Advice please, coach trip mess
Discussion
Hi travel section PHer's hoping someone can advise the best course of action apologies for the long post following!
My mum and dad booked a weekend away to the goodwood festival(horses) with the local newspapers travel section. The confirmation letter said to be at a very well known coach pick up point used many times before for a 7.20am departure.
I personally dropped them off at 7.11am according to the cars clock. I wished them well and left for work 15 miles away.
About 5 to 8 i get a phonecall from my mum in tears saying the coach hadnt turned up and when they phoned the emergency number a lady at the coach company said the driver had called and said he couldnt find them and went without them. The other 3 or so people at the coach stop when i dropped them off had each boarded other coaches to other destinations.
The lady at the coach company said she had called the driver and if my mum and dad got a taxi to warwick services they could get on there, but when asked stated that they would not be willing to re-imburse the costs of this. When asked about a refund she said it has to go through the companys insurance.
this raises an point in my mind, if the coach left on time why would the company agree to a refund without any arguement?
As im the only one with a level head this morning due to this i thought i would ask your advice.
Could you tell me your thoughts on my following points
1)What time did a)the coach driver phone b)coah leave the pick up point and is there proof of these.
2)why was no attempt made to contact my mum and dad when both the newspaper travel office and the coach company both had mobiles and home phone numbers
3)Was the offer of meeting at warwick but expecting my mum and dad to pay for it reasonable?
4)What would you do in this situation and what would expect in return, a refund? refund plus compensation? trip of equal value?
My mum and dad booked a weekend away to the goodwood festival(horses) with the local newspapers travel section. The confirmation letter said to be at a very well known coach pick up point used many times before for a 7.20am departure.
I personally dropped them off at 7.11am according to the cars clock. I wished them well and left for work 15 miles away.
About 5 to 8 i get a phonecall from my mum in tears saying the coach hadnt turned up and when they phoned the emergency number a lady at the coach company said the driver had called and said he couldnt find them and went without them. The other 3 or so people at the coach stop when i dropped them off had each boarded other coaches to other destinations.
The lady at the coach company said she had called the driver and if my mum and dad got a taxi to warwick services they could get on there, but when asked stated that they would not be willing to re-imburse the costs of this. When asked about a refund she said it has to go through the companys insurance.
this raises an point in my mind, if the coach left on time why would the company agree to a refund without any arguement?
As im the only one with a level head this morning due to this i thought i would ask your advice.
Could you tell me your thoughts on my following points
1)What time did a)the coach driver phone b)coah leave the pick up point and is there proof of these.
2)why was no attempt made to contact my mum and dad when both the newspaper travel office and the coach company both had mobiles and home phone numbers
3)Was the offer of meeting at warwick but expecting my mum and dad to pay for it reasonable?
4)What would you do in this situation and what would expect in return, a refund? refund plus compensation? trip of equal value?
Thank you for your replys, to answer your points
They were not the first pick up, they were the 3rd. And the driver told his company there were 17 other people picked up at that stop, however we have spoke to the travel office and the very helpful people there have said they will be contacting other passengers direct about the times they arrived and departed various stops. What is the chance everyone but my mum and dad were there before 7:00 for a scheduled 7:20 depart? I'd say very unlikely.
As for the comment saying about the coach running early, is it not fair to assume the coach should not leave its pick up point until the time on the schedule has passed?
They were not the first pick up, they were the 3rd. And the driver told his company there were 17 other people picked up at that stop, however we have spoke to the travel office and the very helpful people there have said they will be contacting other passengers direct about the times they arrived and departed various stops. What is the chance everyone but my mum and dad were there before 7:00 for a scheduled 7:20 depart? I'd say very unlikely.
As for the comment saying about the coach running early, is it not fair to assume the coach should not leave its pick up point until the time on the schedule has passed?
Marcellus said:
so 17 other peope were picked up from the stop at 07:20??
WHen you dropped your parents off how many of these 17 were milling around?
Precisely none, there were 5 others i saw when i dropped them off, who all got on 4 other coaches from different operators that came and went.WHen you dropped your parents off how many of these 17 were milling around?
To make it clear the coach stop isnt a proper stand/bus station effort. its a bus stop with a big layby in a one way system and as said, its very well known and has been used for years. I drove out of the one way system after dropping them off, back onto the main drag so to speak, and back to the motorway junction and saw no coaches at all and i wasnt hanging around.
Sounds to me like the very well known pickup point that your parents were at was not the same one the coach was at. It seems pretty unlikely that your parents would have been the only ones at the right time and place especially since the operators claim 17 others were there. Since they were at the right time, they must have been in the wrong place.
Hopefully it will all come out when they speak to other passengers. We dont know what time the coach left that pick up, the driver hasnt stated, and neither will they say what time the phonecall was made.
Very confusing, just cant see how it can be wrong loction because its the place stated on the letter(even mentions a easily identifiable building opposite the pick up) and as mentioned its been used for years and 4 other coaches came to it.
Very confusing, just cant see how it can be wrong loction because its the place stated on the letter(even mentions a easily identifiable building opposite the pick up) and as mentioned its been used for years and 4 other coaches came to it.
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