Greyhound Bus Lines

I’m giving 1 star because I’m not able to give 0 stars. Poor poor poor customer service. I bought a FULLY refundable ticket for my son ONLINE. He has decided not to use the ticket. The website does not have an option to leave online feedback (hmmm…I wonder why!) Anyhow, there is no option to request the refund online. He’s in Wichita Falls, TX and that office does not allow refunds so we have to MAIL the original ticket to DALLAS for a refund. Are you not in the 21^st century here folks and with today’s technology, is this really what you want to put your customers through? Its unbelievable that this is how they conduct business. I don’t really write reviews but I’m so disgusted with how this is all playing out that I had to voice my concerns. I even tried calling customer service and complaining to a supervisor or upper management. They wouldn’t transfer me. The girl who answered was so rude and just plain GHETTO! I will never allow my son to even consider this mode of transportation again. I will pay the extra money for a rental car or some other type of transportation. Its absolutely ridiculous. They don’t care to know how their customers are being treated or feel about their company. There is so much room for improvement and I hope they take the time out one day to listen to their customers before there aren’t any left.

Preach it, Rachel C!!! You’re right. I am completely sane (usually).. .and I will never, ever use Greyhound again. Please read this entire review prior to attempting to purchase a ticket. It is filled with angry exclamation points and words in all caps; understand, I am an Elite Unilocaler and generally write positive reviews, and even if not positive, I try to incorporate something positive. This is absolutely the worst customer service experience I have ever had.
My one-​star reasons are not about the actual facilities, but instead 100% about the poor customer service, the extremely dysfunctional website, and the «mobile» website. Let’s start with customer service. If I cannot understand 60% of the words coming out of your mouth and let you know I cannot understand you, please put someone on who can be understood. This is what led to the disaster that I will call Last Monday Night. My kid needed to travel but lost her ID. This meant, obviously, no flying, and also no train. We have never taken a bus anywhere, but I checked Greyhound’s website to see if photo ID was required for travel. The website indicated yes, so I called the customer service line to see if anything could work out.
I could barely understand the lady who answered. (I am an educator of non-​native English speakers, so I am sensitive to this…but customers need to be able to understand customer service reps.) When I asked her if it was possible to purchase a ticket for someone in another state who had no ID, she perked up and her voice inflection and most of the words I understood indicated that it WAS possible…I then heard something about «password when you complete the transaction that she can give at the station to pick up her ticket.» Ok, well, that sounded like a plan to me. So, I went online to buy a ticket. Nowhere did the website indicate that Wheeling, WV did not have a «will call» password option. Instead, it just pushed me on through the transaction, and a quick click of the mouse later, I was $ 280.50 in debt for a ticket sent to my email…because that was the only option since the «will call» and «password» option never popped up during my transaction. I thought perhaps once I went to my email, it would allow me to create a password? Nope! So, I called customer service again. SAME LADY. After listening closely, I understood that I since I did not get a «will call» option, it automatically sent my ticket to my email, and there was nothing I could do to have that changed to a will-​call for my kid in WV. She then gave me aNOTHER number to call. This second person (also with an extremely thick accent but slowed down and repeated when asked) indicated by condescending voice tone that I was an idiot who did not know how to conduct online transactions. She then offered a «one time courtesy» of refunding my ticket cost if I would FIRST go online and buy ANOTHER ticket, this time choosing the «will call» option on checkout. At this point, I was screwed and out $ 280 with no kid able to travel anyway, so I went for it. Upon checkout, I confirmed what I thought in the first place. There was NO «WILL CALL» option for purchase! So I halted the purchase and called customer service AGAIN!!! Another guy…guess what he told me? «That’s because Wheeling, WV is not a station; it’s just a ‘stop,’ and ‘stops’ do not have will call options because they do not sell tickets. If you purchase a ticket leaving from a ‘stop’ and not a ‘station,’ then the only option is print at home.» THERE’S a piece of information your website should make obvious, don’t you think, Greyhound? Especially since I am purchasing the ticket for a name not my own and paying an $ 18 fee for THAT?
This third guy kept me on the phone for FIFTY MINUTES indicating in the meantime that the «system is down» and «my supervisor will be here shortly.» In the time that I was on the phone, he indicated that he could not help me because I purchased the ticket from (incomprehensible word that sounded like «woulub») website, so he couldn’t do anything to change things. I said, «Sir, I am looking at the screen right now, and it says
and this is definitely where I purchased the ticket.» He was indicating that I purchased it through a third-​party site. .. at least that is what I thought. Later, I figured out he was saying «mobile» website.
Let’s talk about the «mobile» website. Hey Greyhound.. . my desktop is not a «mobile» device, so don’t call it a «mobile» website! Save the mobile site for smart phones and tablets. It did not function on my phone, anyway.
I heard «no refunds» no fewer than five times. Oh, and the kicker? Contrary to what website says, bus drivers do not check ID, so I spent 2.5 hours on the phone for nothing.
Shame on Greyhound for taking advantage of low-​income people with confusing communication and their «zero refund» policies.

Dear Greyhound Bus Lines Corporate Office:
With my deepest regret I am writing to you to express my condolences for your company and wishing you the best in your next adventures. Why you ask? Simply because no sane person would ever travel this method twice. Fool me once. .. fool me twice. .. NEVER!
But. .. If you don’t have a deadline, and you are willing to travel lightly, and you don’t mind being stuck in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night, and are willing to put up with a nonchalant attitude about your travel, and you are given a claim check for your bags but no one actually checks your ticket, and buses are way over-​used and under-​cleaned, and the terminals have limited options for eating even when there are long delays/​layovers, and your bags are just out there where anyone can take them, and Customer Service is at a bare minimum or non-​existent and. .. . I actually can think of nothing good about my last trip on Greyhound. And it will be my last…
Where’s the Customer Service that makes a business one that you want to return to time and time again?
Cheaper than an airline ticket. .. but my advice is stay home or walk to your destination. Definitely not worth the hassle.