Megabus Has Cancelled Me

quangy

I booked a Megabus return Journey between Cambridge and Oxford for 26th Dec & return 28th Dec. this was booked on 24/11/11. Yesterday 20/12/11 I received an email from them "Please note due to an administrative error some X5 services between Cambridge and Oxford that are not operating have been sold on the megabus website. As a result your journey on 26th December 2011 has been cancelled. Megabus would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused and advise that a refund has been issued to the card used at the time of booking." after a sleepless night I called them this morning and got a very blunt, nothing we can do, send in a complaint....

I have apparently been sold a ticket by them for a non existent Journey, and had received confirmation and booking reference etc.. a clear Megabus mistake... the return Journey has not been cancelled thus I presume it is still booked.. reading their Terms mentions nothing regarding a mistake by them in selling me a ticket for a non existent journey, and taking 4 weeks to realise before bluntly informing me. My full trip planned is, 22/12/11 Liverpool to Cambridge (Megatrain) 26/12/11 Cambridge to Oxford (Megabus) 28/12/11 Oxford to Cambridge (Megabus) Cambridge to Liverpool (Virgintrains). 4 nights hotel booked in Cambridge & 2 nights Oxford. After exploring many avenues and possibilities I have found a National Express journey. Any advice on where I stand with Megabus would be appreciated....

somethingcorporate

What would you like? I guess you'd be entitled to a refund, anything else would probably be goodwill.

If you have something specific in mind please come out and say it. I think if you politely wrote to Megabus informing them of your request they would consider it (and possibly honour it).

ShaneUK

My view is to request MegaBus pay the difference of cost between their journey and the National Express one. Or they refund you for your return journey as well if you are no longer going to make the journey at all.

Mark_Hewitt

Why? Their responsibility is to put the OP back to the position they were in before the contract was taken out, which they have done.

quangy

Mark_Hewitt wrote: »

Why? Their responsibility is to put the OP back to the position they were in before the contract was taken out, which they have done.

Not quite sure what OP back to the position means.

Hope your not missing the main point that this has come about from a Megabus GAFF by selling me a ticket that they shouldn't of and taking 4 weeks to inform me. From what your saying it is a one way contract... I could live with disruption from bad weather etc but a Megabus GAFF surely goes beyond being goodwill and more basic customer care...

ThumbRemote

Mark_Hewitt wrote: »

Why? Their responsibility is to put the OP back to the position they were in before the contract was taken out, which they have done.

The OP is not in the position they were in before the contact was taken out, as they have also paid for hotels, return journeys, etc.

In this case the OP has suffered from breach of contract by Megabus and should be entitled to damages to cover their losses, which in this case will be the extra cost of the National Express ticket, and any associated costs (telephone calls, booking fees etc).

Mark_Hewitt

ThumbRemote wrote: »

The OP is not in the position they were in before the contact was taken out, as they have also paid for hotels, return journeys, etc.

That's not the responsibility of Megabus.

In this case the OP has suffered from breach of contract by Megabus and should be entitled to damages to cover their losses, which in this case will be the extra cost of the National Express ticket, and any associated costs (telephone calls, booking fees etc).

Agreed. But it isn't / won't happen.

tomwakefield

Mark_Hewitt wrote: »

Why? Their responsibility is to put the OP back to the position they were in before the contract was taken out, which they have done.

Or is it their responsibility to ensure the OP is in the position they would have been had the contract been performed correctly? (i.e. ensure the OP is able to travel somehow, while covering any additional cost to get there)

quangy

Yes, hotels booked around travel arrangements, nearly had a ruined christmas, not Megabuses fault, out of pocket, not Megabuses fault, sold a ticket for a route not available and received confirmation, not Megabuses fault....

visidigi

Mark_Hewitt wrote: »

Why? Their responsibility is to put the OP back to the position they were in before the contract was taken out, which they have done.

You've got that completely wrong - that's if the contract has not been formed.

If the contract is formed (which I would based on the information outlined assume it was) then their responsibility is to deliver on the agreed contract or provide an alternative to the equivalent specification at no cost to the OP.

You would be right if the contract had not been formed, but Megabus took payment, provided confirmation record of the order four weeks prior - due to them not having a service they need to fund the equivalent service with an alternative provider.

visidigi

quangy wrote: »

Yes, hotels booked around travel arrangements, nearly had a ruined christmas, not Megabuses fault, out of pocket, not Megabuses fault, sold a ticket for a route not available and received confirmation, not Megabuses fault....

The consequential costs of your hotels etc are not Megabus's responsibility - their responsibility lies with ensuring you they full fill their ticket to the point of arrival as per the booking, by what ever means viable as long as the contract has been formed.