Future Travel Credit. We also offered an option with a Future Travel Credit and re-routing you on the affected services. Due to the disruption being an event beyond our control, we do need to adhere to the terms and conditions, and as a result, a cash refund is not applicable.
  
  Kind regards,

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/05/2025

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 
  

  I am confused by this response, a cash refund exception was never offered to me. This response says it was. Id like a detailed/itemized receipt from my trip, what I paid for with each item. Id also like an itemized receipt from what I actually received. As I do not believe that this amount is logical for this. Two different train rides in actual bedroom cars were not taken that should have been. One of those was changed to an accessible rommette, which is a significant difference in price. 
  

  we made the best out of this trip that we could, however. Railbookers absolutely misrepresented themselves as Amtrack when I booked this trip, and they told me on a recorded call at the time of my booking that if this trip was canceled or delayed due to Antracks issues my trip would be pushed back/refunded. They said the insurance was for OUR mistakes. They also booked me on a train which they were aware was habitually late and never on time as per Amtrak employees at the station. I believe I was charged for things they knew I was never going to get to use, and those funds are now with railbookers. Id like to see evidence that I was refunded for as much as possible in this voucher, as this amount doesnt appear logical. My trip cost more than $8,440. To only receive $1,200 (approx) appear incorrect an illogical for missing such a massive portion of this trip in which was not our fault, but the fault of Amtrak. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  *******

   

   

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/14/2025

  Hi *******,
  
  Im pleased to inform you that a resolution has been reached regarding your booking.
  
  A refund of $899 will be processed in addition to the previously issued $1,221.57, bringing the total refund amount to $2,120.57. Additionally, Amtrak will be providing you with an $800 voucher.
  
  We understand the inconvenience caused by the delayed train and appreciate your patience throughout this process. Please allow 7-10 business days for the refund to be reflected in your account.
  
  If you have any questions, please dont hesitate to reach out.
  
  Warmest regards

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/16/2025

  Better Business Bureau: I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 
  Im not quite there yet on the acceptance of this response. The main reason being the $800 voucher was not supposed to be issued until I call to book, that way I dont have to travel within a year. I dont get enough vacation time from work to be able to travel with one year. 
  
  However, yesterday when I was checking my email, the voucher was issued. Now I have to use it within one year. In addition, when I called to ask Amtrack they stated my husband and I are not treated as separate individuals so he cannot get a voucher, the voucher issued to me was for both of us and we must travel together when we use it. I was told he could when I accepted the response that my husband would need to call in to have a voucher issued to him. Now, they have told me Id have to go through Amtrak Vacations to iron this out. 
  
  Also, my husbands travel rewards points were not applied to his account from our ********************** (Mine were) they said that again I needed to go through Amtrak Vacations to fix that. 

  
  I think we are very close to getting this fixed. I would settle for the voucher being extended an additional year, and my husbands travel rewards points being applied to his account. (Obviously in addition to the refunds of cash). Its not exactly what I was looking for to settle, but I would accept this.

  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  *******

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/22/2025

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I keep receiving emails from this company and I did not subscribe to them and also unsubscribe just in case. I have not done any business with this company Amtrak Vacations. The emails keep coming and I report to spam but keeps coming. Sometimes it does not let me unsubscribe. Please tell them to stop with emails. They are back to back emails

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/23/2025

  Hello Terrace,
  
  Thank you for informing us of the issue that you have encountered and bringing this to our attention. We have confirmed that the emails being sent to you are not from us as our email domain is **********************************  We are actively investigating the situation,actioning a response and should have the situation resolved as soon as possible.
  
  Kind regards

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/26/2025

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. The emails have stopped since I have reported them.
  
  Regards,
  
  Terrace *******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/20/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  To Whom It May Concern:I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding my recent experience with Amtrak Vacations, operated by Railbookers Group. My issue pertains to their refusal to issue a refund for a modification made to my reservation within one hour of booking.On December 14, 2024, I booked a vacation package through Amtrak Vacations at 12:51 PM, speaking with ******. At 1:37 PM the same day, I contacted their representative ******* to modify my reservation. This change was made well within 24 hours of booking, and I anticipated that Amtraks 24-hour cancellation policy would apply, ensuring a refund to my original payment method.However, I was informed that Amtrak Vacations operates under separate terms and conditions from Amtrak Rail and that modifications result only in a Future Travel Voucher, not a refund. Despite my request for reconsideration, their team has denied my refund, citing their internal policy, which I believe is unclear and not customer-friendly.Why I Am Filing This Complaint:Unfair Policy Application: As a first-time Amtrak customer, I was not aware of the distinction between Amtrak Vacations and Amtrak Rail. I reasonably assumed Amtraks 24-hour cancellation/refund policy applied to my booking.Prompt Action Taken: My modification was made within 46 minutes of booking, and I believe this demonstrates good faith and aligns with general travel industry norms for refunds within a reasonable timeframe.Lack of Clarity: There is no clear notification at the time of booking that Amtrak Vacations operates under different policies than Amtrak Rail. This distinction should be made transparent to customers.Resolution Sought:I am requesting a refund of $1,002.39 to my original form of payment, as I believe my case warrants an exception to their stated policy due to the immediate timing of my modification.I appreciate your assistance in resolving this matter and holding Amtrak Vacations accountable to fair and reasonable practices.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/26/2024

  Dear ****,
  Thank you for booking with Amtrak Vacations.
  We have received your request to process a refund for the train segments that were removed, instead of issuing a Future Travel Credit. We are pleased to inform you that your refund has been approved and will be processed within 110 business days.
  The Future Travel Credit previously issued in the amount of $1,002.39 will be canceled and refunded back to the original form of payment.
  If you have any questions or require further assistance, please feel free to contact us.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/26/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. 
  
  Regards,
  
  **** *******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/06/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Dear Better Business Bureau,My wife and I booked a rail trip with Railbookers, scheduled to depart on July 26, 2024, for $10,648.14. We were very excited because this trip was meant to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. After flying to ******, we stayed in a hotel near the train station.However, the day before our departure, we received an email from Railbookers notifying us that our trip was canceled due to a fire. The email stated they would provide full refunds for the unused travel segments. We attempted to follow up on our refund multiple times through calls and emails but were forwarded to various offices without success. As a result, we filed a complaint with our credit card company, ********. They secured a partial refund for us but could not recover $4,536. We have not received details or a statement from Railbookers explaining why the full refund was not processed.We contacted the hotels and activities that Railbookers had reserved for our trip. They informed us that they only charge at check-out and only for services rendered; since no services were provided, no charges were made. Therefore, Railbookers received a full refund from the rail company and did not pay for the hotels or ************* Railbookers is acting as our travel agent, they are not entitled to keep our money for the services they canceled, especially considering that they received a full refund and no services were rendered. This situation represents a breach of their fiduciary duties. Their refusal to refund our money breaches their fiduciary duties and is dishonest; they are profiting from services not provided.We have attached all supporting documents and greatly appreciate your helping us secure the remaining $4,536 balance.Sincerely, **** * ***** ********* ************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/08/2024

  Hello ****,
  
  Thank you for the email. Our records indicate that a refund was processed by Railbookers in the amount of $6,112.00 on Aug 13th  for the reservation that was a total of $10,648.16. The refund represents the unused travel segments from Via Rail and the ****** portion of the itinerary.
  
  Per our terms and conditions (Force Majeure an event beyond our control) any other compensation would need to be obtained through your own insurance, as the insurance we offer was declined.   
  
  We thank you for your valued business and support, and we look forward to having you travel with us again in the future.
  
  Kind regards, 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/10/2024

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  Thank you for starting the case for our refund.

  
  

  Railbookers Group canceled our entire trip, not just the rail and Jasper *********  They said the evacuees were housed in our rooms at ********** and ****** and offered us no other options.  They told us to go home.  

  
  

  In checking with the hotels in ********** and Baniff and the tour bus companies they scheduled for our trip, we were told that Railbookers made no payments for these accommodations or services as they were canceled.  These monies are to be returned to us. 

  
  

  There is no need for insurance as there was no payment or charge for these services.  It's unethical for them to keep our money under this pretext.  

  
  

  They are our agents and have a fiduciary responsibility to act in our best interests, which is to return the money that was not charged, $4,536.16.

  
  

  The itinary I forward has the phone numbers of the hotels in **********, Baniff and the tour bus companies, the fact that no payment was made by Railbookers Group for these services  can be easily verified. 

  
  

  If you are unsuccessful in securing the refund we will be forced to file a formal complaint with the **** in ************* and start posting about their unethical actions on review websites.

  
  

  Thank you,

  
  

  Mark

   

   

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/20/2024

  Hello Mark,
  
  We have reached out to every segment of your itinerary and have confirmed that we are not able to provide any additional compensation as the hotels and tours are in penalty and the vendors have not provided a refund we apologize for any inconvenience. We have processed the previous refund in the amount of $6,112.00 on Aug 13th that represents the unused travel segments from Via Rail and the ****** portion of the itinerary. But unfortunately, the insurance that we offer was declined and that is how additional compensation is obtained when a situation such as this occurs.  
  
  We sincerely apologize that this was not the outcome you were hoping for, and we truly appreciate your understanding as we adhere to the terms and conditions. We suggest that you may want to reach out to your credit card company as they may offer Trip Protection that could be of some assistance.
  
  Kind regards,

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/21/2024

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  

  Aloha BBB,
  
  Thank you for starting the case for our refund.
  
  Railbookers Group canceled our entire trip, not just the rail and Jasper ******************* said the evacuees were housed in our rooms at ********** and ****** and offered us no other options.  They told us to go home.  
  
  In checking with the hotels in ********** and ****** and the tour bus companies they scheduled for our trip, we were told that Railbookers made no payments for these accommodations or services as they were canceled.  These monies are to be returned to us. 
  
  There is no need for insurance as there was no payment or charge for these services. It's unethical for them to keep our money under this pretext.  
  
  They are our agents and have a fiduciary responsibility to act in our best interests, which is to return the money that was not charged, $4,536.16.
  
  The itinerary I forward has the phone numbers of the hotels in **********, Baniff and the tour bus companies, the fact that no payment was made by Railbookers Group for these services can be easily verified. 
  
  Thank you,

  Mark & *****
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  Mark

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/23/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  The transaction with Amtrak began on or about July 31, 2024. By way of background, I booked a trip through Amtrak Vacations for me and two companions. Unfortunately, we had to cancel the trip due to unforeseen circumstances. As I had purchased trip protection as part of my booking, I was led to believe that I would receive a refund (less the cost of the travel insurance) for my timely cancellation. Not only did Amtrak deny my repeated requests for a refund, but instead, they have issued travel vouchers for future travel solely to me rather than to me and my companions.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/24/2024

  Hello ******,
  
  We understand this was a very challenging, disappointing experience for you and just first want to express our gratitude for being a valued customer and bringing this to our attention.
  We carefully looked into your reservation #******, yet based on our policy we cannot accommodate the refund request of your Future Travel Credit in the amount of $1,864.17 USD due to our terms and conditions that were sent to you on July *******, August 19, 2024, August 22, 2024 and Sept 19, 2024. The Future Travel Credit can be used by ****** *****, ****** ****, and ******** *****.
  Kind regards,

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/17/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  A trip was purchased from Amtrak vacations for July 15th to July 21st 2024 at the value of $6,561.84 paid in full via debit card. On the departure on the 15th of July train car 5 lost air conditioning in the beginning of the travel. At that time the train conductor came through the train car and advised all the passengers to call the ************** Amtrak to get a full refund on the portion of the trip that the air conditioning went out. We called sat on hold for an hour and was told we were unable to move forward until the train trip was over and that Amtrak Vacations would have to contact Amtrak as they booked the entire trip and if Amtrak gave the money back it would go directly back to the ******* vacation company not our account. We opened a claim with Amtrak claim number *******. Then on the Salt Lake City Express 1-Way Shuttle Transfer the bus broke down on the side of the highway 4 times leaving the entire passenger group next to roadkill in the desert sun. One of the passengers on this complaint has swelling and emotion distress on this trip. We opened a complaint with the Amtrak vacations department. First we were provided a fake email address *********************** which came back as message blocked. I then tried to reach out to the travel agent with no reply. I called the number on their page and finally got to someone who took the claim and forwarded the complaint to the right location. They first tried to give back only 300 USD of the trip and a travel voucher for future travel which we would never use. Then added 200 back. This amounts to 500 of a $6000 trip. I asked for a total break down of the costs of the shuttle and the train per the advice of the train conductor and they refused to assist. I would like the full portion of the trip refunded. The trip reference number is **** - ******

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/18/2024

  Hello *******,
  
  Thank you for the inquiry. We apologize for the air conditioning malfunction but unfortunately Amtrak does not process full refunds due to air conditioning issues and we apologize if the conductors message was misunderstood. We have processed a refund to your card on file in the amount of $330.30 ($200.00 -50% refund of the accommodation fare for the impacted segment of travel as well as a $100.00 as a courtesy) for the inconvenience regarding the temperature on the train. 
  
  We have also processed a refund in the amount of $200.00 regarding the issues experienced regarding the Salt Lake Express 1 Way Shuttle Transfer ************** **************** as well as Future Travel Credit in the amount of $100.00.  The total amount of the monetary refunds processed are $530.33.
  
  We thank you for your valued business and support, and we look forward to having you travel with us again in the future.
  
  Kind regards, 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/18/2024

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  This is not a satisfactory refund amount for a trip totaling in over 6 grand USD. I have requested a breakdown in the costs that we have paid to this company to seek proper refunded totals. I do not at all believe the cost of the train travel for that whole segment of trip was the 200 USD originally provided as a one way trip on that same line on its own is over 1000 USD per search on Amtrak. ($1098 per 1 traveler on the same train from ******* to *************) I also called Amtrak at the time of issue and opened a case. The support staff told me no refund could be issued until the end of the trip. So when Amtrak vacations came back and said they couldnt refund part of the trip that already occurred that makes no sense at all. The claim opened with Amtrak is: 6887485.

  We want what we were promised on the train back. This trip was filled with unsatisfactory practices and conditions and a 500 dollar bandaid is not acceptable. 
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  *******

   

   

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/18/2024

  Hello *******,
  
  Thank you for the response. As previously stated, our protocol prohibits the breakdown of costs of individual segments of our vacations. However, as a courtesy and one-time exception, we have approved an additional refund of $500.00 to your card on file. The revised total refund is now $1,030.33.
  
  We thank you for your valued business and support, and we look forward to having you travel with us again in the future.
  
  Kind regards, 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/11/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Our reservation was booked on September 5, 2023, with a departure date of May 27, 2024, returning June 5, 2024. All arrangements made by Railbookers Group for Germany travel beginning in ****** to ********* to ******. A hotel in each city for 2 nights and first-class train travel between cities. The total cost on our reservation #******, for 4 adults, was $5,656.12. We were traveling with 4 additional members of my family - all booked at the same time and connected for the reservation. Trip experience: 1) Railbookers booked my family at the wrong/different hotel from part of my family - this is a group reservation. Four of us were at **********************, and four at ******** Boutique. 2) Tickets said "first class" for the train, no seat numbers, and had to stand up on the full train. 3) Checked into *************, informed that 55 refugees were staying there. They have been there since at least November 2023. Dormero staff stated that Railbookers was informed of the situation and Railbookers did not make other reservations. The ************* was filthy (pictures attached)! Had to scramble to find alternative lodging and paid out of pocket. We couldn't get anyone from Railbookers to assist with the situation.We initially ONLY requested compensation for the 2 hotels we had to book because of the Dormero, a hop-on/hop-off bus tour that we were not able to get to in trying to secure alternative lodging, and the upcharge for first-class tickets for the train that we did not receive.Due to Railbookers' lack of responsiveness and disregard (email string attached), I am now requesting a full refund or at least 80% of what I paid for this horrible trip and the additional $700 paid for reputable hotels. I do not want a $300 future trip credit (that's what they offered) because I will never book with them again. Although I sent them the hotel receipts, they did not even offer to reimburse me for those. I have tried contacting them at least three times for resolution.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/16/2024

  Hello Moneta,
  
  After reviewing your concerns regarding reservation ******, as a courtesy, we will be processing a refund to your credit card on file ending in 1006 in the amount of $1028 for hotel, tour and rail issues.  We are very sorry for the difficulties you experienced.  Please allow 21 business days for this amount to show on your account.  We sincerely appreciate your patience with us as we worked to resolve this issue.
  
  Kind Regards,

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/16/2024

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  The reason it was rejected is because I would like to see the details of how the refund amount was calculated. For instance, in the original price of the reservation, we paid for 2 rooms at the ************* for 3 nights and the ********************** for 2 rooms for 2 nights. For the **********************, we changed to the cheaper hotel, the ******** Boutique, to be with our family members who were told they would have to pay extra to be with us at the **********************, although the reservations were supposed to be together. The original reservation did not have the per night cost so I do not know if that was included in the proposal. Please have Railbookers Group submit the breakdown of the refund amount.
  
  Sincerely,
  Moneta ********, ***, LPC, CPCS, MAC 

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/25/2024

  Dear Moneta,

  As per our conversation, we have reviewed your request, as a courtesy, an additional refund in the amount of $250 will be processed to your card on file ending in 1006 due to ***************************************** issues.  In regard to the ************** no further compensation will be provided, as we have already compensated your lodging cost in *******

  Kind regards,

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/26/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. Resolution is based on the organization's commitment to refund a total of $1,278 to my credit card.
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** ********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/02/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  In spring of this year, I booked the "Rhine Valley Explorer" vacation through my local AAA travel agency, a Railbookers-branded eight-day trip with advertised stops in *********, *******, *******, and ******. The booking invoice I was sent listed two nights each in *******, *******, and ******. I booked a hotel for the first night in *********, as I was under the impression that it wasn't included.However, Railbookers mistakenly booked us a night in ********* and no nights in ******. They then canceled the Frankfurt booking, offering a $176 credit for activities. Unfortunately, I was told by a Railbookers travel agent that many listed activities were unavailable when I called to reserve space (despite these same activities being listed as available on their website), and the credit wasnt able to be fully used. The Railbookers travel agent booked us a Cologne Cathedral tour, but when we arrived at the tour we discovered it was entirely in German, a language neither my partner nor I speak. Another unrelated couple also on a Railbookers' trip experienced the same issue on the same tour!Railbookers also insisted we return to ********* two days early as to not miss our flight our of *********, skipping our Bingen stay entirely, despite available daily trains from ****** to *********. They never refunded the ************ cost or covered the extra two nights in **********I'm requesting a cash refund for the $176 credit for the mistakenly booked *************** and the cost of the two nights in the ************. There were other issues during our trip, such as missing cruise tickets and train delays/cancellations, but these were the most significant.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/05/2024

  Hello *****,
  
  After reviewing your concerns, we will be processing a refund to your credit card, ending in 5004, in the amount of $418.71 USD which is the requested $176.00 as well as the cost of the two nights at the ***************. We are very sorry about the difficulties experienced. Please allow ***** business days for this amount to show on your account.
  We thank you for your valued business and support, and we look forward to having you travel with us again in the future.
  
  Kind regards

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/12/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/29/2024

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  In August of this year I went on a trip organized through Railbookers and was unsatisfied. On September 2nd, 2024 I submitted a BBB complaint (#********) to Railbookers requesting a partial refund and received a message from Railbookers on September 5th, ******************************************************************************* #****. I responded to this message on September 12th, 2024 (within the 10 day response window) indicating that this was a satisfactory resolution for me and the case was closed. However, I never received the reimbursement. The response to my complaint asked me to wait ***** business days for the refund to process. Twenty business days from September 12th, 2024 would have been October 10th, 2024, which we are well past. I have uploaded my original complaint with all responses as well as my most recent credit card statement indicating that I did not receive the refund as support. I would like Railbookers to process my refund, which they have already admitted I was due, immediately and within the week. 

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/30/2024

  Hello *****,
  
  We apologize for the delay in payment. We have reached out to our accounting department and they have processed the refund in the amount of $418.71 to the card ending in 5004. We are very sorry about the difficulties experienced and the delay in payment. The amount should appear on your account in ***** business days.
  Kind regards

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/22/2024

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Railbookers, apparently dba "Amtrak Vacations" (not related in any way to Amtrak itself), advertised selling a rail trip of four days, including roundtrip rail ********, ********** to *********, *******, a boat trip on a local lake, two nights stay at a local lodge, two days rental car, and an all-day sightseeing tour. I paid $3,900. They did not provide any boat tour or sightseeing tour that I could access. The rail reservations had to be reissued because of an Amtrak delay. The new reservations made by Amtrak Vacations were incorrect (on the wrong days) and one was apparently refunded. The real company Amtrak made everything right in the end but "Amtrak Vacations" caused me considerable and repeated emotional trauma as every step of this trip with them was an absolute disaster.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/28/2024

  Hello ******,
  
  After reviewing your concerns regarding reservation ******, we will be processing a refund to your credit card, as a courtesy, in the amount of $215.83 as compensation for the stress related to the rail delay as well as the ************ tour change. We are very sorry about the difficulties experienced. Please allow ***** business days for this amount to show on your account.
  We are very sorry about the events beyond our control regarding the rail delay that forced the schedule change. Insurance is offered by Railbookers for these types of situations, but unfortunately,it was declined.
  
  We thank you for your valued business and support, and we look forward to having you travel with us again in the future.
  
  Kind regards

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/28/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/20/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Name: *********************** Email: ******************** Phone Number: ************** Amtrak Guest Rewards #: Reservation Number: 2BFBCF Trip/Event Date: 7/9/2024 Message:To whom it may concern my husband and I are retired and on a fixed income we thought we were going to go on our dream vacation after the years we put in at work now it's turned into a nightmare a thousand ninety eighth dollars is not a lot of money to a big corporation like yours but it is a huge amount for me and my husband we've called numerous People in your company and haven't gotten any results and it wasn't even twenty four hours when we canceled. And here's the rest we got from Amtrak Travel Feedback [#********] ref:!00D0b0RJDS.!5005a0365psq:ref ************************************************ Dear Customer,Thank you for contacting **********************. We respond to online inquiries 7 days a week between the hours of 8 am and 8 pm (ET). E-mails are answered in the order that they are received. We will respond as soon as possible.Sincerely,Amtrak **************** ref:!**********.!****************. This is the response we got but we haven't heard anything else from them since we got that from ***************** Thank you ***********************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/20/2024

  We appreciate *********************** taking the time to bring her concerns to our attention. As information, Amtrak and Amtrak Vacations are separate entities that maintain a working partnership. We have forwarded her correspondence to our Amtrak Vacations partners regarding her request for a monetary refund. Please rest assured that we take matters such as this very seriously and are grateful for her comments and feedback. Going forward, we encourage ************** to contact Amtrak Vacations directly as we are unable to assist with her refund. Amtrak considers this matter to be resolved.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/23/2024

  Hello ******,
  

  We understand this was a very challenging, disappointing experience for you and just first want to express our gratitude for being a valued customer and bringing this to our attention.
  We carefully looked into your case yet based on our policy we cannot accommodate this refund request due to our terms and conditions that were sent to you on July ******.
  Kind regards

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/23/2024

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  ******

  I'm rejecting because there's nothing saying we can't get a refund plus the person who took the reservation never saided anything about not being able to get a refund back plus it wasn't even twenty four hours when we canceled the reservation.                      Thank you ***********************;

   

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/30/2024

  Hello ******,
  
  The Amtrak Vacations invoice that includes the Terms and Conditions was emailed to you on July 5th and are located on Page 5.They clearly state the cancellation charges. Our records indicate that the terms were also explained to you on the phone on July 6th when you called in to inquire about cancelling. Unfortunately, we must adhere to our Terms and Conditions.
  Thank you

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/03/2024

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  ******

  I am rejecting Amtrak's statement because I still stand by we canceled before twenty four hours now is this how Amtrak does business with People so they go away they use the word protection plan you put Money down and you have to cancel or cancel because you really can't afford Eleven Thousand Dollars for an Amtrak vacation and they won't refund your payment why because this is how they make money think about the protection plan at One thousand Ninety Eight dollars or more Times Twenty to Forthy People so no I would like our refund next step going to News Agencies