Bus fare issue

frag420 · 02-12-2012 3:28pm #1

Got bus eireann bus from Donegal to Dublin last thur. When I boarded I asked for a return ticket. I told him I was returning on sunday(today). After about five mins fiddling with machine to figure out code he printed ticket, I paid and took my seat. First part of journey in five mins and then I get in express bus to Dublin from ballyshsnnon. When I got on the driver punched hole in ticket and I took my seat.

Getting on bus today I was told it was invalid ticket as it had been punched twice( unless it was punched twice exactly through the same hole) and that I was given a midweek return so have to pay an extra tenner. I told him it was punched once and besides I hadn't cash on me and would have to get it in Cavan but the more I think of it I don't feel I should pay for his colleagues mistake in thur.i paid in good faith.

Any thoughts folks? Should I pay or stand my ground?

acousticguy · 02-12-2012 4:01pm

Why should you pay 10 quid for their mistake? I'd explain the situation again and then ask him to call HQ to clarify. In many cases though people back down and take the hit. I don't know why this is the case with us Irish. But that is typical of the drivers to pass the buck onto another. I've had a few cases in the past where I'd be told "Arah sure just explain to the next driver". Guess how far that goes...

frag420 · 02-12-2012 4:10pm

I was not allowed back on the bus at Cavan so stuck here now until next bus in two hrs. They would want to let me on that one as I ain't backing down on this!

foggy_lad · 03-12-2012 12:50am

frag420 wrote: »

I was not allowed back on the bus at Cavan so stuck here now until next bus in two hrs. They would want to let me on that one as I ain't backing down on this!

Are you still in Cavan? You would surely have the right to have an inspector decide whether you were allowed travel or not but they may be thin on the ground in this cold wet weather.

Hilly Bill · 03-12-2012 3:20pm

frag420 wrote: »

Got bus eireann bus from Donegal to Dublin last thur. When I boarded I asked for a return ticket. I told him I was returning on sunday(today). After about five mins fiddling with machine to figure out code he printed ticket, I paid and took my seat. First part of journey in five mins and then I get in express bus to Dublin from ballyshsnnon. When I got on the driver punched hole in ticket and I took my seat.

Getting on bus today I was told it was invalid ticket as it had been punched twice( unless it was punched twice exactly through the same hole) and that I was given a midweek return so have to pay an extra tenner. I told him it was punched once and besides I hadn't cash on me and would have to get it in Cavan but the more I think of it I don't feel I should pay for his colleagues mistake in thur.i paid in good faith.

Any thoughts folks? Should I pay or stand my ground?

Im just trying to understand what happened. You asked for a return ticket on Thursday to come back on Sunday but was given a midweek return instead.? Would you have known by looking at the ticket when you bought it that it was the wrong one ( if it was ).What is the price for the ticket that you asked for and the ticket that you got? The €10 is the difference in the price or is it like Irish Rail when they charge €10 for changing to an earlier or later train than the one you booked on?
You changed buses in Ballyshannon and the driver punched your ticket? did the first driver punch your ticket when you bought it?
Was there a date of travel on the ticket for which the ticket was valid between?
Does it matter how many times that it was punched if you hadnt made the return journey or are they suggesting that you had already made the return journey prior to Sunday? Was it in Dublin that you were refused entry to the bus or when changing in Cavan?
If a mistake is made then they might tell you that you should have pointed it out before leaving the bus that you bought the ticket from. It might be like buying the wrong phone credit from the shop but only realising it after leaving the shop some time later and they wont change it for you.

Are you staying in Cavan until they let you on without paying the €10 or did you pay to get home and taking the matter further?

frag420 · 04-12-2012 1:37pm

Hilly Bill wrote: »

Im just trying to understand what happened. You asked for a return ticket on Thursday to come back on Sunday but was given a midweek return instead.? YES

Would you have known by looking at the ticket when you bought it that it was the wrong one ( if it was ).I didnt think to check it as I would assume that drivers know what they are doing as they do it countless times every day

What is the price for the ticket that you asked for and the ticket that you got?

I believe the difference is about €10. I know now that the price of the ticket I asked for to be €33 i think wherebye I was charge €23 for an incorrect ticket.

The €10 is the difference in the price or is it like Irish Rail when they charge €10 for changing to an earlier or later train than the one you booked on?The €10 is the difference

You changed buses in Ballyshannon and the driver punched your ticket? did the first driver punch your ticket when you bought it?
No the only driver to punch ticket on way to Dublin was the driver in Balyshannon

Was there a date of travel on the ticket for which the ticket was valid between?
It was valid for one month(30 days) from date of departure

Does it matter how many times that it was punched if you hadnt made the return journey or are they suggesting that you had already made the return journey prior to Sunday?
I am not sure what he was suggesting. When the driver in Dublin said that it had been punched twice already I explained that usually when punched twice it would not be punched exactly through the first punch hole

Was it in Dublin that you were refused entry to the bus or when changing in Cavan?
I was refused initially in Dublin. I explained to the driver I did not have €9 on me and showed him about €3 in change I had in my pocket. I suggested we try sort it out in Cavan as there is an inspector there and I could talk to him and try an resolve the issue.he agreed to let me travel to Cavan and we can try sort it out there. Upon arrival he demanded I got to the garage down the rd to use their atm to get him €9. at this stage it was pissing rain. They also wont accept card payments in the station, cash only.

If a mistake is made then they might tell you that you should have pointed it out before leaving the bus that you bought the ticket from. It might be like buying the wrong phone credit from the shop but only realising it after leaving the shop some time later and they wont change it for you.
I would like to think that when getting a bus that the driver knows what he is doing when printing my ticket. If i had bought the ticket from the machine or online and input the incorrect data myself then I would hold my hands up and take responsibility.

Are you staying in Cavan until they let you on without paying the €10 or did you pay to get home and taking the matter further?
After speaking with the inspector in Cavan he refused to help me. In the end I had to pay the balance and get the next bus. I have made a formal complaint in writing and have asked for a written apology from the driver and a refund of the €9. I have left out some details here with regards to the drivers bahaviour, attitude and some things he said to me as I have submitted my complaint and I do not want to get in the way of due process. I told them they have ten days from reciept of my email to rectify the situation or I will look at other options./QUOTE]

frag420 · 04-12-2012 1:39pm

foggy_lad wrote: »

Are you still in Cavan? You would surely have the right to have an inspector decide whether you were allowed travel or not but they may be thin on the ground in this cold wet weather.

The inspector would not entertain me and had sided with the driver from the start and refused to help me.

foggy_lad · 04-12-2012 2:08pm

frag420 wrote: »

The inspector would not entertain me and had sided with the driver from the start and refused to help me.

Sounds about right, especially if the driver was in a bit of a state about dealing with you, or maybe it was the insinuation that one of their number might have made a mistake issuing a ticket?

Hilly Bill · 04-12-2012 8:32pm

frag420 wrote: »

The inspector would not entertain me and had sided with the driver from the start and refused to help me.

If they had an issue with you not having paid the correct fare for the ticket that you thought that you had then they shouldnt have let you travel from Dublin on the return leg until you paid the balance. Because they allowed you to travel as far as Cavan then they should have let you continue your journey.
The only thing i can see going against you is that you didnt point out the mistake with the ticket before the end of the first part of your journey and paid the difference but I take it that you didnt know what the fare was ment to be for your journey prior to boarding and therefore unaware that you were charged a lesser fare.
I cant see how you would be entitled to a refund as the €9 you paid in Cavan was the difference in the fare that you paid originally and brought it up to the correct fare.
Why didnt you use an ATM in Dublin?

AlekSmart · 04-12-2012 8:49pm

foggy_lad wrote: »

Sounds about right, especially if the driver was in a bit of a state about dealing with you, or maybe it was the insinuation that one of their number might have made a mistake issuing a ticket?

Frag420,please do let the board know the outcome of your complaint ?

You are pursuing it properly by keeping it in written format,which should allow for a speedier response.

Until we hear the Company's response I'll take a rain-check on Foggy's full and concise interpretation of the event .....;)

frag420 · 04-12-2012 8:50pm

Hilly Bill wrote: »

If they had an issue with you not having paid the correct fare for the ticket that you thought that you had then they shouldnt have let you travel from Dublin on the return leg until you paid the balance. Because they allowed you to travel as far as Cavan then they should have let you continue your journey.
The only thing i can see going against you is that you didnt point out the mistake with the ticket before the end of the first part of your journey and paid the difference but I take it that you didnt know what the fare was ment to be for your journey prior to boarding and therefore unaware that you were charged a lesser fare.
I cant see how you would be entitled to a refund as the €9 you paid in Cavan was the difference in the fare that you paid originally and brought it up to the correct fare.
Why didnt you use an ATM in Dublin?

I did not realise I had the wrong ticket until I tried to board the bus in Dublin and was told it was wrong by the driver. I should be entitled to the €9 as it was not my mistake in the first place and I had entered into a contract with the driver when I gave him my money an he gave me my ticket on the outbound journey.

As for the Atm in Dublin that is a non issue as I felt I didnt owe them as they made the mistake, not me. What if I had no money in my account? They were happy to leave me stranded in Cavan regardless of my circumstances. That is the main issue here alongside the extra €9 euro had to pay for their mistake.

frag420 · 04-12-2012 8:57pm

foggy_lad wrote: »

Sounds about right, especially if the driver was in a bit of a state about dealing with you, or maybe it was the insinuation that one of their number might have made a mistake issuing a ticket?

Thanks for your input, you were obviously traveling on the same bus and saw it all happening:rolleyes:

If the driver was in a bit of a state as you put it then I would think it would be advisable for him not to drive a bus full of passengers purely for health and safety reasons.

As for the insinuation...........I didnt make the mistake.

Hope that last part is clear enough for you.

frag420 · 04-12-2012 8:58pm

AlekSmart wrote: »

Frag420,please do let the board know the outcome of your complaint ?

You are pursuing it properly by keeping it in written format,which should allow for a speedier response.

Until we hear the Company's response I'll take a rain-check on Foggy's full and concise interpretation of the event .....;)

Wil do.

Hilly Bill · 04-12-2012 9:04pm

frag420 wrote: »

I did not realise I had the wrong ticket until I tried to board the bus in Dublin and was told it was wrong by the driver. I should be entitled to the €9 as it was not my mistake in the first place and I had entered into a contract with the driver when I gave him my money an he gave me my ticket on the outbound journey.

As for the Atm in Dublin that is a non issue as I felt I didnt owe them as they made the mistake, not me. What if I had no money in my account? They were happy to leave me stranded in Cavan regardless of my circumstances. That is the main issue here alongside the extra €9 euro had to pay for their mistake.

I sympathise with your case but they might need proof that you did ask for the ticket that you claim to have asked for in the first place and proving this would be the problem.
Its no issue to anyone but yourself if you have money in your account or not.
You ended up paying the correct fare so wouldnt be entitled to a refund. If you had paid a dearer fare because of the mistake then i would agree that you would be due a refund.

mitosis · 04-12-2012 9:10pm

Sorry OP, but it is your responsibility to ensure you have a correct ticket for your journey. I'm pretty certain there's a notice to that effect on the buses also.

frag420 · 04-12-2012 9:12pm

Hilly Bill wrote: »

I sympathise with your case but they might need proof that you did ask for the ticket that you claim to have asked for in the first place and proving this would be the problem.
Its no issue to anyone but yourself if you have money in your account or not.
You ended up paying the correct fare so wouldnt be entitled to a refund. If you had paid a dearer fare because of the mistake then i would agree that you would be due a refund.

I hear what you are saying and yes proof will be hard to come by. However like I mentioned above it was the treatment I received by driver, the inspector in Cavan and their unwillingness to try and resolve the problem at all that has made me make the complaint and it is something I will not leave go unchallenged until I receive a written and signed apology from the driver.

As much as I hate Joe Duffy I would have no problem going public with this. Imagine had it of been a young child with the wrong ticket or an elderly passenger(forgetting they get free travel for the moment) that he left stranded??

frag420 · 04-12-2012 9:13pm

mitosis wrote: »

Sorry OP, but it is your responsibility to ensure you have a correct ticket for your journey. I'm pretty certain there's a notice to that effect on the buses also.

Well if you can show me this sign on a darkened bus then please do so.

Hilly Bill · 04-12-2012 9:22pm

frag420 wrote: »

I hear what you are saying and yes proof will be hard to come by. However like I mentioned above it was the treatment I received by driver, the inspector in Cavan and their unwillingness to try and resolve the problem at all that has made me make the complaint and it is something I will not leave go unchallenged until I receive a written and signed apology from the driver.

As much as I hate Joe Duffy I would have no problem going public with this. Imagine had it of been a young child with the wrong ticket or an elderly passenger(forgetting they get free travel for the moment) that he left stranded??

You might get something from Bus Eireann but you wont get anything from the driver now. Bus Eireann will look into your complaint and then get back to you at some stage but it might not be to your liking.
Joe Duffy wont solve anything for you apart from you airing your frustration with him and his listeners .

AlekSmart · 04-12-2012 9:38pm

frag420 wrote: »

I did not realise I had the wrong ticket until I tried to board the bus in Dublin and was told it was wrong by the driver. I should be entitled to the €9 as it was not my mistake in the first place and I had entered into a contract with the driver when I gave him my money an he gave me my ticket on the outbound journey.

As for the Atm in Dublin that is a non issue as I felt I didnt owe them as they made the mistake, not me. What if I had no money in my account? They were happy to leave me stranded in Cavan regardless of my circumstances. That is the main issue here alongside the extra €9 euro had to pay for their mistake.

Frag420,as I posted earlier,I would suggest that allowing the written complaint to be addressed by the company is the best approach at this point.

I would warn against being drawn-out by other posters which may result in certain attitudes or pre-conceptions being revealed which could detract in some way from your original (and valid) complaint.

It's worth noting the standard Conditions of Carriage for Bus Eireann Services....

http://www.buseireann.ie/inner.php?id=324

All tickets are valid for travel as indicated by the fare paid and/or other details printed on the tickets at time of issue. Passengers are obliged to ensure that these details are correct in respect of the journey intended.

It's the "Obliged" bit that might be worth pondering upon ?

frag420 · 04-12-2012 10:05pm

AlekSmart wrote: »

Frag420,as I posted earlier,I would suggest that allowing the written complaint to be addressed by the company is the best approach at this point.

I would warn against being drawn-out by other posters which may result in certain attitudes or pre-conceptions being revealed which could detract in some way from your original (and valid) complaint.

It's worth noting the standard Conditions of Carriage for Bus Eireann Services....

http://www.buseireann.ie/inner.php?id=324

It's the "Obliged" bit that might be worth pondering upon ?

Surely Bus Eireann should be obliged to make people aware of this when buying tickets as I didn't have a copy of the Conditions of Carraige on me when buying my ticket nor did the driver recommend I refer to it.

I'm going to leave the thread now until I have a reply from Bus Eireann. Perhaps it can be locked until I hear from them.

I appreciate all comments thus far.

Bus fare issue

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