Tube delayed for over 15 mins? Don't forget to claim a refund!

[MSE Martin]

As many people have had a nightmare on the tube this week, I thought I’d remind you how easy it is to claim a refund for your journey.

When can I claim?

Under the Underground’s Passenger Charter, you’re entitled to a refund on your journey if you’re delayed by 15 mins or more (not all that rare!). You’ll get the cost of a single ticket back.

Note that sadly London Underground won’t refund your cash if the delay’s cause is ‘beyond its control’, such as security alerts, third party action, or adverse weather conditions. This also applies to planned engineering work.

How can I get the cash?

The quickest way to get your cash back is to claim online (https://www.tfl.gov.uk/tube/contacts/refunds.asp). If you’ve an Oyster Card you can do it all online by filling out your card details. Otherwise if you bought a travelcard or other ticket, fill in your details online then print the form and send it in along with your ticket.

Alternatively, you can pick-up a Customer Charter refund form from a station and send it within 14 days of the journey.

[sofa_surfer]

While all that is true - have you ever got money back? Usually when you hear ' we are sorry to announce...' message, it ends with the exceptions you cite as reasons for the delay.

[JR19]

This has just reminded me to 'chase' LUT (sent a claim to them in September and still waiting) for the non-refunds - hope they evenually pay up after almost three months!

[cgreenstar]

I have regularly got refund vouchers when I have claimed using the customer charter refund forms that you can pick up in the tube station, but have never received anything when I have applied for moneyback online.

[caroline1973lefty]

my experience has been the same as cgreen ie getting refund through the forms you fill in at the station has been fine for me in the past.

also regarding the exclusion policy, it might be worth trying for a refund anyway. haven't tried it with LU but on the railways this summer i was delayed by over an hour due to hot weather (! i know!), i applied for a refund and got a letter back saying that weather was one of the exclusions, but that they would still give me a refund as a goodwill gesture.

seems to me that Metronet et al (who are these private companies, anyway?)need all the bloomin goodwill they can get at the moment! on the victoria line, at least, 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it', comes to mind). :mad:

[gypsy-jane]

:j I agree.. I have regularly received voucher refunds if I post in the customer charter form but NEVER when I have applied online.:j

[the gardener]

sorry guys but i work for the outfit, just to give you an example someone paid for their spouses annual bus the other day with a very fat pile of vouchers, 500+ pounds worth, go for it

[lamnicholas]

From my experience, claiming online usually results in quicker processing of your refund voucher compared with sending via post.

I have made 50+ claims since 1994 and have never had a problem.

[ollyshaw]

Interesting, is there anyway I could do a similar thing for the tyne and wear metro system? I want to make them pay!

Olly

[MSE Natasha]

I've made 12 claims in the last four months and received a £3 voucher for each occasion. It's quite a straight forward process and takes about two weeks for the voucher(s) to arrive in the post.

Still have to make three claims for this week though...grrrr!

[LondonDiva]

The online system's a bit rubbish, but the paper system has never let me down. I've introduced all my colleagues to it at work and find the best way is to pick up a wodge of leaflets to keep in your desk drawer. It's annoying when you have to claim, but I paid 12 pounds of my last week's travelcard and it was very satisfying.

If you're anything like me, you'll just end up meaning to sort it out and never gettign round to it.

Remember that you should sort out the claim within 14 days of the delay :)

[teflon]

I've had plenty of succesful online claims - the only one that didn't turn up was just after I'd moved flat and put the wrong address on the form.

Keep hold of all the confirmation emails - if the voucher hasn't turned up after a few weeks, email them with the confirmation number and ask them. I tried this once and the voucher arrived two days later.
(On other occasions, I've forgotten all about it and got a nice surprise of a £3 voucher, two months after a journey I couldn't remember anything about)

[Ali_UK]

There's been planned maintenance at our end of the central line most Saturdays recently and I've thrown in a few claims AND received my £3 voucher. The thing to remember is if planned maintenance means your journey has taken 15 minutes longer than it should have done on your regular route then you get a refund. My usual 45 minute door to door one tube journey becomes a hellish overcrowded bus and piccadilly line nightmare which takes another 30-50 minutes each way.

To make life a bit quicker I printed a form off the website and filled in my details, photocopied it and now just fill in the date and times for each journey. I find the manual one easier to fill in than online, although I have had no problems withonline claims being paid out.

Their replacement bus service is so poorly thought out that it is often seen running empty....now THAT is a waste of money!

[ccit33]

Hi

Trying to claim my refund. Not sure which number on the back of the card is the card number. There is one at the bottom of the card starting SCSP followed by 4 digits and 10 digit number followed by 2 digits at the top of the card.

[nixie]

As a daily tube traveller, I often have to make claims. I always do it online and have NEVER had any problems.

I also found out last week that the vouchers can be used towards payment for season tickets, so as they last 13 months are useful money off monthly or annual tickets. You can also give them away to friends/family etc.

[nixie]

Hi

Trying to claim my refund. Not sure which number on the back of the card is the card number. There is one at the bottom of the card starting SCSP followed by 4 digits and 10 digit number followed by 2 digits at the top of the card.

Hi cit33

Its the number at the top of the card that you need - 10 digits followed by 2 digits.

[dzug]

I've done it once by post and once online (don't travel that often). The postal one I never heard a thing - the on-line one I got a £4 voucher fairly quickly (not bad for a £1.50 Oyster journey....)

Have heard they don't check too closely whether the delay actually happened - I read of a court case where someone got done for multiple fraudulent claims when the finally rumbled him

[chuckley]

y cant ya'll just use another line to get there?? this doesnt include folk that can only reach x place by said line.

[kcljames]

They were handing out flyers at Holborn the other day. I can see how it could be handy, texting your claim then and there when you've been delayed (will kill a bit of time) and I'm quite a forgetful person so I've missed out on a few claims. Funnily enough I got delayed on the way home that evening, will see how long it takes for my voucher to come through.

[tacktastic]

hi all,

first post so i apologise if it's a duplicate, i did try a search,

anyway, i was recently delayed on the underground (what's new) but was feeling particularly fed up, so i spoke to a customer service advisor who dirceted me to www.tfl.gov.uk/tube (http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tube) -> 'refunds' which is where they send you a £4 voucher if you have experienced delays of 15 minutes or more to your journey overall.

seeing as this is most days i am now completing one for every time i am 15 minutes or more delayed, twice so far this week...... it was the 2 hours delay due to a suspension yesterday that made me decide to post!!

happy travelling

[ticketcollector]

If you are delayed for more then 5 mins through the fault of the Underground then you will get £4 back in a Customer Charter Voucher valid for 13 months. You can even give it to a mate and they can use it, it can be used by the bearer and not the person it was presented to.

[tacktastic]

is it definitely five minutes and not fifteen? i reckon i could get almost every journey back if that's the case.