Great Western Coffee Shop

So I saw a poster at Maidenhead station last week stating that season ticket holders would be receiving letters regarding compensation for the disruption on October 6th.  I hadn't received a letter so I emailed customer services, who replied that it is being treated as a void day.  I can:

1) get an additional day added at renewal
2) extend existing season ticket by 1 day
3) get a cash refund.

I have to provide my season ticket (monthly or longer) valid for 6th October to get the compensation.  However I have renewed my season ticket since then and, as no one said at the time, I disposed of the  old one.  I wasn't offered any of the above at the time of renewal.   The poster implies they have a record of everyone who held a season ticket for that day (although maybe not as I havn't received a letter yet).  I contacted customer services again, but they were quite adamant - no proof of travel on 6th October, no compensation.

They have my address, they have my photocard number which is printed on every monthly season ticket I buy, they give me the regular 5% discount on renewal of the ticket so there must be a link between every ticket I buy, so FGW must know that I had a ticket valid for that day, but no, no ticket no compensation.  Catch 22.

So my advice is don't throw away your ticket and does anyone have any advice how I can claim?

The same thing happened last winter.. void days.. The ticket lady at Maidenhead just automatically added the extra days to my ticket when I renewed and I am pretty sure it wasn't the first renewal after the disruption but the second one so you may be ok as I wasn't renewing the ticket that was in use at the time of the disruption.

I've not had a letter yet either btw so maybe they are still on the way

I renewed my monthly season ticket today.. The void day was added on the end though that wasn't communicated to me at all.. I've still not had a letter either  ::)

Haven't had a letter, renewed my season ticket today and no void day added.......am I surprised? Not really  >:(

Today I asked for, and received, the six void days I was owed so far this year - credited back to the card with which I bought my season ticket.  Less than 10 minutes, one form, a couple more signatures, and Bob's my auntie's partner.  The time even included reprinting a rather faded ticket as well.

Top marks to FGW's young man at Cholsey today - thank-you very much!

They appeared to be making a note of season ticket holders they'd given the void days to though it was rather a manual paper and pen based system

In this paart Oxfordshire - they got 'puters !   ;D

Ha ha they did type something extra into their 'puter it has to be fair (probably adding the extra day to my monthly ticket) but also had to write it down with good old pen and paper (I am guessing the 'puter doesn't have a terribly good memory)

But since they didn't actually telling me they were doing it.. it's hard to tell   ;D ;D

Update!

I have finally received the general letter from FGW offering me a refund or extension by presenting a valid ticket - no explanation if this means my current season ticket or a ticket valid for travel on the day of disruption though.  Clearly there is a database linking season tickets to addresses.

Meanwhile, in response to my initial complaint that I was told a refund couldn't be issued as I didn't have the original ticket valid on the day of disruption, I received a letter offering a Rail Travel Voucher for the value of the void day as a 'gesture of goodwill' if I sent in a copy of my current season ticket.

In retrospect I jumped the gun in asking for a refund before I had received the general letter, but the disruption was on 6th October, and I received the letter on 10th November (although it was dated 'October 2014').

So it seems that there is an audit trail linking season tickets, their renewal, and home addresses although when I originally called to make the claim I was clearly told several times 'no ticket valid on the day of disruption, no refund'.

Anyway, the matter is resolved to my satisfaction, but needlessly time-consuming and over-complicated.


 

The inconsistency in this company is astonishing. I haven't received a letter about the void day, nor was anything added to my renewal this morning. Additionally, the 5 days (I think it was?) from earlier in the year - I DID receive a letter about that, but completely forgot all about it by the time I renewed the following month, but thinking back, nothing was added to that either. So thats 6 days I haven't claimed for this year (because I didn't do it), yet others have had it done automatically!

I'm not surprised - I guess they rely on people like me (buying the expensive tickets "just in case" and failing to claim compensation) to make money  :D

I also received the letter in November dated October, and had almost given up on it.
I went to Maidenhead Ticket office and needed to get a replacement paper ticket, as my had worn.
The lady there said it was in respect of a Void day.
Where there any other voids days I asked (knowing about the floods in Feb), and she said yese there were.
Anyway, long story short, a refund processed for ^70 odd quid and happy was I.
WE

I renewed my season ticket but the void day wasn't added, nor have I had the much vaunted letter - this really is unacceptable as FGW has the details of all season ticket holders and so it should be a straightforward process

I think this demonstrates how wrong it is that customers have to make the effort to make a claim, FGW is no doubt relying on apathy to avoid its obligations.....people on this forum tend to be better informed about their rights, I suspect lack of knowledge has saved FGW a fortune over the years in this respect when they should be more proactive.

I finally received my letter last week. What really grated with me was the language used, which casually described the void day "as a gesture of goodwill". Grrrrr.

If they want to see a gesture of goodwill its the fact I haven't returned it wrapped around a brick.