I wonder how Amtrak sells anything on their web site

Jacksonville to WPB Jan 31

I put in a senior. Price $45. For adult, price $43. Seniors can't use flexible fare and don't know it is available if they don't put in Adult instead.

Look at Roomette. Price $138. Change from one adult to 2 and price of one roomette now shows $442.

The above are repeatable. What do ordinary people do when they don't know about Amsnag?

Tested at about 4PM then again at 5:40.

Who maintains their site? They getting a Rocky Mountain high?

Edit: This i for the Silver Star

The roomette scam has been going on for months now.

Apparently you need (as an innocent member of the travelling public) to check here and then you know to call an agent who will give you the correct price. Or you just take the website price at face value and get ripped off.

Pretty damn feeble when a major transportation provider runs such an utterly useless and corrupt website.

Train person said:

The roomette scam has been going on for months now.

Apparently you need (as an innocent member of the travelling public) to check here and then you know to call an agent who will give you the correct price. Or you just take the website price at face value and get ripped off.

Pretty damn feeble when a major transportation provider runs such an utterly useless and corrupt website.

Click to expand...

Or, it might be an example of an industrial age company still not quite sure how to make use of the web... it's not like they're Amazon or eBay which depend on their website being correct always - Amtrak still has their fleet of agents at the end of an 800 number. If they were to go sans 800 number, then they'd get their ears virtually packed with broken glass until they got it (website) right. There are lots (really lots) of brick and mortar companies which only have a website so as not to be called retrograde, but still haven't figured out or found the importance of making it an asset yet.

gmushial said:

Train person said:

The roomette scam has been going on for months now.

Apparently you need (as an innocent member of the travelling public) to check here and then you know to call an agent who will give you the correct price. Or you just take the website price at face value and get ripped off.

Pretty damn feeble when a major transportation provider runs such an utterly useless and corrupt website.

Click to expand...

Or, it might be an example of an industrial age company still not quite sure how to make use of the web... it's not like they're Amazon or eBay which depend on their website being correct always - Amtrak still has their fleet of agents at the end of an 800 number. If they were to go sans 800 number, then they'd get their ears virtually packed with broken glass until they got it (website) right. There are lots (really lots) of brick and mortar companies which only have a website so as not to be called retrograde, but still haven't figured out or found the importance of making it an asset yet.

Click to expand...

If they are actually overcharging for rooms, then "industrial age" or not, they should fix it. They have been aware of this problem for months.

PRR 60 said:

gmushial said:

Train person said:

The roomette scam has been going on for months now.

Apparently you need (as an innocent member of the travelling public) to check here and then you know to call an agent who will give you the correct price. Or you just take the website price at face value and get ripped off.

Pretty damn feeble when a major transportation provider runs such an utterly useless and corrupt website.

Click to expand...

Or, it might be an example of an industrial age company still not quite sure how to make use of the web... it's not like they're Amazon or eBay which depend on their website being correct always - Amtrak still has their fleet of agents at the end of an 800 number. If they were to go sans 800 number, then they'd get their ears virtually packed with broken glass until they got it (website) right. There are lots (really lots) of brick and mortar companies which only have a website so as not to be called retrograde, but still haven't figured out or found the importance of making it an asset yet.

Click to expand...

If they are actually overcharging for rooms, then "industrial age" or not, they should fix it. They have been aware of this problem for months.

Click to expand...

You think so, I think so... but to the Mica's of the world, that spells profit. But fundamentally I agree with you. But again, they, not being an internet only company, probably with a lot of internet oblivious management, I would expect such fixes to take time to materialize.... and yes, sadly.

gmushial said:

Amtrak still has their fleet of agents at the end of an 800 number.

Click to expand...

Well, the telephone agents are often useless and clueless. The only thing missing from the reservation circus is the agent named "Mike" in Bangalore...

The roomette scam NEEDS to be fixed. Does anyone have any idea who to write?

Actually, best question: anyone got Boardman's email? After months of this, this problem should go straight to the top. I'm certain he doesn't know about it.

If it's beyond the technical wit and know how of Amtrak to fix the roomette scam/ issue, or find someone that can, then the least they can do is to suspend sales of roomettes (and bedrooms?) to more than one passenger or even put an advisory notice on the website.

The fact that several months down the line they have done neither speaks volumes.

Just to check these things out, I priced a roomette on No. 5 CHI-EMY on March 14: Amsnag, $301.00. Web site, $464.00 ("only 1 left at this price")

Of course booking on the phone solves the problem for most folks, but deaf people who are unable to book on the telephone typically have to use the Web site (or get in the car and drive miles to a live agent at a station). Hmm, this sounds like an ADA lawsuit in the making, doesn't it?

it's all part of the gigantic joke that is amtrak. i think smilin' joe deserves new furniture for his office, a bonus and probably another ride in his private car (if he wants to risk going by rail).

Nathanael said:

The roomette scam NEEDS to be fixed. Does anyone have any idea who to write?

Actually, best question: anyone got Boardman's email? After months of this, this problem should go straight to the top. I'm certain he doesn't know about it.

Click to expand...

This might not be a bad approach... one has to wonder, given the uncomplimentary words about the phone agents, if even if they are told about the website problem if they don't treat it as something above their pay grade and ignore it... so, poking Amtrak management at any level above might be appropriate, ie, it might be the first they've heard of the problem - wouldn't be the first time such has happened in the corporate world. ;-(

Nathanael said:

The roomette scam NEEDS to be fixed.

Click to expand...

I'm not defending Amtrak at all, but I would hardly call it a "SCAM"! Do you also call the airlines pricing system a scam when you call to get a fare and are told $xxx, and a friend calls the same airline while you call and are told a Different fare? :huh: Or if you call United Airlines to get a fare and are told one fare, but the flight is numbered as an Air Canada flight so you call AC and are told a different fare? :huh: Or if you go to a Toyota dealer (a few years ago) and price an Solara (I think it was) and get a price, and then go to an Acura dealer and get a higher price (I forget the Acura model)? They are the same exact car - in fact they are owned by the same company!

the_traveler said:

Nathanael said:

The roomette scam NEEDS to be fixed.

Click to expand...

I'm not defending Amtrak at all, but I would hardly call it a "SCAM"! Do you also call the airlines pricing system a scam when you call to get a fare and are told $xxx, and a friend calls the same airline while you call and are told a Different fare? :huh: Or if you call United Airlines to get a fare and are told one fare, but the flight is numbered as an Air Canada flight so you call AC and are told a different fare? :huh: Or if you go to a Toyota dealer (a few years ago) and price an Solara (I think it was) and get a price, and then go to an Acura dealer and get a higher price (I forget the Acura model)? They are the same exact car - in fact they are owned by the same company!

Click to expand...

just because others engage in the practice doesn't mean it's not a scam

Personally, I don't think it's a scam at all - absolutely the wrong word to use.

But it is a serious problem with the code they used when they implemented the new fare tiers.

That particular problem/snag hasn't happened to me yet when I've booked more than one person in a roomette using the new interface.

If it's not brought to the attention of someone who can actually get it fixed, nothing is going to happen.

I'm no expert but I'm willing to bet that Anthony would know who to talk to.

What an upbeat forum, so many positive comments about Amtrak... makes me really want to ride the train as soon as I can... if you folks like it some much... (I mean otherwise why would you be here??)

Everything has good and bad.

Yes, Amtrak has some bad so we should not use Amtrak? So we should fly - wait, airlines has it's own bad, so don't fly take a bus. Wait, buses have their own bad, so drive instead. Wait, cars have their own bad, so walk instead. Wait, walking had it's own bad, so that can't be done either.

You could crawl to a restaurant, but eating could be bad for you, so you better not do that. You could live in a house or apartment, but it could catch on fire, so don't do that either. Live under a tree - wait, that could get struck by lightening, so don't do that either!

See how that statement sounds? :huh:

Amtrak has an issue with its online reservation system, this is known to us. What is not known is if upper management, who would have the power to get it fixed quickly and efficiently, is aware of it. The company would be advised to fix it ASAP, for both the sake of passengers not being misled but also to remove ammunition and liability that could (and would) damage its already dented and tarnished public reputation. Mica types would use it as a reason to champion the shut down of Amtrak, FOX news would cover the "intentional internet scam" as a headline story, and Mr. Boardman and Co. would be backpedaling quickly to try and defend it before a C-SPAN televised Congressional hearing. A head or two would roll in the reservations department, and you might even see someone in management take the fall and resign.

All because of some misplaced 1's and 0's.

Of all the things Amtrak has issues with, this is one that can and needs to be fixed NOW.

yarrow said:

the_traveler said:

Nathanael said:

The roomette scam NEEDS to be fixed.

Click to expand...

I'm not defending Amtrak at all, but I would hardly call it a "SCAM"! Do you also call the airlines pricing system a scam when you call to get a fare and are told $xxx, and a friend calls the same airline while you call and are told a Different fare? :huh: Or if you call United Airlines to get a fare and are told one fare, but the flight is numbered as an Air Canada flight so you call AC and are told a different fare? :huh: Or if you go to a Toyota dealer (a few years ago) and price an Solara (I think it was) and get a price, and then go to an Acura dealer and get a higher price (I forget the Acura model)? They are the same exact car - in fact they are owned by the same company!

Click to expand...

just because others engage in the practice doesn't mean it's not a scam

Click to expand...

Scam, or ineptness? Personally see it more in keeping with industrial age companies having trouble getting traction in a web based world.

the_traveler said:

Everything has good and bad.

Yes, Amtrak has some bad so we should not use Amtrak? So we should fly - wait, airlines has it's own bad, so don't fly take a bus. Wait, buses have their own bad, so drive instead. Wait, cars have their own bad, so walk instead. Wait, walking had it's own bad, so that can't be done either.

You could crawl to a restaurant, but eating could be bad for you, so you better not do that. You could live in a house or apartment, but it could catch on fire, so don't do that either. Live under a tree - wait, that could get struck by lightening, so don't do that either!

See how that statement sounds? :huh:

Click to expand...

Wisdom at its finest. But yes: there is very little perfect in the world; and just because one finds something wrong does not mean one must reject it and that it's irreparable [unless one has bipolar tendencies, and then yes, the world then is black or white].

I don't know anyone in the IT department, but I do know some folks in the operating department. I notified one of them about the problem and asked him/her to forward it to the proper folks. Hope it works.

jb

Is this only an issue with the new pricing system on their website, or has this always been an issue with Amtrak's online reservation system? If so, I may have been overpaying for years, and will remember to call into their 800 number. Is this just an issue with booking bedrooms, or all types of reservations?

JoeRids said:

Is this only an issue with the new pricing system on their website, or has this always been an issue with Amtrak's online reservation system? If so, I may have been overpaying for years, and will remember to call into their 800 number. Is this just an issue with booking bedrooms, or all types of reservations?

Click to expand...

It's only been an issue since they came out with the multiple fare tiers. It only affects multiple passenger bookings into sleeper compartments. Or at least that's my understanding. I mainly use points to travel in sleepers on Amtrak so I have to call no matter what.

John Bobinyec said:

I don't know anyone in the IT department, but I do know some folks in the operating department. I notified one of them about the problem and asked him/her to forward it to the proper folks. Hope it works.

jb

Click to expand...

Thanks.

This was in a previous thread. I got my ears pinned back for calling it a scam or price increase in that thread, and several of our members posted that Amtrak was well aware of this "code problem". (Which was called a glitch in the previous thread) Yet, it still exists......

So, IMHO, if Amtrak is aware of it and refuses to fix it, it is intentional, and therefore is a price increase on those who book via the website. If they were to put a notice on the site telling folks to call for correct pricing, then it would seem more like an unintentional "glitch" that they were trying to fix while not charging web pax more than phone pax.

Just my dos centavos.

yarrow said:

the_traveler said:

Nathanael said:

The roomette scam NEEDS to be fixed.

Click to expand...

I'm not defending Amtrak at all, but I would hardly call it a "SCAM"! Do you also call the airlines pricing system a scam when you call to get a fare and are told $xxx, and a friend calls the same airline while you call and are told a Different fare? :huh: Or if you call United Airlines to get a fare and are told one fare, but the flight is numbered as an Air Canada flight so you call AC and are told a different fare? :huh: Or if you go to a Toyota dealer (a few years ago) and price an Solara (I think it was) and get a price, and then go to an Acura dealer and get a higher price (I forget the Acura model)? They are the same exact car - in fact they are owned by the same company!

Click to expand...

just because others engage in the practice doesn't mean it's not a scam

Click to expand...

Scam means intentionally pricing to steal peoples money.. Do you really think Amtrak is intentionally making erroneous prices for a room?