BUMP: Challenging delay repay denial. James 1 NXEC 0

[jamesontheroad]

Hello again. Is it possible anywhere to check the recorded arrival time of a delayed train from a few weeks ago? Namely the time that the 1200 EDI-LGX arrived at PBO on 3 September 2009. I made a Delay-Repay claim, but NXEC have replied that the train arrived a few minutes earlier that I claimed.

Ta

 

[LondonLarry]

You'd need someone with access to NXEC's historical performance data for that. The performance/train running data most staff has access to won't go back more than 9 or 10 days.

 

[jamesontheroad]

You'd need someone with access to NXEC's historical performance data for that. The performance/train running data most staff has access to won't go back more than 9 or 10 days.

I thought as much. Regardless of whether the train arrived in the station one or two minutes more than 30 minutes late (and I know it did, I checked the clocks on the platform as I left the train) I can't help being surprised that NXEC's own records conveniently show it arriving 28 minutes late.

I checked with Passenger Focus, and all they can do is check double NXEC's own records.

 

[Mojo]

Presumably their data would be generated by TRUST or something similar. I've been stood on the platform on a number of occasions where TRUST have said the train has already arrived and on one occasion it was at least 4 more mins before it pulled in.

 

[LondonLarry]

Presumably their data would be generated by TRUST or something similar. I've been stood on the platform on a number of occasions where TRUST have said the train has already arrived and on one occasion it was at least 4 more mins before it pulled in.

Yes, but it will depend on where the reporting point is for that station. I don't think I could explain it properly, but the reporting point could be (for example) half a mile outside the station, and for whatever reason the train could've been delayed between the reporting point and the platform (maybe the driver dropped his lipstick). All TRUST sees is the train arriving on time, but as you don't physically see it in the platform until 4min, as far as you're concerned it's late.

Alternatively, it could be that the station clock is wrong!

 

[jamesontheroad]

Yes, but it will depend on where the reporting point is for that station. I don't think I could explain it properly, but the reporting point could be (for example) half a mile outside the station, and for whatever reason the train could've been delayed between the reporting point and the platform (maybe the driver dropped his lipstick). All TRUST sees is the train arriving on time, but as you don't physically see it in the platform until 4min, as far as you're concerned it's late.

Alternatively, it could be that the station clock is wrong!

I think the moral of the story is to stop wasting my time chasing NXEC for a 50% refund on an Railcard discounted Advance purchase single ticket...

 

[LondonLarry]

I think the moral of the story is to stop wasting my time chasing NXEC for a 50% refund on an Railcard discounted Advance purchase single ticket...

If it means you only get £2 back, it might be worth giving up the chase!

 

[jamesontheroad]

To bump this back up, got an interesting letter today.

As detailed in the OP, I made a delay-repay claim to NXEC for a journey GLC-PBO delayed by about 33 minutes. They replied, saying their records showed it was actually less than 30 minutes, so no refund.

Following this thread's discussion, I contacted Passenger Focus by telephone. They were extremely helpful, prompt and took all details over the phone in a few minutes.

And today, about three weeks later...

Success!

NXEC write to apologise that I had to 'escalate' my complaint to Passenger Focus. 'Having looked at your journey details again' it is now clear there was in fact a 33 minute delay. Rail travel vouchers were enclosed.

So if you ever get a Delay-Repay claim bounced back because the TOC says your train was a minute under the threshold, consider contacting Passenger Focus.

 

[Failed Unit]

To bump this back up, got an interesting letter today.

As detailed in the OP, I made a delay-repay claim to NXEC for a journey GLC-PBO delayed by about 33 minutes. They replied, saying their records showed it was actually less than 30 minutes, so no refund.

Following this thread's discussion, I contacted Passenger Focus by telephone. They were extremely helpful, prompt and took all details over the phone in a few minutes.

And today, about three weeks later...

Success!

NXEC write to apologise that I had to 'escalate' my complaint to Passenger Focus. 'Having looked at your journey details again' it is now clear there was in fact a 33 minute delay. Rail travel vouchers were enclosed.

So if you ever get a Delay-Repay claim bounced back because the TOC says your train was a minute under the threshold, consider contacting Passenger Focus.

I must admit I have had no luck in getting any money out of national express from their delay repay scheme. I am now going for 3rd time lucky ast they always claim they haven't recieved my tickets (lost in the post). Something that is annoying when you travel on an AP ticket so have no choice but to travel on selected train.

Situation 1, stuck behind a failed GC train at Biggleswade, arrived at KX 120 minutes late. Got nothing back, despite chasing.

Situation 2. On 1600 Edinburgh - Newark due in at 1917, but arrived 1924. Missed connection 1924 Newark - Market Rasen. Had to get next train to Lincoln and a taxi to Market Rasen arriving at about 2130 (originally due at 2009). They claimed that I couldn't prove my arrival time, they got me home and their train was on-time in London :cry:

Got another claim in at the moment for an hour delay, The train only arrived at its destination 58 late but the fact that I needed to get the connection that was 1 hour later than the one I had planned they will be paying this time. Will be more than happy to take this to PF, no problems with kick national express while they are down, they have been treating passengers like **** for over 13 years so it is nice to see that they are struggling now (as a company) perhaps if they treated their customers better they wouldn't be in that situation.

 

[CallySleeperKid]

Very interesting read this, I think the Passenger Focus will be my next call if I get no luck with my complaint with First ScotRail.

CSK

 

[Geezertronic]

I put a complaint into VirginTrains due to a couple of incidents on one of my Birmingham to London and return journeys and although it took them 3 months to respond, I eventually got a partial refund in travel vouchers.

For the record, the train was over 1 hour late arriving in Birmingham International on the outbound journey due to a Pendolino failure and on the same day the return train was 3/4 hour late arriving back at Birmingham International due to vandalism at Berkswell.

 

[MKB]

I had a 11-minute delay on a London Midland train that caused me to misconnect, causing a total delay of 53 minutes. Initially LM insisted that their train arrived only 1 minute late, but they paid up on appeal. It took a lot of effort to get just £4 back.

 

[gingerheid]

I travelled on a train that was about 25 mins late at Peterborough, meaning that I was an hour late on the connecting service.

They claimed there was another connecting service 30 mins after the orginal one that I should have got, but there hadn't been due to engineering works.

I wonder if there is a pattern developing here...

People, mainly GNER itself, ranted about GNER's customer service, but I found them just as bad.

 

[jamesontheroad]

Thought I'd share the actual letters with you all. A particularly satisfying sequence of letters

Following my delay-repay claim:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesbrownontheroad/4072793762/

Hmmm. That doesn't seem right. So a phone call to Passenger Focus, and:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesbrownontheroad/4072794014/

Passenger Focus work their magic. Seems the ol' NXEC computer must have been playing up that day...


http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesbrownontheroad/4072031699/

 

[ChrisTheRef]

I'd call that a result

I'm currently talking with PF about a TPE journey which went wrong

 

[tony_mac]

is there some way to find out arrival information if it's not that old?
I possibly have one from last week to claim (I wasn't on the train, but I bought the tickets), and one from yesterday - the train I arrived on wasn't actually delayed, but due to a train failure and missed connection I was about an hour late.

 

[Failed Unit]

I wonder if passenger focus keep a record of how often national express try to get out of thier obligations by lying to thier customers.

My recent complaint should have entitled me to a 100% refund for been 60 minutes or over late.

I had to fill in 3 separate forms one for every member of the party. The reply came back in 3 separate envelopes. 2 of the letters stated that the train was 56 minutes late into Edinburgh and 1 of the letters stated that it was 54 minutes late. How it can be both is beyond me. This is not really relavant in this case, I was planning on getting the 1833 Edinburgh - Dunblane service, the delay meant I needed to use the 1933 Edinburgh - Dunblane service instead hence 1 hour late.

I am writing back to national express (by email) as I can't be bothered with the post. I will let you know how I get on. As I said on an earlier post why the insist that you have a validated ticket on advance tickets is beyond me anyway, it isn't as if you can use it on another train! Not many people that don't travel will check if the train they should have been on was an hour late just for a refund! I wonder how many people will lose out on compensation when the barriers take the tickets off them,

 

[attics26]

which barriers take the tickets off you? our barriers only open when you take the ticket back.

 

[tony_mac]

Just reading the NXEC site; apparently the tickets should have been validated on-board, and I have to send a covering letter explaining why they were not.
Is the reason 'because I didn't know that I needed to, and the guard didn't suggest it to anyone' good enough?

It's an advance ticket anyway, so all rather pointless.

Should I send it recorded? They don't sound terribly trustworthy!

 

[Failed Unit]

Just reading the NXEC site; apparently the tickets should have been validated on-board, and I have to send a covering letter explaining why they were not.
Is the reason 'because I didn't know that I needed to, and the guard didn't suggest it to anyone' good enough?

It's an advance ticket anyway, so all rather pointless.

Should I send it recorded? They don't sound terribly trustworthy!

For the extra money yes, and photo copy the tickets, they are not trustworthy!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

which barriers take the tickets off you? our barriers only open when you take the ticket back.

I have not been through a barrier at a national express operated station yet, I am sure my time will come. But at most other stations I use the ticket is retained by the barrier on exist if it is a used portion.