I HATE dutch processes

So here I am trying to book two tickets to berlin taking advantage of a great deal on their site (75 euros one way for two people)... everything goes well until I put payment through and the system errors out and doesn't give me a confirmation. So I check my bank account and yes the funds were taken out.

So after, I head to the office in central station and they tell me they can't help me because the internet site is completely separate and I would have to call the number on their site (even though they have the EXACT same name).

So after picking up some groceries since I was already out I call when I get back and the help desk is closed - but the systems warns me in dutch that the call will cost me 70 euro cents per minute (35 for the help desk rate - YES THAT IS RIGHT... in holland they CHARGE YOU if they screw up and you need help) and vodafone charges my prepaid phone 35 euro cents per minute for the call (of course I try to call using skype but the number is "not allowed to be called" according to skype (damnit!!!).

Now it's sunday morning... after a good run and a good gym session I try again in the middle of the afternoon... I call.. it works.. but I don't understand the touch tone options so I get transferred to some lady who can't help me cause she doesn't deal with internet problems so she transfers me to the internet support team and of course they are busy and I get put on hold.. it's it now 10 minutes in and the call has already costed me 7 euros (11 bucks) .. and finally I get to a guy... he says he'll have to look to make sure that I have paid .... and then I ask if I can still get the tickets for the same price (as sunday being past the two week period the tickets are now more expensive) and he said no... all he can do is refund the money and I have to try again... but he would have to inquire to see if he can use the funds to a new ticket if I wanted.. so I said might as well (since ( already booked our return tickets from Germany) and btw.. I did ask at the counter (that first time after I had trouble) and asked how much tickets were (after waiting in line for 1.5 hours (they usually have good prices (but the round trip was going to cost 240 euros for two people through the counter))... so F that... so anyways while this guy checks if he can do this for me my phone lets me know I'm almost out of money (that means the call was at about 18 euros since I had about 20 euros prepaid). The guy said to give me my number and he'll call me back. F... so after this call I do check my credit and I ave 70 cents left!!!! he calls me back and makes arrangements (thank god I don't have to use the internet again .. so sketchy on their site) and I have to pay the difference of 36 euros when I pick up the tickets. and thinkin that the call was still costing me money when he called me I just said ok ok.. whatever... so after hanging up good thing no credit was taken.

so all in all this one way trip through the dutch website WOULD'VE costed me 75 euros for two people.. but now it costs 111 euros for two people and including the phone time 130 euros for two people... this was the most frustrating booking I have made here in europe so far as everything else has gone smoothly. and yes THAT's just one way.. good thing I found a deal through the german site for a sleeper train to come back and that booking was super easy.

so instead of the train costing about 65 euros person (so 90 bucks)... it now costs about 95 euros per person (140 bucks... all because of THEIR servers).

God... I can't believe they charge you for calling their help line... that just blows.