Southern refusing to issue delay repay in cash

[MKB]

I have just received the following from Southern:

"From your email I see that you have requested a cashable payment as compensation. As a company we have decided, based on customer feedback, to issue National Rail Vouchers which can be exchanged for cash at one of our stations."

"Going forward, all Delay Repay claims are compensated in cashable National Rail Vouchers so please be aware that should you wish to claim for delays you experienced on your journey, you will be compensated in this way."

I live nowhere near a Southern station, and, in any case, why should I have the hassle of having to exchange vouchers? I thought TOCs were now required to issue the payment by cheque/transfer when requested?

 

[34D]

Can you confirm whether they are indeed making a compensation payment or a goodwill gesture? Their final sentence does not make this clear.

 

[Haywain]

Perhaps the email wasn't clear enough about how you wanted to receive the payment.

 

[Aeion]

As it sounds that you requested cash and not a cheque, I believe RTV which you are able to exchange for cash is what the majority of TOCS are doing was the correct reply. However the NRCOC says "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)."

As it clearly states the "train company's discretion" I believe they are under no obligation to send out a cheque nor any other means apart from a direct payment to a bank card or RTV which can be turned into a cash payment. Not particularly customer focuses but as its a new thing we shall see how it all evolves.

 

[londonbridge]

I was delayed on my last Virgin East Coast journey, the delay repay form included the option of receiving compensation in either vouchers or a personal cheque.

 

[gray1404]

Please confirm how you paid for your ticket? If you paid by credit or debit card you could argue that the TOC is not adhering to the NRCoC as written. The problem also is that the compensation amount for delay repay is highly then the level set out in the NRCoc. You do not want to shoot yourself in the shoot and Southern end up paying you less. Although I personsally think would be bad practice for them to this.

Bear in mind that Rail Travel Vouchers are valid for 12 months and you would therefore have this length of time to visit a booking office run by Southern to have them exchanged for cash. At the same time you may find yourself having to travel by train in the mean time with another company who would accept the vouchers if you were buing a travel ticket.

 

[Kentish Paul]

I was delayed on my last Virgin East Coast journey, the delay repay form included the option of receiving compensation in either vouchers or a personal cheque.

I'm confused. You travelled on a Virgin East Coast service yet the compensation is from Southern although you say you live nowhere near a Southern station.

 

[unlevel42]

On a journey from Belfast to Sheffield there was a 2+ hour delay because of wires down near Ayr.
Scotrail issued vouchers which cannot be cashed anywhere near Sheffield.

 

[AM9]

Please confirm how you paid for your ticket? If you paid by credit or debit card you could argue that the TOC is not adhering to the NRCoC as written. The problem also is that the compensation amount for delay repay is highly then the level set out in the NRCoc. You do not want to shoot yourself in the shoot and Southern end up paying you less. Although I personsally think would be bad practice for them to this.

Bear in mind that Rail Travel Vouchers are valid for 12 months and you would therefore have this length of time to visit a booking office run by Southern to have them exchanged for cash. At the same time you may find yourself having to travel by train in the mean time with another company who would accept the vouchers if you were buing a travel ticket.

Given that they are the same company in financial terms, would any Govia TOC station (Southern, Thameslink, London Midland etc.) be acceptable to the claimant and should Southern be reasonably expected to allow that.

 

[34D]

On a journey from Belfast to Sheffield there was a 2+ hour delay because of wires down near Ayr.
Scotrail issued vouchers which cannot be cashed anywhere near Sheffield.

Maybe not changed for cash, but they can of course be used at ANY ticket office to buy train tickets etc.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Given that they are the same company in financial terms, would any Govia TOC station (Southern, Thameslink, London Midland etc.) be acceptable to the claimant and should Southern be reasonably expected to allow that.

Good luck with that, I've had a right job on getting a London Midland ticket office to cash in London Midland vouchers (Watford Junction finally did it, with plenty of complaining about the paperwork, after both Euston and Hemel refused).

 

[causton]

Good luck with that, I've had a right job on getting a London Midland ticket office to cash in London Midland vouchers (Watford Junction finally did it, with plenty of complaining about the paperwork, after both Euston and Hemel refused).

Complaining? Should be no issue apart from the one member of staff who was off sick when it was introduced and told every customer they were lying as nobody briefed them the rules changed when they got back

...no we would not exchange vouchers for any other TOC, Govia or otherwise, I'm afraid!

 

[najaB]

Bear in mind that Rail Travel Vouchers are valid for 12 months and you would therefore have this length of time to visit a booking office run by Southern to have them exchanged for cash.

I'm not sure this is necessarily correct. Scotrail only give you 28 days to exchange for cash, but up to 12 months to use them to book a ticket.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Complaining? Should be no issue apart from the one member of staff who was off sick when it was introduced and told every customer they were lying as nobody briefed them the rules changed when they got back

I reckon I must have caught them at Hemel and at Euston then Never been spoken to as rudely as I was at Hemel (but then the staff member then left the office despite a queue and then spent the next 10 minutes slagging off the managers to the guy on the barrier, so I can't say I'm that surprised tbh). Euston were really nice and apologetic about it, just wrong, but I don't mind wrong if they're nice about it.

Yeah, just a whine about how it's a faff and it'd be so much easier to just send a cheque directly. And you know what? I couldn't agree with them more. It is a faff. Someone more cynical than I would say it's deliberately made a faff so that people won't bother for small amounts.

 

[thedbdiboy]

I have just received the following from Southern:
I live nowhere near a Southern station, and, in any case, why should I have the hassle of having to exchange vouchers? I thought TOCs were now required to issue the payment by cheque/transfer when requested?

It's not unreasonable in most cases to use this process, but if you live nowhere near a Southern station they ought to be able to issue you a cheque or a bank transfer to your account on request!

 

[Starmill]

Euston couldn't even sell me an Amersham Travelcard...

 

[gray1404]

Good luck with that, I've had a right job on getting a London Midland ticket office to cash in London Midland vouchers (Watford Junction finally did it, with plenty of complaining about the paperwork, after both Euston and Hemel refused).

On what basis did Euston and Hemel refuse? I went to Watford Junction yesterday and exchanged one for £3.65 in a matter of 30 seconds. What where Watford complaining about? London Midland need to stamp on this. It is their policy to swop vouchers for cash and it just be happening.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I'm not sure this is necessarily correct. Scotrail only give you 28 days to exchange for cash, but up to 12 months to use them to book a ticket.

I believe Southern do allow 12 months or a cash exchange at one of their booking offices. If the OP happened to be in London (even if not travelling with Southern) they could exchange them still at Victoria.

 

[Tetchytyke]

The woman at Hemel repeatedly called me a liar and yelled at me to leave the counter and "to take it up with customer services". Euston agreed the letter said I could have cash, were very apologetic but said they didn't know how to do it. They were really nice about it, which is good enough for me.

Watford didn't know how to do it either, but found out, which I think was the basis of their (justified) comment that it was a waste of everyone's time.

I'm still waiting for a response to my complaint about the woman at Hemel. I know London Midland spy on what I say here, so sort it out guys

 

[gray1404]

The woman at Hemel repeatedly called me a liar and yelled at me to leave the counter and "to take it up with customer services". Euston agreed the letter said I could have cash, were very apologetic but said they didn't know how to do it. They were really nice about it, which is good enough for me.

Watford didn't know how to do it either, but found out, which I think was the basis of their (justified) comment that it was a waste of everyone's time.

I'm still waiting for a response to my complaint about the woman at Hemel. I know London Midland spy on what I say here, so sort it out guys

Please let us know what the outcome of the complaint is. That sort of behaviour is rude, unprofessional and not acceptable.

When I had mine changed at Watford Junction he simply detatched the voucher from the letter, gave me the cash, and worte at the bottom of the letter the amount followed by paid out and his signature and finished it off with the station stamp. Then served the next customer. Maybe there was some paperwork later.

Its a shame Euston didn't call control or advise or get help from another member of statt in the booking office.

 

[Wookiee]

Twice I've swapped well over £100 of Southern vouchers for cash at East Croydon and both times the cashier has done it without batting an eyelid. Sounds like it's just luck of the draw.

 

[gray1404]

Twice I've swapped well over £100 of Southern vouchers for cash at East Croydon and both times the cashier has done it without batting an eyelid. Sounds like it's just luck of the draw.

Southern seem to be fine. Its London Midland where the problem appears to be.

 

[causton]

Southern seem to be fine. Its London Midland where the problem appears to be.

Which confuses me as we were issued with clear instructions of which vouchers to accept, not accept, and exactly how to cash them in and account for them. It's not like we're giving away our own money!

 

[gray1404]

Perhaps its because this is a new concept for London Midland, and many of their staff are still getting used to it in the booking offices? Over time it will become something of norm perhaps....... (like it is now with Southern)

 

[rs101]

As it sounds that you requested cash and not a cheque, I believe RTV which you are able to exchange for cash is what the majority of TOCS are doing was the correct reply. However the NRCOC says "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)."

As it clearly states the "train company's discretion" I believe they are under no obligation to send out a cheque nor any other means apart from a direct payment to a bank card or RTV which can be turned into a cash payment. Not particularly customer focuses but as its a new thing we shall see how it all evolves.

Not sure I agree with your interpretation of that. It clearly says compensation will either be in RTV or (at customers request) in money. The only discretion the TOC has is how to pay out money - either cash, cheque or bank transfer.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Which confuses me as we were issued with clear instructions of which vouchers to accept, not accept, and exactly how to cash them in and account for them. It's not like we're giving away our own money!

Maybe the poor soul just missed the briefing. As I say, I don't really mind someone not knowing something so long as they don't try and blame me for them not knowing.

Watford Junction did do it, maybe I was unlucky and it was their first one. Paid for my tea at Pizza Express anyway