Megabus {@megabus on Twitter} has the worst customer service I’ve ever experienced. Yup, I’m making a bold statement here but this is my blog and I have the right to say how I really feel. So why does Megabus have me all angry and frustrated?
On February 9, 2010 Megabus sent me an email canceling my bus to NY due to the blizzard. That’s fine. In the email it said
Dear Megabus Customer,
Please be advised that the following bus service has been cancelled due to the recent weather forecasts.
Please call 877-Go2-Mega to reschedule or request a refund.
So I called for a few hours because they were busy and I emailed inquiries@megabus.com. No response to my email but by the end of the evening I got someone on the line. I was told I would receive an email once my refund went through in 7 days. Cool, right? WRONG.
8 days go by (Feb 17) and I call because I’ve yet to get a refund or an email. The young lady says, or no that’s 7 to 10 business days. Ok. I’ll wait.
6 more days go by (Feb 24), still backed up…but it’ll happen. Nope…not yet and they give me a new number to call, 908-282-7420. I decide to call that number on and off at various times over a week because whenever I call I never seem to get a person and usually after 30 to 40 minutes on a loop of the same message I eventually get disconnected…sigh. I’m mad now.
9 more days (March 5), I call the 908 number and NEVER get a person on the phone after calling 3 different times and holding for a total of 1.5 hours. So on Sunday, March 7 I take a deep breath and I call the 908 number again. After I get disconnected after 15 minutes of holding I call back…still holding after 20 minutes. When I call their main number I talk to a manager named Ryan who keeps asking, “well did you email inquiries@megabus.com because that’s really the best way…” Um, Ryan, the first thing I said is I’ve yet to get a response to an email or a person on the “customer service line” so please stop asking me questions that I answered at the beginning of the phone call. Then he asks me what times of day did I call customer service because “they’re really busy.” Are they? Because I’ve yet to get anything productive out of that department so I’m starting to wonder if anyone works there.
So I email again, I also email through the form on the website and I call that faux customer service line one more time. Oh did I mention I’ve tweeted too?
As I started to write this post I decided to call again and put the phone on speaker. To my utter shock and amazement, SOMEONE ANSWERED THE PHONE! You know what else shocked and amazed me? Apparently my refund was never initiated. Sigh…
I got 2 emails tonight. One saying my reservation was made (if I get charged again I’ll scream) and another saying a refund was issued and it only took me a month to get my money back. Honestly, I don’t ever plan on riding Megabus again and will go back to my trusted Bolt Bus (they didn’t have times available for when I originally wanted to go so I made the mistake of giving Megabus a try).
Has anybody else had a bad experience with Megabus? Do share, I’d love to know if I’m not the only one.
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I had the bus driver from HELL on Megabus. He was driving fast and riding up on cars and it was pouring rain! That was enough for me to stop riding them too.
Almost the same story as mine, a cancellation at the end of February that left me stranded. Still no refund and I don’t feel like calling the 908 number because the wait for a person will cost more than the friggin ticket did.
DWJ Reply:
April 12th, 2010 at 8:43 pm
I almost gave up and that’s when someone finally answered. Horrible experience, sorry you had the same.
HORRIBLE!!! BUS DRIVER FROM HELL!!! The most obnoxious bus driver actually left my daughter in the parking lot – honking for her to get out of the way. He KNEW she was trying to get on the bus. Called the hotline. First person had absolutely NO idea what she was doing – another fool at the place. The second worker took down my information but I doubt they will ever acknowledge this. They do not deserve to be in business and I will NEVER buy a ticket from them again. GO AWAY MEGABUS!!! YOU STINK and YOUR DRIVER BELONGS IN HELL!!!!! Hope he loses his license.
I HATE HATE HATE Megabus!! They have the worse customer service in the world. They do not care about their customers only about making money. I missed my bus, which I will take complete responsibility for, but when I called both a supervisor and customer service to ask if I take the available seat on the next bus, which had open seats, they scoffed in my face, mechanically reciting that they could not help me because ”that’s not our policy”. I paid for a service that I did not receive! To make matters worse, the customer service representative hung up on me. How rude! Megabus is horrible company that provides below par service. People only continue to use their services because they are so cheap. I’d rather pay the extra ten dollars for the train or greyhound and be provided with quality service.
Where do I start. Non-existent, rude customer service. Their buses are ALWAYS like clockwork, minimum 1 hr late to bus stops. I have had them be over 3 hrs late so many times, I’ve had to stop booking late tickets as by the time I get back home (Buffalo NY> Toronto ON), the subway in Toronto is closed for the night. They NEVER issue refunds. Cut you off on phone calls. Refer to phone numbers that have no idea what you’re talking about in terms of refunds or exchanges on tickets. They have no number to call if the bus is late. If you do get a customer service number, prepare to wait for HOURS to get someone to answer. Their internet does not always work on the buses. Broken or faulty electrical plugs and lights. Dirty bathrooms. Seats that are screwed loosely into the floor and shift whenever the bus stops or accelerates. Drivers getting lost/confused as to schedule or route.
The last time I was on Megabus, they were 2 hrs late. They pulled into the Buffalo downtown terminal (I had gotten on at the Buffalo Airport stop). There was another bus in our lot space at the downtown terminal. The bus driver gets out, and starts having a discussion with the other bus driver. 10 minutes pass. We’re then told that we have to switch buses (no reason as to why). So all our luggage is thrown into a pile on the side of the street, we are transferred to another bus, no bags. Then the bus drivers start to have an argument. We wait another 20 minutes. Then we’re told we have to switch BACK to the previous bus. Over 55 people have to move everything TWICE. Then another 20 minutes waiting, for no apparent reason. No explanation. We are not allowed to check as to whether or bags are onboard or not. We get into Toronto over 4 hours late. People have missed flights. Missed connections, the list goes on…
Then a couple of weeks later, the Sept 11 crash. That’s it. I’m DONE with Megabus. Especially since my bus route now has a Greyhound Neon line that has matched Megabus prices. Megabus? MegaJOKE.
Made the reservation on Megabus from Boston to NYC. On the way back, tried to change the trip within 24 hours (as allowed per Megabus website), but, was required to shell out $25 in addition to the ticket I already held.
When called to complain, was told that the turn-around would be 24-48 hours.
It’s been 4 weeks.
Called the 908 number, and, got re-directed to the main Megabus number.
Called again, demanded to speak with supervisor, who then told me that the best he can do is re-file the claim.
I’m filing “charge dispute” with my credit card. Ha-ha!
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