Disappointed with Shoryudo bus pass

I am very disappointed with the Shoryudo Bus Pass. Why everything seems to be so difficult?

Firstly, we arrived Kanazawa and try to purchase the bus pass at the office counter information provided on the website and also from 2 tourist information offices in Kanazawa. However, the pass cannot be purchased.

Secondly, the staffs were very rude and not very helpful. One of them flicked my finger when i try to point at the information section on the brochure. Once we purchased the pass online, which is 15,000 yen each, we have to go to the office counter and try to book the ticket to Shirakawago. However, the all buses were fully booked. So the pass is pretty useless at that stage.

Thirdly, since we cannot go to Shirakawago, we were thinking to go to Toyama for a day trip, the Kanazawa - Toyama line was discontinued.

Due to difficulties of reserving the ticket, we were then try to reserve the seats from Takayama to Matsumoto before hand, but of course, the seat cannot be reserved and the staff said that we would need to Q up on the date.

I mean why can't we purchase the ticket at the counter and/or allow people with pass to reserve the ticket online.

Firstly, we arrived Kanazawa and try to purchase the bus pass at the office counter information provided on the website and also from 2 tourist information offices in Kanazawa. However, the pass cannot be purchased.

Yes, it is written on the official webpage that it has to be purchased online or overseas.
https://www.meitetsu.co.jp/eng/train/Ticket/special/shoryudo/

Once we purchased the pass online, which is 15,000 yen each, we have to go to the office counter and try to book the ticket to Shirakawago. However, the all buses were fully booked. So the pass is pretty useless at that stage.

1) You could have checked the remaining seats on the reservation website before buying the pass, but...
2) ... are you still in Kanazawa? If so, don't give up! It is not too late to make a reservation, and there are remaining seats for the next days.
--> https://www.nouhibus.co.jp/highwaybus/kanazawa_en/
(Check the availability, then go to the "Hokuriku Railroad Ticket Center" to make a reservation in person)

Thirdly, since we cannot go to Shirakawago, we were thinking to go to Toyama for a day trip, the Kanazawa - Toyama line was discontinued.

Unfortunately, it is pretty recent :/
https://www.mwt.co.jp/shoryudo/index_en.php

Due to difficulties of reserving the ticket, we were then try to reserve the seats from Takayama to Matsumoto before hand, but of course, the seat cannot be reserved and the staff said that we would need to Q up on the date.

Did you try to make the reservation in Kanazawa? Maybe you will have more luck at Takayama's bus terminal.
https://www.alpico.co.jp/en/timetable/matsumoto/r-takayama-matsumoto/

I understand your frustration. Not being able to make reservations online is one of the main drawbacks of transportation passes.

Yes, buses (and trains) sell out. That happens, just like delays or outages in the transport system. Having a pass does not guarantee you anything.
Takayama to Matsumoto has always been buy on the day, no reserved seating.
Sounds like you didn't do anywhere near enough research and you complaints are of your own making.

Thanks for the information.

Even though, i purchase the pass online, i would not be able to reserve the seat online anyway. I think my point is, even though there are seats available at the time I purchased the pass online (last say last month), i still wont be able to reserve the seat until I go to an office as i live abroad.

I mean, i should really considering the fact that the bus seats are limited compared to train. But if the pass can be purchase, then, we should be able to reserve the seat using the pass online as well.

With the bus from Takayama to Matsumoto, i asked the hotel i stay to ring Nohi bus company and they simply said that first come first serve. So in this case, i can only hope that there are seat available.

Starting April 1, 2024, the Takayama-Matsumoto route will require advance reservations.
But they can be done at the bus terminal just before boarding in case there are vacancies.

@Uji - thanks for the info - that will be an improvement. For my next Takayama-Matsumoto trip I actually hired a bus because of the non-reservation status of that link and I have enough people to make that worthwhile. I do it roughly once a month and while I haven't hit a full bus previously, it does get nearly sold-out. I will be doing the trip a couple of times in April and May.