Greyhound and "Gift Ticket Fees"

from JoeUser Forums

Here's the latest in the "I hate hidden fees" category:

A friend of mine by the name of Sam Doores (look for him; he's one of the truly great folksingers of this generation, which is why you won't find him on a major label!) called up as he is preparing to head this way for our Woody Guthrie Tribute that we hold every October. We had promised him back in July that if he would come out, we would pay his expenses. And so I headed to the Amtrak and Greyhound sites (he's heading from NYC by train, but the train doesn't head to Amarillo).

The prices were reasonable enough, and I was able to have them left at the counter for him.

The one that surprised me, though, was the Greyhound site. Initially it asked if the ticket was being purchased for someone other than the cardholder. I had to check "yes", because I needed to use his name in order for him to be able to pick the ticket up at the ticket window.

Imagine my surprise at the end of the procedure to be hit with a $15 "gift ticket" fee. Yet another hidden fee that is largely unnecessary.

Can't say as I'm a big fan of Greyhound at this point.

1,821 views 6 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
No wonder no one is taking greyhound any more! With any gift certificate, the company gets to use your money for free, and possibly even keep it if it is enver redeemed! That is how most companies pay for the thing. That plus they have your money already locked in.

What a scam!
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
Why don't they just call it the "Terrorism Prevention Fee" so that nobody would ever complain about it?
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Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top

I said it before and I'll say it again, Grayhound knows that if we could have gotten there any other way, we would have... and treats us accordingly.

 

(I still have to run my article about my last Big Bus Trip) ;~D

Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
Jeesh, thats messed up. I suppose my company will be paying the same thing as I too will be picking up a ticket next week for a bus ride to training.

Greyhound started off in my hometown actually, long ago. Unfortunately, they have moved criss cross around the country with their HQs. They even stopped serving my hometown, its birthplace! They most be losint money on cheap flights and all, because I know they closed quite a bit of routes a few years back.
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top

I said it before and I'll say it again, Grayhound knows that if we could have gotten there any other way, we would have... and treats us accordingly.

Before Airline derugulation, that was the only way I could travel.

Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top
Before deregulation, Grayhound and Trailways were separate companies, in competition with each other. I remember taking the bus back then, it was a lot better.