PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — A Girl Scouts troop from Palm Beach Gardens said it's still waiting on a refund from Amtrak nearly seven months later.
Their trip to Savannah, Georgia, in June of last year got off on the wrong track from the start.
"Hours upon hours go by. At this point, the train never showed up," said troop leader Ebonie Taylor.
Taylor said Amtrak couldn't tell her exactly when the train would pull into the downtown West Palm Beach station. She said the ticket agent told her the delay was heat-related and could have something to do with the safety of the train tracks.
This delay was on top of another one that morning in which Amtrak alerted the group by phone before they got to the station.
Since the girls had plans early the next day and reservations, the group made the decision to ditch Amtrak and drive more than six hours to Georgia.
Some families had to rent a vehicle. Some hadn't budgeted for gas prices, which were at a premium during the summer of 2021.
Fast-forward and the troop leader and parents said they are still waiting for a more than $3,000 refund Amtrak assured them wouldn't be a problem before they left the West Palm Beach station.
The Girl Scouts troop raised the money through car washes and cookie sales.
"We've come to you and followed the guidelines you had set for this situation like this and you're not doing your part," said Andrea Vest.
Vest has two children in Girl Scouts Troop 24307.
Taylor said she has sent correspondence and copies of their train ticket, certified mail to Amtrak to recoup their money. She said that on one occasion after several calls, an Amtrak representative told her the money had been refunded into their account.
She said it never posted.
Amtrack did not return WPTV's calls for comment.
The company's online policy doesn't outline if refunds are issued in the event of delays.
Parents said they now plan to contact elected officials to see if they will intervene and help them recoup their money.
