Great Northern Delay Repay Issues

[keyser666]

Anyone else getting the same issues as me, every 21 days I submit my delay repay for any journeys that have been impacted on my commute from PBO>KGX and I keep having any cancelled trains declined and have to resubmit, its a lengthy process as it is.

My ticket is a monthly PBO>KGX and is not any route permitted but a GT Northern routes only but all the declines come back saying my next available train gets me in without a continued delay, thing is they are coming back to me with the VTEC train that departs next which takes 47mins and brings me in most of the time under the 15 mins late. Surely they can see from the ticket I upload that it is not any permitted route and therefore my next available train would have to be GNR.

 

[Failed Unit]

Anyone else getting the same issues as me, every 21 days I submit my delay repay for any journeys that have been impacted on my commute from PBO>KGX and I keep having any cancelled trains declined and have to resubmit, its a lengthy process as it is.

My ticket is a monthly PBO>KGX and is not any route permitted but a GT Northern routes only but all the declines come back saying my next available train gets me in without a continued delay, thing is they are coming back to me with the VTEC train that departs next which takes 47mins and brings me in most of the time under the 15 mins late. Surely they can see from the ticket I upload that it is not any permitted route and therefore my next available train would have to be GNR.

It is standard with them I am afraid. It is the exception to get them accept without appeal. It is to grind you down into not submitting. I no longer claim as it isn’t worth the hassle. That is what they want. Interested to hear if we can do anything about it as the tactics the use are surely not in the spirit of delay repay.

They like the you could have got train Y. Which raises the blood pressure as the either don’t tell you, cant physically board it or can’t get across the station.

 

[sheff1]

Write to them stating that from their replies you are assuming that they are authorising you to travel on the VTEC train if the GN train is cancelled. Also state that if you do not hear from them, to the contrary, within 28 days you will consider your assumption to be fact.

 

[Starmill]

If you suffer a cancellation to your intended train, then really it is their duty to advise you of an alternative train, that you can actually travel on, if there is one. This is one reason I often speak to staff when my train is cancelled to see what they say. I don't always get very good information though. I once followed the instructions of the ticket office at Kings Cross not to board the first available train to Grantham (I had an EC& Connections Advance to Nottingham), but instead to wait until the one that connected with the Grantham to Nottingham train behind the one I'd missed. This meant I missed my connection and was actually due for more delay compensation than I would have been if I had just caught the first available train without seeking advice. Naturally there was no way they could refuse to pay the higher level of compensation, I had done what I had been told.

 

[gray1404]

I've had a similar issue when they just use a journey planner to you of the next available itinerary, with minimum connections, as opposed to getting you on the move as soon as possible. That's why its sometimes best to focus on the leg of your journey rather then final destination when delayed. Yet other times best to focus on your destination as the interchange stations may be different.

 

[keyser666]

So have had 3 resubmissions declined and they have stated a VTEC train again, the Coup de grace is they have declined two from last week because the trains dont exist at that time, well it does because I was at the station, maybe you'll realise if you werent looking at the changed timetable you put in place on the 10th December and looked at the applicable timetable from pre 10th December. getting so sick of this now.

 

[Hadders]

Use the reason code 'other' when you submit your claim. Put fuller details in the text box about your delay. This usually means someone with a degree of common sense looks at it.

 

[gray1404]

In this case I would give customer service a call with the reference numbers of the cases. When this has happened to me on with GTR (they reject my perfectly valid delay repay claim) through using trains that use their Southern brand, they have offered to send me Rail Travel Vouchers over the phone to resolve it there and then. There has however been one occasion where they have insisted that they have to resubmit. I am not sure if they use the same contact centre for all their brands but it is certainly worth a try. I know it may not be the payment method you want but it is at least something of a resolution. If they do offer to send vouchers in this way, they may tell you that they are "goodwill vouchers that are not cashable". At this point I ask them to please send cashable ones. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don't. The worst you would get, if indeed they agree to send them, is that you get normal RTVs valid for 12 months. Sometimes they have sent them for a delay repay amount and sometimes a little bit more.

I would also agree that if you do wish to resubmit online then selecting the "other" box does seem to ensure more success. I would guess that when you select that box it will be looked at by a person who will read the explanation you give. So this is defiantly a good way forward!

 

[keyser666]

Well those submitted last night have been declined again. In answer to some advice above I used the Resbmitted drop down box which allows me to put in a note. These refused for VTEC trains I could have caught. I am now going to time how long it takes me to submit each one manually and charge them for my time thus far. If they dont pay it then I will submit a MCOL.