To expect a refund when my train doesn't run?

[AuntieBulgaria]

I went out in north London just before Christmas using a day return train ticket. The train I was due to get home at 23.11 was cancelled due to power line problems. We were advised to go to another station as there would be no further services on the line. I went to another station to catch a 00.10 train, only to be told that this was cancelled due to someone being hit by the train. There were no other train services from that station either. It was late and cold so I got a taxi to a friend's house and stayed overnight and then had to buy a tube ticket and another train ticket to get home from the station I was now closest to.

In all the taxi, tube and the extra train ticket cost me £50, the original train ticket cost an additional £20.

I sent in my compensation form and after 3 weeks have just been offered £30 in train vouchers - £10 of which is for the 'unused' portion of my original ticket and £20 as a 'goodwill' gesture for the cost of my other train ticket.

I am massively irked by this. There was no replacement transport at the station that we were made aware of. At midnight in a random part of London in the freezing cold and on my own, I felt I had no alternative but to get a taxi.

Why do they say that they cannot compensate me for 'consequential losses'? They failed to provide a service. What the feck else was I supposed to do?

AIBU to reject the offer of £30 of vouchers? Do I have any rights or grounds for a better deal?

It is so hit and miss. I got stuck in London during the floods a couple of years back, I was there interviewing (I'm from Cornwall so too far for a taxi!) luckily the family I was interviewing with for a nanny post let me stay overnight and I caught a coch the next day as the trains still weren't running at all. I asked for a refund of the unused return portion of my ticket and was given a full refund of the entire saver return, in vouchers. I was happy with that!

I don't know much about right or legalities but in those circumstances I would hold out for more.

What you're supposed to do is go to a member of staff at the station at the time and sit there until they arrange something. Sometimes they put people in taxis, even (have had one from Edinburgh to Aberdeen, bloody ridiculous when they could have held the last train for our delayed connection to get in). It's completely stupid and unreasonable of them, but that's what you're supposed to do. But yes, I would complain further, if I were you, even though they'll probably just be crap about it. I dunno what legal rights you have, but morally of course yanbu.

DOesn't surprise me. WHat train company?

First Capital Connect

Well I'd get on to them and have another go, but if they are anything like my train company they will just display the usual jobsworth manner...
I would emphasis the fact that you were not given proper information, that the other train complany could not in fact get you any further and that you were a woman travelling alone late at night in London and they should have had a greater concern for your safety.
Then say you will contact your MP.

Thanks Katisha - what side of the company do you work for?

I don't - sorry crossed wires - by "my company" I mean the one I have to use as a commuter.

But I have spent many happy hours emailing my MP about them...To no avail, despite his best efforts...

I would write back to them and explain what you wrote in your OP.

And add in the invoice for the time taken to write the letter (your hourly salary, proof and cost of photocopy of salary slip enclosed) and the cost of the fucking stamp to post the thing.

Not joking.

I used to work for a large train operating company and the director of compensations and refunds (along with other things) once told me that they arent required to give refunds if its not their fault.

Yes its shit, and you might get more, wont hurt to try will it, but Im not sure they have to do anything. Though very surprised there was no replacement buses, although I think these are only for planned cancellations such as maintenance etc.

"they arent required to give refunds if its not their fault"

Yes, but at the cost of being too brutal with my words, that's just shit, from a consumer's point of view. Paid for a service, not rendered, therefore refund quite within reasonable demands.

I cannot fathom that a refund isn't unreasonable in this circumstance.

bu then maybe i've been reading margaret dibben too much

I agree fifteen that is just shit, believe me I was a bit when he said it. The OP did get a refund though for the train ticket. I just wanted to warn that they might not get anymore, but as I said it cant hurt can it?

Hmm, the letter says there was a replacement bus, but I assume that was in the first station. When I left the first station as directed, I was still hoping to get a train at the second one. When the train at the second station was cancelled it was late and cold so I joined the queue of people for the mini-cab office. The only announcements that I heard in the time I was waiting there were that there were no more trains. I don't think the train company at the second station was the same as the first. They didn't know anything about the 1st station line closure at the 2nd station.

I know that this is tedious, I'm already bored. I will write again but with little optimism.

Lufthansa caused my luggage to be delayed by one day once. They said I should go ahead and buy pants and socks and a toothbrush to last us overnight. When we came to claim it back, I highlighted the items on the receipt we were claiming for (had bought a few holiday extras) but they went ahead and refunded the whole lot. I am happy to recommend Lufthansa as an excellent airline.

You'll lose the £30 train tickets I believe if you say they're not good enough.

I think they were fairly reasonable all things considered.

Sadly you lost out though.
There's so many risks with public transport :/

They had a duty to get you from A to B and they didn't. Most train companies will put on a replacement service, even if it has to be a taxi.

They should have let you travel on the old ticket on the second day (as passengers who couldn't get to Scotland yesterday are allowed to travel today for free on the old tickets due to cancellations) if you couldn't travel the previous night, therefore they were right to pay you for the cost of the new ticket, although I would write to them again and ask for the cost of the Tube & the taxi, stressing that as a single woman you had no choice and were very ill-informed as to your options.

I've had similar failures by transport companies that ended up with them even refunding the (prohibitive) cost of calling their Customer Service centre from my mobile because no one on-site would give me any information.

Given that First Group is making thousands every month from bus fuel rebates by using their own buses to replace cancelled rail services (and thus make money, which they're not meant to do, from rail closures), I think they can afford it.