50% Railcard discount for the Severn Beach Line?

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

On obtaining new timetables in early May 2009 I noticed in the small print of timetable 29 (  http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Documents/Custom/May%2009%20TTs/FGW09M_TT29.pdf ) that railcard discounts would be 50% on this line instead of the usual 1/3 off. Great, I thought. As a regular user of this line (and DSB railcard holder), I was looking forward to the additional savings.
Unfortunately the department for producing the timetables has failed to tell the department responsible for fares. All on-line fares' enquiries still only offer the usual 1/3 off. The ticket office and TVMs^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) at BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) show no change to the existing 1/3 off, neither do the on-train Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains) machines.
I assumed therefore this was a mis-print, so I e-mailed FGW^▸ (First Great Western) on 9th May to highlight this. The response I got is as follows:- (names removed to protect the innocent!)

Dear Mr ******

Thank you for your email dated 9 May 2009 with regard to your enquiry into the information provided on the Severn Beach Line timetable pertaining to the 50% discount noted in the timetable details. I have doubled checked the details on your behalf, and I can confirm that the details on the timetable are correct. The problem is that this has not been implemented on our systems, so the correct price is not being reflected in our price enquiries. Our Fares Manager has now been made aware of this and is working to solution the problem as soon as possible. Thank you again for contacting First Great Western and for bringing the problem to our attention.

Yours sincerely,
****** ******
Customer Services Advisor.
(nice to know that the 'Fares Manager' is '......working to solution the problem.....' !!!!!)

Okay I thought, I'll give them a bit of time to sort this one out, but 5 weeks later, there has been no changes made anywhere to the fares. My follow up email has yet to be responded to. (As an aside; has anyone ever recieved a response to an email to FGW Customer Services within the 5 working days they say they hope to respond?) I am keeping all of my tickets and am wondering whether I can claim back what is, in effect overcharging. I suspect though that a discount offered in a timetable is merely an "invitation to treat" and is not binding in law. Anyone out there know any different? Also does anyone know who the 'Fares Manager' is for FGW?

nose

[super tm]

Following the timetable change on 17th May 2009 I noticed in the small print of timetable 29 (  http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Documents/Custom/May%2009%20TTs/FGW09M_TT29.pdf ) that railcard discounts would be 50% on this line instead of the usual 1/3 off. Great, I thought. As a regular user of this line (and DSB railcard holder), I was looking forward to the additional savings.
Unfortunately the department for producing the timetables has failed to tell the department responsible for fares. All on-line fares' enquiries still only offer the usual 1/3 off. The ticket office and TVMs^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) at BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) show no change to the existing 1/3 off, neither do the on-train Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains) machines.
I assumed therefore this was a mis-print, so I e-mailed FGW^▸ (First Great Western) on 18th May to highlight this. The response I got is as follows:- (names removed to protect the innocent!)

Dear Mr ******

Thank you for your email dated 9 May 2009 with regard to your enquiry into the information provided on the Severn Beach Line timetable pertaining to the 50% discount noted in the timetable details. I have doubled checked the details on your behalf, and I can confirm that the details on the timetable are correct. The problem is that this has not been implemented on our systems, so the correct price is not being reflected in our price enquiries. Our Fares Manager has now been made aware of this and is working to solution the problem as soon as possible. Thank you again for contacting First Great Western and for bringing the problem to our attention.

Yours sincerely,
****** ******
Customer Services Advisor.
(nice to know that the 'Fares Manager' is '......working to solution the problem.....' !!!!!)

Okay I thought, I'll give them a bit of time to sort this one out, but 5 weeks later, there has been no changes made anywhere to the fares. My follow up email has yet to be responded to. (As an aside; has anyone ever recieved a response to an email to FGW Customer Services within the 5 working days they say they hope to respond?) I am keeping all of my tickets and am wondering whether I can claim back what is, in effect overcharging. I suspect though that a discount offered in a timetable is merely an "invitation to treat" and is not binding in law. Anyone out there know any different? Also does anyone know who the 'Fares Manager' is for FGW?

nose

I suspect that this is one of those occasions wher someone has had a good idea without bothering to ask someone if it is technically possible..  A railcard discount is programmed into the system as a standard discount for the whole country.  ie a Senior Railcard gives a third off.  If you chage the discount for one ticket that will change the discount for all the tickets.  So it would make it 50% off Bristol to London for example.

What you could do it create some special fares for all the journeys involved at 50% off the current price and load them into the system.

[RailCornwall]

The St Ives line dayranger is 1/2 fare with a Devon and Cornwall RC so this example is not unique. 

[cereal_basher]

The speed of reply seems to depend on the option selected on the enquiry form I find, other seems to be the quickest, I have got next day replies using that.

[JayMac]

I believe I submitted the original email using 'other' as the enquiry type. My follow up mail was submitted direct to fgw.feedback@...etc (ie not through firstgreatwestern.co.uk). It has been received because I got the usual auto response.  Full human responses are very hit and miss, but in my experience I've never got one within the 5 working days.....

[devon_metro]

Always been impressed with FGW^▸ (First Great Western) customer services. XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) on the other hand are awful.

[JayMac]

I am generally happy with the responses and remedies I get from FGW^▸ (First Great Western) CS^» (Caledonian Sleeper - about), just not so happy with the time it takes. When a comment, criticism, complaint or even praise is fresh in my mind, I fire off the email. But my memory ain't great and I've often forgot what I was commenting on by the time the response comes through. So what I intend to do from now on is send comments etc direct from my email account, rather than use the online comment form, so I can save them as an aide memoir!!

The quickest response I ever got was from a letter sent direct to James Burt (is he responsible for the crisps ). He phoned me personally 2 days after receiving the letter. But we can't keep contacting the organ grinder directly....

[John R]

Maybe if they got fewer "comments, criticism, complaints or even praise", they would respond quicker. 

[Btline]

And maybe they'd get fewer complaints if they performed better.

[cereal_basher]

They hardly perform badly, most things are probably enquiries or complaints about silly things.

[JayMac]

Maybe if they got fewer "comments, criticism, complaints or even praise", they would respond quicker. 

Well...... maybe. We all could just put up and shut up. After all it's only our hard-earned that is being handed over.

[JayMac]

I guess I was a little impatient in waiting for a reply to my second email. It arrived today

Dear Mr ******

Thank you for your email of 3 June 2009. I am sorry for the delay in responding to your enquiry but I wanted to give you a definite answer to you complaint. Having contacted our Head Office, I can confirm that the implementation of the 50% discount on the Severn Beach Line is underway and should be fully operational by the end of the month. I sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this has caused you and can assure you that we are doing everything we can to get this discount applied to tickets as quickly as possible. Thank you once again for contacting First Great Western.

Yours sincerely
****** ****
Customer Services Advisor

Good news, although no answer as to whether I can claim back the overcharging for all the fares I've paid since 17th May. Does anyone out there in coffee shop land think I have a valid claim for refunds?

nose

[cereal_basher]

If they are overcharging you at no fault to your own you should have a valid claim for a refund, it is worth contacting them anyway.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Hmm.  As FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have now acknowledged to you, in two e-mails, that their own fare system is wrong, I'd suggest that you have a strong case for claiming a refund of the difference you have been charged, on each of those tickets. 

And if anyone else finds themself in a similar situation, FGW do invite people to submit 'enquiries and comments', on their website, at http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/ContactUs.aspx 

[JayMac]

I guess I was a little impatient in waiting for a reply to my second email. It arrived today

Dear Mr ******

Thank you for your email of 3 June 2009. I am sorry for the delay in responding to your enquiry but I wanted to give you a definite answer to you complaint. Having contacted our Head Office, I can confirm that the implementation of the 50% discount on the Severn Beach Line is underway and should be fully operational by the end of the month. I sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this has caused you and can assure you that we are doing everything we can to get this discount applied to tickets as quickly as possible. Thank you once again for contacting First Great Western.

Yours sincerely
****** ****
Customer Services Advisor

Good news, although no answer as to whether I can claim back the overcharging for all the fares I've paid since 17th May. Does anyone out there in coffee shop land think I have a valid claim for refunds?

nose

Well the end of the month has been and gone and still no changes to the Railcard fares on the Severn Beach Line. Anyone out there in coffeeshop land have any ideas who I should now bring this to the attention of?