Real life MMD: Should I keep the train voucher?

robberrob

I assume of course that you didn't claim overtime for the delay (ie you are not a local gov. employee)
RobberRob

wizbit78

Hmm I wonder what we'd all be saying if the person keeping the vouchers was an MP.....

C_A_Wodo

If your open return was worth £288 then you should have received £144 in vouchers. If the train was between 30 and 60 minutes late, you should have received £72 in vouchers. If the train was over 2 hours late, you should receive the full £288 back. Technically, it's possible on an open return of £288 to receive £576 compensation (in vouchers) if both legs of the journey are delayed by more than 2 hours each. I have a son at Uni at the other end of the country who has only ever paid for his train fare once because at the end of every term his train home is ALWAYS over an hour late! The only problem is that you won't get any on-line discount (10% often on East Coast) when you spend the vouchers, so you lose out eventually if that's the way you bought your ticket in the first instance.

As to whether the company should have the vouchers... I'd ask them "hypothetically" what would happen if such an incident was ever to arise. Then choose what to do depending on their response!

JayD

You did the waiting (probably on some cold, dingy platform), so you are entitled to the compensation.

However, I would be peeved to be compensated in vouchers instead of cash. The other trip hardly provided an experience that would make you want to travel that way again and the vouchers also have a restrictive use by date!

Rather than keeping the vouchers, I would contact the rail company concerned and say that I have no intention of using their trains in the foreseeable future, so I am not happy with this form of compensation and would like a cash alternative please.

stmartinsdiver

Some companies have strict rules about employees accepting "gifts" from third parties - check with your Line Manager as already suggested and if he gives the ok then I see no reason why you should not keep the vouchers as it was you who was inconvenienced.

pennypinchUK

You were inconvenienced, not your employer. And I presume it meant you got home an hour later, probably in your time, rather than your company's. So keep them for yourself. That said, I think you've done well to get £70 for a 1 hour delay. Enjoy it!

antonia1

I disagree with the majority of comments here. The vouchers are a refund of a cost which was incurred by your company. The entire value belongs to your company.

It sucks being delayed on train journeys, but if you are on company time then it has to go down as "annoying things which happen at work".

Personally, I'd check with my manager. Most likely the company won't care about the vouchers and you can keep them with a clear conscience.

luciandan

It's worth noting that if you're a civil servant (probably any public servant) it's generally a disciplinary offence to take the ticket voucher offered as compensation for delay and use it for your own private travel. Even though it's only you who can use it (as has been pointed out), you are supposed to use the voucher for the next time you travel on business - thereby returning the saving to the taxpayer who paid for the trip in the first place.

wizbit78

Yep I think you're right about the civil service. The company did indeed pay for something and were not out of pocket, but if I was claiming for accomodation but actually staying at a friend's house the company would be paying a level of expenses they expected to pay and wouldn't feel out of pocket but if ever I got found out I'd be done for fraud.

jgriggle

I'd let your company know about it, but it was you that was inconvenienced not them.

If the hour's delay was on the home journey, then it ate into your own time.

If the company wants to keep the £70 simply say "OK that's fine, but I ended up losing an hour of my free time. I charge £70 an hour for my time - where shall I send the bill?"