Cancelled train - ticket not accepted on alt route

ArbitraryRandom

amanda1024 said:

From Avanti’s website:

“Under the Consumer Rights Act, you may be able to claim extra compensation if you incur costs as a result of our failure to provide the expected service. 

If you think this applies to you, please get in touch with our Customer Resolutions Centre and tell us what happened so we can look into it. We examine each claim on a case-by-case basis and aim to get back to you within 20 working days.”

This sounds like a situation where you’d *potentially* have a case so I’d suggest contacting them on the link above and explaining everything that happened, including what you were told by Avanti staff and receipts from the extra tickets you had to buy.

I would agree with this advice - I would also highlight that if you are not satisfied with the response to your complaint you can also escalate to the rail ombudsman once you have received a deadlock letter (ask Avanti for their complaints process and follow it step by step to the end). 

https://www.railombudsman.org/making-a-complaint/start-a-complaint/ 

Your main issue will be evidencing/demonstrating what you're saying, so it's a good idea to try and document now everything you remember (who told you what, when, on which platform/ticketing office etc) plus make copies of any receipts. Set out a chronological narrative: 

Arrived at station A time to catch B train to C scheduled to depart at D
Was informed at E time via station staff/tanoy/arrival boards that train would be delayed/cancelled 
Approached platform staff/ticketing office and was advised to catch the F service via G departing on platform H at I time
etc.

Terz

powerful_Rogue said:

Terz said:

powerful_Rogue said:

Terz said:

lincroft1710 said:

Terz said:

Mark_d said:

Avanti should give you a full refund for the cancelled service.  That's the end of their responsibility.  I don't think it can reasonably be expected that they'll additionally pay for a replacement journey.

I don't expect to travel for free - I do expect my extra cost to be covered though.  As I mentioned in my other reply I booked a couple of months in advance and ended up paying last minute prices. It's quite a jump in cost.  Especially as some people didn't pay a penny extra and were even provided with a bus replacement service from Edinburgh to Glasgow I would expect Avanti to do something for me.

I was also told at both Euston and Kings X that if I hadn't been able to travel home same day that Avanti would have been required to put me in a hotel at their cost.  This info came from station staff at both stations, Avanti staff and LNER staff.

If they do that why wouldn't they cover my extra cost to get home same day which was much cheaper than any London hotel?

As you chose not to use the alternatives Avanti were able to provide, I think you will find they have no liability for the extra costs you incurred in making your own way home.

I'm not sure where you get the idea I chose not to use the alternatives Avanti provided!  

I did exactly as Avanti told me to. They were explicit that they were not providing any service themselves and that I should make my way to Kings X and take a train to Edinburgh then on to Glasgow from there.  Nothing I did was not what they suggested except I didn't walk or take the underground from Euston to Kings X but took a taxi instead.

When LNER said the ticket wasn't valid, you should have contacted Avanti and seen what they suggested.

Avanti had been crystal clear they weren't providing any service and that everyone must leave the station. I heard them tell someone who had turned up at Euston for info that they shouldn't have done that but that the phone lines were disconnecting the majority of calls due to being so overwhelmed which was why this guy had just gone to the station.  Without being able to get through on the phone my only option would have been to turn round and get another taxi back to Euston then another one back to Kings X by which time I'd likely have missed the last train (6pm)

Hindsight is a great thing, but I would have just continued to call, live chat etc. They might not have been providing a service, but could have advised of your next actions as LNER was not accepting the ticket.

By which time I'd have missed any opportunity to get home the same day.  That really wasn't a viable option with my disability.  No hindsight required in managing day to day needs.

Terz

HillStreetBlues said:

Considering most trains from Euston were cancelled I do wonder how many staff some people think Avanti have manning phones and live chat!

I didn't think they had many which is why I didn't keep trying but instead made sure I could get home safely!

Terz

lincroft1710 said:

Terz said:

lincroft1710 said:

Terz said:

Mark_d said:

Avanti should give you a full refund for the cancelled service.  That's the end of their responsibility.  I don't think it can reasonably be expected that they'll additionally pay for a replacement journey.

I don't expect to travel for free - I do expect my extra cost to be covered though.  As I mentioned in my other reply I booked a couple of months in advance and ended up paying last minute prices. It's quite a jump in cost.  Especially as some people didn't pay a penny extra and were even provided with a bus replacement service from Edinburgh to Glasgow I would expect Avanti to do something for me.

I was also told at both Euston and Kings X that if I hadn't been able to travel home same day that Avanti would have been required to put me in a hotel at their cost.  This info came from station staff at both stations, Avanti staff and LNER staff.

If they do that why wouldn't they cover my extra cost to get home same day which was much cheaper than any London hotel?

As you chose not to use the alternatives Avanti were able to provide, I think you will find they have no liability for the extra costs you incurred in making your own way home.

I'm not sure where you get the idea I chose not to use the alternatives Avanti provided!  

I did exactly as Avanti told me to. They were explicit that they were not providing any service themselves and that I should make my way to Kings X and take a train to Edinburgh then on to Glasgow from there.  Nothing I did was not what they suggested except I didn't walk or take the underground from Euston to Kings X but took a taxi instead.

You said in a previous post that Avanti would have provided overnight accom if a passenger couldn't travel on the same day plus the free bus service from Edinburgh to Glasgow, so I inferred that these were what Avanti were offering but you chose to travel with another train operator

No. 

They said that they would have been required to provide that if onward travel wasn't available.  At the time I got back to Euston on the cancelled train it was still possible to travel home without needing an overnight stop by going via Kings X which is what they told me to do as stated originally.

If, however I had travelled back and forth between Euston and Kings X to ask more questions as another poster suggested, I would definitely have needed overnight accommodation.

Terz

ArbitraryRandom said:

amanda1024 said:

From Avanti’s website:

“Under the Consumer Rights Act, you may be able to claim extra compensation if you incur costs as a result of our failure to provide the expected service. 

If you think this applies to you, please get in touch with our Customer Resolutions Centre and tell us what happened so we can look into it. We examine each claim on a case-by-case basis and aim to get back to you within 20 working days.”

This sounds like a situation where you’d *potentially* have a case so I’d suggest contacting them on the link above and explaining everything that happened, including what you were told by Avanti staff and receipts from the extra tickets you had to buy.

I would agree with this advice - I would also highlight that if you are not satisfied with the response to your complaint you can also escalate to the rail ombudsman once you have received a deadlock letter (ask Avanti for their complaints process and follow it step by step to the end). 

https://www.railombudsman.org/making-a-complaint/start-a-complaint/ 

Your main issue will be evidencing/demonstrating what you're saying, so it's a good idea to try and document now everything you remember (who told you what, when, on which platform/ticketing office etc) plus make copies of any receipts. Set out a chronological narrative: 

Arrived at station A time to catch B train to C scheduled to depart at D
Was informed at E time via station staff/tanoy/arrival boards that train would be delayed/cancelled 
Approached platform staff/ticketing office and was advised to catch the F service via G departing on platform H at I time
etc.

Thanks - as I mentioned I noted all the discussions I had as soon as I was safely on the train to Edinburgh and have all the receipts so I am ready for this - as much as I can be without actually having recorded the conversations!

Terz

Just to close this out I did follow the advice to contact the Customer Resolutions Centre and they were very helpful.  I have received the full refund on my original Avanti ticket plus a cheque for the extra it cost by taking a taxi to Kings X then the LNER train and Scotrail on to home.  This means that I paid the same as if my Avanti journey had continued without disruption and no extra.  It took a couple of weeks to get the cheque but Avanti were excellent in resolving this.

ArbitraryRandom

Thanks for the update and I'm glad it worked out for you