First post - advice needed on National Express compensation

mcb12

Hi all,

This is my first post, so if someone could help me out, then it'd be much appreciated.

Right, so...

I embarked upon what I thought would be a budget weekend to see a friend in London this weekend, having managed to procure coach tickets on the National Express coaches for £1 each way. That was - although a little cramped and uncomfortable - fine, and I set off this afternoon to get my return back up north, only to find that the underground was running less than smoothly.

As a result, I had to get a cab (for £30) from Wimbledon to Victoria bus station which, due to the Sunday traffic, and the fact that there was an accident right in front of us, which the driver had to stop for, didn't arrive on time. I had already phoned National Express to inform them of my plight, and thought that they may have shown some degree of sympathy (owing to the fact that everything that could contrived to work against me), but they didn't, instead telling me that I'd have to pay £39 to change my ticket to one at 00.30 tomorrow MORNING, and that there was nothing else that they could do.

I thought I might get some more sense from speaking face to face with someone at Victoria coach station, but they were equally rude, obnoxious and unwilling to help in any way. I couldn't believe that this company could have these rude, unsympathetic, emotionally devoid people working for them. I mean, I know it's not exactly the worst situation anyone's ever been in, but it's a right pain being stuck somewhere without a ticket, and, I know that if I were in their position, I would have tried a lot harder to help out.

It soon dawned on me that I'd have to trek to King's Cross, and pay a full fare on the train (as, weirdly, I didn't fancy sticking around and paying £39 to get home at five in the morning). Another £4 on the tube fair, £84 back to Wakefield on the train (where I am now, using the complimentary (rather slow) WiFi), and, to add insult to metaphorical injury, I couldn't use my Young Person's Railcard, as I left it at home (I was supposed to be going on the bus, you see).

I have had nothing but rudeness directed towards me, and I have been nothing but pleasant and courteous, even though I'm about £120 out of pocket, as I accept it's not necessarily National Express's fault, per se. I've got the receipts for my various misadventures, and will be calling the complaints line in the morning, and wanting some compensation for the fact that I've now been saddled with a £120 bill, had a diatribe of abuse from people, and am utterly, utterly annoyed. All because a car in front of a taxi I was in crashed. Eugh.

Has anyone had a similar situation, and would you expect me to get any positive response from my claim?

Thanks, in advance,

Matthew.

uktyler

mcb12 wrote: »

Has anyone had a similar situation, and would you expect me to get any positive response from my claim?

I don't think you stand a chance to be honest, its not their fault you missed your coach, why should they pay you £120?

mcb12

I'm not saying they necessarily should pay me £120, but I am saying that I've had bad service from the moment I phoned them up and politely asked what they could do for me, if anything. I didn't even get a 'Sorry, there's nothing we can do...'; it was 'You can change your ticket to one tomorrow for £39.'

Same from the person in the office; not an ounce of pleasantness. Very rude and ignorant.

chalkie99

You only have one chance ................

........... and that is No Chance!

Put it down to experience and allow for the unexpected and delays next time.

uktyler

You could chance it and write them a letter of complaint, but I can't see you getting out of them, except for your return coach journey refunded if you are lucky.

Horace

The £1 tickets are issued to be used on specific coaches at specific times, unfortunately you did not allow yourself adequate time to get your coach despite ringing ahead to say that you would be late, unfortunately they cannot hold the coach for you.

In the past, I have missed my coach from Victoria to Birmingham - I only did it once and was forced to pay £39 for a new ticket, but it was my own fault for missing the coach in the first place. The only time you are likely to get compensation from them is if they have cancelled the coach or if you have been waiting at the stop and the coach has gone sailing past. On the occasion when my airport coach was cancelled National Express paid for a cab to take me and b/f from Stockwell to Gatwick, also when the coach sailed past us on another occasion National Express reimbursed us for a cab to chase the coach which we eventually managed to get on in Wandsworth.

Rather than ringing them and screaming down the phone, perhaps you could write them a polite letter and prevail on their good nature to reimburse you? If you are polite you might get somewhere - I am not saying that you will because you were late for your coach and the onus is on you to get there on time.

isplumm

Hi,

Not sure what comp you are looking for?

You paid £1 to go from London to Newcastle ... missed it .... then were told that the next free bus was at 00:30 (or was that the cheapest rate going?) & then eventually had to catch train home ...

You had a non-refundable, non-transferable, non-cancellable cheapo ticket - yet because you missed bus, you expect compo ...

As chalkie99 says ... put ito down to experience ... be there early!!

When I fly anywhere, I prefer to be there 2 hours before .... much rather be sat bored at airport, than panicing about missing flight ... if you'd aimed to be there an hour before, you'd have most likely made it!!

Mark

dmg24

uktyler wrote: »

You could chance it and write them a letter of complaint, but I can't see you getting out of them, except for your return coach journey refunded if you are lucky.

Do you think they'll send the £1 cash or cheque?

OP, do you really expect compensation for somebody being rude to you? From what you have described I can only assume that you lead a sheltered life, as no one was actually rude, they just did not make the language all 'pretty' for you.

CHR15

Sue the driver of the car in front of the taxi, he is the one who caused all this (or whoever made the underground run less than smoothly)

You seem to want people to apologise to YOU for you missing your coach. It should be YOU apoligising to THEM for making the coach wait about for you (if indeed they did wait). If they didn't wait, it's all equal.

Rant at Internet people, we can take it, but I don't think you are going to get far with the bus company.

Lemonade_Pockets

I'm sorry but i don't think you can pin the blame on NE.

I would write a letter about the customer service you received, there is no excuse for people being rude. By all means explain the situation and the extra costs incurred. They might give you some vouchers as compensation. Appeal to their good nature

But I would steer clear of demanding a refund for taxi's train etc. All this will achieve is them putting you letter in the bin. As others have pointed out, the fact that you missed the coach you had a ticket for had absolutely nothing to do with them.

You could send a similar letter to TFL but again i doubt it will achieve anything especially if they were scheduled engineering works.

Horace

mcb12 wrote: »

I'm not saying they necessarily should pay me £120, but I am saying that I've had bad service from the moment I phoned them up and politely asked what they could do for me, if anything. I didn't even get a 'Sorry, there's nothing we can do...'; it was 'You can change your ticket to one tomorrow for £39.'

Same from the person in the office; not an ounce of pleasantness. Very rude and ignorant.

Why should they apologise for your tardiness? They gave you an option of changing your ticket for one tomorrow for £39. What's the problem with that, I have never found National Express staff to be rude.