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East Coast Trains are Rubbish

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Half term has been ruined as East Coast Trains cancelled our train last night, it was the last one of the day, and won't honour the ticket today. Even though they have a record of my booking and know the train was cencelled I have to post the tickets back "for audit purposes" just seems like a way of delaying the refund if you ask me.

Emailed the chief exec so wiaitng to see what her response will be to the awful, and expensive, customer service I've received this morning.

Will travel by car in future!
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Comments

  • keyser666
    keyser666 Posts: 2,140 Forumite
    Tiree wrote: »
    Half term has been ruined as East Coast Trains cancelled our train last night, it was the last one of the day, and won't honour the ticket today. Even though they have a record of my booking and know the train was cencelled I have to post the tickets back "for audit purposes" just seems like a way of delaying the refund if you ask me.

    Emailed the chief exec so wiaitng to see what her response will be to the awful, and expensive, customer service I've received this morning.

    Will travel by car in future!
    If a train has been cancelled they normally let you use them the following day, not sure why they havent
  • fluffnutter
    fluffnutter Posts: 23,179 Forumite
    What have they actually said?
    "Growth for growth's sake is the ideology of the cancer cell" - Edward Abbey.
  • As a seasoned East Coast user, I never had this problem. Whenever the train that I'am traveling on has been late arriving, resulting in me missing the last connecting train of the day, East Coast have always provided a taxi (20 miles). If further away, you be put up for the night and your tickets endorse for the next day.

    I suspect the OP just stormed out the station and went home, without speaking to anyone. And just turned up the next day and tried to use out of date tickets. The person on the barrier is not to know if the train the night before was canceled, either is the booking clerk.
  • As a seasoned East Coast user, I never had this problem. Whenever the train that I'am traveling on has been late arriving, resulting in me missing the last connecting train of the day, East Coast have always provided a taxi (20 miles). If further away, you be put up for the night and your tickets endorse for the next day.

    I suspect the OP just stormed out the station and went home, without speaking to anyone. And just turned up the next day and tried to use out of date tickets. The person on the barrier is not to know if the train the night before was canceled, either is the booking clerk.

    It can also be the case that the station isn't manned at night time so couldn't speak to anyone.
  • bap98189
    bap98189 Posts: 3,801 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts
    Handsome90 wrote: »
    It can also be the case that the station isn't manned at night time so couldn't speak to anyone.

    This has happened to me a few times (we live on a rural line). You just have to ring National Rail Enquiries, and they either tell you there is a rail replacement bus on the way or arrange for a taxi to pick you up.
  • Tiree
    Tiree Posts: 44 Forumite
    ICT Engineer I can assure you I didn't storm out of the station, that's an enormous assumption to make.

    As the station was unmanned I couldn't speak to anyone there so spent 20 minutes on my mobile with National Rail Enquiries only to find that this was the last train of the day to my destination. I then spent 30 minutes waiting for the promised replacement bus service which didn't arrive either. By this time we were frozen to the bone and so gave up and went home. If there had been another train the same day our tickets would have been valid on that or if lots of trains are affected they allow you to use them next day but not in the situation we found ourselves in.

    I initially had a quick response from the Chief Executives office but haven't had a satisfactory resolution yet - all I want is my money back without jumping through hoops and my out of pocket expenses (almost £10 in phone calls) covered. No too much to ask for a ruined half term holiday.
  • keyser666
    keyser666 Posts: 2,140 Forumite
    As a seasoned East Coast user, I never had this problem. Whenever the train that I'am traveling on has been late arriving, resulting in me missing the last connecting train of the day, East Coast have always provided a taxi (20 miles). If further away, you be put up for the night and your tickets endorse for the next day.

    I suspect the OP just stormed out the station and went home, without speaking to anyone. And just turned up the next day and tried to use out of date tickets. The person on the barrier is not to know if the train the night before was canceled, either is the booking clerk.
    I am the same been commuting for years on there and exactly as I have experienced
    Handsome90 wrote: »
    It can also be the case that the station isn't manned at night time so couldn't speak to anyone.
    Just need to call NR or alternatively they do send reps to station when they know this will be the case
    Tiree wrote: »
    ICT Engineer I can assure you I didn't storm out of the station, that's an enormous assumption to make.

    As the station was unmanned I couldn't speak to anyone there so spent 20 minutes on my mobile with National Rail Enquiries only to find that this was the last train of the day to my destination. I then spent 30 minutes waiting for the promised replacement bus service which didn't arrive either. By this time we were frozen to the bone and so gave up and went home. If there had been another train the same day our tickets would have been valid on that or if lots of trains are affected they allow you to use them next day but not in the situation we found ourselves in.

    I initially had a quick response from the Chief Executives office but haven't had a satisfactory resolution yet - all I want is my money back without jumping through hoops and my out of pocket expenses (almost £10 in phone calls) covered. No too much to ask for a ruined half term holiday.
    You dont say who told you your tickets werent valid for the next day? Also how do you know the bus replacement bus didnt arrive either if you gave up?
  • Tiree
    Tiree Posts: 44 Forumite
    East Coast Trains told me the tickets weren't valid, as I said the only option their Customer Relations offered was a refund. Personally I thought that waiting 30 minutes after the train was due in the freezing cold was long enough. I couldn't feel my body let alone my feet and my daughter was virtually blue.
  • fluffnutter
    fluffnutter Posts: 23,179 Forumite
    Tiree wrote: »
    ICT Engineer I can assure you I didn't storm out of the station, that's an enormous assumption to make.

    As the station was unmanned I couldn't speak to anyone there so spent 20 minutes on my mobile with National Rail Enquiries only to find that this was the last train of the day to my destination. I then spent 30 minutes waiting for the promised replacement bus service which didn't arrive either. By this time we were frozen to the bone and so gave up and went home. If there had been another train the same day our tickets would have been valid on that or if lots of trains are affected they allow you to use them next day but not in the situation we found ourselves in.

    I initially had a quick response from the Chief Executives office but haven't had a satisfactory resolution yet - all I want is my money back without jumping through hoops and my out of pocket expenses (almost £10 in phone calls) covered. No too much to ask for a ruined half term holiday.

    You still haven't explained how you knew your tickets weren't valid for the next day. This seems to be the crux of your argument but you've not explained how you found this out.
    "Growth for growth's sake is the ideology of the cancer cell" - Edward Abbey.
  • keyser666
    keyser666 Posts: 2,140 Forumite
    Tiree wrote: »
    East Coast Trains told me the tickets weren't valid, as I said the only option their Customer Relations offered was a refund. Personally I thought that waiting 30 minutes after the train was due in the freezing cold was long enough. I couldn't feel my body let alone my feet and my daughter was virtually blue.
    I am confused, when did you speak to East Coast Trains?
    You still haven't explained how you knew your tickets weren't valid for the next day. This seems to be the crux of your argument but you've not explained how you found this out.
    :money:
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