to expect proper compensation from VIRGIN trains

[Flocci]

My mum came to visit last week and was due to arrive at our local station in Surrey at 10.30pm. After a pig of a journey where she stood all the way from Newcastle, she got to London at almost 1am and then dh had to go and fetch her in the car from there as of course there was no Tube or local trains. They finally got home at 2.30am.

Virgin have refunded her train ticket (£32) but say they won't reimburse for additional expenses ie mileage going to fetch her in the car or give general compo for the aggravation - doesn't that seem unfair? I mean, waht if dh couldn't go and get her - what would have happened? She's 71 years old FFS - should she have slept on the station floor all night? Or got in a random black cab and come home - how much would that have cost?

Can they really just say, sorry but it is not policy to reimburse your additional costs, when it was due totally to them that she was put in that position?

That is pretty disgraceful, but I have to say , I would not let my parents travel any sort of distance without pre-booking the seats.

We did prebook the seat, and mum got there in good time and took her seat, and dad stowed her heavy suitcase for her ...... and then 2 stops down the line the train stopped and after waiting for half an hour with no info they all had to get off and join a different train which was already full. Mum had to carry her case by herself, up and down stairs and of course when she got there there were no spare seats.

In that case, I would create merry hell.

But they have just written back a 3 page letter along the lines of blah blah blah these things happen. They just truly don't give a damn. Even had the cheek to suggest that actually standing is preferable to most people rather than waiting for a seat on the next train ????