Can You Get A Greyhound Refund? Yes, Here's How!
When flying isn’t affordable or doable for you and your family, Greyhound has been the number 1 bus travel service in America for regional and cross-country travel. With over 110 years in business, Greyhound has served travelers across over 2,300 cities in the US and Mexico.
Though mistakes can happen from time to time. If you’ve made a miscalculation or if Greyhound hasn’t been able to fulfill their obligations, you might be wondering if you can get your money back. We at aRefund.com can show you what you can do with Greyhound.
Can You Get A Greyhound Refund?
Greyhound has outlined their cancellation and refund policy on their website. However, the company defines the term “refund” as a form of voucher intended to use on Greyhound fares at a later date. Think of this as a “gift card” or “store credit”, as it doesn’t mean you’ll end up with cash back in your pocket. So, the short answer is “no”. While they do claim to offer refunds, they necessarily don’t give you back your money if you change your plans, and instead expect you to take another trip with them using the voucher they give you.
What Is Greyhound’s Refund Policy?
Here is a summary of Greyhound’s refund policy:
Greyhound tickets can be canceled as late as 15 minutes before the scheduled departure time. So if your bus is scheduled to depart at 8:00 AM, you have until 7:45 AM to cancel.
The amount of your “refund” you’ll receive depends on how much time is left to cancel before the departure. For instance, if you cancel your tickets 3 days before your bus departs, you’ll get a 50% refund in the form of a voucher.
Follow this chart to get an idea of Greyhound’s “refund” system:
Days Before Departure | Percent Of Ticket Costs Returned As A Voucher |
30+ | 100% |
29-7 | 75% |
6-1 | 50% |
<1 | 25% |
We understand the frustration that some customers may have, as even if you decide to cancel your trip immediately despite it being months away, Greyhound will still insist on keeping your money.
How Do I Contact Greyhound For A Refund?
There are currently two ways to contact Greyhound when you want to communicate with a specialist about your trip. These methods are as follows:
- Phone: Call Greyhound at (877) 364-2555 and your call will be forwarded to a service representative. During the call, you’re required to state your name, customer ID number, and either your phone number or email address so Greyhound can reach you.
- Email: Write a message to payment@greyhound.com and explain why you feel entitled to a cash refund. Just in case, be sure to mention your customer ID number to speed up the process.
- Request A Refund Page Site: Fill out the form at Greyhound’s Request A Refund Page. It’s essentially the same as writing them an email, but they ensure you give them all the information they need so there’s no constant back-and-forth communication.
How Long Do I Need To Wait For Greyhound To Respond To Emails?
Greyhound responds to emails around 24 to 48 hours. If you urgently need to speak to somebody from Greyhound, it’s recommended that you call customer service so you can get a hold of a representative (and hopefully settle your quarrel) faster.
Greyhound Policies Regarding Delayed Trips
On Greyhound’s website, the company anticipates what might happen if buses don’t arrive on time. Greyhound states that customers that are late to their destination for 2 hours or more can “request a refund for the price of the ticket”, and do so at their Customer Service page.
However, it’s easy to see how deceptive they are, once again. Firstly, Greyhound doesn’t specify if you would actually get a cash refund for the delayed bus trip. Secondly, a two-hour delay is still a very long time when customers have plans or events to attend right when they reach their destinations. So even if the bus didn’t arrive until 1 hour and 59 minutes later, they’d still have an excuse to not honor a refund for a long delay.
Other Bus Travel Options In America
If you still want to rely on affordable bus travel for the future, there are a few companies you could turn to.
Keep in mind that some of these companies work with Greyhound when bus transfers are necessary for long trips.
- FlixBus - The sibling company of Greyhound and travels in the same number of U.S. and Mexican cities.
- RedCoach - Currently only operates in Florida and Texas but offers loyalty programs and group discounts.
- Megabus - Operates in several regions of the U.S. that Greyhound doesn’t.
- OurBus - Affordable bus fares and many destinations, but routes are very restrictive compared to Greyhound.
- Chinatown-Bus - Operates in many parts of the U.S., but another company with very restrictive routes.
Can I Reschedule A Greyhound Trip Rather Than A Refund?
If you want to simply reschedule your trip or choose a different destination, you’ll have an easier time doing so than demanding your money back. Here’s how you can do this:
- Visit the Customer Service page on Greyhound’s website.
- Enter all your trip information.
- On the “What can we help you with?” dropdown box, select “Rebooking & Cancellation”.
- Explain how you want to make a change to your bus trip, including your preferred time and destination.
Effortless Greyhound Refunds With aRefund.com
Consider aRefund.com a reliable refund partner! We work to give countless customers their money back and determine if corporations have infringed upon consumer rights. Simply answer some simple questions from our AI wizard, and our tailored AI will find the most logical chargeback code and draft a professional letter to your bank to see what can be done about your recent Greyhound purchase.
aRefund.com: Get Back What’s Rightfully Yours
Sign up for an aRefund.com account today and get your refund inquiry filed faster than it takes to talk to a Greyhound rep on the phone! You can have us mail a letter to your bank anytime whether at home or on the go! Consider subscribing to aRefund.com today for any time a company tries to pull a fast one on you.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
When Can I Ask For A Greyhound Refund?
Greyhound’s Customer Service operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It’s assumed this applies to each method of contact, which includes their Customer service portal, email address, and phone number.
Does Greyhound Publicly Address Travel Problems?
Greyhound has a Travel Dilemmas page on their website that informs customers on what happens when luggage goes missing, buses arrive late, and more. They also offer help on how to track your bus in real time.
How Do I Cancel A Greyhound Trip?
You can cancel a Greyhound trip online by logging into the Greyhound website. Once logged in, you can click “Manage My Booking” to cancel any of your scheduled trips. When canceling, you confirm the cancellation with your email address, and then Greyhound will email you a voucher for a future trip.
Can Greyhound Alert Me When Problems Arise?
Greyhound can alert customers of updates in one of two different ways. If you sign up for SMS text notifications, Greyhound will text you when a problem occurs involving your scheduled trip. You can also sign up to be a member on the Greyhound App on the Google Play Store or Android store to receive the same notifications.
Is It Possible To Get A Cash Refund From Greyhound?
While Greyhound has been strict with monetary refunds, they have issued them before to unsatisfied customers rather than give them vouchers for another trip. This can happen when the bus owned by Greyhound causes problems for passengers or when a bus never arrives to pick up passengers.