Experiences with Interrail/Eurail delay compensation

[biko]

Last week, I finally received delay compensation from Interrail from a trip I made in January. For this, I had to send multiple reminders to Interrail, otherwise I believe nothing would have happened. First, they said they were very busy due to Covid, which I totally understand and would come back to me before the end of June (1.5 month after sending the message). I did not hear anything and had to send another reminder and after a few weeks, I received a message that they would send the money (although it is actually €0.60 too little, but I don't fancy trying to get a reaction from them for such a small amount).

After my travels in the UK last summer, it also took months before I received a reply. A reminder after a few months led to a prompt accepted claim, but the claim of the friend I was travelling with was refused three times because he 'did not experience enough delay', while our journey was exactly the same! Therefore I was wondering if my experience is normal and if it always is this slow and bureaucratic.

PS to mods: I'm not sure if this fits best here in 'international transport' or in 'fares advice and policy', so please move if needed.

 

[StephenHunter]

I'll let you know. I'm scrubbing a planned trip next month due to the current situation being just too uncertain and will be getting a refund on my Pass.

 

[mtmikethom]

I had an Interrail pass valid for March/April which I did not use, I waited until July 13th to ask for a refund, they replied on the 24th asking me to send digital pics of unused pass which I did the next day, the refund was in my bank account on the 29th. I got the impression from their website and twitter that they wern't dealing with refunds/exchanges for quite some time from Apri thru June.

 

[dutchflyer]

reason for this is in fact simple, once you understand the procedures. You can only get compensation if at least 3 (THREE) delays of at least 60 mins were encountered. (Or thats what I recall from memory, having had nearly 3 last time I used one but the 3d was like 3 mins short of 60). The railway causing the delay has to cough up the few pence/cents for your compensation and as anyone knows here on the continent these are mostly state-run burocratic molochs who go at least thrice after every cent they may have to pay out without any need. Some of the east-euro railways dont do any compensation at all, even if they are bond to that by some obscure EU-ruling. Only once all this money has reached the coffins of Interrail (I assume you booked dirctly with them, though this was not stated) they will be willing to pay out.
That IR was so busy due to covid seems nonsense to me-they were busy doing refunds but had virtually no sales or complaints to go after during that time. It seems also-see last comment, that they were strictly following the rules in giving out full refunds for unused tickets in 14 days.

 

[superjohn]

You can only get compensation if at least 3 (THREE) delays of at least 60 mins were encountered.

They are slightly less mean these days. You will get compensation for any delay of 60-119 minutes and a higher rate for 120+ minutes. More information and a table of rates can be found here.

Eurail.com | 1 rail pass, 33 countries

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eurailgroup.org

I imagine it will take a while if they do have to liaise with the operator of each train involved.

 

[biko]

reason for this is in fact simple, once you understand the procedures. You can only get compensation if at least 3 (THREE) delays of at least 60 mins were encountered. (Or thats what I recall from memory, having had nearly 3 last time I used one but the 3d was like 3 mins short of 60). The railway causing the delay has to cough up the few pence/cents for your compensation and as anyone knows here on the continent these are mostly state-run burocratic molochs who go at least thrice after every cent they may have to pay out without any need. Some of the east-euro railways dont do any compensation at all, even if they are bond to that by some obscure EU-ruling. Only once all this money has reached the coffins of Interrail (I assume you booked dirctly with them, though this was not stated) they will be willing to pay out.
That IR was so busy due to covid seems nonsense to me-they were busy doing refunds but had virtually no sales or complaints to go after during that time. It seems also-see last comment, that they were strictly following the rules in giving out full refunds for unused tickets in 14 days.

As the previous poster said, it is only one delay of 60+ minutes at the moment. It was a 3 day in a month pass so I am happy these rules changed, otherwise it is impossible to suffer so many delays (or every day should have major problems). I booked directly through Interrail, but what I read is that that doesn't make a difference, every interrail user should ask for compensation through Interrail/Eurail. I read only costs for reservations or berths in the night train go through the operator.

Interesting to read they need to first get money from the operator, still it seems strange to me that after chasing them up I immediately was paid, although I had chased them up multiple times.