My letter to First Capital Connect Customer Services

To whom it may concern

I have just submitted a Delay Repay compensation claim following the disruption to the 18:10 London Kings Cross - Peterborough service yesterday.

Details of the refund amount were not featured on the web site, but I received an email confirming that my "rail replacement vouchers" would shortly be dispatched - no mention of the amount. After a quick call to customer service, I have managed to establish that for delays under one hour (mine was approximately 45 minutes) I will receive a refund for half of the cost of that leg of the journey.

Given that an single Anytime fare for that journey is £13.50, I take it that I will be receiving a voucher worth the princely sum of £6.75.

Since I pay monthly (as of this year more than £300 per month) for the privilege of not getting a seat on your peak time services, this will be of little practical use to me, unless I start a collection of such vouchers and save up until such time as I have been accumulated enough hours' delay to fund a full return tip to work.

I am almost afraid to ask, but is there a deadline on the use of the voucher? Like, for example, the end of the week that it is issued? If you give me advance notice I shall be able to plan a trip to Letchworth, or perhaps Stevenage, in order to ensure that I extract full benefit from your generosity.

Please give my regards to the shareholders.

Yours faithfully.

Jeremy