How to claim TOC refund when on Oyster travelcard - Advice needed

[TrainsOyster]

This is my first posting to this great forum. I do not work in the transport industry, so I am a bit confused about the rules applicable.

I am trying to find out how I could claim refund for delays/cancellations caused by South West Trains (my TOC) when travelling from my home station (Zone 6) to London Waterloo on an Oyster 18+ annual Zones 1-6 travelcard that was purchased at a Tube ticket desk.

I find the information on the SWT' website confusing, at best, for this particular type of ticket holder. In fact on http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/passengerscharter.aspx#153578 SWT say that: "** We cannot offer compensation for Travelcards issued on an Oyster card if it was not bought at a South West Trains outlet".

Is it possible that I (and others in my situation) am now a SWT passenger, with no rights for compensation whatsoever in cases of delay/cancellation (whilst using a ticket valid for travel)?

I sometimes travel on other National Rail operators within the London Zones; do they have different refund/compensation arrangements for passengers travelling on my type of ticket?

At least with TFL the situation seems to be clearer in these circumstances.

Any advice/clarification from those who understand how the system is supposed to work, would be much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[cjohnson]

Previously if you bought an annual Oyster season from SWT (which could only be done at Richmond or Wimbledon I believe) then you could get the void day/passenger charter discount upon renewal.

Now that SWT have withdrawn Oyster facilities from those stations (at some point in 2014), it's tough luck Best I've managed was to get the void/charter compensation back from them in respect of 2014, even though my renewal this year was done with TfL online.

Most other NR operators within London use Delay Repay as their compensation scheme (except FGW, maybe Chiltern?) who will compensate with vouchers if there's a 30min+ delay.

 

[island]

South West Trains uses the Customer Charter scheme whereby rebates for season ticket holders are based on average performance on their lines. They only offer these refunds to National Rail issued ticket holders and those using season tickets on Oyster cards are not eligible.

 

[TrainsOyster]

South West Trains uses the Customer Charter scheme whereby rebates for season ticket holders are based on average performance on their lines. They only offer these refunds to National Rail issued ticket holders and those using season tickets on Oyster cards are not eligible.

Thanks for confirming my fears.

Interesting that the system has created a tier of passengers with valid tickets that are excluded from any possibility for compensations/refunds. Heads SWT wins, tails the passengers loses. Another textbook example of an equitable corporate arrangement putting paying passengers first...

I am surprised the relevant passenger focus groups/regulators have not yet taken this issue up with the appropriate authorities.

 

[Haywain]

I am surprised the relevant passenger focus groups/regulators have not yet taken this issue up with the appropriate authorities.

They may have done. You could ask them.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Thanks for confirming my fears.

Interesting that the system has created a tier of passengers with valid tickets that are excluded from any possibility for compensations/refunds. Heads SWT wins, tails the passengers loses. Another textbook example of an equitable corporate arrangement putting paying passengers first...

I am surprised the relevant passenger focus groups/regulators have not yet taken this issue up with the appropriate authorities.

It's not specific to SWT. Under the "old" Passenger's Charter system, holders of "in-boundary" Travelcards default to being treated as LU customers and thus not eligible for Charter Discounts and Void Day refunds as a fairly basic anti-fraud measure. So if, for example, a Charter Discount applied on the West Anglia Inners one period and not the next, but it did on Thameslink Metro, you couldn't "hop" service groups and still get the discount.

Having said that, however, the only TOCs serving London that are still on the "old" system are Chiltern, FGW and SWT, so it's significantly less of an issue nowadays, and FGW are the only one of the three that currently has a charter discount (5% for Punctuality on High Speed and Thames Valley).

 

[island]

Thanks for confirming my fears.

Interesting that the system has created a tier of passengers with valid tickets that are excluded from any possibility for compensations/refunds. Heads SWT wins, tails the passengers loses. Another textbook example of an equitable corporate arrangement putting paying passengers first...

I am surprised the relevant passenger focus groups/regulators have not yet taken this issue up with the appropriate authorities.

Well they have done after a fashion: all new franchises have switched to the DelayRepay scheme and Travelcard users no longer fall between stools.

 

[Merseysider]

According to SWT's response to someone on Twitter, all you need is a printout of the journey history (SWT's answer) and then claim for the delay (presumably via snail mail).

Is it true that SWT commuters commuters who use Oyster cannot be compensated for delay?

they can, but they need to get a printout of their journeys via their on-line Oyster account & then claim

There ye have it.

 

[CyrusWuff]

According to SWT's response to someone on Twitter, all you need is a printout of the journey history (SWT's answer) and then claim for the delay (presumably via snail mail).

Except, as per their Passenger's Charter, that doesn't apply if you hold a monthly or longer season ticket and the OP stated they hold an Annual...