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Delays processing delay repay at Southern

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gray1404

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Is anyone else waiting for a delay repay response from Southern. I submitted my claim online 28 days ago and have still not had a full reply.
 
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gordonthemoron

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it seems to vary between TOCs and also time of year, e.g. VTWC are usually less than a week whereas LM are up to 4 weeks. However, last time VTWC were more like 2 weeks
 

crehld

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Is anyone else waiting for a delay repay response from Southern. I submitted my claim online 28 days ago and have still not had a full reply.

I have just submitted a claim to Southern myself. The auto-acknowledgement confirms I will receive a response within 20 days. So if you're now past the 20 day deadline I see no harm in contacting them to see what's happening.
 

David57

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Last year my DR with Southern took longer than expected, and they sent me cheque for £50.00, as a compensation, as well as the vouchers.
 

Bishopstone

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I have a paper submission from mid-January outstanding, without an acknowledgement.

It was actually four separate claims on the one form, at least £30, so quite a convenient one for them to have 'lost', if that is what has happened.
 

CheapAndNerdy

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I submitted one on 8th January. I received my voucher 26th February, which was about 4 weeks late, assuming that 20 days does not refer to working days, otherwise it was 3 weeks late.
 
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gray1404

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Just phoned Southern and they had no record whatsoever of my claim, even though I have received an automated email confirming such. They said I need to resubmit and provide an explanation as its over 28 days. I insisted they logged this as a complaint that the first one has been lost and gave me a reference number, in case they go on to reject my "second" claim. Just resubmitted it and once the automated email comes through again I shall again to check it has been received this time (and be requesting a cheque rather then a RTV).
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Just phoned them having received the automated email. They still cannot see it on their system and asked that I call them back tomorrow to give the system time to update. The lady said this is a bit odd. I have entered Brighton to Liverpool South Parkway as my journey. I am wondering if the system, although as allows you to select this as a station from a drop down list when you start to type in the destination station, does not accept destinations from outside the Southern network - even though it doesn't alert you to such at the time online.

If I call tomorrow and I still have no joy, what am I best dong? Can I take this to Transport Focus already as I have had it confirmed by email twice from the TOC that they have actually received my claim but then are not replying and upon follow up are saying they have received nothing?
 

maniacmartin

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You could always try a postal claim instead, as detailed on the bottom of this page. You'll have to write it out yourself though, as the form's PDF download link is broken
 

gray1404

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You could always try a postal claim instead, as detailed on the bottom of this page. You'll have to write it out yourself though, as the form's PDF download link is broken

Or I could attach the tickets to an email and send this into customer service as a complaint email to claim rather then filling out a form. If they do not bother to read the email though and simply reply back to the delay repay online form I will take it to TF.
 

sheff1

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This sounds exactly the sort of nonsense I had from Southern and which I alluded to in another thread. My case was 2 or 3 years ago, so it would seem nothing has changed.
 

gray1404

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This sounds exactly the sort of nonsense I had from Southern and which I alluded to in another thread. My case was 2 or 3 years ago, so it would seem nothing has changed.

Their customer relations seemed hopeless on the phone today too. I do not really know what to do here.
 

sheff1

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My case was finally resolved via the intervention of a forum member who worked in a senior position with Southern at the time. Unfortunately, they no longer work at Southern (and I don't think they are on here anymore)
 

gray1404

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My case was finally resolved via the intervention of a forum member who worked in a senior position with Southern at the time. Unfortunately, they no longer work at Southern (and I don't think they are on here anymore)

Looks like I shall have to follow it up with them tomorrow, if no joy, send an email attaching tickets and if still no joy take it to TF.
 

talldave

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This sounds exactly the sort of nonsense I had from Southern and which I alluded to in another thread. My case was 2 or 3 years ago, so it would seem nothing has changed.

Indeed, being useless and incompetent is the one thing they seem to be consistently good at.
 

blakey1152

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Southeastern are very slow too....coming up with more and more excuses before finally agreeing to pay out on Delay Repay - thats been nearly a month now!

I am intrigued to know though what percentage of people eligible for Delay Repay actually put a claim in. I suspect it's quite a low number. I say that because I think that if everyone entitled to Delay Repay on Southeastern claimed they'd have a backlog of about 3 years by now :lol:
 

gray1404

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Phoned up again yesterday and was told that even though I'd submitted the claim online, it would not be until Monday that it would show on their system so could I please call back then.
 

gray1404

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Spoke to Southern again today. Still not record of my claim so they gave me a new reference number to quote and asked that I submit 1. a photo of my tickets and 2. a copy of the first 2 emails confirming receipt of my delay claims to their Customer Service email address.

The person I spoke to said that another customer that same day had phoned up with the same issue, in that they have received an email confirmation from Southern advising receipt of their claim, but then there is no record of it on their systems. There is clearly an issue here and I do hope that SN are looking into and resolving this. So anyone on here who has submitted a claim to SN over the past couple of months and has not heard back within 20 working days may wish to follow it up with them.
 

gray1404

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I finally received a full reply from Southern today. They have totally ignored my request for a cheque and sent a Rail Travel Voucher.

Am I able to take further action due to them ignoring this request?

Also, am I able to claim additional compensation for the delay in them processing my claim - due to their own error?
 

sonic2009

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I finally received a full reply from Southern today. They have totally ignored my request for a cheque and sent a Rail Travel Voucher.

Am I able to take further action due to them ignoring this request?

Also, am I able to claim additional compensation for the delay in them processing my claim - due to their own error?

You can take any Southern RTV to a Southern ticket office and exchange for cash.
 

gray1404

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You can take any Southern RTV to a Southern ticket office and exchange for cash.

I live in Liverpool :( However, if I happen to be passing a GTR ticket office over the next 12 months I shall of course exchange them. They really should have honored my request for a cheque or BACs payment.
 
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bb21

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I doubt additional compo for delayed response is available as there is no framework for that.

GTR seem to have a lot of problems at the moment with responding to Delay Repay requests. I recently received one in reply to a delay that happened in September.
 

sonic2009

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I see, it does state i think somewhere on the website that they no longer offered cheques or e-vouchers.
 

gray1404

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I see, it does state i think somewhere on the website that they no longer offered cheques or e-vouchers.

The revised National Rail Conditions of Carriage (19 July 2015) states: -
H. TRAIN SERVICE DISRUPTION
42. Compensation for delays
(d) Compensation will be paid in rail travel vouchers or, at your request, in money. This will be by means of a refund to the debit or credit card used to pay for your ticket or, at the Train Company’s discretion, in notes and coins, a cheque or a bank transfer payment (usually referred to as a BACS payment).

I expressly requested the above from GTR both on my claim, follow up email and in 2 follow up phone calls. GTR clearly think they are above the NRCoC and have totally ignored my request.

Yorkie As GTR are not adhering to the NRCoC can I report a franchise breach? If so, how do I do this?
 
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bb21

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yorkie As GTR are not adhering to the NRCoC can I report a franchise breach? If so, how do I do this?

You can, but you will likely be directed back to GTR. You will at least have to give them a chance to put things right first.
 

sonic2009

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Correct me if im incorrect, but does it not mention that its at the train company's discretion to pay by cheque or bacs, although i can agree on your part that you have asked for it to be paid this way, but maybe Southern will argue that their vouchers can be easily exchanged for cash, but again it does not help you on this occasion.
 

gray1404

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You can, but you will likely be directed back to GTR. You will at least have to give them a chance to put things right first.

I think I have already done that. Last time I phoned up regarding my complaint they said it was with their "escalations team". Despite that they still ignored my request for a payment by BACs/cheque. I am considering reporting a franchise breach here because I think as a matter of course GTR are totally ignoring such requests. I was told directly by one of their Customer Service staff that they do not issue cheques and it is RTVs only.

If everyone on this forum going forward could, in the other information box on the GTR delay repay form, request a cheque/BACs, then posts/PMs me their case reference when they receive a Rail Travel Voucher then it would be good to put a case together proving this on mass.

Seriously, it is time to take on GTR both with this and the "Any Permitted tickets only on Gatwick Express" lies they are telling.

Correct me if im incorrect, but does it not mention that its at the train company's discretion to pay by cheque or bacs, although i can agree on your part that you have asked for it to be paid this way, but maybe Southern will argue that their vouchers can be easily exchanged for cash, but again it does not help you on this occasion.

It says "at your request" i.e. the customer, not the TOC. I see what you mean though about how it is upto GTR if they want to do it by cheque, BACs or back onto the card I used to pay for the tickets. However, at no point have they even bothered to phone me to ask for my card details - I did also invite them to do this I should add.

I think every TOC should have a Customer Service Charter standard for Delay Repay claims that clearly states the number of days they have to respond in. If that time frame is exceeded then the customer should be entitled to additional compensation. I believe Scotrail have something like this in place in terms of them responding to customer correspondence. After all the customer is expected to file their claim within 28 days of the expiry of their tickets.
 
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