Abandoned trip after breaking journey. Refund entitlement?

[smjxm09]

I bought a super off-peak day return from Luton Airport Parkway to Brighton at around 9am at the station. As I was making a day of it I first broke the journey in London then again in Gatwick. At around 12.15 I tried to board a train to Brighton to complete my journey but all the trains were stopped due to a signalling problem with people being prevented from entering the station due to overcrowding. Eventually, after maybe an hour or so the odd random train started to appear on the departure board but I still could not get to the platform so I went for a beer to allow the queues to disappear. When I returned to the station after it had reopened, trains to Brighton were still not running so I abandoned the Brighton segment and returning home.

Questions. Seeing my ticket bar code was first scanned at around 9am would a delay that occurred in the afternoon be classed as valid for compensation, as I have no proof that I was at Gatwick? This is because Thameslink only accept one attachment, which would cover the scanned tickets, and not the departure board photo I took at Gatwick.


The fact that the platform was closed despite random trains eventually running would this be classed as a valid reason to abandon a journey?


As I never made it to Brighton would that allow be to claim compensation for the return leg?

 

[island]

You can claim back the difference between the fare to Gatwick and the fare to Brighton.

I’d recommend doing this by way of an email to customer services rather than the delay claim process, as strictly speaking you were not delayed.

 

[JBuchananGB]

I believe the situation is that as you had to abandon your journey en route to Brighton and return to your point of origin, your recourse is to go to the ticket office from which you bought the ticket and receive a full refund. This has got nothing to do with delay repay. Other experts may be along to clarify the position.

 

[andythebrave]

I believe the situation is that as you had to abandon your journey en route to Brighton and return to your point of origin, your recourse is to go to the ticket office from which you bought the ticket and receive a full refund. This has got nothing to do with delay repay. Other experts may be along to clarify the position.

I concur with this opinion.

 

[Starmill]

If the ticket was bought from a ticket office it's usually easier to claim refunds via customer service at the company who runs the ticket office. You could return there in theory if it were convenient of course.

 

[Haywain]

If the ticket was bought from a ticket office it's usually easier to claim refunds via customer service at the company who runs the ticket office.

Although you may find that some companies outright refuse to assist in that way.