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Alf0nse
Dogs
When I got home I was most suprised to see a full refund from GWR after my journey to Bespoked, shame it only took them "20 days" to get back to me after all this ....
"On the out bound journey we were stuck in the station for 20 mins due to the train manager being absent, then when the train set off we were stuck behind a stopping train, to reading further delaying the service eventually ariving in Bristol half an hour late. Further to this none of the seats were marked as reserved, so I had to ask a rather aggressive man to move from our seats.
On the return journey our train was cancelled, and I spoke to a member of staff at the station to check that it was OK to get the next train as our had been cancelled, he said it was fine. When I got to the train I asked a member of staff on the train where the bike storage was, he said it was where the two trains joined, so I looked and could not find it, so I put my bike in the wheel chair space as it was the most logical place to put it (obvs would have moved it if necessary). Then I was told that it wasn't allowed there and that it needed to go in the bike storage at the end of the train, which again I could not find, so I put the bike back in the wheel chair space, then I was told again by the same member of staff it was actually in coach C, then when I got there one of the doors was jammed and the aperture wasn't wide enough to fit my bike in, so I was then told to go to the bike storage at the other end, by this time the train is due to set off in 2 mins. I got got the other storage which was full, and by this point it was too late to move the bike any where else, I was then told that I couldn't leave my bike there and the train wouldn't wouldn't leave the station, so I asked where I should put it and the solution I was told was to get off the train, and get the next service, which I refused, so I had to stand for the entire journey (nearly 2 hours) in the vestibule area, and move the bike every time someone wanted to use the toilet.
This is a really appalling service especially when National Rail are so keen to encourage cyclists to use trains - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5tA3rw83OA
Also to claim compensation for the delayed journeys you have to have a photograph of your ticket, but when you exit the barrier the ticket is retained."