POST request with ajax and jquery serialize() lost values

I'm trying to retrieve four values from a post request but I only get 2 of them. The form contains an id, step, name, and email but I only get the ones from the hidden inputs. And not the ones that the user fills in. I think that it might be the jquery serialize() but i'm not sure.

I have tried to change the inputs to hidden and then add value="something" and it works. Why doesent it work with regular text?

//result from post request:

[position_id] => 229
[step] => 1
[name] => 
[email] => 

The form looks like this:

<form id="referral-form" action="#" method="post">

    <input type="hidden" name="position_id" value="{{$position->id}}" />
    <input type="hidden" name="step" value="1" />

    <div class="form-group">
        <input name="name" class="form-control" type="text" id="name" required/>
    </div>

    <div class="form-group">
        <input name="email" class="form-control" type="text" id="email" required />
    </div>
    <div id="legal">
        <span class="loader-button"></span>
        <div class="button submit"></div>
    </div>

</form>

I have a javascript method that get initiated if user clicks on .button.submit

onRef: function(e) {
    e.preventDefault();
    var $form = $("#referral-form");

    if(!$form.hasClass("ajax"))
    {
        $form.addClass("ajax");
        $form.find('.error').css('display', 'none');

        var req = $.post('/reff/ref', $form.serialize());

        req.done(function(res) {
            $form.removeClass("ajax");

            if(res.success) {
                //do somthing
            }
            else {
                methods.printErrors(res.errors, $form);

                mixpanel.track('onReferralValidationFailure', {
                    errors: res.errors,
                    positionId: exported.position.id,
                    companyId: exported.position.company_id
                });
            }
        });

        req.fail(function() {
            $form.removeClass("ajax");

            mixpanel.track('onReferralUnknownError', {
                positionId: exported.position.id,
                companyId: exported.position.company_id
            });
        });
    }
},

And when I try to retrieve the post data within the /reff/ref function in php I only get this data.

[2016-07-07 11:58:39] local.INFO: Array
(
    [position_id] => 229
    [step] => 1
    [name] => 
    [email] => 
)

This is the function in reff/ref:

 public function refer() {
    $positionId = Input::get("position_id");
    Language::setLanguageByPositionId($positionId);

    if(Input::get("step") == 1) {
        $validator = new ReferralStepOneValidator(App::make('validator'));
        $validator->with(Input::all());

        Log::info(print_r(Input::all(), true));

        if($validator->passes()) {
            $input = Input::all();


            $referral = Referral::createReferralFromInput($input);

            return Response::json(array(
                'success' => true,
                'reference' => $referral->reference,
            ));
        }
        else {
            return Response::json(array(
                'success' => false,
                'errors' => $validator->errors()->toArray(),
            ));
        }
    }