"One click" / automatic Delay Repay systems are useless

[yorkie]

I'm aware of someone on a train now, whose train was terminated short at the first station en-route (which the train wasn't even meant to call at).

The system offered the purchaser the option for "one click delay repay", but then wouldn't let them proceed, as it thinks they caught a train that didn't even call at the station in question.

I don't think TOCs should be allowed to roll out "one click" or automatic Delay Repay systems that are substandard; instead of pretending that the process will be easy, and then denying passengers their right to compensation, they may as well stick with manual claims.

I also believe there should be proper testing of such systems, and safeguards put in place to ensure that customers aren't mislead or denied legitimate claims; it's even worse when customers are encouraged to make claims only for them to be rejected.

I suspect that such systems are designed to tick boxes, so that operators can say to the DfT that they are doing a great job for passengers, when the actual experience is very poor. DfT don't care what passengers actually think, so will just be satisfied that operators are doing a good job.

I've deliberately not put the details of the train in question as the purchaser doesn't want a fuss to be made, but I the principle really needs to be highlighted, in my opinion.

This is what LNER say:

Delay Repay | Cheap, Easy Rail Travel | LNER

If you're delayed on an LNER train for 30 minutes or more you're entitled to compensation. Choose to claim your compensation or donate it to CALM.

www.lner.co.uk

Discover the benefits of One-Click Delay Repay​

• Hassle-free process: No forms to complete
• Quick confirmation: We will verify your claim within 30 minutes

But the reality is very different.

They are keen to encourage people to "book direct" instead of through a retailer that offers cheaper fares, such as the forum ticketing site, and use this dysfunctional feature as a means to encourage people to do this:

One-click away

If you bought your ticket through the LNER website or app and opted into One-click Delay Repay, you'll receive an email within 30 minutes with a link to claim your compensation....

Has anyone else experienced similar? I expect most people have not, as I would assume that most people here book through the forum site

 

[Adam Williams]

The whole of Delay Repay needs serious reform, independent retailers being prevented (politically - there's no technical reason for it) from innovating and delivering something fit-for-purpose is unacceptable, and it is the passenger that suffers. The IRR have released a report in this area in the last day or two, alongside Trainline's change.org petition.

then wouldn't let them proceed, as it thinks they caught a train that didn't even call at the station in question

Rail is full of edge cases which so often get overlooked and systems get designed without considering them all the time; I am not convinced there is enough continuous improvement happening to identify customer pain points like this one, and invest in improvements.

I regularly find myself having to remind some people in the industry that passengers every day plan journeys involving more than one TOC and more than one leg, as if this is some sort of alien concept they've never come across before. We can hope GBR will help get away from the siloing we have today and assist with encouraging more joined-up thinking.

 

[redreni]

I believe aut delay repay is said to work for the majority of use cases, but let's look at LNER's customers beginning the LNER segment of their journey at King's Cross. How are they getting to Kings Cross?

LNER wants people to book direct and to consider their journey on LNER from Kings Cross as separate from anything that came before. But the train is not just full of Londoners from Islington who have walked, Lime-biked or cabbed it from home. There are people connecting across London from much further afield and there are people connecting from in and around London via a local or regional rail connection.

Auto delay repay is advertised to those people as a benefit when it is, frankly, nothing but a hindrance if they did not book the entire journey through LNER.

I personally wouldn't book a journey with two long-distance legs connecting through London with LNER, because it either doesn't look for splits at all or is massively outperformed by other retailers in that regard. I also don't book the through journey direct with LNER if I am connecting from home in SE London onto an LNER train at Kings Cross, because while it may well be desirable to buy (relatively) in advance and lock in a price for the LNER segment, it won't be for the local segment(s), and it is invariably cheaper to split at Kings Cross.

If LNER finds me a competitive price at all, it will only tend to do so for a ticket from Kings Cross to somewhere (usually somewhere on its network); it is very rare for a through ticket from my local station to, say, Leeds or York to be available for a competitive price. So if I were to book from them, it would only be for part of my journey, and the last thing I want is auto delay repay emailing me and saying "click here to be underpaid the delay compensation you're owed, based on only part of your journey". I need, in those circumstances, to send in all my tickets and explain the valid through journey I was intending to make.

The reason it's as popular a feature as it is will be, I suspect, because people either don't use the train to get to Kings Cross, or if they do, they don't realise delay repay is owed on the through journey.

 

[40068]

I booked split tickets via LNER and this forum's site and was delayed by 30 minutes. The delay was caused by the LNER train missing the connection on to the TPE at York. The LNER Delay Repay site says I was delayed by one minute. But below it actually shows the journey I made. There's no way of selecting that journey just a yellow box saying you weren't delayed and goodbye. Previously you could select the options given and proceed with the claim. So I presume there's been an update which isn't improving the process. Looks like I will have to email the Customer Services.