Rail travel hell: What is a super complaint and how do I make one?
- Published
If you found yourself on one of the estimated 47 million delayed or cancelled train journeys in the last year, you might have been tempted to complain.
But have you ever thought "my normal complaint isn't enough, if only I could complain more"?
Which? consumer group argues it's too difficult for delayed rail passengers to get compensation and has filed a so-called super complaint.
So what is this new higher level beef?
A super complaint, which features in the Enterprise Act 2002, is a complaint put forward on behalf of customers by consumer bodies that "any feature, or combination of features, of a market in the UK for goods or services is, or appears to be, significantly harming the interests of consumers".
It can raise issues with how the area in question, in this case rail services, is run or how customers are being affected by how it is being run.
The Which? super complaint has been put to the railway regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). It says it should be easier for passengers to get their money back.
Their study found only a third of people who may have been entitled to compensation actually bothered to claim it.
The ORR said it was already working to improve the situation.
Can I make a super complaint?
No. Only bodies designated by the secretary of state for business, innovation and skills can make a super complaint.
In this case Which? puts the "interests of consumers" to the secretary of state.
What happens after a super complaint?
Under the super complaint rules, the ORR now has 90 days to respond and to announce whether it will take action.
The possible outcomes could include: changes to how the industry works, an investigation being launched or a recommendation that government takes action.
It could also find that nothing needs to done, in which case rail users could find themselves complaining about delayed or cancelled journeys in the same way they do now. Super.
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