to exepct to get my money back?

[love2sleep]

I can't decide whether to make a fuss or not.

The dc and I got a bus to our nearest big town today. £5 return ticket. The bus coming home was over an hour late because it broke down and they faffed about for ages getting a replacement. I asked the driver for a refund and he looked at me like I'd just popped over from mars. "We got you there in the end", "you wouldn't get your money back if we'd been stuck in traffic", "that's not how it works" etc etc etc. I tried ringing the bus company and got an equally helpful brick wall.

Do I bother to make a fuss? I get the feeling that they think that buses are just for people who have no other choice so they don't need to make an effort. I have no problem with the delay - these things happen - but it would have been nice to get the feeling that someone gave a about the inconvience to us.

[crazymummy84]

I would at least try. In my town when busses break down the give a refund. I dont think YABU.

[crazymummy84]

sorry meant to say YANBU. Im new to this.

[Egg]

Hate to say it but I have spent many many hours waiting for buses (and trains) and it never dawned on me to ask for a refund. Esp not if it was because the bus broke down as opposed to driver error in some way.

[crazymummy84]

It my not be their fault but it is still their service which has failed the customer.

[janeite]

I agree with Egg; I reckon it would be an absolute waste of time and would make you look a bit petty to be honest. I have never heard of anybody getting a refund for a bus service being delayed (for whatever reason) -sorry. Just something to put down to experience I think.

[HermanMunster]

did you ask for the refund before you got on the bus and were you planning on taking alternative transport home? if that was the case then i'd say fair enough.
if you were still planning on availing of the service and wanted a refund back i'd say YAB a bit U as a break down is out of their control and they did provide an alternative bus. in fairness most service based business' (restaurant etc) would offer you a refund in such circumstances but it would be completely at their discretion seeing as you still availed of the service.

[windygalestoday]

my dh used to work for the railways one day my train was seriously delayed the next train was packed and so i resorted to a bus and a taxi - i got in i was furious so i rang the trin station up i spoke to a very nice bloke who agreed i shouldnt have had such hassle and could only apologise and would i accept £30 in train vouchers? yes says i thinking well i get free train travel anyhoo cos of dh ill give these vouchers away ......so i give my name and address to be met with 'fgs windy stop moaning twas my dh doing a stint in the t.e.b lmao i never got those vouchers either

[love2sleep]

IME the trains are usually pretty good at giving refunds when the service is shoddy. I had assumed the same would be true on the buses. It's really not about the money, it's about the sense that they could not care less how bad their service is.

[heronsfly]

I think you should at least try,the buses round here are appaling,they turn up when they feel like it,go zooming past stops if they are late,and treat school children terribly,endless complaints in the paper about dcs being put of bus miles from home because they were 5p short in fare ect.
The trouble is,we all put up with it because we have no options.

[love2sleep]

Heronsfly that is exactly my point. I do have options, I choose to use the bus rather than the car but I feel awful for those passengers with no choice. The only other person on the bus who made any fuss was another mum who was worried about getting her kids from school. All the others were older adults who seemed to accept this as inevitable. I want to use the buses more but I can see why most car drivers avoid them like the plague.