Southeastern Trains 56 day wait for refunds - Advice needed

5 Posts

Is there any law around the length of time a train company should issue a refund? I'm being told that what was once a 10 day process is now 56 days (five times as long).
I submitted my refund to South Eastern train company on the 7th April, at the time they were projecting a 20 day response time up from 10 days. I contacted them around 22nd April and they informed me they had calculated the amount that I'm owed, confirming the figure.
I contacted them this week and have now been informed that my refund will take up to the 56 days to process which is the 2nd June. I understand the increase in refund requests but this does not seem reasonable.
I've issued a complaint and received an email reconfirming the amount and the 56 day processing time.
I'm now being told that I have to wait a further five days for a manager to contact me - again unacceptable.
Are there any additional steps I can take to escalate this further. It shouldn't take until June to process a refund request made in April.
I submitted my refund to South Eastern train company on the 7th April, at the time they were projecting a 20 day response time up from 10 days. I contacted them around 22nd April and they informed me they had calculated the amount that I'm owed, confirming the figure.
I contacted them this week and have now been informed that my refund will take up to the 56 days to process which is the 2nd June. I understand the increase in refund requests but this does not seem reasonable.
I've issued a complaint and received an email reconfirming the amount and the 56 day processing time.
I'm now being told that I have to wait a further five days for a manager to contact me - again unacceptable.
Are there any additional steps I can take to escalate this further. It shouldn't take until June to process a refund request made in April.
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60-90 is typical for claims I have made with Northern in 'normal' times.
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Complaining and escalating is only adding to their workload at a time when they could be working at getting through the back log. Yes, stamping your feet and demanding might get you your refund quicker, but everyone is in the same boat, and patience is a virtue now more than ever.
The current National Rail Conditions of Travel is available to read or download here (PDF).
go to page 22 part F 29.3Before this maybe 100 refunds a month , now 20,000.
System was never ever going to cope
I'm owed a couple thousand which I need to pay bills as I'm furloughed and taking less than 80% salary.
The likelihood is that they take so long the refund is going to be unnecessary as we all return to work. Meanwhile I'll need to borrow and plunge further into debt. The only one that benefits from that is Southeastern, so let's not victim blame.