They have just taken over from First Manchester buses. Since then, the buses have been late every day, and are really dirty inside and out. Most of the drivers don't even acknowledge you. Those who do are rude. A lady complained to a driver who was 15 minutes late and he just laughed and said it's a new company. No inspectors out yet. What do you expect?
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The same individual (let's just call him a customer service representative) then gone on a bus to fine me for not tapping my pass on a card reader that was switched off. It's like I never even complained about a bus being driven into a lamppost. Woe is me! It's like I beat up a bus driver on a bus and then jumped behind the wheel to crash it into a wall, rather than complaining about a bus driver crashing a bus into a lamppost.
This is a complete joke as is the ridiculous moustache which I did see in Costa Coffee later on. Where is that moustache? I wouldn't know but I assume somewhere enjoying a 拢40 cup of coffee at my expense.
I got fined 拢40 for raising a complaint about a bus being crashed into a lamppost. Does that sound fair to you?
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Even though I could demonstrate via receipts and bank payments (see some attached) a ticket was already bought and by me, it didn't make the slightest bit of difference in Virgin and Southern Railways' eyes. Black is black. White is white. No copy ticket or no letter or documentation will be issued to travel on the rail network. So I had no choice but to cough up more than double what I originally paid AGAIN just to make the 5 hour journey after a long day home. They have refused to compensate me. Charming hey? What about the customer is king and going beyond the call of duty to care for customers.
The reservation had my name on it and so does the receipt from The Trainline. No one at any level in Southern or Go Ahead Group seems to care, even though they turn over many millions of pounds every year. What is 拢100 to them – a drop in the ocean? They want to hang on to it though at any cost. My only offence is being human and human error. People in glass houses should throw the first stone? All they care about is their profits, and on this occasion, the way I have been treated as if I am a criminal or a fraudster, is immoral in my opinion. If you overcharge a customer, you should refund them. If they have paid twice, and they can prove it, which I can, why should they pay twice for the same thing? I can't travel on the 18:20 Euston – Manchester train and also the 19:00 Euston – Manchester train at the same time! They seem to think I can.
I feel both Southern are unsympathetic and aggressive in their stance of taking money off a customers (myself) for an innocent mistake. I paid for two journeys that only one passenger could make. How is this right?
Southern Railway have a funny way of 'Making Every Journey Better' which is their mission statement.
Even Passenger Focus said this:
I have been in contact with both Southern and Virgin Trains to see if they would be willing to refund one set of the tickets that you purchased as a gesture of goodwill. I鈥檓 sorry to say that they are not willing to do so. I felt it would of shown good customer service for Southern or Virgin to consider a gesture of goodwill especially as you have made many journeys by rail previously and made an innocent mistake by misplacing one of your tickets. However, this case has mirrored some of the issues discovered in our Ticket to Ride research. This research was compiled by Passenger Focus with data captured through our rail complaints team, highlighting the problems faced by passengers where a genuine mistake has been made. This in turn has then lead to a disproportionate impact upon passengers due to the current limitations of the ticketing system. Our recommendations to improve the current practices have now been presented to the Rail Industry and we now await their response.