Delay repay. Do you bother?

[island]

I claim absolutely every time I am entitled, even if it's less than a quid.

 

[WesternLancer]

Delay Repay is not an incentive regime. You are conflating this with Schedule 8 payments between NR and its customer TOCs which are an order of magnitidue more impactful that Delay Repay, which is a pittance by comparison.

Delay Repay is merely a mechanism to compensate passengers who have not arrived on time.

I accept that of course, but are you saying then that unclaimed delay repay sums would not appear on operators balance sheets and end up being in the income column not the expenditure, for example? I doubt it....

And if such a pittance why is it so hard to get it out of some of them when it is rightfully owed.

 

[splashoutradio]

For me personally, delay repay makes my commute affordable.
Although, I must admit, if it's a small amount, I'll either not bother claiming it, or will donate it to the TOC’s charity of choice.

 

[ABB125]

I normally claim, unless I'm using a ticket (or combination) which could potentially be seen as questionable. However, I'm rarely delayed as I don't travel that much, and often any delays are caught up during changes etc.

I have just received 41p from Northern though!

 

[AlterEgo]

I accept that of course, but are you saying then that unclaimed delay repay sums would not appear on operators balance sheets and end up being in the income column not the expenditure, for example? I doubt it....

You mean of course "the money is there to be claimed", which of course it is, but it isn't a punctuality incentive scheme - this is the leading misconception about Delay Repay. No TOC makes any decision about timetabling or control operations with Delay Repay in mind. Delay attribution and Schedule 8 is far, far more important.

And if such a pittance why is it so hard to get it out of some of them when it is rightfully owed.

Because TOCs tend to be incompetent and customer relations is always a vastly under-resourced department. The railway has long had a culture where employees of all grades tend towards thinking giving any sort of concession or refund is akin to handing it out of their own pocket. The "well I'd hate it if someone was getting one over on me, I'll tend towards saying no" mentality. It happens in pretty much every department of the railway.

 

[WesternLancer]

You mean of course "the money is there to be claimed", which of course it is, but it isn't a punctuality incentive scheme - this is the leading misconception about Delay Repay. No TOC makes any decision about timetabling or control operations with Delay Repay in mind. Delay attribution and Schedule 8 is far, far more important.


Because TOCs tend to be incompetent and customer relations is always a vastly under-resourced department. The railway has long had a culture where employees of all grades tend towards thinking giving any sort of concession or refund is akin to handing it out of their own pocket. The "well I'd hate it if someone was getting one over on me, I'll tend towards saying no" mentality. It happens in pretty much every department of the railway.

Thanks - sounds like a 'misaligned incentive scheme' then!

 

[mmh]

Every time, no amount too small! It’s a contractual entitlement and you wouldn’t accept being overcharged, so why refuse compensation?

Because it can be a faff and time consuming. Almost all of my delays are caused by TFW. Their online form is awkward and routinely won't allow you to specify the train you were due to use because they've magically removed it from the timetable rather than "cancelling" it. Even when you do negotiate it successfully, it's common for your claim to be rejected or paid incorrectly, meaning more time chasing it up.

For small amounts they successfully put me off bothering.

 

[zero]

I always claim, for any reason.

This is because sometimes I am inconvenienced by the railway, but no claim is possible. For example last summer I needed to be in South Yorkshire on a Friday and Sunday, so I thought that I would do the Saturday-only Brigg line using a Northern free ticket rather than going back to London. But all the trains that day were cancelled late on Friday. By that time my hotel was not refundable, and as this was the last bit of network I needed to cover, I had to extend another trip unnecessarily.

Over time this evens out with the occasions when I am not inconvenienced, but a claim is possible.

 

[Andrew S]

I commute on Southeastern and always claim if I'm actually on a train which is noticeably delayed. The amount is always just a few pounds and I receive it as a voucher which goes towards next month's ticket.

 

[Deltic1961]

I only travel on commuter lines and if the train is cancelled there's always generally another one within 30 minutes so no need to claim.

Living in Scotland I would never use Scotrail for long haul. too many bad experiences in the past where I have had to claim and they make it impossible. Easier just to avoid the railway now for long journeys due to poor reliability.

 

[robbeech]

If I had a specific plan and I’m delayed then I’ll claim. If I am travelling around for leisure purposes and haven’t really planned things I tend not to claim unless a farce ensues.
One thing I’m generally keen to continue is claiming and donating to charity (either automatically with operators that have that option) or manually afterwards myself of the delays are as a result of a fatality.

 

[trainophile]

I find it a faff too, e.g. the cutting ticket in half before photographing it, and reading the tiny print of the booking ref number which requires a magnifying glass, so I will only bother if the comp is close to or over a fiver.

As for cancellations, not sure if that's included in this thread, but if it is can someone please clarify whether it's true that comp for a cancellation on the return journey of a return ticket is only pennies, when the return ticket is only 5p or 10p more than a single? They seem to assume you will wait for the next one, and be able to give an accurate length of time delayed. But if I've bought another ticket to travel with another operator, got a bus, or something else (you can't "abandon the journey" if you're returning from somewhere), there's no facility for explaining that. Hence I binned our return tickets from Whitby to Hartlepool the other day when they cancelled the 15:58 so we ended up messing about with local buses. Luckily we have concessionary passes so it didn't actually cost us anything*. We got back three hours late, but as per original question, even 100% of 10p is still 10p, and not worth the hassle.

*If we hadn't had passes and had to pay for a bus (the RRB never showed up and was apparently cancelled by the operator) I wonder whether we'd have been able to claim the fare back. Again there's usually no facility for that on the claim forms.

 

[Class800]

Do you take time to claim delay repay? Is there a threshold between 'cant be bothered' and making the claim?
One wonders how much delay is never reclaimed.

Unless it's a trivial amount and I am absolutely snowed under, yes always

 

[WesternLancer]

I find it a faff too, e.g. the cutting ticket in half before photographing it, and reading the tiny print of the booking ref number which requires a magnifying glass, so I will only bother if the comp is close to or over a fiver.

As for cancellations, not sure if that's included in this thread, but if it is can someone please clarify whether it's true that comp for a cancellation on the return journey of a return ticket is only pennies, when the return ticket is only 5p or 10p more than a single? They seem to assume you will wait for the next one, and be able to give an accurate length of time delayed. But if I've bought another ticket to travel with another operator, got a bus, or something else (you can't "abandon the journey" if you're returning from somewhere), there's no facility for explaining that. Hence I binned our return tickets from Whitby to Hartlepool the other day when they cancelled the 15:58 so we ended up messing about with local buses. Luckily we have concessionary passes so it didn't actually cost us anything*. We got back three hours late, but as per original question, even 100% of 10p is still 10p, and not worth the hassle.

*If we hadn't had passes and had to pay for a bus (the RRB never showed up and was apparently cancelled by the operator) I wonder whether we'd have been able to claim the fare back. Again there's usually no facility for that on the claim forms.

I do not cut but use a pen to put a cross right across the ticket.

No - I don't think you are correct about rtn tickets if I understand what you are saying correctly - as they pay the comp as a % of the full ticket so if it is a rtn and you are entitled to 50% of a rtn ticket that is what you get - not the marginal extra cost of a rtn over a single with 50% applied.

All the TOC websites state what you get in my experience eg this from Southern (not without ambiguity I have to say...) - but my last claim was for a Off Peak Rtn for a 50 minute delay on a return journey using an off peak rtn ticket and that generated 25% of the total off peak rtn fare (a fare which was only £1 more than an off peak single - so I got £7 payment not 25p)

Day ticket holders​

If you're delayed by:

• 15-29 minutes you're entitled to at least 25% of the single fare paid, or if you bought a return ticket at least 25% of the fare paid for the affected portion
• 30-59 minutes you're entitled to at least 50% of the single fare paid, or for a return ticket at least 50% of the fare paid for the affected portion
• 60-119 minutes you're entitled to 100% of the single fare paid, or for a return ticket at least 50% of the fare paid
• 120+ minutes you're entitled to 100% of the cost of the fare paid whether it was for a single or return journey

Delay Repay compensation | Southern Railway

Has a delayed service made you late? You can claim Delay Repay compensation if you’re delayed by 15 minutes or more.

www.southernrailway.com

 

[Haywain]

I find it a faff too, e.g. the cutting ticket in half before photographing it, and reading the tiny print of the booking ref number which requires a magnifying glass, so I will only bother if the comp is close to or over a fiver.

As for cancellations, not sure if that's included in this thread, but if it is can someone please clarify whether it's true that comp for a cancellation on the return journey of a return ticket is only pennies, when the return ticket is only 5p or 10p more than a single? They seem to assume you will wait for the next one, and be able to give an accurate length of time delayed. But if I've bought another ticket to travel with another operator, got a bus, or something else (you can't "abandon the journey" if you're returning from somewhere), there's no facility for explaining that. Hence I binned our return tickets from Whitby to Hartlepool the other day when they cancelled the 15:58 so we ended up messing about with local buses. Luckily we have concessionary passes so it didn't actually cost us anything*. We got back three hours late, but as per original question, even 100% of 10p is still 10p, and not worth the hassle.

*If we hadn't had passes and had to pay for a bus (the RRB never showed up and was apparently cancelled by the operator) I wonder whether we'd have been able to claim the fare back. Again there's usually no facility for that on the claim forms.

First, you were delayed on your journey by a cancellation and this is covered by Delay Repay although it may be more difficult to claim. Second, you abandoned your return journey due to the cancellation, so in terms of a refund you should receive 50% of the return ticket fare, rather than the marginal difference (as mentioned above by @WesternLancer). However, you can only benefit from one of the two options.

 

[trainophile]

Thanks both. Oh well, I messed up there, but it would only have been £7.** for both of us with our railcard discounts. Another problem I have is that for some reason my iPhone photos won't upload onto my MacBook so I have to do the claims on my phone, which is added hassle.

Haven't done a claim on Northern for ages, what are these free ticket vouchers of which you speak? Are they one way or return on any Northern services, for a whole day or just until you have to change from one Northern train to another?

 

[Fenchurch SP]

I always claim if I am delayed because of a decision made, eg if my station is skipped because of late running or a connection is not maintained. Otherwise I don't bother for small amounts and hardly ever for less than 30 minutes delay.

 

[Jim the Jim]

I used to sometimes but I stopped because the vouchers were such a faff (living an hour's walk from the nearest ticket office and tending to make journeys on advances). Now it's easier to get repaid in actual money maybe I should go back to it. Though on my most recent couple of delays I have travelled by alternative routes instead (still arriving much later than I should have) and I worry about being rejected for not hanging around for a train/bus on my original route.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Very rarely as for me, it's not worth the hassle. Only if the delay is significant (e.g. 60+min) and if my plans have been severely disrupted

 

[AM9]

I've only ever claimed twice:
a) when there was a track fire south of Gatwick when we were detrained at Gatwick and had to cram onto a crowded Southern service to get to Brighton. i think there was only a couple of pounds each paid out.
b) on the way back from Chester in 2019 when there was a cock-up in platform announcements at MK and we missed the LNR service back to Watford Junction and the Abbey Flyer to St Albans. It wasn't a straight DR claim as the trains that on our itinerary ran to time, so the claim was via a letter. It was worth it as the whole of our return fares were refunded.
Ohter than that most of my journays are on Thameslink which so far hasn't delayed any journeys significantly, - even the great power cut issue of August 2019 only delyed me around 30 minutes as I was allowed to use the LNR services.

 

[hexagon789]

Yes, for example I recently had a refund of £110 processed by Avanti. One week after putting in the claim I had the money back. It meant my entire itinerary out and return cost only £37 because i had the outward portion refunded.

When you have paid sums of that nature that can easily be used to be put towards another trip, I would definitely say claim it.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I've only claimed once, when my return journey from Totnes to Newport last year was badly affected by the bridge strike outside Plymouth.

This was such a long delay, and also included a separate claim for a taxi from Totnes to Exeter, that although it took me a little time to do it, I felt that it was worth it - and, as they both claims were upheld, it was.

I have been delayed since, but not by very much, so I haven't made any other claims. I probably would, though, if the circumstances were the same or similar to those above.

 

[toffeedanish]

Haven't done a claim on Northern for ages, what are these free ticket vouchers of which you speak? Are they one way or return on any Northern services, for a whole day or just until you have to change

You can choose the option for free tickets as part of the claim. These are only for 30 mins plus (15 mins plus payable as a monetary amount). One single ticket 30-59 mins. One return ticket 60-119 mins. Two returns 120+ mins. They come in the form of a card ticket which have blank boxes for an origin and destination station of your choosing. Must be stations served by Northern. Only valid on Northern services.

 

[faltskog36abba]

I have had some good payouts in the past from Northern, TPE, Scotrail and East midlands trains. I always claim if the train is running over an half hour late-Anything under isn't worth the bother, Manchester Metrolink however are very stingy in comparison. I had to abandon a Liverpool trip once as the tram was halted at Radcliffe due to a power outage- I missed my train at Victoria- and all Metrolink offered was a free future return to Manchester- Nothing about the onward train to Liverpool.

 

[trainophile]

You can choose the option for free tickets as part of the claim. These are only for 30 mins plus (15 mins plus payable as a monetary amount). One single ticket 30-59 mins. One return ticket 60-119 mins. Two returns 120+ mins. They come in the form of a card ticket which have blank boxes for an origin and destination station of your choosing. Must be stations served by Northern. Only valid on Northern services.

Thank you! That sounds complicated, but I expect you get the hang of it if you do a few.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

You'll probably receive something like this...

The tick boxes will be pre-ticked (!)



(Pic of Northern complimentary travel passes).

 

[miklcct]

I only travel on commuter lines and if the train is cancelled there's always generally another one within 30 minutes so no need to claim.

Living in Scotland I would never use Scotrail for long haul. too many bad experiences in the past where I have had to claim and they make it impossible. Easier just to avoid the railway now for long journeys due to poor reliability.

But isn't it harder to fly rather than taking trains for a long journey?

 

[trainophile]

And I bet they don’t tick many “All Day”.

 

[PMH]

Claimed my first one recently on Avanti.

They make it so awkward to do I'll likely continue out of badness

 

[ABB125]

And I bet they don’t tick many “All Day”.

It's not too difficult to make one into an "all day" ticket, with some creative journey planning...