ScotRail’s ‘fragmented and confusing’ compensation scheme has been named as one of the worst in the UK.
A report released today by Which? magazine says that ScotRail makes it very difficult for passengers to get compensation by demanding up to 24 pieces of information during the claim process.
The Scottish operator was one of five across the UK to demand so much information from passengers seeking money back for delayed or cancelled journeys.
The consumer magazine says it wants the introduction of automatic compensation.
Across the UK, the report says that passengers claim compensation for delays and cancellations in only a third of cases because it was too much effort and for one in seven, it would be too difficult or time consuming.
Greater Anglia, London Northwestern, ScotRail, Transport for Wales and West Midlands were the worst offenders for their complicated and lengthy claims processes, each demanding information about the passenger’s ticket, such as whether it was a paper ticket, the cost, class, whether it was peak time, the dates of validity and how it was paid for.
Yet most of this information can be found clearly displayed on a photo of the paper ticket, which has to be uploaded as proof of purchase.
As many as 14 out of 24 train companies also asked passengers to dig out even more detailed ticket information, such as the ticket reference number.
By contrast, Chiltern Railways only required two pieces of information about a ticket from passengers – the ticket type and proof of purchase.
Alex Hayman, Which? managing director of public markets, said: “It’s clear this fragmented and confusing compensation system leads to people losing out on a lot of money when they have already suffered enough from unacceptable levels of delays and cancellation
“The technology exists to deliver compensation automatically, but the industry continues to drag its heels, while benefiting from a system that deters passengers from claiming the money they are owed.
“Passengers want to see swift changes, so the government’s rail review must prove it is serious about putting them first by ensuring that automatic compensation is introduced across the network.”
A ScotRail spokesperson said the operator’s delay repay guarantee ensured customers were compensated when their journey is delayed by 30 minutes or more and was easy to claim, with repayment options – including PayPal and cash vouchers.
The company’s social media team always reminds customers to claim when they have been delayed, he added, with links to the website with full details.
He said: “We are absolutely committed to providing the best possible service for our customers and our relay repay guarantee is at heart of that approach. We know how much of an inconvenience it is to customers when things don’t go to plan, and it is only right that they are compensated when that happens.
“The delay repay system is easy to use and we regularly remind our customers to claim for compensation if their journey is delayed by 30 minutes or more.”
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