Is this typical behaviour of Northern with delay repay claims?

[gray1404]

Travelled with Northern. 2 tickets on the split train didn't call at changeover point bought one was a zonal ticket so permitted combination.

Train cancelled so traveled on the next service. Arrived at destination just over 15 minutes late.

Claimed delay repay. Received email saying additional information required so provided this. Basically reuploaded copies of the two tickets I'd already provided. Claim was rejected on the basis my tickets were not valid for the journey made. (Incorrect).

I appealed clearly stating I was using a valid combination of tickets as the reason for the appeal. Again received another email asking me to re-upload copies of the tickets which I did. I received a rejection email for the appeal saying that the delay encountered was less than 15 minutes. (Incorrect).

I have emailed Northern stating that my ticket combination is valid and the delay I encountered was over 15 minutes. Awaiting response.

Is this typical behaviour of them?

Incidentally on the return journey, although not canceled the service was held outside my destination station awaiting a free platform and arrived 16 minutes late. Same combination of tickets. This claim went straight through no problems and was paid out within a couple of days.

 

[em81]

I have had Northern reject one when I was alighting a delayed 6 car train on platform 13 at Piccadilly and would have had to make it to the buffer end of a low numbered platform to board a 2 car set in under 5 minutes.

They rejected on the basis my delay was under 15 minutes. I appealed pointing out how busy platforms 13 and 14 are, and pointing out the 10 minute minimum connection time, and it was accepted.

 

[Belperpete]

When you say arrived at destination "just over 15 minutes late", is that by your reckoning, or have you looked on-line (on a site such as Open Train Times) to see what it is recorded as?

 

[gray1404]

When you say arrived at destination "just over 15 minutes late", is that by your reckoning, or have you looked on-line (on a site such as Open Train Times) to see what it is recorded as?

Yes. OTT and RTT record the initial train as cancelled and the next available train as arriving 23 minutes after I should have had the first train ran.

 

[Kite159]

This is when Northern roll out their old excuse that in their eyes, zonal tickets are excluded from delay repay as they don't set the T&Cs for those products

 

[em81]

Northern are known to also argue some PTE tickets are valid on buses and trams so there may be a non-rail alternative. That's one thing if you're traveling from Levenshulme to Manchester, it's another if you're traveling from Stockport to Hale.

 

[gray1404]

If they play these games I'll escalate and send to Ombudsman if needed.

 

[Belperpete]

This is when Northern roll out their old excuse that in their eyes, zonal tickets are excluded from delay repay as they don't set the T&Cs for those products

Hmm, I have had another TOC give out a whole series of reasons why they were rejecting, before finally giving the real reason. I suspect that if there isn't a template response for the real reason, they just press the button on any available template response in the hope that you will accept it and go away.

 

[gray1404]

I had a response from Northern 2 weeks ago. The advisor apologised and confirmed my claim was valid. They approved my compensation payment and said it will be dealt with the next batch.

A couple of days later I received an automated message saying my claim had been approved. Compensation method: PayIt.

However now about 10 days after that I have not received the payment. This is most unusual. I have also not received the automated "payment sent" email from Northern. There are obviously some issues with their payment system.

I have emailed the advisor back explaining the above and asking if under the circumstances they would send me a Cashable Rail Travel Voucher? My rationale is the advisor might be able to issue this themselves and send it straight to me. Thus avoiding any other form of automated payment method or having to send it to another department to issue a cheque.

 

[styles]

I have emailed the advisor back explaining the above and asking if under the circumstances they would send me a Cashable Rail Travel Voucher? My rationale is the advisor might be able to issue this themselves and send it straight to me. Thus avoiding any other form of automated payment method or having to send it to another department to issue a cheque.

I suspect that one of two things will happen - either they'll continue to believe they've sent the payment and thus not issue a rail travel voucher to avoid double paying out; or they'll realise the payment wasn't made or something went wrong and they'll issue the voucher instead.

If they were customer service minded, they'd tack on another fiver as a goodwill gesture for wasting so much of your time, but I wouldn't hold out much hope!

 

[Belperpete]

I raised another thread about TfW approving claims, but then being very slow to pay. Others responded with other TOCs currently also currently having the same problem. So the OP may just be suffering the same issue.

 

[Man of Kent]

I've just had Northern deny my delay repay claim because the rover ticket presented was deemed not valid (it was).
No issues with Trans Pennine for a different delay with the same rover ticket - all approved in about three days.

 

[robbeech]

I've just had Northern deny my delay repay claim because the rover ticket presented was deemed not valid (it was).
No issues with Trans Pennine for a different delay with the same rover ticket - all approved in about three days.

From experience that could just as easily have been the other way around. It’s diabolical automated systems and staff with barely any knowledge that are too frightened to overrule the automated systems so make it up. It’s industry wide, it’s getting worse and it’s affecting the value of rail travel significantly.

 

[em81]

There are some Rovers and Rangers with names which don't correspond with the validity area. Like areas where both a Greater Manchester and Derbyshire Wayfarer is valid. The Cheshire Day Ranger is an interesting one too - the boundary area is closer to the pre-1974 council area but even then it's includes places that were never in Cheshire.

Rail ticketing is complicated and we're seeing fewer and fewer staff that are properly trained in ticketing matters. I recently purchased a ticket from a Northern ticket office and she checked there wasn't a Saturday peak on a local fare before selling me an Off Peak ticket. Then the ticket I received had been printed on Orange stock that had been placed into the printer upside down! For me that was a first ever.

 

[gray1404]

I heard back from Northern yesterday morning. I was told that my payment is still pending and it will be paid in due course as they are batch payments. I was informed that they are unable to change the payment method to a Rail travel Voucher.

Later yesterday afternoon I received a PayIt email and the money has now gone into my bank account. So that is two weeks from claim approval finally to actual payout.

 

[styles]

I heard back from Northern yesterday morning. I was told that my payment is still pending and it will be paid in due course as they are batch payments. I was informed that they are unable to change the payment method to a Rail travel Voucher.

Later yesterday afternoon I received a PayIt email and the money has now gone into my bank account. So that is two weeks from claim approval finally to actual payout.

Convenient that the day they read and reply to your email, your payment coincidentally is received.

 

[gray1404]

Yes, I thought that. I wonder if my pending payment was given a little nudge once they received my follow up email.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I've just had Northern deny my delay repay claim because the rover ticket presented was deemed not valid (it was).

Likewise I had the same at about the same time
Appealed so we'll see.