London Underground, delays & "tickets accepted on alternative routes"

roses

Hi,

Last week, I was supposed to get the overground train (run by london underground) but the service was suspended and there was the message "tickets will be accepted on alternative routes".

So, I got the tube instead which took me through central london instead of the outskirts. I have a pay as you go oyster and it cost me £2.90 instead of the usual £1.40.

They have a refund section but this would only refund me if I was delayed by more than 30 minutes on the overground, not the fare difference and my journey ended up being 50 minutes instead of 25, just short of the 30 min requirement for filling out the delay form.

Does anyone know how I claim a difference for the fare? I can't find this info on the TFL website.

olly300

You need to phone them up and ask them.

And as they phone number isn't free and some of their staff have the habit of putting the phone down on you pretending they can't hear if your question is too difficult for them to answer, you will probably spend the difference in phone calls.

ryantcb

As poster above stated you need to call them. The phone number isnt free so use a landline. They have a customer charter at all stations (usually next to the tube maps on the wall, its the big grey leaflet with all the writing on it) this charter refunds you if delayed more than 15 minutes.
Also with oyster it doesnt work instantly so you may see a refund at a later date (usually 24 hours but with xmas holidays may take longer). Oyster doesnt have the ability to understand disruption or alternative routes so just charges what it should, its only later when the system is informed of the problems that it works out all journey thats would have been affected and refund them accordingly. Some people can go from Barking to Richmond on london overground and others take the tube through zone 1. oyster doesnt know which route you normally take so may just assume you always do it that way and not recognise it needs to refund you so then you need to call. It use to be a free phone number but they were getting calls asking when the next bus was or when is the bus stop being moved? They moved to the local rate number to discourage the nonsense calls.