Yes, I've found East Coast to be very good. The only minor critisism I have is that I claimed for three people and so got a travel warrant which is for more than I usually pay when I buy a ticket, although I am sure that I will find a way of using it within the year. (I assume that there is no provision for getting change when buying a ticket for less than the value of the warrant).
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Near impossible connection.
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MarkyMarkD
Member
It's lucky that all my refunds have been for relatively small amounts. As I've said in other threads, I find the payment of refunds as a voucher which cannot be used for online purchases rather irritating. I note that Which are putting forward the view that all refunds ought to be in cash, as well.
You could always buy two tickets at the same time, put towards a season, buy a railcard, get Oyster PAYG credit, etc.
Can someone else answer whether (example) if a £50 voucher is used to buy a £5 ticket whether a £45 voucher can be issued as change?
MarkyMarkD
Member
Oyster PAYG credit is, I suppose, the easiest way to get rid of it. I and my wife both have Oyster cards so I could split a large refund between the two. We still only spend around £20 (top up) every six months or so, though, so this would not deal well with a large voucher refund.
Many places refund by the method in which you paid. For cash, I can perhaps see why they'd do a voucher (but it should be a voucher with a code/PIN that allows use online), but for a card payment it should really be a refund to the card.
In fact, if you get a refund, why should you only be able to use that money for future rail travel? What about foreign visitors that might make a claim (however unlikely) and aren't even in the country for another year?
Those travelling on BritRail passes can apply directly to ACP Marketing Ltd (the distributor of BritRail) for a refund. The TOC then settles this through RSP.
As for normal tickets, I don't see it being very likely that many foreign visitors will be claiming delay refunds.
Also remember that delay refunds are a contractual matter, not a legal right. Therefore you agree when buying the ticket that delay refunds can be made by voucher. If the service is completely cancelled, you are entitled to a full refund by the method you originally paid with (except for the exceptions shown in NRCoC).
DaveNewcastle
Established Member
A good point!
The refunds following a delay are one of the many benefits offered by Rail Companies - one of the benefits which can be overlooked when people make comparisons between rail travel and car driving.
When a high-value refund is made which exceeds the typical cost of most journeys, some TOCs issue multiple vouchers (several at £25 each with the odd-amount balance on another), but if only one high value voucher is issued, then most of us will have a friend or relation who will be making a long/expensive journey sometime soon.
calc7
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When claiming for a delay of 2 1/2 hours I sent in four sets of tickets (mine and three friends') so that we all didn't have to send a claim. I mentioned on the form that this was the case and I was happily sent vouchers split as we had paid (3 with YP discount and 1 full price) that I was able to distribute to said friends. TOC was XC.
/off topic/ loving the Southern or is it Gatwick Express headed paper!
I'm sure the TOCs would be enamoured with the idea of having to comply with the Money Laundering Regulations in addition to everything else!
Some confusion there, and from others in this thread between refunds and compensation.
Refunds are generally made in the method of payment used for the original transaction. If a train is cancelled and you decide not to travel then a full refund is given less any use of the ticket you've had. If you decide not to travel for your own reasons then, subject to the conditions for the ticket type you hold allowing refunds, you will generally be refunded in the original method of payment less any use of the ticket you've had and a £10 administration fee. Both these are subject to the rail company being in a position to do so. A cash payment could be refunded by cheque if, for example the refund cannot be immediately processed at a ticket office and needs forwarding to the original retailer.
Compensation payments are for delays to your journey, as well as goodwill gestures and the like and are generally made in Rail Travel Vouchers.
MarkyMarkD
Member
Agreed. I was talking about compensation payments, particularly Delay Repay. Obviously all refunds should be made in the same manner as the original payment, where possible; it would be nice if this also applied to compensation as well - accepting cash refunds (if we literally mean cash) could be made in rail vouchers which could be exchanged for cash at a ticket counter (or used to buy a ticket as now).
Letter on the doormat today from South West Trains. Telling me they are looking into the points I raised (huh?) and thanking me for my correspondence. :roll:
Haven't corresponded with them at all, this is obviously just a standard letter following Southern erroniously forwarding my Delay Repay claim to SWT. No doubt a similar letter will arrive soon from Southeastern.
What a very silly way to do things. Why couldn't Southern just have contacted me to verify my journey details?
Southern Delay Repay 'escalations' team are still looking at my claim.....
Something else has occurred to me. Should a TOC really be forwarding personal details to other companies without my permission? Does the Data Protection Act have anything to say about that?
Haven't corresponded with them at all, this is obviously just a standard letter following Southern erroniously forwarding my Delay Repay claim to SWT. No doubt a similar letter will arrive soon from Southeastern.
What a very silly way to do things. Why couldn't Southern just have contacted me to verify my journey details?
Southern Delay Repay 'escalations' team are still looking at my claim.....
Something else has occurred to me. Should a TOC really be forwarding personal details to other companies without my permission? Does the Data Protection Act have anything to say about that?
A further telephone call to Southern this morning. Yet again I'm initially told that the delay to my journey was caused by South West Trains.
Look at the bleddy route printed on the tickets I sent you, you muppets.
Was promised a call back from the Delay Repay team after we finally agreed on the route taken and I again explained where the delay occurred. This call back was to be within 15 minutes.
Of course that didn't happen, so I phoned back. Again having to explain my journey, the problems I'd faced with this claim and the fact that I wasn't called back as promised.
Shockingly poor customer service.
After some time I was put through to a Delay Repay claim handler and I patiently (AGAIN!) explained my journey, the ticket, the delay and the problems resolving this claim.
Movement at last. This person offers profuse apologies and will be briefing his colleagues and management to ensure they look at the route printed on the ticket when inputting details to verify delays. Something I said should be done as routine anyway. I've been offered a full refund for my journey as well as an additional payment for the delays and poor customer service received.
I said way back when I submitted the claim that I expected there would be issues processing it. I said I'd be devilish and not mention the Southern to Southern 3 minute permitted connection at Redhill, but I couldn't do that anyway using the online Delay Repay claim form. I think it's a bit of an omission with these online forms that you are not given an option to explain your actual journey - you are only given the option to input start and destination stations.
Despite all this I didn't, however, expect it to take nearly six weeks and at least five follow-up calls to Southern to sort. :roll:
Look at the bleddy route printed on the tickets I sent you, you muppets.
Was promised a call back from the Delay Repay team after we finally agreed on the route taken and I again explained where the delay occurred. This call back was to be within 15 minutes.
Of course that didn't happen, so I phoned back. Again having to explain my journey, the problems I'd faced with this claim and the fact that I wasn't called back as promised.
Shockingly poor customer service.
After some time I was put through to a Delay Repay claim handler and I patiently (AGAIN!) explained my journey, the ticket, the delay and the problems resolving this claim.
Movement at last. This person offers profuse apologies and will be briefing his colleagues and management to ensure they look at the route printed on the ticket when inputting details to verify delays. Something I said should be done as routine anyway. I've been offered a full refund for my journey as well as an additional payment for the delays and poor customer service received.
I said way back when I submitted the claim that I expected there would be issues processing it. I said I'd be devilish and not mention the Southern to Southern 3 minute permitted connection at Redhill, but I couldn't do that anyway using the online Delay Repay claim form. I think it's a bit of an omission with these online forms that you are not given an option to explain your actual journey - you are only given the option to input start and destination stations.
Despite all this I didn't, however, expect it to take nearly six weeks and at least five follow-up calls to Southern to sort. :roll:
bb21
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Glad that you got it sorted. From experience I do not expect complaints with Southern to move very fast. I have one still outstanding from five months ago and they are still "looking into it" last time I heard.
Last time I complained, I did it through Twitter. The matter was resolved and a goodwill gesture made on the same day, after someone from Southern called me.
It is worth noting that Southern outsource their customer service to a third party company located in Bristol. If you receive bad service, make sure that someone within Southern itself is aware of the problem so any issues can be sorted.
It is worth noting that Southern outsource their customer service to a third party company located in Bristol. If you receive bad service, make sure that someone within Southern itself is aware of the problem so any issues can be sorted.
Looks like the last guy I spoke with has had to do a fudge on the system to expedite the payment to me.
I've just received an email from Southern with details of a claim and the payment being made:
I do hope though I'm not being sent an e-voucher. I was promised a RTV to use anywhere or exchange for cash at a Southern station.
I've just received an email from Southern with details of a claim and the payment being made:
I do hope though I'm not being sent an e-voucher. I was promised a RTV to use anywhere or exchange for cash at a Southern station.
Apparently, Southern allow you to exchange RTVs issued by them for cash at Southern stations.
bb21
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I am surprised that they do.
http://www.southernrailway.com/your-journey/delay-repay/
SN Delay Repay said:
I've now received exactly the same email as bnm posted above. Any news on how long it took to be sorted in the end?
Claim made 14th June, now been told it could take another 20 days. Humph.
Also, despite being correct on my claim form, they have missed a digit out of my phone number and quoted an address in Bristol that I haven't lived in since 2009. Additionally, they spelt Bletchley as Blechley.
Claim made 14th June, now been told it could take another 20 days. Humph.
Also, despite being correct on my claim form, they have missed a digit out of my phone number and quoted an address in Bristol that I haven't lived in since 2009. Additionally, they spelt Bletchley as Blechley.
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