Submitted by Mike Grenville on Fri, 19 Sep 2003 11:48

The complicated process of claiming a refund has been simplified by a new service that enables travellers to submit their claim at the time simply by sending an SMS that automatically completes the claim form.

Delays on the tube are a daily occurrence for London’s commuters. Now, help is at hand from an enterprising new website that is setting out to help frustrated Londoners claim compensation for delayed journeys.

The London Underground Customer Charter states that if a tube journey is delayed for 15 minutes or more, passengers are entitled to a full refund of their single journey cost. However, the compensation process is not widely publicised and claiming compensation is a lengthy and painful process.

www.tuberefund.co.uk simplifies the process by using Esendex SMS technology. Frustrated commuters now simply text their e-mail address and journey details to 07800 00 20 20 to begin using the service.

Tube Refund automatically creates an account and within 10 minutes travellers will receive a text message confirming the claim submission along with an email containing a link to the completed claim form. Claimants then print the form, check it, sign it and send it freepost to London Underground to apply for their refund

“SMS makes tube refunds accessible to more people and allows them to use the service when at their most frustrated.” explains Julian Hucker of Esendex. “tuberefund.co.uk came about because of personal frustrations with the tube. Struggling to get to work on time every day, we wanted to find a way of giving commuters a voice and a way of venting their anger as well as getting something back for the stress they endure”.

To launch on Monday 22nd September, the new service www.tuberefund.co.uk are offering unlimited compensation claim applications free of charge until 31st October and hope that by encouraging more people to claim compensation, London Underground will make a more concerted effort to improve the service.

From 1st November 2003, commuters will pay £5 to generate 25 claim forms (entitling them to receive up to £92.50 in compensation for delayed journeys).

It is claimed that, in 2001, 59 million hours were spent on longer journeys over and above the “normal” journey time for each trip from entering the station at one end to emerging at the other. The recent introduction of the Congestion charge has seen an extra 15,000 people per day travelling on a tube service that is already subject to regular delays and disruption.

www.tuberefund.co.uk

www.esendex.co.uk