Good luck if you need a refund! (thetrainline.com)

Member Name: Regular train traveller

Product:	thetrainline.com
Date:	13/04/09 (39 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fine for booking, if no problems occur

Disadvantages: If you need a refund, may have to wait many many months, overseas call centres, ill-informed staff

What appalling customer service!
I have to echo other reviews here in stating that the trainline.com is great if everything goes smoothly but as soon as something does not, you can almost give up hope of obtaining a refund, despite their T&C's.

At the start of January, my bank card was stolen and so I was unable to collect a ticket I had purchased through the trainline.com from the ticket machine. Fair enough.

I telephoned to cancel the pre-ordered ticket (which had cost the same as the one I bought twenty minutes before travel). I was connected to what appeared to be an overseas call centre. The lady to whom I spoke struggled somewhat with the conversation, appearing to have a sheet of stock responses from which she would read an occasionally appropriate, but usually irrelevant, one and whenever I asked for further explanation, etc., I was met with silence.

Anyway, at the end, she assured me the refund would be processed "immediately" and although she would not tell me how soon, she said the refund would be in my account "very soon".

That was over three months ago. Repeated email correspondance since then has produced many scripted apologies but not action. I still have no idea whether the refund will ever be with me and no progress updates are given without me chasing one every four weeks or so. I have been asked to be patient due to a high volume of calls... to me, I would say 15 weeks is being quite patient enough...

Tha saga goes on, and I won't be using the trainline.com again.

Summary: Abysmal concern for customers' satisfaction