LNER - "Delay not compensable"

[GNER 91128]

On Wednesday 31st August I was due to travel on the 23:33 service from KGX to PBO. Due to an earlier cancellation and lots of events taking place in London that evening this 5 car train was full and standing. The scheduled departure time came and went, then a person who I assume was the train manager informed over the tannoy that the train wasn't going to be going anywhere and requested passengers for PBO alight and make their way over to STP to catch the next Thameslink service instead, which I begrudgingly did along with many others with only 8 minutes of notice to get across. As an able bodied person I managed this this ok, but those less so would've struggled to make the train.

Anyway. I put in my delay repay request the following day and replied to the case acknowledgement e-mail with all the information above, however they have rejected my claim stating: "We’ve taken a look at your case and our records tell us that your train was delayed by 17 minutes on 31 August 2022 from London Kings Cross - Peterborough , so we’re not able to compensate you under our Delay Repay scheme on this occasion."

Obviously this is incorrect for my case and I didn't actually get to PBO until ~01:20 due to not actually travelling on the above service at the request of LNER staff.

What is the best step for me to now take in trying to get my journey refunded?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Appeal it stating again what you did. There should be a link somewhere.

 

[yorkie]

I am not at all surprised to hear this.

There are insufficient safeguards in place to ensure customers are treated correctly and problems like this are endemic.

Appeal it and if LNER still refuse, your next port of call is the Rail Ombudsman.

 

[GNER 91128]

Appeal it stating again what you did. There should be a link somewhere.

I am not at all surprised to hear this.

There are insufficient safeguards in place to ensure customers are treated correctly and problems like this are endemic.

Appeal it and if LNER still refuse, your next port of call is the Rail Ombudsman.

Thanks to you both.

I did ring LNER this afternoon to explain the situation and was advised by the helpful person on the other end to reply again but to the "delay not compensable" message with a copy and paste of what I'd written previously, which I have now done so.

I'm only due a fairly small amount back £14.50 I believe (advance single) however I'd like to think they'd also acknowledge the "8 minute" part when I think they could've managed the situation better.