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Stupid *insert expletive* trains!

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
edited January 2023 in General Chat
I live in Norwich, my bf lives in Romford. We haven't seen each other for 2 weeks. Earlier this week he booked tickets via thetrainline and ordered them to be posted first class. This was Monday night.

By Thursday afternoon, they had not arrived, he was off work as is feeling really ill but still willing to travel, so he phoned up the relevant bodies. he was told that if he turned up with ID and proof of purchase ie booking confirmation email, they would give him tickets.

This evening he travelled to Liverpool St and was there for 1 1/2 talking to ticket people, customer services, managers....anybody. They told him that he could not have the tickets even though he had proof of ID and purchase. They said he had to buy new tickets for tonight which would have been extortionate. They would not give him a refund, they said he has to get one from thetrainline. I understand that National Express did not sell him the ticket but at the end of the day, they made their tickets available through thetrainline and as he had proof that he had paid to travel on their poxy trains (which will be a poxy bus on Sunday!) I don't see why they could not give him the damn tickets.


He has now got tickets for tomorrow morning as he is so pissed off tonight he was scared he'd lose it and get in trouble with the BTP. I'm meeting him early at Norwich station tomorrow and I fully intend to go apeshit at customer services (which is a shame, because the ones at Norwich station are actually very lovely and helpful.)

We are also going to write a letter of complaint. I doubt we will get anywhere with it. Even if they give us money/discount/free tickets/whatever it's not going to make up for the twelve hours together they've robbed us of, or the time he's spent being angry and travelling in and out of London and the time I've spent here crying my eyes out.

Sorry for length of this. I'd call them up now but they only seem to have 0845 numbers. Any suggestions of what to do would be welcome, but don't try to suggest not having a go at the Norwich people, you won't stop me. Or us.
Post edited by JustV on

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Same train company. Perhaps not yell, but kindly ask who the hell trains their staff in customer services and whether we could please have some non 0845 numbers so I can have a go at those people. Although if they choose the be as uncooperative and rude as their fellow NE colleagues in London, yes I will yell and I will cause a scene and frankly I don't care who sees it. They didn't have their weekends ruined by it. We did.

    And frankly I hope those arseholes in London have people be rude and unhelpful to them when they have paid a lot of money to be somewhere.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    national express head office is on prince of wales road in norwich, go in there and talk to them.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    national express head office is on prince of wales road in norwich, go in there and talk to them.

    Ah, thank you! Much better idea, I can give the DVLA the finger on the way past :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Same train company. Perhaps not yell, but kindly ask who the hell trains their staff in customer services and whether we could please have some non 0845 numbers so I can have a go at those people. Although if they choose the be as uncooperative and rude as their fellow NE colleagues in London, yes I will yell and I will cause a scene and frankly I don't care who sees it. They didn't have their weekends ruined by it. We did.

    And frankly I hope those arseholes in London have people be rude and unhelpful to them when they have paid a lot of money to be somewhere.

    http://www.saynoto0870.com/numbersearch.php <-- great website, gives you a normal number to call using their search facility.

    thetrainline
    0870 010 1296
    0121 634 2040
    this number for London Midland, but has Various options -
    Option 2 = thetrainline

    Hope that helps :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    http://www.saynoto0870.com/numbersearch.php <-- great website, gives you a normal number to call using their search facility.

    thetrainline
    0870 010 1296
    0121 634 2040
    this number for London Midland, but has Various options -
    Option 2 = thetrainline

    Hope that helps :)

    Ah, thank you :)
  • JsTJsT Posts: 18,268 Skive's The Limit
    Any suggestions of what to do would be welcome, but don't try to suggest not having a go at the Norwich people, you won't stop me. Or us.

    Well if you do that you're just a complete fucking idiot, National Express East Anglia staff at Norwich have had nothing at all to do with this problem and by being abusive towards them you are not helping yourself. NXEA, if in doubt will simply call the BTP and have you removed from the station, simple as that. Staff are there to try and help not to be abused by mindless individuals shouting abuse at innocent individuals trying to do there job.

    As tens, if not hundreds of members on here will testify, I know the system, I know the railway and can help sort out what can appear to be a complicated system. But as rail staff, I'm not prepared to help someone who is threatening abuse at colleagues.

    In fact I have the contact details (including personal mobile number!) of the NXEA customer services manager right here in front of me. If you consider removing the threat I'll considering helping.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    JsT wrote: »
    Well if you do that you're just a complete fucking idiot, National Express East Anglia staff at Norwich have had nothing at all to do with this problem and by being abusive towards them you are not helping yourself. NXEA, if in doubt will simply call the BTP and have you removed from the station, simple as that. Staff are there to try and help not to be abused by mindless individuals shouting abuse at innocent individuals trying to do there job.

    As tens, if not hundreds of members on here will testify, I know the system, I know the railway and can help sort out what can appear to be a complicated system. But as rail staff, I'm not prepared to help someone who is threatening abuse at colleagues.

    In fact I have the contact details (including personal mobile number!) of the NXEA customer services manager right here in front of me. If you consider removing the threat I'll considering helping.


    Calm thyself, if you actually read what I wrote afterwards, I had intended to ask them politely first and then get arsey if they chose to be awkward. As it happens, we got it sorted. They refunded his money.

    Not that it helps us with the time that was wasted, but what can you do.
  • JsTJsT Posts: 18,268 Skive's The Limit
    Glad you got it sorted.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    JsT wrote: »
    Glad you got it sorted.

    Ta. Sorry for being an arse.
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