I purchased ~$1340 worth of tickets and passes so I decided to purchased their Rail Protection Plan. I was quoted a price of $174, but the NEXT day, they increased it to $324 without telling me, etc. It has been very difficult to get that removed, they do not answer their phones. So far, I have been unable to do so. Please warn your readers about this price scam. They said that ticket prices are "dynamic" but clearly their protection plan is not a ticket.
Posted by
Corvallis OR
7158 posts
What company are you referring to, either for the rail passes or the insurance? Who doesn't answer their phones?
Posted by
OP
4 posts
The company is: Rail Europe (www.raileurope.com)
Posted by
Chicago
8162 posts
It figures.
Posted by
Washington DC Region, USA
7054 posts
What was the purpose of such expensive insurance? If you didn't buy the tickets/passes in advance, would the price differential be as high as $174? That's a steep cost for 100% certainty.
Posted by
3438 posts
Are you saying that you paid for the Rail Protection Plan, and the next day Rail Europe charged you for the difference between the old price and the new one?
I would call my credit card company and dispute the charge for the Rail Protection Plan. Years ago when I bought some train tickets through Rail Europe, the RPP didn't seem worth the expense.
Posted by
Knoxville, TN, USA
7209 posts
And how many times do people on this site say “avoid RailEurope”???
Yet unsuspecting people somehow are drawn straight into RailEurope.
Posted by
Green Bay
21137 posts
That is why the chorus always sings the same tune.
"Do not use Rail Europe!"
There are much better tickets agents to use if you don't want to use the actual rail operators websites.
www.thetrainline.com and www.loco2.com are two of them.
Thetrainline charges 2 1/2 % booking fee, Loco2 does not. Loco2 does offer insurance for 4.99 EUR, which appears to be more like regular travel insurance.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
This sounds like a simple miscommunication. Yes, it's difficult to reach them by phone, so you should have better luck by emailing [email protected] or using their contact form.
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Eventually, I got through to Rail Europe (after a ~1 hr and 40 min hold on the phone) and got the charge ($324 on $1317 of tickets and passes) cancelled. My biggest beef is we (Rail Europe and I) had an agreed upon price at the time that I gave them my card number. BUT, they nearly doubled it without asking (or even informing me) if it was OK. That bait and switch tactic stinks. Their excuse was dynamic pricing. Bull. Maybe dynamic pricing for the train tickets based on how full the train might be, but not the price of the insurance. That was just a money grab.
Posted by
San Francisco
14970 posts
I bought that Rail Protection Plan once, ie insurance if you should your Pass while over there. That was in 1995. It cost $10. I've never lost any of my rail Passes, be it on a 3 week or 12 week trip, out of the question, but the Mrs insisted and insisted. So, I spent this needlessly $10. Two years later on the next trip with her, I didn't buy this insurance.
Posted by
OP
4 posts
- Emma, good point. BUT, 1) a legit insurance outfit (such as insuremytrip.com) charges less than 10% of the airline ticket price and their insurance includes expensive, first class tickets (~$20,000), if the person needs to fly back (prone) to the US if there is a medical emergency and it also includes medical coverage in the foreign country. Charging ~25%, that ONLY covers ticket reimbursement is a rip-off (especially, since some of the categories, such as a rail strike - the insurance company can get reimbursed by the rail company). PLUS, their assumption that the currency might fall by 50% or more within ~2 months is just a sleazy money grab.