[Travel] F**K SOUTHERN FAIL. Help?!

[jackalbion]

This is not related to JC Denton's experience, but is relevant. Last September, I went on an architecture tour of Weymouth. I found a nice pub in Dorset to stay overnight. However, having been tailgated all the way back from Billingshurst after taking my mother to an appointment, I decided I couldn't face the drive. I therefore looked up train options. The best one was to stay in Southampton, travelling from Three Bridges, then getting another train to Weymouth. This was very convenient, as there was a direct train, taking about an hour and 40 minutes, and it's a lovely run down the Arun Valley. However, I checked on left luggage facilities at Southampton, Bournemouth and Weymouth Stations, and there aren't any. This meant a second night in Southampton, as I didn't want to carry my bag all around Weymouth - a bit annoying, but it meant I got a decent break; okay I could have asked the hotel to keep my bag, but that would have meant taking the train back to Southampton, walking/taxi-ing to the hotel and then back to the station; not Southern's fault, as those stations come under South Western Railway. It was a good trip, and the journey home was equally enjoyable.

Recently, I was reading an article in a railway magazine about the changes Southern have made to the West Coastway timetable. They have axed the direct Southampton service in the Arun Valley and redirected it to Portsmouth Harbour. The reason given is that the unit used to go to Southampton often had to be turned back early and was also regularly late. The article said that those wanting Southampton could change at Barnham, to the enhanced Brighton to Southampton service, as Barnham had waiting rooms and coffee shops. Fine, except that they have timed the Southampton service to run six minutes from Barnham before the Arun Valley train gets there, so you have to wait 24 minutes to get that train; the journey now takes over two hours. It is actually quicker to go from Three Bridges to Clapham Junction and then get a South Western Railway service, but that costs almost twice as much. The only alternative is to go to Haywards Heath, which I can equally easily use as Three Bridges, and change at Brighton. It seems to me this decision has been taken purely for operational reasons. When will the rail companies realise that if you want people not to travel by car, you have to make it as easy as possible? It used to be possible to get a direct Haywards Heath to Bournemouth service. Now you have at least two changes, hardly convenient if you are travelling with bags.

While it is annoying to lose the Gatwick to Southampton service, the service on the busiest section between Angmering to Brighton has now got a frequency of 4 trains per hour which means people don’t get regularly left behind. There are only so many units to run so many services, the reliability of the Southampton - Vic was so poor, you can alternatively change at Fratton also if that works better.

 

[jaghebby]

I spent years ss a commuter to London. I always followed a piece of advice I had in the early days and generally it lessened the aggro: go as far as you can, as soon as you can.

No use now, but for future situations, I hope it helps. For now I hope you're feeling less upset this morning and try not to let it ruin another day.

Agree with this comment. Also try and stay calm as there is absolutely no point arguing or getting heated (not suggesting you did by the way) with station staff as they are generally pretty low paid and in my experience don’t know what’s going on a lot of the time.

Always try and have a plan B in the back of your mind just in case. I know when travelling to far flung away games we always give ourselves plenty of time to get the train up to London as you never know when one will be cancelled.

 

[jcdenton08]

Mini update: had a reply on Tuesday. Note that I was unable to originally provide the information requested in this email previously as the complaint contact from Southern is a form, with no means of uploading more than one image. So I was expecting a reply requesting this

I have replied to them with the relevant information.

I’ll update with their reply in due course.

 

[jcdenton08]

Chase email sent

 

[Papak]

I went on an architecture tour of Weymouth.

I know Weymouth fairly well and would be interested to hear what this involved.

Was it an organised tour or did you follow a pre-existing itinerary you found or did you make it up yourself?

Thanks!!

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

I know Weymouth fairly well and would be interested to hear what this involved.

Was it an organised tour or did you follow a pre-existing itinerary you found or did you make it up yourself?

Thanks!!

I know Weymouth fairly well and would be interested to hear what this involved.

Was it an organised tour or did you follow a pre-existing itinerary you found or did you make it up yourself?

Thanks!!

It was a tour organised by the Georgian Group, who are an amenity society with a statutory right to be consulted when proposals are made to alter Georgian buildings. The tour was put together by a member, and we met at the station then walked to the seafront and the main town centre. Weymouth was originally located mainly around the River Wey, with Melcombe Regis on one side of the river and Weymouth itself on the other side, and was developed in the early 18th century. It only became a sea resort after George III started visiting regularly.

I joined in the train thread as I found travelling directly from Three Bridges to Southampton very convenient and that option is no longer available.

 

[jcdenton08]

Okay, expert advice time please…

Should I a) wait for either a reply (they are outside of their time frame of resolutions within their complaints procedure - 11 working days have now passed).

b) go to the ombudsman - although they likely won’t take my case without a letter of deadlock or 28 days passing from the date of complaint (currently 18 days).

or c) send a letter before action and go through small claims court?

I am very tempted to go with option c although I realise this is probably stupid. I get the feeling they aren’t taking my complaint at all seriously and think a court summons might.

I have written to my MP though about my experience

 

[Brian Fantana]

Okay, expert advice time please…

Should I a) wait for either a reply (they are outside of their time frame of resolutions within their complaints procedure - 11 working days have now passed).

b) go to the ombudsman - although they likely won’t take my case without a letter of deadlock or 28 days passing from the date of complaint (currently 18 days).

or c) send a letter before action and go through small claims court?

I am very tempted to go with option c although I realise this is probably stupid. I get the feeling they aren’t taking my complaint at all seriously and think a court summons might.

I have written to my MP though about my experience

My advice would be to currently avoid option c. I think you want to exhaust all of the other options before you do that, so that you can show that you've done everything by the book.

In your previous post you mentioned that there was the possibility of the investigation extending to 20 working days - if I was in your shoes, I'd be waiting a couple more days and then sending another chaser.

As frustrating as it is, I think biding your time and going through all the hoops is probably the best course of action right now.

 

[jcdenton08]

My advice would be to currently avoid option c. I think you want to exhaust all of the other options before you do that, so that you can show that you've done everything by the book.

In your previous post you mentioned that there was the possibility of the investigation extending to 20 working days - if I was in your shoes, I'd be waiting a couple more days and then sending another chaser.

As frustrating as it is, I think biding your time and going through all the hoops is probably the best course of action right now.

Thanks

 

[jcdenton08]

My advice would be to currently avoid option c. I think you want to exhaust all of the other options before you do that, so that you can show that you've done everything by the book.

In your previous post you mentioned that there was the possibility of the investigation extending to 20 working days - if I was in your shoes, I'd be waiting a couple more days and then sending another chaser.

As frustrating as it is, I think biding your time and going through all the hoops is probably the best course of action right now.

So far I’ve kept my replies (included in the thread for reference) very polite. The problem is I fear they see me as a soft touch. I don’t want to be a dick so that they get their backs up and won’t want to help me, but similarly they clearly aren’t taking this seriously.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

So far I’ve kept my replies (included in the thread for reference) very polite. The problem is I fear they see me as a soft touch. I don’t want to be a dick so that they get their backs up and won’t want to help me, but similarly they clearly aren’t taking this seriously.

I think you have to step back a bit and give them a proper length of time to properly investigate and reply. Maybe put it on the back burner and not let it overly consume your life?

 

[jcdenton08]

I think you have to step back a bit and give them a proper length of time to properly investigate and reply. Maybe put it on the back burner and not let it overly consume your life?

it’s annoying.

 

[Audax]

it’s annoying.

Yup. But being patient and letting them over run the clock works in your favour. Gets you closer to the point the Ombudsman will take the case on. Longer it runs the better for you IMO.

 

[Brian Fantana]

Yup. But being patient and letting them over run the clock works in your favour. Gets you closer to the point the Ombudsman will take the case on. Longer it runs the better for you IMO.

Exactly this. Keep a clear timeline of what emails were sent when etc.

 

[jcdenton08]

Cheers for the tips. I’ll sit on it for another week

 

[Brian Fantana]

Cheers for the tips. I’ll sit on it for another week

If it puts your mind at ease somewhat, my experience when having had to go through complaint processes is actually that being polite, reasonable, measured and factual have always served me well.

If I was someone dealing with complaints for a living, I think I'd definitely look more favourable on those that were polite.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I suspect that a letter like.....

Dear Fail Shits
Useless bastards Where's my f***ing money.
Wankers
Love
JCD08

...probably won't work very well.

 

[jcdenton08]

If it puts your mind at ease somewhat, my experience when having had to go through complaint processes is actually that being polite, reasonable, measured and factual have always served me well.

If I was someone dealing with complaints for a living, I think I'd definitely look more favourable on those that were polite.

Actually I wonder if I have been *too* polite. Someone told me being a bit of a ka Karen can get results… I think the manner in my correspondence has been very polite perhaps to a fault. At least I didn’t call them incompetent ****s…

 

[jcdenton08]

Received an offer of “gesture of goodwill” of £150 in rail vouchers, which I have rejected (my total claim is for £245.97).

I have requested a manager to review. The same guy replied minutes later. I requested a manager to review again or if he is the senior person to issue a letter of deadlock to take to the Ombudsman.

I know I seem stubborn on this, but I want what I’m due.

 

[jcdenton08]

FFS. I have today received £150 in cashable rail vouchers despite having clearly rejected this in writing - twice. What should I do, cash it and go after the balance, contact them yet again, or what?