Delay Repay Query to Scotland

[htwestern]

I was travelling up to Scotland for work, it was an expensive Anytime ticket and the online travel portal we use doesn’t have any option to customise reservations (forward, table etc.) but they were mandatory. I didn’t know what time my morning online meeting was going to finish, so I was glad to get the flexible one.

My call finished ahead of time and I chose to get an earlier train. This was earlier than the one I had reservations for, but I thought it didn’t matter, being an Anytime.

The connection from Bristol to Birmingham New St ran late so I only had 3 mins to connect to the long distance Avanti, decided not to run because I thought the delay repay claim would make up for my time wasted. I could have made it if I pushed past everyone and ran but didn’t want to, especially with my big suitcase.

My ticket was on CCST paper but with a tiny barcode - but at no point did it actually get scanned, the XC guard tried, but it wouldn’t work (not even a beep) so he wrote the date with a pen on the ticket.Avanti guard just looked at the ticket, no scan, stamp, or anything.

At the destination, the barriers were open, and I was waved through without a ticket check.

I submitted my claim, and it’s now been “in progress” for 7 days, longer than I’ve had before - are they suspicious of a ticket going all that way with no scans? Or do they think I should’ve run for the connection? I’m worried because I have no proof I was home in the morning, the only thing I have is a credit card receipt from a restaurant in Scotland from a few hours after I arrived.

 

[jfollows]

There is no requirement to scan a ticket, ever, but your Delay Repay claim against the scheduled arrival time of the earlier train is valid as long as you had scheduled 12 or more minutes between the two trains, you are not expected to run.

They can’t have it both ways, if the “minimum connection time” is 12 minutes they can’t expect you to make it in 3.

 

[AlterEgo]

It’s probably just being manually approved due to the value involved.

 

[Bletchleyite]

They can’t have it both ways, if the “minimum connection time” is 12 minutes they can’t expect you to make it in 3.

In my experience they assume that if the actual connection time drops below the minimum for that station that you missed it even if you didn't (even if there's a scan proving you didn't!). This has resulted in quite a few payouts in excess of what I claimed.

It often just takes a while to process.

 

[htwestern]

as long as you had scheduled 12 or more minutes between the two trains

12 mins exactly, as suggested by the national rail website planner - when I’ve travelled this way on Advances I normally add more connection time though

It’s probably just being manually approved due to the value involved.

Ah thank you, I’ve only ever claimed twice from XC before and they were about £10-30 so probably automatic.

 

[skyhigh]

My ticket was on CCST paper but with a tiny barcode - but at no point did it actually get scanned

Assuming by "CCST paper" you mean a standard magstripe card ticket - this smaller Aztec code is obsolete and no longer used for anything, so they won't (or shouldn't) expect any scan history from it.

 

[htwestern]

All resolved now
Just me being a bit paranoid after reading that other thread, but their situation __may__ have been a bit less kosher..

 

[rocrat]

Assuming by "CCST paper" you mean a standard magstripe card ticket - this smaller Aztec code is obsolete and no longer used for anything, so they won't (or shouldn't) expect any scan history from it.

Out of interest, why are CCST (still?) sometimes issued with those smaller ?Aztec codes? Do they store anything/are they still scannable/are they for future use? I've had a fair few from GWR TVMs in recent times for cross-London journeys which never used to have them!