OEBB refunds efficiency

[railfan99]

Thank you, Austrian Railways, for refund efficiency.

In November 2022 we were on an OEBB NightJet in a deluxe sleeper that had a defective toilet. It wasn't the only compartment with this problem, as the train had been away from Vienna for a few nights. Problems are not attended to at all outstations like Venice.

I mailed off a refund form, and had been told at Vienna Hbf. that one would have to send it to Eurail as OEBB doesn't process refunds at stations and nor could it forward it to Eurail through internal railway means/

However in the end OEBB gave us a generous Eur94 refund processed to my credit card, advising me by email.

It really is a great rail operator, and most of its trains (such as RailJets) are an absolute pleasure in 1st to travel on with a Global Eurailpass.

 

[StephenHunter]

How long did it take? It took me four weeks and a phone call to Austria for my €40 refund. That was for a 75-minute delay from Amsterdam to Munich, which also included a loss of power to the carriage on the early part of the trip. Can't fault the Newrest Wagons-Lits conductor though, I gave him a €10 tip.

 

[railfan99]

How long did it take? It took me four weeks and a phone call to Austria for my €40 refund.

I only mailed the letter from Melbourne to Vienna three weeks ago, so it buttresses my suggestion that OEBB is super efficient.

Great rail operator, although it needs to have staff at outstations like Venice to fix blocked retention toilets on night trains as these sit in the yard at Venice all day.

 

[M&NEJ]

I was disappointed with Austrian railways last summer. Like most operators they have positive features and negative. I was severely delayed because of tenuous connection times at junction stations but the delay repay worked for me afterwards.

I had booked in advance on OeBB web-site to go from Bad Mitterndorf to Steyr using the weekends only service down the very spectacular Enns gorge (Admont to Hieflau). This meant a local train to Stainach Irdning with a 7-minute connection onto a regional express for the short journey to Selzthal where, after a 6-minute connection, the weekends-only service would depart.

On the day, OeBB were happy to provide copious text messages saying the local from Bad Mitterndorf would be late; but no recognition whatever of the impact that would have. There was no ticket check, despite a conductor being on board, then NO STAFF WHATSOEVER in evidence at Stainach Irdning. It was only by wandering around checking every (locked) door that I stumbled across our conductor (shuffling away for a coffee break?).

She was at least very helpful in acknowledging that a connection had been missed and signing our tickets with notes of the alternative plan; though that entailed reversing our journey back through our point of origin, to arrive three hours late at Steyr and to have missed the most scenic part of the journey (one of our main holiday objectives). Later, back in the UK I submitted an on-line claim, with photos of my tickets uploaded, and OeBB promptly responded with a 50% refund paid back onto my credit card.

I wish, when OeBB decided to abandon weekday services between Selzthal and Klein Reifling (the Enns gorge route), that they had at least extended some other service as far as Admont. That would have provided a significant town (only a few miles into the otherwise rural route) with a rail service; and it would provide a through service between the junctions of Stainach Irdning and Selzthal. As it is, it seems ridiculous to have 6- and 7-minute connections only a few miles apart in a region where service frequency is generally once every two hours!

 

[Roast Veg]

Similar story with Vy earlier this month. Booked compartment stock from Oslo to Bergen was unavailable (they marshalled the carriage to the back and locked it out so I suspect HVAC failure), onboard staff advised making a claim through the website, and received a very substantial refund within 2 weeks. Kudos!

 

[30907]

I wish, when OeBB decided to abandon weekday services between Selzthal and Klein Reifling (the Enns gorge route), that they had at least extended some other service as far as Admont. That would have provided a significant town (only a few miles into the otherwise rural route) with a rail service; and it would provide a through service between the junctions of Stainach Irdning and Selzthal. As it is, it seems ridiculous to have 6- and 7-minute connections only a few miles apart in a region where service frequency is generally once every two hours!

I doubt there is much demand for it, as it would duplicate the IC/EC (not REX) over that stretch, although the layover would allow it.

Unfortunately Admont to Weissenbach, the bit that only gets weekend trains, is beautiful but a traffic desert, so I think it is understandable why the service was cut..
Liezen-Admont looks to be the most obvious traffic flow, and that has a tolerable bus service that serves the communities better than the railway.

I succeeded in doing the journey last summer, using the conveniently diverted IC service (engineering works, OeBB style, meaning closing a line for weeks at a time).
The train itself gradually filled up with weekenders heading home towards Vienna,
and the conductor announced it would be running weekly in 2023 (Fr out, Sun back) alongside the existing service via the Pyhrn tunnel.

 

[rvdborgt]

How long did it take? It took me four weeks and a phone call to Austria for my €40 refund.

They're required to pay the compensation within 1 month after your request. Or were they already past that deadline when you called?

 

[StephenHunter]

They're required to pay the compensation within 1 month after your request. Or were they already past that deadline when you called?

I don't recall. It was close to it.

 

[Bungle965]

Useful thread to have, I received an email 4 days ago telling me my couchette coach wasn’t available due to HŽ vehicle shortage.
They advised that we could either travel and get 100% refund or throw it in now and get a refund processed.
We chose the latter and fill out an online form, anyone know the expected time to receive the refund?

 

[rvdborgt]

Normally a few weeks. The legal requirement is within 1 month.

 

[Nunners]

Useful thread to have, I received an email 4 days ago telling me my couchette coach wasn’t available due to HŽ vehicle shortage.
They advised that we could either travel and get 100% refund or throw it in now and get a refund processed.
We chose the latter and fill out an online form, anyone know the expected time to receive the refund?

Interesting - I got a similar email 2 days ago but was only offered a 50% refund if travelling.

I'd expect OEBB to be fairly prompt with the refund, they're normally pretty good

 

[rvdborgt]

Interesting - I got a similar email 2 days ago but was only offered a 50% refund if travelling.

That's what they now (since December 2023) usually offer when you're downgraded, although the legal requirement is to refund the difference between what you paid and the cost of what you travelled in, since they're not allowed to charge for something they don't deliver.