Bus replacement removed on Advance ticket

[bengolding]

A friend booked 2 First Class Advance tickets on the virgin Trains website in early January, from Nuneaton to Lancaster on Saturday ninth February. The original booking was on the 20:03 Virgin to Crewe, 21:05 Virgin to Preston and then a Rail replacement coach to Lancaster at 22:30 operated by Northern.


They tried to book assisted travel for the 2 blind travellers yesterday, but it now turns out that the final bus leg is no longer running, probably due to Northern's amended timetable.


Virgin never notified of this change since booking. The passengers still need to travel, and currentlyhave no way of getting from Preston to Lancaster despite original tickets covering them there. Both Virgin and Northern customer relations have refused to offer any assistance stating the passengers must travel to Lancaster at their own cost. Is this reasonable that they should be made to travel to Lancaster at their own cost and what do you suggest?

 

[sprunt]

Both Virgin and Northern customer relations have refused to offer any assistance stating the passengers must travel to Lancaster at their own cost. Is this reasonable that they should be made to travel to Lancaster at their own cost and what do you suggest?

I'm no expert on the legal position, but as they've paid for travel to Lancaster it is entirely unreasonable that they're expected to make their own way there at their own cost.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

A friend booked 2 First Class Advance tickets on the virgin Trains website in early January, from Nuneaton to Lancaster on Saturday ninth February. The original booking was on the 20:03 Virgin to Crewe, 21:05 Virgin to Preston and then a Rail replacement coach to Lancaster at 22:30 operated by Northern.


They tried to book assisted travel for the 2 blind travellers yesterday, but it now turns out that the final bus leg is no longer running, probably due to Northern's amended timetable.


Virgin never notified of this change since booking. The passengers still need to travel, and currentlyhave no way of getting from Preston to Lancaster despite original tickets covering them there. Both Virgin and Northern customer relations have refused to offer any assistance stating the passengers must travel to Lancaster at their own cost. Is this reasonable that they should be made to travel to Lancaster at their own cost and what do you suggest?

If this is how Virgin and Northern propose to treat passengers who have not only booked "First Class" travel but who have an eminent need for being given assistance, then I don't know what they think is an adequate way to treat passengers who are travelling in standard class, who don't have accessibility requirements!

It's utterly ludicrous tripe what they are saying. You have booked a ticket and a contract has been made. They can't go "take backsies" because it's now inconvenient to them. That's just not how contracts work (but eminently the laughably unknowledgeable staff think that).

Be prepared to have to make your own arrangements (i.e. bring enough money and be prepared to wait!), but you can definitely recover this from any TOC that could have helped, but that refuses onward transport, in addition to delay compensation for any delay that occurs (relative to the scheduled arrival time). Note, however, that you should only book a taxi to the booked destination station, and not to home, as the latter is not what the contract has promised.

This may also be worthy of taking to the Rail Ombudsman and/or the media if they persist in saying that they intend to treat passengers with a disability this way.

 

[Deafdoggie]

Absolutely one for the press. Virgin and Northern would be roasted. Northern wouldn't care of course. But Virgin will do something to try to restore reputational damage.

I'm sure just making noises on twitter will get the matter resolved.

 

[_toommm_]

Not only is it a breach of Contract Law, with your friend being sold something which now isn't fit for purpose I.e. unusable, it's also a breach of the NRCoT for them to refuse to get you to your destination station - this should be provided to you I.e. free

 

[Bletchleyite]

Is it an option to travel earlier? VTWC may well more easily agree to a free change to an earlier service than to pay for a taxi (which, incidentally, I agree that they should do).

 

[Merseysider]

VTWC may well more easily agree to a free change to an earlier service

Ideally, yes.

However, Virgin do have form for refusing such reasonable requests.

 

[gray1404]

It sounds like the journey assistance booking as been refused because they are basing it on what is loaded into their system, in terms of confirmed timetables, rather then what is on the booking confirmation. It is a shame the assistance booking wasn't made shortly after the ticket was booked, when the former timetable as uploaded, as I think in such a situation in practice they would have got a taxi from Preston for the disabled passengers.

 

[bb21]

That sounds to me like the perfect case to bring the current shambles to the fore.

If either TOCs involved had any common sense, they'd sort something out pronto.

 

[Dent]

Both Virgin and Northern customer relations have refused to offer any assistance stating the passengers must travel to Lancaster at their own cost. Is this reasonable that they should be made to travel to Lancaster at their own cost and what do you suggest?

Claiming someone must travel "at their own cost" after buying a ticket for the journey is totally absurd.

What do they think a ticket is for if not to show that a contract has already been entered into and paid for? What did they think they were receiving payment for when they sold the ticket if not for a transport service between the stations on the ticket? I would be very interested to see their answers to these fundamental questions.

 

[TurbostarFan]

I think that the TOC who caused the delay (i.e. Northern) should at least pay something towards the cost of that portion of the journey (not exceeding the price of the ticket) beforehand. That would be common sense, full stop. Maybe a formal complaint will get the ball rolling? I note that in this sort of situation, my local TOC (Greater Anglia) often back down after a formal complaint. If that fails then you can take it to the Ombudsman. If that fails then by all means take it to the press or sue in the county court. However I would advise against going to the press before you've gone to the Ombudsman, it's unlikely they'll cover your story whilst the matter is ongoing. This is in order to prevent the investigation being compromised and to ensure that any media coverage is fair and not biased towards either party. As the rail replacement bus was cancelled, you are free to abandon the entire journey and request a refund of the entire ticket (with no admin fee and regardless of its medium) before you begin your journey in such a situation.