Deutsche Bahn

[1874]

Firstly sorry for this being in this thread but I’m at my wits end.. It’s not a lot of money owed, but I’m getting fed up with companies not paying there dew. Lufthansa are even worse.
Anyway on topic, booked a return journey Munich to Salzburg in December 2023, whilst in Salzburg for return journey on 3rd December the train was cancelled due to heavy snowfall. We had to get back to Munich for our flight home that evening, with no trains running and no bus replacement we had to get a minibus taxi for the 7 of us to get back. This cost €500.
On the 7th December i applied for my return fare to paid back, not a great amount but still it would be somethin.
Initally it was hard to get in touch with DB, but eventually did, they’ve passed me from one office to another, often referring me to the English line but when they pick up I almost always get through a German speaking operator.
I’ve now just received my second letter which asks for my IBAN number, BIC/SWIFT etc. I sent first in early March, all this is costing money, for recorded deliver.
What’s frustrating is I have a DB account which has my details on, which I’ve used in the past.
Anyone got any advice how I can get this sorted or email address I could complain to.
Cheers. I’m off to work now so any replies will be seen this evening.

 

[30907]

Couple of questions:

Did you use the online system or the paper form, or neither?

Are you saying you have already given them your IBAN etc?
If so, it sounds as though they have mislaid the details as they are clearly wanting to pay you some money (curious - I've always had an e-voucher).

https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/passenger-rights/fahrgastrechte-schlichtung
...gives details of the arbitration service, but the gist is that you have to write to Servicecenter Fahrgastrechte Frankfurt again with your complaint.

 

[1874]

Thanks for reply, we had a paper ticket, sent by email. Yes already sent IBAN number once by post to them with sign on delivery.
It should have been a straight forward claim, but they seem to be dragging it out.
Got to escalate against Lufthansa now for flight delay

 

[Watershed]

I would imagine there is a "Rail Ombudsman" equivalent in Germany. Not sure what they're called - whether you would go to the German rail regulation authority or whether it's an independent body?

Got to escalate against Lufthansa now for flight delay

Similarly, they are a member of an ADR scheme - SÖP, if I recall correctly.

 

[1874]

Thankyou very much with your reply, will look it up, and email them about my complaint.

 

[Spoorslag '70]

Last spring I had a rather long discussion about a >100€ refund I was due. The passenger rights team also started their (from what I read on German forums and a case I had in 2022 quite systematic) approach of asking for information already sent. After a third letter including references to where they could find any information they ever asked me for (mostly in the original letter) (and threatening to escalate things to the Eisenbahnbundesamt), they paid.

It helps quite a lot if you take them any chance of insisting that they miss any document by quite clearly stating what you have already sent them when.

Sadly, there is no official E-Mail contact and the only "official" way is to send answers by post (or hand in a letter at a ticket office). However, the "Schlichtungsstelle Öffentlicher Personenverkehr" (https://soep-online.de/ihre-beschwerde/online-formular-bahn/) and the "Eisenbahndbundesamt" (https://www.eba.bund.de/DE/Themen/Fahrgastrechte/fahrgastrechte_node.html) both have online forms where you can complain about the handling of passenger rights claims. The former is more informal (and just tries to reach an agreement) whilst the later is the official body governing anything railway related and could (in theory) also force DB to pay.

 

[1874]

Thank you so much for your great reply, will put them organisations on the letter I’ll write. Thanks again everyone who took time out to reply.