Thalys Customer Service
Jan 17, 2011, 4:28 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Cambridge, UK
Programs: Qantas Gold; BA Silver; Virgin Australia Platinum; Virgin Atlantic Gold
Posts: 336
Thalys Customer Service
Has anyone else experienced customer service issues with Thalys?
I had a really poor customer service experience on board a Thalys. Basically the website said I should get breakfast so I didn't eat before getting on the train. When the breakfast did not appear the train staff were not interested in the fact (I tried to show them the website) that the website promised me breakfast.
The customer contempt continues. Thalys have not responded to two complaints logged online. I have now written using snail mail with a promise to dispute the credit card transaction (given that I did not receive the service I was promised).
I had a really poor customer service experience on board a Thalys. Basically the website said I should get breakfast so I didn't eat before getting on the train. When the breakfast did not appear the train staff were not interested in the fact (I tried to show them the website) that the website promised me breakfast.
The customer contempt continues. Thalys have not responded to two complaints logged online. I have now written using snail mail with a promise to dispute the credit card transaction (given that I did not receive the service I was promised).
Jan 18, 2011, 9:57 pm
#2
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: BRU
Programs: LH FTL; A3*Gold
Posts: 311
Sorry to hear about your experience. From my personal experience - if there is no meal service on-board (for whatever reason) the train manager has a stamp saying "no meal served" (or similar words) and he stamps your ticket. That entitles you to get a compensation in a form of voucher.
Do you mind sharing with us whichthe route, class of service and train number you were on?
Do you mind sharing with us whichthe route, class of service and train number you were on?
Last edited by AVSA; Jan 20, 2011 at 3:33 am Reason: Typo
Jan 20, 2011, 2:54 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Cambridge, UK
Programs: Qantas Gold; BA Silver; Virgin Australia Platinum; Virgin Atlantic Gold
Posts: 336
Sorry to hear about your experience. From my personal experience - if there is no meal service on-board (for whatever reason) the train manager has a stamp saying "no meal serve" (or similar words) and he stamps your ticket. That entitles you to get a compensation in a form of voucher.
Do you mind sharing with us whichthe route, class of service and train number you were on?
Do you mind sharing with us whichthe route, class of service and train number you were on?
* For journeys of more than 50 minutes."
They also refused to look at the website which carried this promise. They insisted that he timetable showed no meal on this service. However this was somewhat academic as I had made my booking on the basis of the website info and not the printed timetable.
Jan 20, 2011, 3:32 am
#4
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: BRU
Programs: LH FTL; A3*Gold
Posts: 311
If you look on the timetable page there is no food on your train. It contradicts information on the page to which you've provided the link.
It is misleading - I agree. Please let us know if/when you get any response from Thalys. I am really curies how they're going to deal with that.
It is misleading - I agree. Please let us know if/when you get any response from Thalys. I am really curies how they're going to deal with that.
Feb 18, 2011, 7:41 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Cambridge, UK
Programs: Qantas Gold; BA Silver; Virgin Australia Platinum; Virgin Atlantic Gold
Posts: 336
Thalys offered me a 10 voucher. I did not accept this. I have disputed the credit card charge for the Thalys ticket on the basis that I did not receive the service that I was promised.
Mar 18, 2011, 4:02 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Cambridge, UK
Programs: Qantas Gold; BA Silver; Virgin Australia Platinum; Virgin Atlantic Gold
Posts: 336
I got €10 back in credit card refund after disputing. Hoping it cost Thalys a lot more to process the claim.
They still have not changed their inaccurate website.
They still have not changed their inaccurate website.
Jan 10, 2013, 11:31 pm
#7
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 12
Hi Everybody , I was wondering if anybody has had a bad experiance with Thalys that has caused them considerable delay ( hours ) with no help form any from the train staff .
I am asking this as some 6 months ago we had a particulary nasty incident 10 minutes outside Brussels train station that caused us to miss our connecting train to normandy from Paris ( last one for the day ) gave us no help at all and dumped us in Paris with no accommodation on the eve of the french open at 7 at night ( took a hour and a half to find accommodation ) .
We are looking for people that have had the same or other experiances like this on a Thalys train .
We are willing to share our story to those who wish to know what when on , ( It isn't pretty and rather disturbing that people can be treated like this in this day and age to say the least ) .
peterl
I am asking this as some 6 months ago we had a particulary nasty incident 10 minutes outside Brussels train station that caused us to miss our connecting train to normandy from Paris ( last one for the day ) gave us no help at all and dumped us in Paris with no accommodation on the eve of the french open at 7 at night ( took a hour and a half to find accommodation ) .
We are looking for people that have had the same or other experiances like this on a Thalys train .
We are willing to share our story to those who wish to know what when on , ( It isn't pretty and rather disturbing that people can be treated like this in this day and age to say the least ) .
peterl
Feb 24, 2014, 9:39 pm
#8
Join Date: Mar 1999
Location: arlington, va
Programs: AA Gold, UA Silver, Marriott Plat
Posts: 660
I had a problem with Thalys in December 2012 that I'm still trying to sort out. Was ticketed in first class from Aachen to Paris. Tried to board as ticketed and the conductor ordered me to go stand in the second class dining car. Turns out there was a fire in another car and they moved someone to my seat. The train manager told me I would get a full refund if I was willing to stand in the dining car all the way to Paris OR I could get off in Brussels and get another train. He endorsed my ticket checking the box "no catering" and insisted Thalys would give me a refund based on that.
I used the Thalys on line customer service form and explained the situation.
Thalys offered me a 25 Euro voucher (my one way fare was 200 Euros). They went so far as to inform me that the reason I did not get a meal was because one had not been supplied to the train. Huh? I bought a first class ticket and you made me stand for 3 hours in the second class dining car (there were no second class seats available) and you think that is OK? Hello!
Disputed the charge through my credit card on January 2. On February 11, Thalys responded back to the credit card company that this charge was properly ticketed and that services were provided. The credit card company asked them if it was correct there was a fire on the train that day in the car I was ticketed on. They did this without my prompting which was pretty impressive I thought. They gave Thalys another month to respond. Meanwhile, I'm sending in my full case history with documents to the credit card company.
In a nutshell, Thalys is just pathetic. I will post an update either way once this is resolved.
I used the Thalys on line customer service form and explained the situation.
Thalys offered me a 25 Euro voucher (my one way fare was 200 Euros). They went so far as to inform me that the reason I did not get a meal was because one had not been supplied to the train. Huh? I bought a first class ticket and you made me stand for 3 hours in the second class dining car (there were no second class seats available) and you think that is OK? Hello!
Disputed the charge through my credit card on January 2. On February 11, Thalys responded back to the credit card company that this charge was properly ticketed and that services were provided. The credit card company asked them if it was correct there was a fire on the train that day in the car I was ticketed on. They did this without my prompting which was pretty impressive I thought. They gave Thalys another month to respond. Meanwhile, I'm sending in my full case history with documents to the credit card company.
In a nutshell, Thalys is just pathetic. I will post an update either way once this is resolved.
Feb 24, 2014, 11:33 pm
#9
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 12
Thalys certainly gave you the rough end of the pineapple greg , and what disturbs me more is the fact that continued onward with a fire damaged car ( did they attempt to change the car at all ? ) not a safe practice at all .
We still have not heard from Thallys about our claim ( they won,t talk to us any more now because i,m the sort of guy that won,t back down if I know i,m right ) dispite many emails .
We eventually had to make a claim through our travel insurance to recoop the costs incured by us , even the insurance company was stunned by the treatment we got at the hands of Thallys .
Looking forward to hear if you get this situation sorted out .
peterl
We still have not heard from Thallys about our claim ( they won,t talk to us any more now because i,m the sort of guy that won,t back down if I know i,m right ) dispite many emails .
We eventually had to make a claim through our travel insurance to recoop the costs incured by us , even the insurance company was stunned by the treatment we got at the hands of Thallys .
Looking forward to hear if you get this situation sorted out .
peterl
Feb 27, 2014, 11:49 am
#10
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,300
@peterl
Do you have one Ticket like from A to C via B or 2 separate Tickets Like A to B, B to C?
The huge problem is today to get a Ticket who cross more than one Contry and/ or contain an "Private Train" or need a special Ticket like TGV, Thalys,...
There are only 2 way to get a Ticket like that:
1) Way one is to buy a Full Flex Ticket from Start to the destination on the Counter from the Local Railway and pay (in many Case) more than an Business Class Flight or
2) Way is to buy only separate cheap Ticket and if anything happens (like misses connection) you are screed...
Do you have one Ticket like from A to C via B or 2 separate Tickets Like A to B, B to C?
The huge problem is today to get a Ticket who cross more than one Contry and/ or contain an "Private Train" or need a special Ticket like TGV, Thalys,...
There are only 2 way to get a Ticket like that:
1) Way one is to buy a Full Flex Ticket from Start to the destination on the Counter from the Local Railway and pay (in many Case) more than an Business Class Flight or
2) Way is to buy only separate cheap Ticket and if anything happens (like misses connection) you are screed...
Feb 28, 2014, 5:38 am
#11
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 12
Hi ToGo , We had one ticket with both of our names on it that stated the train number , platform , class type and start point ( Aachen ) and finish point ( Paris Noord ) plus times .
We also got the tickets the through Thallys website prior to travelling over to Europe and had them sent to us via snail mail .
Seemed like a good idea at the time but in hind sight we should of just took a commuter flight instead .
peterl
We also got the tickets the through Thallys website prior to travelling over to Europe and had them sent to us via snail mail .
Seemed like a good idea at the time but in hind sight we should of just took a commuter flight instead .
peterl
Feb 28, 2014, 3:57 pm
#12
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,300
You wrote:
and now:
So you have 2 Tickets:
1) from Thalys: Aachen to Paris
2) ???: Paris to Normandy
is that correct?
I am asking this as some 6 months ago we had a particulary nasty incident 10 minutes outside Brussels train station that caused us to miss our connecting train to Normandy from Paris ( last one for the day ) gave us no help at all and dumped us in Paris with no accommodation on the eve of the french open at 7 at night ( took a hour and a half to find accommodation ) .
We had one ticket with both of our names on it that stated the train number , platform , class type and start point ( Aachen ) and finish point ( Paris Noord )
1) from Thalys: Aachen to Paris
2) ???: Paris to Normandy
is that correct?
Feb 28, 2014, 5:52 pm
#13
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 12
Yes that is correct , we had tickets on the Thallys train from Aachen to Paris Noord and then a connecting train from Paris St Lazare to Normandy which was scheduled to depart 1 hour 50 minutes after our arrival at Paris Noord ( plenty of time to transfer to St Lazare ) but since the Thallys was delayed through Thallys inept handling of the incident in Brussels ( 3 other Thallys trains left " passed us while we were waiting at the scene " that we could have been transfered accross to along with the rest of the passengers as we were only 5 minutes from the station .) we eventually arrived some 3 hours late and had obviously missed the connecting train that we were booked on to Normandy ( this was the last train to Normandy for the day and the next one would be in the morning ) .
We were ofered no assistance from Thallys and dumped in the middle of Paris on the eve of the French Open with no accomodation at 7pm , it then took almost 2 hours of walking around with our luggage before we found some form of accomodation at a dive of a hotel in a what I would call an unsafe part of town .
As a former international tour guide I found Thallys conduct discusting and nothing short of appauling and could have been totally avoided by just a few reasonable steps by caling the local metro bus company ( I know where they are in Brussels ie , not far ) to shuttle the passengers back to the station for transfer to the other Thallys trains departing to Paris Noord , all Thalys ofered while we were waiting for 3 hours was 1 half cup of water for the whole 3 hours .
peterl
We were ofered no assistance from Thallys and dumped in the middle of Paris on the eve of the French Open with no accomodation at 7pm , it then took almost 2 hours of walking around with our luggage before we found some form of accomodation at a dive of a hotel in a what I would call an unsafe part of town .
As a former international tour guide I found Thallys conduct discusting and nothing short of appauling and could have been totally avoided by just a few reasonable steps by caling the local metro bus company ( I know where they are in Brussels ie , not far ) to shuttle the passengers back to the station for transfer to the other Thallys trains departing to Paris Noord , all Thalys ofered while we were waiting for 3 hours was 1 half cup of water for the whole 3 hours .
peterl
Mar 1, 2014, 7:23 am
#14
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Schwetzingen (Heidelberg), Germany
Programs: BA, SK, Accor, Carlson Rezidor
Posts: 394
They might offer some compensation for the delay - at their own discretion - but that´s it since they "deliverd" you to Paris-Nord.
But as soon as you start telling them about a "connecting train" which the train from St.Lazare was not (in legal terms) Thalys will certainly not listen to your complaints and is legally safe with that.
Unfortunately there are no EU-wide regulations regarding compensation for train journeys so any delay compensation depends on their goodwill /policy.
Only for air travel there are regulations when a flight is delayed/cancelled !
... and if you book two separate air tickets you are in the same situation regarding "connections" !
Mar 1, 2014, 12:24 pm
#15
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,300
Unfortunately there are no EU-wide regulations regarding compensation for train journeys so any delay compensation depends on their goodwill /policy.
There are for Planes, Int. Bus, Ship and i believe for Train to.
I know that from the ÖBB:
http://www.oebb.at/en/Services/Passe...ghts/index.jsp
... and if you book two separate air tickets you are in the same situation regarding "connections" !
Everyone say when i bought 2 separate Ticket and i miss the second flight i am screwed...