This is a copy of the letter I have sent to Greyhound asking for a refund of my ticket (which, by the way, they said would take 6-8 weeks to process after the letter is received) ...
To Whom It May Concern:
I purchased a ticket for my 13-year-old son, Skylar, to leave from Sacramento, CA at 7:30 in the morning and ride to Medford, OR on Sunday November 2nd, 2013. When I bought this ticket I called Greyhound to make sure everything was ok with him traveling alone. The woman on the phone actually walked me through buying the ticket online, telling me exactly what buttons to push and which options to choose, etc.
When we arrived at Sacramento at 6:30 a.m. on the 2nd, we went to the ticket counter and the woman working there quickly explained that my son couldn't ride the bus because unaccompanied minors are only allowed to ride if the trip is five hours long or less, and this trip was over seven. I explained that we had made the purchase in consultation with a Greyhound employee on the phone and that she had not told me of this requirement. All the person behind the counter would say in response is that I was misinformed. I asked to speak with a manager, but he too would not help me and said my son couldn't ride.
When I begged for a solution I was told that if we drove to Chico (1.5 hours away), my son could catch the same exact bus. The ride from there would be about five hours so they might let my son get on there. If not, we were told that we could then drive to Redding, a further hour drive away, where the ride for my son would then be only four hours and they would definitely let him on. I asked if she could call the Chico station to confirm that they will let my son on there, but she said she couldn't because the Chico station doesn't open until 9am. She printed my son's ticket and weighed and ticketed his bag and sent us away. We left for Chico.
We arrived in Chico well before 9 a.m. so had to kill time until 9 a.m., at which time we made our way to the bus. We got out of the car and walked to the station door. It was locked. We read the posted hours and saw that on Sundays the station is actually closed. Before driving to Redding I decided to call Greyhound again to see if perhaps the bus will stop here even if the station is closed. After a lengthy time on hold I get to talk with a person and she informs me that the bus will stop there even though the station is close. Wonderful! I ask her if my son will be able to get on even though the ride is about five hours. She says that will be up to the driver's discretion ...
Before I hang up the woman asks me if I have a signed copy of the unaccompanied minor paperwork with me. What? No one in Sacramento had me fill that out and I tell her this. She tells me they probably thought I would fill it out in Chico. But Chico is closed, I remind her. Well then he can't get on, she informs me. The driver won't take him without the paperwork. Well I guess we're driving to Redding! No, she corrects me. Redding is closed on Sundays too. Ugh!
She tells us at this point I will just have to drive my son to Oregon myself. I tried to call the Sacramento station to see if there was anything they could do for us, but was never able to get through even after many attempts. It was by that time almost 10 a.m. Had I left directly for Oregon at 5 a.m., when we left, we would have already been arriving shortly. At that point however, we still had over 3 hours left.
So I ended up driving my son all the way to Oregon and then driving straight back home, missing plans I had with my family. It took 14 hours total and $130 in gas and was exhausting. This was one of the worst experiences with a company I have ever had. From the woman who helped me buy a ticket, to the woman and her supervisor in Sacramento, to the woman on the phone when we were in Chico, to the 15-minute on-hold wait I experienced when calling in today to inquire about a refund - I was met with incompetence and/or lack of kindness or empathy at every turn. I wish I could ask for more than simply a refund on this ticket, but at least that would be something. read more
