How many passengers claim the compensation they are entitled to?

[whole diary]

[grahame]

http://www.transportfocus.org.uk/research-publications/publications/rail-delays-compensation/

Rail delays and compensation – what passengers want

17th November 2016

The number of passengers claiming the compensation they are owed has almost trebled – but is still less than half of all those eligible.

In 2013 we found that almost nine in 10 of passengers eligible for compensation for delays, did not claim. This time we spoke to  over 7000 passengers and found that the number claiming compensation has increased to 35 per cent.

This research by Transport Focus in partnership with the Department for Transport and the Office of Rail and Road found:

the number of passengers claiming compensation has increased since 2013 from 12 per cent to 35 per cent
57 per cent of eligible passengers weren’t aware they could claim compensation or didn’t even think about it
just 38 per cent of passengers are satisfied with the train company alerting them to their right to claim compensation.

[TaplowGreen]

http://www.transportfocus.org.uk/research-publications/publications/rail-delays-compensation/

Rail delays and compensation – what passengers want

17th November 2016

The number of passengers claiming the compensation they are owed has almost trebled – but is still less than half of all those eligible.

In 2013 we found that almost nine in 10 of passengers eligible for compensation for delays, did not claim. This time we spoke to  over 7000 passengers and found that the number claiming compensation has increased to 35 per cent.

This research by Transport Focus in partnership with the Department for Transport and the Office of Rail and Road found:

the number of passengers claiming compensation has increased since 2013 from 12 per cent to 35 per cent
57 per cent of eligible passengers weren’t aware they could claim compensation or didn’t even think about it
just 38 per cent of passengers are satisfied with the train company alerting them to their right to claim compensation.

It would be very straightforward for GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) (as an example) to pay compensation automatically where an Advance ticket has been purchased via their website for a specific train which incurs sufficient delay or cancellation to warrant it, rather than customers having to go through all the rigmarole of claiming it.

[ChrisB]

Virgin already do

[old original]

http://www.transportfocus.org.uk/research-publications/publications/rail-delays-compensation/

Rail delays and compensation – what passengers want

17th November 2016

The number of passengers claiming the compensation they are owed has almost trebled – but is still less than half of all those eligible.

In 2013 we found that almost nine in 10 of passengers eligible for compensation for delays, did not claim. This time we spoke to  over 7000 passengers and found that the number claiming compensation has increased to 35 per cent.

This research by Transport Focus in partnership with the Department for Transport and the Office of Rail and Road found:

the number of passengers claiming compensation has increased since 2013 from 12 per cent to 35 per cent
57 per cent of eligible passengers weren’t aware they could claim compensation or didn’t even think about it
just 38 per cent of passengers are satisfied with the train company alerting them to their right to claim compensation.

It would be very straightforward for GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) (as an example) to pay compensation automatically where an Advance ticket has been purchased via their website for a specific train which incurs sufficient delay or cancellation to warrant it, rather than customers having to go through all the rigmarole of claiming it.

..but, playing devil's advocate,  how could they tell if the passenger had travelled and incurred a delay which would give them a percentage refund and some one who had decided not to travel and would qualify for a full refund under present t's & c's?

[PhilWakely]

..but, playing devil's advocate,  how could they tell if the passenger had travelled and incurred a delay which would give them a percentage refund and some one who had decided not to travel and would qualify for a full refund under present t's & c's?

With the existing arrangement, you are supposed to send your ticket back with the claim. If the ticket has been checked onboard, it will have been marked. If not, then STAR machines can read whether a ticket has been through barriers. Where GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) would have problems is if there are no barriers or the barriers were left open.

If it were automated, you couldn't tell.

[JayMac]

It is also advisable not to use the automatic barrier (if present) at the end of a delayed journey as the ticket may be swallowed. Staff then have to retrieve it. Not easy with some barriers that drop tickets straight into a hopper, instead of keeping the last few inserted in the mechanism.

There's also the issue of getting staff to retrieve. I've heard tale of folk being told "tough" when they've wanted to retain their ticket for compensation and not realised it may be swallowed by the barrier at their destination.

[TaplowGreen]

..but, playing devil's advocate,  how could they tell if the passenger had travelled and incurred a delay which would give them a percentage refund and some one who had decided not to travel and would qualify for a full refund under present t's & c's?

With the existing arrangement, you are supposed to send your ticket back with the claim. If the ticket has been checked onboard, it will have been marked. If not, then STAR machines can read whether a ticket has been through barriers. Where GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) would have problems is if there are no barriers or the barriers were left open.

If it were automated, you couldn't tell.

It's simple really, depending on your attitude to your Customers & Customer Service in general- you do something which benefits the overwhelming majority of customers, shows them respect & makes them feel trusted, valued & well disposed towards you and likely to become advocates for you, whilst accepting that a few will slip through the net and get something they're not entitled to, or you treat customers as dishonest, deceitful cheats who by default will look to make a quick buck at every opportunity......whichever you choose, you will generally find the attitude is reciprocated.

[IndustryInsider]

Agree with TG completely.  There are areas where a less lenient approach to fraud and deceit are required, but in the case of setting up a system of automatic refunds to advance purchase tickets (like Virgin West Coast have done) then it would be a very customer friendly thing for GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) and other operators to do.  It's the sort of thing that should be specified in franchise agreements so there's a consistent approach by all train operating companies.

[ChrisB]

For Advances, you can't get your money back for non-travel...it's wasted. So for an operator to offer auto-compensation is in your davour by assuming you did travel, with proof you did. Rather than you not travelling, and submitting a claim when you hear it was heavily delayed. Which would be fraud. So the customer gains.

There is no suggestion that auto-comp can be applied to any ticket other than Advances. It would be very difficult to do for turn-up & go tickets

[JayMac]

For Advances, you can't get your money back for non-travel...it's wasted.

Not quite. If your booked train is cancelled, delayed prior to departure, or your reservation  won't be honoured, and you decide not to travel, you are entitled to a full refund. That applies to all point to point ticket types, including Advance Purchase.

[ChrisB]

Sorry, for 'non-travel', I meant through traveller's choice on trains running normally

[froome]

At least part of the reason why some people don't make a claim is that it is too confusing trying to work out who they should make a claim against, if their journey involves more than one train operator. Is there a way to work this out that is published somewhere (and understandable for most people)?

I quoted an example on another thread a couple of days ago. If GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) cancel a train (which is a direct service), are they automatically liable if you are late enough to be able to claim? Even though there was an alternative GWR train a few minutes later that then linked to another company's train that is slightly late and misses a connection, which is what actually makes you late? I imagine that GWR would claim that despite the cancellation, their alternative train was sufficient for you to not be late (and would have been if the other TO's train had been on time).

[IndustryInsider]

As far as I know it's always been the initial delay that stops you sticking to an acceptable itinerary to keep things as simple as possible, and to avoid the same going round in circles scenario we have with delay attribution.  Might not favour GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) in all instances, but they will end up gaining in some cases too.  If you send you claim in to the wrong TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) they will forward it to the correct one as far as I know, so it might take longer but you should get the appropriate refund.

Encouraging to see the percentage of claimants rising quite sharply, but it should still be a lot higher.

[TaplowGreen]

For Advances, you can't get your money back for non-travel...it's wasted.

Not quite. If your booked train is cancelled, delayed prior to departure, or your reservation  won't be honoured, and you decide not to travel, you are entitled to a full refund. That applies to all point to point ticket types, including Advance Purchase.

.......and just think of the administration savings if refunds were made directly wherever possible rather than having to manually process applications & send vouchers etc via Royal mail.......win/win in terms of this & customer experience  I'd say.

[ChrisB]

But could one be clear enough to passengers when you need to claim & when the auto-comp kicks in? Because you certainly wouldn't want pax claiming for an auto-comp ticket.....I think that's one of the delays. The TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) would need to be firing off an email very soon after the actual delay to confirm to the traveller that they don't need to claim.