Bus company offers apology to pass holder left waiting weeks for strike day refund
A bus company has offered an apology and goodwill gesture to a pass holder waited months for a refund for the days he couldn't travel.
Mr Cooper, from Walsall, requested a refund from National Express West Midlands in March for the time that he was unable to travel as a result of the bus strikes earlier this year. He has finally received confirmation that he will receive the refund after the Express & Star got in touch with the company.
Mr Cooper said that, for a whole week, his regular commute was replaced by two buses, with an hour wait in between, totalling to two and a half hours of travel time.
He has also said the company included Christmas Day in the overall cost of his bus pass, even though services do not run on that day.
His Swift bus pass, which is a pay-as-you-go alternative to buying individual tickets, costs Mr Cooper £40 for 18 days – he paid the same amount for his bus pass over the festive period, but said the fee included Christmas Day when the buses do not run. Mr Cooper said being charged for Christmas Day set him back an extra £4.20.
A spokesperson for the company said Mr Cooper's refund for the effect of the strikes was meant to have been sent to him in April, but was missed due to an error.
Mr Cooper, who uses the number 4 and 45 services, said: "In fairness, why charge customers on a day when West Midlands buses clearly state that there are no buses running on Christmas Day. I should be refunded for this day.
"Why should I have had to contact them? I had to constantly ask. They ignored my multiple emails; their attitude is disconcerting.
"After the strikes, they said anyone affected can fill out a form for a refund, and that they would be contacted if they were unsuccessful.
"I filled out the form and heard nothing.
"The excuses are pathetic. To charge me for Christmas Day is criminal, as no buses run on that day.
"I have not received my cheque yet. They have only offered me £20.
"I'm not the only one, it has affected many. A lot of people are moaning about it."
A National Express West Midlands spokesperson said: "During the strike period National Express West Midlands continued to operate a limited bus network to try and keep our customers moving. Anybody that had a valid ticket and was unable to travel was able to claim a refund through our dedicated strike refund form.
"A cheque for Mr Cooper’s strike refund was due to be sent out to him in April. This was missed due to an error and we are really sorry for the delay and any inconvenience caused. Our customer services team is in touch with Mr Cooper directly to process the refund along with a goodwill gesture due to the delay.
"Mr Cooper had originally requested a weeks' refund due to buses not running on Christmas Day last year. Our buses operate throughout the Christmas and New Year period except for Christmas Day and our customer services team advised Mr Cooper that we do not issue partial refunds for unused tickets."
National Express has assured Mr Cooper that his cheque will be received in three to four weeks.
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