Trainline.com Complaint

RhysT88

I'll try and make this short!

Few weeks back I booked two single advance tickets. One to Cardiff to Manchester and one Manchester to Cardiff. I booked both of these via their app. However, the latter made a error and booked me another Cardiff to Manchester instead of Manchester to Cardiff. So on the day of the booking, I had to spend near enough £70 for a new ticket and wasted the £16 in the booking. It was 4am so I didn't think their call centre would be open and I was in a rush to get back to Cardiff for work.

I've asked for a refund due to their app making this error and everytime I speak to them I get shot down.

First time I've spoke to them I asked to speak to a Supervisor and they said I would get a call within 24 hours. They rang me while I was in work off a unknown number. They left no message or attempted to get in contact for a week. I've sent them e-mails and used the online chat and all I get is the same excuses. "you're the only one complaining about our App so our App is working fine" - I don't think this can be a valid reason for them can it?

I'm basing my complaint on how unclear the app was, the confirmation and their poor customer service.

I get the idea I can do a "letter before action" but is there another organisation I can speak to about this? Any advice here would be great! Hope this made sense!

Thank you

dzug1

RhysT88 wrote: »

"you're the only one complaining about our App so our App is working fine" - I don't think this can be a valid reason for them can it?

Well yes it can - if true, it means that user error is a more likely cause of the problem and thus likely to sway a court if it gets that far.


Many firms will cave in anyway before going to court - regardless of the rights and wrongs it's cheaper for them to pay an unjustified claim than to defend it.

wealdroam

RhysT88 wrote: »

I'll try and make this short!

Few weeks back I booked two single advance tickets. One to Cardiff to Manchester and one Manchester to Cardiff. I booked both of these via their app. However, the latter made a error and booked me another Cardiff to Manchester instead of Manchester to Cardiff. So on the day of the booking, I had to spend near enough £70 for a new ticket and wasted the £16 in the booking. It was 4am so I didn't think their call centre would be open and I was in a rush to get back to Cardiff for work.

I've asked for a refund due to their app making this error and everytime I speak to them I get shot down.

First time I've spoke to them I asked to speak to a Supervisor and they said I would get a call within 24 hours. They rang me while I was in work off a unknown number. They left no message or attempted to get in contact for a week. I've sent them e-mails and used the online chat and all I get is the same excuses. "you're the only one complaining about our App so our App is working fine" - I don't think this can be a valid reason for them can it?

I'm basing my complaint on how unclear the app was, the confirmation and their poor customer service.

I get the idea I can do a "letter before action" but is there another organisation I can speak to about this? Any advice here would be great! Hope this made sense!

Thank you

Yes, you can send them a letter before action.
An LBA is usually the first stage of court action.
See this CAB webpage for details.
Remember, that if it gets to court you may well need some sort of proof that they sold you a ticket different to that which you booked.

Are you sure you booked the tickets you wanted and didn't make a mistake?

By the way, do you realise that the train operating companies will sell tickets at the same prices* as the trainline, and most of them do not charge fees.


*sometimes cheaper

SpurredoninDublin

"You're the only one complaining, so our app must be working fine".

Having received a similar response to my recent complaint, I thought to myself, "How many times have businesses said that when in fact there have been a multitude of complaints which because they reply to you by e-mail, nobody can challenge the statement".

My recent experience is as follows. I booked two tickets for a total of £47. I received two e-mails with with the same header. Both e-mails contained two booking references, and the first e-mail showed a price total of £47, so I assumed that the second -email had been duplicated. After all why would they send me two references and put the total for two tickets on one e-mail?

I printed off the ticket and thought no more about it. When I arrived at Waterloo and tried to collect the tickets, I entered the reference and was only given one ticket. I managed to work out that I needed the second reference. When I looked at the "Journey Information" doc I had printed out, there was only one reference.

If I had printed the e-mail, rather then the "info" from their push button, I would have had both references. However the system that they use is misleading because it begins by including info that relates to two ticket, but the final result is that what they allow you to print info about the one ticket.

Yes I do accept I could have been a bit more careful, but my point is why are they printing info about two tickets on one e-mail, if the info ultimately only relates to one ticket. Had the e-mail headers contained different references, then i would have opened both.

Anyway, long story short, life's too short to argue about the £10 charge I incurred to process the refund. And I received the "nobody else has this problem" comment which annoys me, because I asked them why they would send me two e-mails with identical headers, and not consider that someone might assume that they had been duplicated in error? I am still awaiting an answer.

Finally, on another thread, I saw someone ask the question, as to why someone might even consider using this service. In my case, I used them because the ads talked about huge savings. Though I booked five weeks in advance for off-peak journeys, I discovered that I had paid the standard fare for both tickets plus a service charge. Had I not booked with the them, I could have gone to the same ticket machine without a booking and bought exactly the same tickets without a booking fee or credit card charge and no need for confusing e-mails.

If anyone from Trainline reads this, remember, you only get one chance to make a first impression, and you blew it.

Sharon_Rideout

Does anybody have an email address to complain to the Trainline please. There links are useless, resolver has not yet escalated. I got a apex tickets, understand not refundable but she had a nice illness, I tried to reverse the tickets to save wasting 70 +, yet so.many different advisors gave different advise! One said I needed a child to travel, one offered without a child, however when I called back they refused! ( I don't have one) I originally used family and friends for my daughter and grandson. I sole use wanted to travel. I still have the tickets .

agrinnall

Write a letter.

"Claims regarding the Booking Service shall be addressed to thetrainline.com at PO Box 23972, Edinburgh EH2 9AF by registered letter with return receipt requested, within three months following the transport date."

Essex_Jim

I had a Trainline booking for last night. Return journey I had a reserved seat in a designated carriage. When I got on the train, none of the carriages were lettered - so could not determine the designated carriage. Even it had been the seats were not numbered.

On this basis do I have grounds to complain and claim money back?

p00hsticks

Essex_Jim wrote: »

I had a Trainline booking for last night. Return journey I had a reserved seat in a designated carriage. When I got on the train, none of the carriages were lettered - so could not determine the designated carriage. Even it had been the seats were not numbered.

On this basis do I have grounds to complain and claim money back?

Did you get a seat ?

martindow

Essex_Jim wrote: »

I had a Trainline booking for last night. Return journey I had a reserved seat in a designated carriage. When I got on the train, none of the carriages were lettered - so could not determine the designated carriage. Even it had been the seats were not numbered.

On this basis do I have grounds to complain and claim money back?

It sounds as if a different type of train was used or possibly you were not on the specified train. It is not uncommon for reservations not to happen especially if there are delays and cancelled trains.

As has been said - did you get a seat? If so you have not lost out. If you had to stand I doubt if you are entitled to a refund but they may offer a goodwill voucher if you ask nicely.

Trainline take extra fees that train companies don't charge - that is how to save cash!

Essex_Jim

martindow wrote: »

It sounds as if a different type of train was used or possibly you were not on the specified train. It is not uncommon for reservations not to happen especially if there are delays and cancelled trains.

As has been said - did you get a seat? If so you have not lost out. If you had to stand I doubt if you are entitled to a refund but they may offer a goodwill voucher if you ask nicely.

Trainline take extra fees that train companies don't charge - that is how to save cash!

No. Stood for the whole journey for an hour and a half. And I was on the correct train.

agrinnall

Surely the seat reservation didn't cost anything, so there is no claim to be made?