Virgin Trains East Coast Delay Repay mistake?

[Ian99]

I submitted a delay repay claim to Virgin for a journey on 4 December to Darlington from Sydenham.

The reason for the delay was that the Kings Cross to Leeds train that I was taking to change at Doncaster for Darlington was delayed past its planned arrival time at Doncaster of 1412hrs and thus I was unable to catch my connecting train which left at 1419hrs.

I had a £129.10 super off peak return for the whole journey and back - no split tickets were involved.

I have received a letter from Virgin saying that there is no refund due as the train to Leeds arrived on time.

Is there an email address for virgin trains in Plymouth so that I can challenge this (unless anyone thinks they are right of course!)

Any advice gratefully received!

 

[ainsworth74]

Nothing surprises me anymore when it comes to VTEC and delay repay after my own and others issues with them :roll:

Your compensation should be based on your arrival at your destination not the destination of the train that caused you to be delayed. So how late were you at Darlington? If 30 minutes then you should get 25% of the face value of the ticket if 60 minutes then 50% and if 120 minutes then 100%.

There is an email address and I believe it's [email protected] but I can't check right now as I'm not able to access my email account to check. So unless anyone can confirm in the meantime I'll get back to you for sure sometime later this afternoon. Just make sure you include any referrence numbers you've been given in the letter they sent you and complain in the strongest terms at their failure to properly read your delay repay claim.

 

[Quakkerillo]

Seemingly, it's this train that was delayed by 8 minutes indeed, and it didn't arrive in Leeds on time either.
http://www.recenttraintimes.co.uk/Home/Service?ServiceId=22756600

However, what made you change at Doncaster? Seeing you took the train at :35 from Kings Cross, couldn't you have used the :30 instead, as that is a direct to Darlington? That'd have been 24 minutes quicker, if all ran on time.

 

[gordonthemoron]

12:35 change at Doncaster is showing as a valid connection

 

[Ian99]

Seemingly, it's this train that was delayed by 8 minutes indeed, and it didn't arrive in Leeds on time either.
http://www.recenttraintimes.co.uk/Home/Service?ServiceId=22756600

However, what made you change at Doncaster? Seeing you took the train at :35 from Kings Cross, couldn't you have used the :30 instead, as that is a direct to Darlington? That'd have been 24 minutes quicker, if all ran on time.

That is indeed the train thanks.

I was aiming for the :30 train but didn't quite get to King's Cross in time.

As an aside, the guard on the Leeds train told me that my Super Off Peak ticket wasn't valid on the train to Leeds but he'd "let me off". I've checked on Rail Enquiries and it shows the :35 being valid with a change at Darlington on a Super Off Peak Ticket so I don't know what was misleading the guard.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

So how late were you at Darlington? If 30 minutes then you should get 25% of the face value of the ticket if 60 minutes then 50% and if 120 minutes then 100%.

Thanks - I was exactly 60 minutes late as my later connecting train was then 8 minutes late itself.

 

[John @ home]

What departure time did you state on your claim form for the train leaving Sydenham?

 

[Tetchytyke]

I was aiming for the :30 train but didn't quite get to King's Cross in time.

Were you delayed on your journey from Sydenham, or did you not allow the minimum connecting time?

 

[Ian99]

What departure time did you state on your claim form for the train leaving Sydenham?

I don't think I quoted the departure time from Sydenham, just from Kings Cross.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Were you delayed on your journey from Sydenham, or did you not allow the minimum connecting time?

I paused my journey en route to King's Cross - I planned to get to Darlington for 1513hrs so could (theoretically) afford to take either the :30 or the :35

 

[Bletchleyite]

Hmm. Break of Journey *really* complicates Delay Repay. Some would argue it invalidates it entirely.

 

[anme]

I'm no fan of this compensation culture, but indeed with break of journey, this really feels like a questionable case.

 

[30907]

Hmm. Break of Journey *really* complicates Delay Repay. Some would argue it invalidates it entirely.

In this case it is surely irrelevant as the delay was caused after the OP resumed his journey.

 

[221129]

I'm no fan of this compensation culture, but indeed with break of journey, this really feels like a questionable case.

How so? The delay occured after his break of journey.

 

[ainsworth74]

Just confirm the email earlier was correct.

I would also agree that if the delay occurred after your break of journey then I see no reason why you shouldn't receive compensation for that delay. If you broke your journey and then attempted to claim delay repay for a delay incurred before the break then I would suggest that is not reasonable. But for a delay after the break I don't see the issue.

 

[John @ home]

I think the issue may be that the person dealing with your claim has entered the origin and destination on your ticket and the time you left Kings X and the software has calculated as if you left Sydenham at that time. It would help our analysis if you could quote the exact words they used in rejecting your claim.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Just confirm the email earlier was correct.

I would also agree that if the delay occurred after your break of journey then I see no reason why you shouldn't receive compensation for that delay. If you broke your journey and then attempted to claim delay repay for a delay incurred before the break then I would suggest that is not reasonable. But for a delay after the break I don't see the issue.

Agreed.

 

[Ian99]

I think the issue may be that the person dealing with your claim has entered the origin and destination on your ticket and the time you left Kings X and the software has calculated as if you left Sydenham at that time. It would help our analysis if you could quote the exact words they used in rejecting your claim.

The letter refers to a journey from "London King's Cross to Leeds on 4 December" and say, "our train running records show your train arrived on time".

Thanks to everyone for their input - I've sent an email to Virgin as suggested.

 

[gray1404]

Yet another example too of a customer with a valid ticket being incorrectly told their ticket is not valid