South West Trains compensation claim
kingalex985
Posts: 21 Forumite
in Motoring
Hi all,
First of all, apologies if this is the wrong place to put this thread, I had a look and it seemed the best place!
Basically about a month ago I planned to watch the gf doing a 10k run and intended to travel by train to get there. When I got to the station everything was fine, however with about 5 minutes to go the train was suddenly cancelled. Considering this is a small station, trains only go through once an hour. On the advice of the Customer Services I took the train in the opposite direction to a larger station in the hope that they would have a more direct train. However, when we got there I had no such luck.
I asked one of the members of staff the policy regarding getting a taxi and whether I would get compensation, to which he told me that every case is handled on its own merits. Because I had to be there at a set time he thought they would most likely pay me for the taxi fare.
Anyway, just the other day I got a letter from South West Trains with rail vouchers for £2 (The price of my train ticket), but I'd had to spend £20 on a taxi. Does anybody know the T&Cs of rail companies enough to advise me on my rights?
First of all, apologies if this is the wrong place to put this thread, I had a look and it seemed the best place!
Basically about a month ago I planned to watch the gf doing a 10k run and intended to travel by train to get there. When I got to the station everything was fine, however with about 5 minutes to go the train was suddenly cancelled. Considering this is a small station, trains only go through once an hour. On the advice of the Customer Services I took the train in the opposite direction to a larger station in the hope that they would have a more direct train. However, when we got there I had no such luck.
I asked one of the members of staff the policy regarding getting a taxi and whether I would get compensation, to which he told me that every case is handled on its own merits. Because I had to be there at a set time he thought they would most likely pay me for the taxi fare.
Anyway, just the other day I got a letter from South West Trains with rail vouchers for £2 (The price of my train ticket), but I'd had to spend £20 on a taxi. Does anybody know the T&Cs of rail companies enough to advise me on my rights?
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Comments
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Looks like that is all you are entitled to http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/system/galleries/download/misc/NRCOC.pdfIT Consultant in the utilities industry specialising in the retail electricity market.
4 Credit Card and 1 Loan PPI claims settled for £26k, 1 rejected (Opus).0 -
Have you got a genuine receipt from the Taxi driver for £20? if you have then it will make this easier for yourself, but write a letter to Passenger focus, explain in the letter what you told us in your opening post, enclose all rail tickets, letters from SW Trains and any taxi receipts that you may have. (but take photocopies just incase they lose them)
You might be lucky and catch Passenger focus on a good day and receive some more rail vouchers, but it's a freepost adddress so all it will cost you is time.
Passenger Focus
FREEPOST (RRRE-ETTC-LEET)
PO BOX 4257
Manchester
M60 3ARWhoa! This image violates our terms of use and has been removed from view0 -
Only £2 for the fare? I'm assuming that was a discounted fare!kingalex985 wrote: »Anyway, just the other day I got a letter from South West Trains with rail vouchers for £2 (The price of my train ticket), but I'd had to spend £20 on a taxi. Does anybody know the T&Cs of rail companies enough to advise me on my rights?
As livingthedream said, if you have the receipt for the taxi this will help your case. I'm assuming you got one as you intended to claim for this from the outset.0 -
Yes, it was a discounted fare (bought with a railcard). Problem is that I sent the original receipt in the post along with my tickets in order to claim. The letter I was sent returned neither, so now I'm without proof. I can only hope that the train company retained these and I can request the receipt to be sent to me.
Thank you anyway for all the advice, I'm grateful to have some help in the matter!0 -
Be careful about the advice saying you may get your taxi fare back. In both the NCoC and SWT passenger charter http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/passengerscharter.aspx#65666 it does not mention about refunding you for the cost of a taxi you made on your own behalf rather then the TOC providing them themselves in times of disruption.
They could argue that you had not left sufficient time for your journey and all sorts of other reasons why they should not provide you for the refund of your taxi fare. Its always best to get something in writing from the station staff before taking something like this on board yourself.You never know they may have had coaches on route to do the trains job and so forth
Im just popping in but go over to here http://www.railforums.co.uk/ register and post in the Fares section where they will be able to give you a more indepth solution to your question.one of the famous 5
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kingalex985 wrote: »Yes, it was a discounted fare (bought with a railcard). Problem is that I sent the original receipt in the post along with my tickets in order to claim. The letter I was sent returned neither, so now I'm without proof. I can only hope that the train company retained these and I can request the receipt to be sent to me.
Thank you anyway for all the advice, I'm grateful to have some help in the matter!
Oh dear, you could try and ask SW trains for the receipt if they still have it that is? But as Geordieracer stated SWT don't have to refund you anything that's why Passenger Focus was mentioned as they might be able to help, but again as I stated, you would have to be lucky, but what have you got to lose in trying.
You could also try this forum as well to get more help.
CAG(Public transport/trains, tubes and buses)Whoa! This image violates our terms of use and has been removed from view0 -
SWT are a Law unto themselves I'm afraid. You may have to put this one down to experience.
Always get things in writing, take names, note times, get them to organise (and pay for) a taxi - and even then you will struggle to get anything out of them !0 -
moonrakerz wrote: »SWT are a Law unto themselves I'm afraid. You may have to put this one down to experience.
Always get things in writing, take names, note times, get them to organise (and pay for) a taxi - and even then you will struggle to get anything out of them !
Irrelevant of which TOC it is they are NOT obliged to pay for everyones taxis to get them to their destination.one of the famous 50 -
does anyone know how you actually get a refund off SWT?
I renewed my annual season ticket at the beginning of the month and was told to come back in a week to claim refunds for problems over the previous year.
I came back a week later and was told I need to come back in two weeks!
Now I've looked at their compensation claim page, it says I have to do it in writing and within 28 days of the event occuring.
Completely baffled
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Their letter on an A2 poster at Basingstoke station mentioned their willingness to consider claims for reasonable compensation. No mention was made to any T&C.0
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