Sold advance Lumo tickets - trains cancelled, advice required please

[Leisurefirst]

The fundamental issue is that "low cost" is the only model used by UK open access operations. Couldn't be more different than Italo, which offers a service that's arguably better than FS offers *and* often cheaper.

Lumo is just Ryanair on rails. You can't cut on safety, so you offer bad customer service to save the money.

(See also: why it's a bad idea to pick the cheapest energy supplier or car insurer)

I'm not qualified to know how it all works financially re sorting out ticket acceptance between TOCs but the cheapest pair of Caledonian Sleeper seats worked out at less than £14 more than what I had paid Lumo already. I'd happily have taken a refund for that or even vouchers.
So for the sake of that, they'd rather refund me and lose future custom from us.
Their choice.

 

[185143]

I'm not qualified to know how it all works financially re sorting out ticket acceptance between TOCs but the cheapest pair of Caledonian Sleeper seats worked out at less than £14 more than what I had paid Lumo already. I'd happily have taken a refund for that or even vouchers.
So for the sake of that, they'd rather refund me and lose future custom from us.
Their choice.

I'd expect such nonsense from a TOC, but I'd really expect that a competent OAO would want to do anything they could in order to encourage repeat custom!

GC, for example, have had my custom a few times with ludicrously cheap tickets even factoring in travelling over from the right side of the Pennines. Naturally I'd usually have a drink or two onboard as well. And yes, I know GC are far from perfect, but give me an incentive to use them and I'll probably take it. I'd apply the same principle to Lumo if they stopped within Yorkshire too.

 

[Leisurefirst]

I'd expect such nonsense from a TOC, but I'd really expect that a competent OAO would want to do anything they could in order to encourage repeat custom!

GC, for example, have had my custom a few times with ludicrously cheap tickets even factoring in travelling over from the right side of the Pennines. Naturally I'd usually have a drink or two onboard as well. And yes, I know GC are far from perfect, but give me an incentive to use them and I'll probably take it. I'd apply the same principle to Lumo if they stopped within Yorkshire too.

Yes, you'd think, wouldn't you.
I think they really don't get how you can pick and choose.
I make numerous London to Scotland (usually Glasgow) journeys throughout the year, all for leisure so there's no "I have to" for work, I can be selective.
Used to do LNER etc to Edinburgh and then across to Queen Street not worried about the longer journey but because could treat myself very reasonably to First Class and be in a MK4 seat.
Since they have put the price up beyond what I am prepared to pay I usually opt for a cheap Avanti in Standard instead.
Did Lumo for the first time last year as Avanti were on strike and it was OK so booked this and another journey (NCL to KGX).
This has driven me back to LNER now.

 

[paul1609]

I'm not qualified to know how it all works financially re sorting out ticket acceptance between TOCs but the cheapest pair of Caledonian Sleeper seats worked out at less than £14 more than what I had paid Lumo already. I'd happily have taken a refund for that or even vouchers.
So for the sake of that, they'd rather refund me and lose future custom from us.
Their choice.

Realistically the Sleeper seats aren't going to be a re-routing option for Lumo. The entire capacity of Seats is 31 that's less than half a Lumo coach.

 

[Leisurefirst]

Realistically the Sleeper seats aren't going to be a re-routing option for Lumo. The entire capacity of Seats is 31 that's less than half a Lumo coach.

True, but I doubt they have sold a huge amount of tickets as they stopped selling them some weeks ago and many wouldn't want to travel the night before so it would be nice of them to at least offer to meet my extra cost rather than just tell me to go away or get there 10 hours late. (LNER are doing replacement road travel and train connections all day, why Lumo only the last two services?)

 

[reb0118]

I'd apply the same principle to Lumo if they stopped within Yorkshire too.

I thought they did........as long as you held the wrong ticket?

 

[Watershed]

Realistically the Sleeper seats aren't going to be a re-routing option for Lumo. The entire capacity of Seats is 31 that's less than half a Lumo coach.

They are as long as there are any seats left. Obviously it's not possible for all customers to be accommodated this way, but only a handful are ever going to request re-routing in the first place, so that shouldn't be a major issue.

Also worth remembering that there's a Glasgow as well as 2 Highland seated coaches. If there are no feasible LNER options then directing passengers this way, and getting to Edinburgh (or whatever else the customer's destination is) via a circuitous route, may still be quicker than the next best alternative.

 

[185143]

I thought they did........as long as you held the wrong ticket?

 

[Leisurefirst]

I'm rather late in updating but just to let those who contributed to the discussion here that a week and a half or so ago I was unexpectedly contacted by Lumo by email and then by 'phone by their head of Customer Service who was very amicable.
I did say that I had bought Sleeper seats as a fall-back and they offered to refund the difference.
(Alternative re Avanti were mentioned but I let them know that CS was my preferred option given the timings).
I suspect that the contact made might have been down to discussion here as it came whilst I was contemplating what to do next and hadn't contacted them again yet so thank you all for your replies.

 

[maniacmartin]

Sadly this is how lots of companies work nowadays. You have to go public (via forums, twitter etc) if you want your complaints to be taken seriously