Automated Delay Claim raised for wrong train

[Belperpete]

I recently travelled from Machynlleth to Birmingham with an advance ticket bought from TfW for the 1206 train, which I travelled on. I had a card ticket, so it was not scanned. We arrived into Birmingham late. The following day I received an email from TfW saying they believed that my journey may have been delayed entitling me to compensation. Great! However, when I clicked on the link to confirm the details and submit the claim, I found that the claim was not for the 1206 train, but for the 1306 train.

Now, my advance ticket was only valid for the 1206 train, so why did their system generate a claim for the 1306 train? Also, the 1306 train arrived in Birmingham on time, so no compensation would have been due for that train! Does anyone have any idea why this might have happened? And does this kind of thing happen regularly?

I rejected the claim, and will submit a manual claim for the correct train. I am assuming that had I submitted the claim, perhaps because I had forgotten which train I actually travelled on, it would likely have been rejected.

 

[AlterEgo]

I suspect a time zone error somewhere.

 

[Belperpete]

I suspect a time zone error somewhere.

Ah, you may be right, as I was abroad at the time I received their email. It does seem poor practice however if the train times shown on their delay website depend on the time zone that your computer thinks it is in!

 

[Paul AC]

Ah, you may be right, as I was abroad at the time I received their email. It does seem poor practice however if the train times shown on their delay website depend on the time zone that your computer thinks it is in!

I know of at least one non-UK railway website - also the equivalent mobile phone App - that gives incorrect train times when the user is in a different time zone from the railway. Specifically, the ADIF (Spanish railways infrastructure manager) real time train running site. It's poor programming.....

 

[Egg Centric]

Depending on the exact error they've made, bare in mind that if you submit it abroad with the correct times it might come to them with the wrong times! So better to wait till you're home if that's possible within the 28 days (or set your device to BST).