Anticipating a refund battle with cross country trains..HELP!!!.

anonymousie

sigh.....

The situation so far:

A while ago I bough "advance" tickets over the net direct from cross country trains for DH and DD to attend an open day at Oxford university.

THey got into New street Station pretty much at the time there was a huge power cut and the station was evacuated. We had a 45 mins or so train leeway if it was "delayed" but, as they were stood outside at the time train was due to depart we had to change to emergency plans and I took the car in so they could drive down. THis were still distruped at lunchtime when DS popped in to see how things stood as he was thinking of going home by train himself.

So..... No trains......their "fault" in that there was no train to travel on.

I went to my local station today to get a refund to be told "you bought it on the web you need to get a refund from them".

:mad: TYpically, all the info on the web pages says is "Advance tickets are non refundable" . I can understand that if I wanted to just cancel and get my money back but surely if there is no train they can't keep my money? I've emailed them.

Also, as they couldn't get to Oxford on the train they didn't use the oxford- brum part of the journey either (obviously!) am I going to be out of pocket for this?

I can just feel that this going to be a battle as "the system" doesn't seem to allow for refunds in exceptional circumstances.

UPDATED
Thanks to the person who replied yesterday but apparently I'm not entitled to a refund:mad::mad::mad:

THe 9.03 they were booked on was the only train that didn't run so I can have vouchers (I don't want VOUCHERS I want my money back). And, as I suspected, despite the fact they couldn't get them to Oxford on the train they were booked on (remember these are advance tickets so "valid only on the train stated" ie if I'd have been late that would be hard luck, but they don't run a train and thats OK you should have got the next one...).
No chance of your money back on the return train!

Off to check terma and conditions of carriage.

Any adv re writing a complain letter?

I guess I don't, as suggested, send them the tickets at the moment just copies?

TimothyEBaldwin

An open and shut case, the National Rail Condtions of Carriage entitle you to a full refund if you choose not to travel because the train you intend to use is late or cancelled.

anonymousie

Bumping as I'm sure someone can help!

mahesh_on

Hi,
I am having the same problem with x country trains. Over the Easter weekend I was waiting for a train from Cambridge to Stansted due at 9.10 but at 9.00 we are duly informed that they don't have sufficent Cabin stafft (=drivers) and the train was cancelled!
So what to do..the next connection is an hour later and the planes gone by then. Have no alternative but to use a taxi to get there at a cost of 50£! Their policies clearly are a scapegoat for this sort of thing -hence why they keep doing it all the time. This is the 2nd time in my case.. The worst bit is that if i'd driven and parked at the airport it would have cost me less!
I am trying to contact some local CServcie but it all goes to India and they just read off the sheet..utterly shocking CService.
Surely some lawyers having a look at the T & C's can advise on this.. As airlines have to cater for this why not trains who we are more reliant on; or maybe this is why they are so crap so everyone drives a car

DaveMacD

Quote from the National Conditions of Carriage, relevant sections highlighted:-

26. Refunds on tickets which have not been used
If you decide not to use a ticket (other than a Season Ticket - see Condition 36) to
make all or part of your intended journey, then:
(a) if the train you intended to use is cancelled, delayed or your reservation will
not be honoured, you decide not to travel and at that time you return the
unused ticket to any ticket office, the Train Company responsible for that
ticket office will, if it is in a position to do so, give you an immediate full
refund as shown in Condition 27;
(b) if paragraph (a) does not apply and the ticket has been bought from a Train
Company’s ticket office (or a self-service machine) and you return your ticket
at any Train Company’s ticket office no later than 28 days after the expiry of
the ticket’s validity, you will receive a refund (subject to the notes below); or
(c) if paragraph (a) does not apply, the ticket has been bought from a Train
Company’s telesales office or a Train Company’s internet website and you
return the ticket to an address notified by that Train Company no later than
28 days after the expiry of the ticket’s validity, you will receive a refund
(subject to the notes below); or
(d) if paragraph (a) does not apply and the ticket has been bought from a travel
agent, if you return the ticket to that agent no later than 28 days after the
expiry of the ticket’s validity, you will receive a refund (subject to the notes
below).
Notes:
(i) The amount of the refund will normally take into account any use you have
made of the ticket and in some circumstances no refund will be paid.
(ii) In the case of a refund made under (b), (c), or (d) above, you may have to pay
a reasonable administrative charge (not exceeding £10).
(iii) Your right to receive a refund of all or part of the price paid may be
restricted in the case of some types of reduced and discounted fare tickets,
for example, those with an advance purchase requirement. These rights are
set out in the notices and other publications of the relevant Train Companies.
(iv) In the case of a refund under (b), (c), or (d) above, you will not receive an
immediate refund but your refund application will be processed as soon as
reasonably practicable.
(v) In the case of an Electronic Ticket, the refund process may require you to allow
the person making the refund to delete the stored ticket data or to demonstrate
to that person that you have done so in accordance with the conditions of that
ticket.

DaveMacD

27. Method of refund
The method of refund will be as shown in the table below:

MOP Refund.
Cash Cash or cheque at the discretion of the Train Company or travel agent. Any immediate refund given under Condition 26 (a) will be made in cash where the Train Company is in a position to do this.
Cheque Cash or cheque (which could include the return of your cheque) at the discretion of the Train Company or travel agent.
Credit or Debit Card Issue of a credit voucher and credit to the relevant account.
Rail Travel Warrant Credit to the relevant warrant account.
Rail Travel Voucher Vouchers of equivalent value or cash at the discretion of the Train Company or travel agent.

Any immediate refund given under Condition 26 (a) will be made in cash where the Train Company is in a position to do this.

DaveMacD

To Mahesh_on, the most you will ever be able to claim back is the cost of you ticket. Incidental extra costs are not covered.