Northern Delay Repay payment method when claiming by post

[JBuchananGB]

I am helping my friend who was delayed by the cancellation of the last train from Wigan Wallgate to Southport last Saturday. She travelled with another passenger using valid Two Together card, departing London Euston 2031, to depart Wigan Wallgate 2323, due Southport 2359. The 2323 was cancelled and eventually a bus was provided reaching Southport 0130.
The CCST tickets were bought at Southport station. She is not computer literate and wanted to use the paper based claim process.
However This process does not allow for compensation to be reimbursed by BACS or to a debit or credit card.
The compensation methods offered are:
- Cashable voucher - only redeemable at a Northern ticket office.
- Free ticket(s) - only valid on Northern services
- National Rail Travel Voucher.
The nearest Northern ticket office is probably Wigan. Tickets and vouchers not much good. What possible rationale for not allowing BACS or card compensation methods? These methods only available for claims made online.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

What possible rationale for not allowing BACS or card compensation methods? These methods only available for claims made online.

Security, perhaps? The rationale might well be that the bank or card details aren't then visible on a paper form.

 

[Haywain]

Security, perhaps? The rationale might well be that the bank or card details aren't then visible on a paper form.

Certainly will be the case for card details, but seems less likely for bank transfers.

 

[Watershed]

Legally speaking condition 34.1 of the NRCoT entitles her to receive Delay Repay via a "money option", which is defined as a cheque, bank transfer, or payment to a credit or debit card. So she is entitled to insist upon one of those even methods if she chooses to submit her claim in writing (which the NRCoT also say is the way that claims should be submitted).

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Might Northern try to assert that the cashable voucher is also a "money option", even though it's not necessarily explicitly defined as such in the National Rail Conditions of Travel?

 

[Watershed]

Might Northern try to assert that the cashable voucher is also a "money option", even though it's not necessarily explicitly defined as such in the National Rail Conditions of Travel?

They could assert that all they want, but the NRCoT explicitly defines the three payment methods I listed above as the only qualifying "money options" - and they do not include a cashable voucher. Clearly it would be unreasonable to require a passenger to go to the time and effort of visiting a Northern ticket office to cash in the voucher.

 

[JBuchananGB]

To pick up on this saga. To help my friend I submitted an online claim to Northern, submitting both RETURN portions of the tickets which were purchased with Two Together Railcard. Total return fare £145.90. Northern accepted the claim, saying the delay was less than 30m, and awarding £18.24. I appealed this using the online system stating that as TWO passengers had been delayed by 90 minutes the amount due was £72.95. This appeal was rejected. In the rejection email they said that any further challenge should be sent to the general enquiries email address. So I have sent an email to that address, and have been allocated a case reference no.

 

[JBuchananGB]

Have finally closed this today. Northern Customer services accepted the appeal and agreed a further payment should be made. As £18.24 had already been paid they arranged a further payment of £54.71, for which they used a strange process called PayIt administered by NatWest Bank. Money is now in the bank and I will pay it over to my friend in cash.

 

[Bungle965]

Have finally closed this today. Northern Customer services accepted the appeal and agreed a further payment should be made. As £18.24 had already been paid they arranged a further payment of £54.71, for which they used a strange process called PayIt administered by NatWest Bank. Money is now in the bank and I will pay it over to my friend in cash.

Something which appears to becoming more popular as an option! I noticed it as one when I attempted to pay on Wetherspoons app the other day.