Delay Repay - Not Advised of Auto Rejection

[Belperpete]

Yesterday, I submitted an on-line Delay Repay claim to TfW. Almost immediately, I received the standard acknowledgement email, and then two minutes later I received a second email saying:

Thank you for your delay repay claim for your journey between London Euston and Porthmadog on 29/02/2020 at 12:43 .
When we have received this information, we will review your claim within 10 working days.

Initially, I thought that this was just a second acknowledgement, saying that my claim is still to be reviewed. But I was intrigued by the bit about "When we have received this information" - what information? There was nothing asking for any additional information. So I followed the link given in the first email to review the status of my claim. I found that my claim had been rejected.

There was nothing in the second email to say that my claim had been rejected. It did not even include a link to review the status of the complaint. If I had taken this second email as I first read it, as just a second acknowledgement, I would have been none the wiser that my claim had been rejected, and the clock was already ticking down on the timescale allowed for an appeal.

The system seems to have checked that my first train from Euston ran on time, likewise my second train from Birmingham International, and likewise my third train from Machynlleth also ran on time, so automatically rejected my claim. What it does not seem to have noticed is that the second train was terminated short at Shrewsbury (due to staff shortage). We were all put on replacement buses to Machynlleth, which didn't arrive there in time to connect with the onward train. None of the delay categories given on the form really seemed to fit this situation, so I selected "cancelled" as the best fit - perhaps I should have chosen "missed connection"?

I have of course appealed the rejection. However, I am slightly more concerned that I was given no explicit notice that my claim had been rejected. I will complain about this in due course.

How do other TOCs advise people that their claims have been automatically rejected?

 

[DC2001]

Thank you for your delay repay claim for your journey between London Euston and Porthmadog on 29/02/2020 at 12:43 .
When we have received this information, we will review your claim within 10 working days.

I've had a very similar email from them and I then checked the link and they said they had forwarded my claim to Avanti West Coast (I've no idea why as the Avanti train was on time). I appealed and my claim was accepted- I've been in contact with Avanti numerous times since it was apparently forwarded but they can't find anything on their system under any of my contact details.

I have of course appealed the rejection. However, I am slightly more concerned that I was given no explicit notice that my claim had been rejected. I will complain about this in due course.

I've also raised a formal complaint about this - it has been a few weeks since my initial claim so presumably they aren't yet aware of the issue.

 

[gray1404]

If you have had your claim rejected, load up your claim on the site and submit an appeal explaining what happened and how you came to be delayed.

 

[Belperpete]

If you have had your claim rejected, load up your claim on the site and submit an appeal explaining what happened and how you came to be delayed.

As noted in my original post, I have already appealed. My reason for raising this, was that I was not told that my claim had been rejected, and therefore that I needed to appeal.

TfW's appeal process does seem to be better than some, in that it automatically loads up your original claim. I understand that some other TOC web-sites require you to enter everything all over again from scratch.

 

[HSP 2]

If you have a phone number phone them as emails can go to the back of the que.

 

[Saperstein]

TfW's appeal process does seem to be better than some, in that it automatically loads up your original claim.

TfW outsource their DR to a third party who also handle LNWR claims.

I understand that some other TOC web-sites require you to enter everything all over again from scratch.

Yes indeed. Looking at you here Southern!