Airport bus no show - no refund, no ticket!

pimento

I bought a return ticket for the x30 bus (run by First Buses) from Stansted airport to my home town near Southend. I used the Stansted to Southend part and was due to use the return portion a couple of Sundays ago.

The bus runs once an hour and I arrived 25 mins before the bus was due at 18.25. By 19.10 the bus had not arrived and when I called First, they said as far as they could see on their system, the bus was running. As the next bus wasn't due until 19.25 I decided that I couldn't risk it not coming so drove my car to the airport.

I wrote to First, enclosing my unused ticket asking for a refund and they have refused me a refund due to the fact that the bus not arriving was out of their control (an accident that caused a diversion) BUT they have also refused to return the unused part of my ticket to me.

Now, I think I should be able to have a refund of the unused part but even if there is some rule that says I can't, surely they have to give me my ticket back and give me a chance to use it on another occasion?

How can I pursue this? Many thanks

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

Have you got travel insurance?

If yes, use that.

If no, you're on your own.

pimento

Travel insurance? For two points along a bus route both in Essex?

Let's say I had bought a bus ticket not for a flight but for a funeral (or indeed, a wedding) and the same thing had happened. Would you still advise me to claim on my travel insurance?

ETA, in case you think I don't have travel insurance, I do. I still think that First Buses should give me my unused ticket back so that I can use it.

pimento

This lends me to believe that First Buses are in the wrong.

http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/if-my-train-is-delayed-can-i-cancel-my-ticket-and-get-a-refund

wealdroam

pimento wrote: »

This lends me to believe that First Buses are in the wrong.

http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/if-my-train-is-delayed-can-i-cancel-my-ticket-and-get-a-refund

I have no idea what your contract was with the bus company, but as you know, that Which article is specifically referring to trains.

All the train operating companies have to abide by the National Rail Conditions of Carriage which specify what each train company must do in the event of delay or cancellation. Some train companies offer more than that minimum.

Whether there is something similar for bus travel, I have no idea.

You need to look at the bus operator's T&Cs in the first instance.

pimento

It's not the refund so much as they fact that they now have my ticket and won't give it back or give me a refund. That surely can't be right.

pimento

Their T&Sc are skewed towards season tickets but say that refund of a valid ticket will be considered.

https://www.firstgroup.com/terms-and-conditions/trading-terms

Doesn't say they will keep the ticket, though.

MothballsWallet

Pimento, if you haven't already done this, I'd use the bus company's formal complaints procedure (but make it a polite request, it's just that they're probably measured on complaints) - if you're not satisfied with their reply, try the Bus Users England website for advice - their website is here.

unholyangel

Basically they should be refunding - even if the delay/cancellation wasn't within their control. Not being within their control just means they're not liable for consequential losses - it doesn't mean they can provide no service/services as agreed and keep your money.

Although Id keep in mind for the value we're likely speaking of, it would be counter productive to spend much time on this.

pimento

That's a good idea, MothballsWallet. I will do that and come back to let you know how I get on. I've been very polite so far and we're not talking about a large amount of money but I really can't see how it's legal for them to take money for a service that they then don't provide and then stop me from using the ticket on another occasion seeing how I've paid in advance for it.

MothballsWallet

No problem, pimento: like I said, keep it as a polite request (which you're doing), but mark correspondence as a complaint - I think bus companies have complaint handling-related targets in their key performance indicators (KPIs).

I'd be tempted to keep it as traditional letter correspondence as well, sometimes emails can become lost