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News 2 helps grandmother get refund from bus company over safety measures

Janice Ramirez was worried about catching COVID-19 but was more worried about her daughter who was already diagnosed with it. So she bought a bus ticket to visit.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Janice Ramirez was going to visit her daughter and grandkids out of state. Her daughter was recently diagnosed with COVID-19 and Ramirez wanted to help with the grandkids. She went to the bus station and bought a ticket to visit.

“I wanted to make sure they were okay and do what I could,” Ramirez said.

A few minutes after purchasing the ticket her granddaughter called and said it wasn’t safe to come. Ramirez went back inside to get a refund. The lady at the ticket counter told Ramirez she could only get a voucher for a future trip.

“I said are you kidding me, those were my words exactly,” Ramirez said.

A few days would pass when she decided she was going to visit her daughter despite whatever risk there was. Ramirez simply felt that’s what moms do when their kids are sick.

She went back to the bus station and purchased a ticket to travel. Her trip was several months ago when stricter safety measures were in place. Ramirez said she was told masks were mandatory and there would be social distancing on the buses.

“They (passengers) did not have masks on, there were people in the aisle, I said I can’t do this,” Ramirez said.

She stepped off the bus before it left Greensboro and went to ask for a full refund. Again, she was told they did not offer refunds.  

Ramirez decided to call News 2 a few days later to see if we could assist. We contacted the bus company and spoke with a corporate executive. We explained the situation and were told someone would investigate the matter. In most cases, if a company has a no refund you will only get credit for a canceled trip.

We sent a couple of emails and had to make a few follow-up calls but a representative was finally able to call us back. While it’s unclear what the company uncovered in its investigation it did agree to give Ramirez a full refund.

“(It) made me feel great, awesome, just awesome, I appreciate it so much,” she said.

Before booking any trip it’s always a good idea to ask and review the refund policy. In many cases, companies will offer credit but not a refund. You could also look into trip insurance but again read the policy carefully before purchasing it.

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