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I had six pigeons sent by Amtrak from Aberdeen to Cumbernauld.The birds were handed into their Aberdeen Office noon Thursday.

Friday morning a card behind my door,they called at 05-30.

My son made three phone calls to arrange to get pigeons,they kept saying they would phone back.

They phoned back at around 12 noon,to say the birds had got out of box, due to it being wet,however things not so bad, as they had five birds for me.

Both myself and my son went down to there depo in order to get the pigeons.One of the young birds was up on a beam.

We collected the five birds and refused to pay.They phoned later to say they head caught the pigeon,which we collected yesterday afternoon.

As discussed many times on this site we need alternatives to this service,which is nothing short of a joke.

Never again

Cheers Rab Smith

sounds par for the course with Amtrak!

i have used Amtrak on a number of times and never had any problems with the birds arriving in good nick  only once did i have a problem was when i phoned their depot in Aberdeen to find out if my birds had came and was told no then only to have them delivered a couple of hours later

Would SPDS not have been an option especially for us up in Scotland and it's cheaper so I am told. Have had all my birds delivered by Amtrak with no problems but an alternative does no harm.

amtrak do a good job so dont keep knocking them i know guys who have sent lots of birds by amtrak no problems if amtrak pull out who will do it be thankful that they do it

oh happy days

If i pay £35 for a service, and they let a pigeon out while in their care. This must be seen as a poor service.

Happening to may times,sure i seen a picture not that long ago of dead pigeons in a box, delivered to a fancier by Amtrak.

Joe you keep using them mate ,but i will never again

Happy days

Quoted from joe61

amtrak do a good job so dont keep knocking them i know guys who have sent lots of birds by amtrak no problems if amtrak pull out who will do it be thankful that they do it

oh happy days

Amtrak do a good job sometimes they also do a very bad job as well and they should be answerable to what they have done if they dont get it right   They are carrying livestock and you tell me that it is ok for birds to go missing for days with no food and water would you shut a dog or cat in a box with no food or water for days i dont think so  

When things do go wrong which is frequently, they don't want to know about it!
There customer service is worse then an I know.
One of the biggest problems is the depots are franchised and not owned by Amtrak so they vary a lot with level of service!

We do not have a lot of options in Scotland,the service that started in June only cover England .Indeed i had in fact said i would cover the central belt for them however no one eles in Scotland came forward.

Thus we were no included.

They are indeed a lot less than customer friendly,and thats a fact

Quoted from Rose

Amtrak do a good job sometimes they also do a very bad job as well and they should be answerable to what they have done if they dont get it right   They are carrying livestock and you tell me that it is ok for birds to go missing for days with no food and water would you shut a dog or cat in a box with no food or water for days i dont think so  

aye maybe a cat ,but not a dog or pigeon

Quoted from harky

aye maybe a cat ,but not a dog or pigeon

Looks like your stuck with amtrak unless you are lucky enough to be able to use someone else and i dont suppose having a few irrate phone calls from people whose pigeons they have lost is going to worry them  

ok put your hands up who would like to go round the country to deliver pigeons for all and sundry at £30 a time dont all rush at once


oh happy days

no individual would do it for £30 but no reason a network couldn't and it would then be cost efficient!
If fanciers formed a network then at least we know the birds would be in good hands!

i use amtrak have had very good service from them here in sheffield

Quoted from pjc

no individual would do it for £30 but no reason a network couldn't and it would then be cost efficient!
If fanciers formed a network then at least we know the birds would be in good hands!

most fanciers would not get of their lazy a**es to do anything to sort a network for them selves !!

As i have said i put myself up for it, but Scotland was not included.

Joe, customer care and quality of service is at the forefront of everything we incounter in life today.

It is none existant with Amtrak.

I got, what you want me to do about it,which is less than acceptable.

thats the problem Ted!
So we have to put up with the sh*t service we've got.

i am in shropshire i would join your net work if needed

hi phil it could work but fanciers would soon get fed up sitting around waiting for birds to turn up the guy lets you down cause hes gone out to do something else or hes on holiday

oh happy days

Quoted from pjc

thats the problem Ted!
So we have to put up with the sh*t service we've got.

yes pjc,,,but,,,saying that,,,i have never had trouble with amtrak,,,,,you will hear the odd bad delivery,,,but,,,how many will come on here and say that have good service from them ?????

ted youve hit the nail on the head lazy ness by fanciers

cumbernauld you take the rough with the smooth im afraid


oh happy days

All regions should set up a number of stray lofts, any strays are taken to them and then they can work out a way of transporting birds between stray lofts where they could eventualy be picked up by the owner from the nearest point.
This doesn't solve the sale and movement of youngsters etc.
This year alone we sent 4 to Damian, box badly damaged on arrival, 1 dead, amtrak didn't want to know, we received 4 boxes of youngbirds after driver hit a tree, all in the end had to be destroyed due to stressand conditions brought about by stress, again amtrak didn't want to know!

Quoted from joe61

ted youve hit the nail on the head lazy ness by fanciers

cumbernauld you take the rough with the smooth im afraid


oh happy days

joe ,,,,as many times we dont get on with each other,,,,at least we agree on one thing for now !!!!

This is a good point,however when you receive the kind or service i did it is inportant we let each other know

Wish i would have listened,would have went to Aberdeen myself loot less hastle for me and the birds.

I agree with Phil, we have the communication means on this site to do it our selves,by way of a network.

phil s**t happens so who will do it get the R P R A to find some one have a good day people im to the cafe for my brekkie

oh happy days

every one listen,,,,i tried setting up a stray centre network a few weeks ago on here,,,mostly to deal witgh reports from sick or injured birds from the public eye !!!!,,,what response did i get,,,,,i only got a response of help from less than 14 fanciers on here,,,,thats a pathetic number when most of you on here go on about starting a stray collection,,,,,,nobody wants to get off the fat lazy *expletive removed* to help each other as its too much time and money for most on here !!!

             pigeon fanciers are there own worse enemy i fear !!!!!

Trust Joe when you get one sausage,when the price you pay is for two, you will take the rough with the smooth and pay, and enjoy the best you can.[code][/code]

Quoted from joe61

ok put your hands up who would like to go round the country to deliver pigeons for all and sundry at £30 a time dont all rush at once


oh happy days

is this the reason why u praise amtrak?..because ur worried if they get too much bad press they will withdraw their service,do u honestly believe that they would throw a massive  business deal  away?
and if thats ur reason then im sorry but thats hypicritical of you.
let me tell u of many ..yes many bad experiences ppl down the length of the country for years have had with them.
and do u honestly believe that there are many more good then bad storys about them?...id say equal.
last 4 amtrak dealings one good 3 bad.
1 of them where they didnt pick up all the birds and tried to charge me extra next day...they would have to get up earlier then they do, to try and catch me .

but will agree it could be area which we all live in thats bad..ie drivers and so on.

I keep pushing Pigeon Express because I know he is as good as you can get.  He may be a fiver dearer but it's same day delivery, he only carry's pigeons and he's always in contact with you.  I have known him go as far as Cumbria but he must have pick up, delivery on route or as you say, travelling that distance for a single delivery £35 wouldn't pay his diesel.  If he can accomodate you, he will.

                                            No 07912947743

SPDS now have two depots in England Leeds & Manchester you can drop off your goods up to 7-30pm for next day delivery including Thurso & Campbeltown they also have depots in Aberdeen & Glasgow and various locations and have a tie up with a well known South based companywhich covers England and Wales could be well worth a ring they have a web site
Has anyone on the PB ever used them I know Shotgun Tim has

Adding on from What Ted said, there is a section on this site for people to post any trips they may be taking where they can pick up drop birds off enroute, just see how many bothered to put there movements on there as well.
With birds I have bred for people this year i have tried to time them to coincide with trips up and down the country so that I could either deliver or meet the people concerned.
Something needs to be done but unless Amtrak threaten to stop delivering then the RPRA certainly won't step in!

Quoted from pjc

no individual would do it for £30 but no reason a network couldn't and it would then be cost efficient!
If fanciers formed a network then at least we know the birds would be in good hands!

good comment go to stray s see how maney put name forward

Quoted from ChrisMaidment08

good comment go to stray s see how maney put name forward

chris,,,i only got a dozen people including yourself to try something on here like that,,,,,out of over i think 3000 members on here,,,i think it was pathetic !!!

well it goes to show as stated in first post by youer self      lets talk moan and let others do it

you never said that i did     i meant when when you first put it onthread  strays

yes chris,,,,,most fanciers are there own worse enemies !!!

i knew what you meannt  

well we can talk till blue in face but you will end up with headace

strapper im not praising amtrak you can take the job on if you like there are people on here who have had good service from amtrak but few post it we only hear of the bad ones as ted said the response he got was 12 from 3000 site members that is p*ss poor

oh happy days

well,,,,that wont be hard talking as thats all most fanciers do is talk,,,,,but,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, NEVER WALK THE WALK only a few will do !!!

im of now with a very good idea when i come back i shall post it

Joe you have a nice breakfast mate