Speedferries voucher now only a deposit?

[Brilec]

I have just tried to use one of my 10 ticket supervouchers to book a return later this month.

Guess what, they also want an additional £135 after DEDUCTING the cost of the voucher.

I have emailed their customer services, but am not holding my breath for a sensible answer. All I have ever heard from them in the past is that it's not their problem, please cotact bookings on the expensive phone line.

So who are the pirates then?

[Nearly Retired (I am now)]

Was it a very old and expired one?

We somehow managed to get stuck with one 2005 supervoucher ticket which "expired" I think in September 2006. We were told that we could use the £19 or whatever it cost as part payment to a new ticket. We have newer vouchers which we use all the time and are just waiting to when we need to go very off-peak and pay not a lot extra on the old one. Use the system - don't fight it  is my motto.

If it is an old expired one then IMHO it looks like you are not complying with the T&C. I think they are being generous in allowing us to use it at all. 

[MrCanary]

I ditched Speedferries some time ago after they let me sit in the lanes for over two hours waiting for the first sailing of the day, only to be told the ferry had broken down overnight!

Yes - they are the pirates!

[Brilec]

No it has not expired, it's valid until Dec this year. It is the last of a 10 ticket supervoucher which is valid for two years. Used the previous one a month back with no problems.

[Nearly Retired (I am now)]

In that case it's an administrative c**k up or a deliberate mistake to make you use the phone service. I don't think they are robbers! The website very often lets me down and I just phone. OK, I know it's going to cost a couple of quid on the phone, but it does get things sorted asap.

Did a return journey a week or two back with 10 days in France: on time both ways. In maybe 9  /  10 returns in the last 12 months I've been 20 mins late a couple of times and once used the tunnel when heavy seas caused cancellation of a crossing.

I moan about Speedferries like everybody else, but reckon they've saved me maybe £1500 since they started up so I can be a tiny bit more tolerant about their methods.

[Brilec]

Well, I can now give an update.

After waiting all of 10 minutes to talk to a real person, they admit that there is a problem with their website (yet again).

They allowed me to make my booking with the call centre, and graciously waived the call centre fee.

I agree I have up to now had few problems with Speedferries, the most common one seems to be with their website.

I have been delayed for a couple of hours on a couple of occasions though, and bumped off once when the ferry broke down. (But they refunded the fare and gave me a free return to use whenever I wanted in the next 12 months, so can't really complain).

[Nearly Retired (I am now)]

I'm really pleased you got it all sorted. I like to think they're not the pirates, not robbers  -  but just a bit inefficient due to lack of properly trained staff - like my UK bank, broadband supplier, electricity company, car servicing garage, local Post Office, insurers x 4, hospital etc etc.

[Brilec]

Well, amazingly, today I actually got a reply from SF customer services, actually answering my email. This is a first.

Quote:-

We are currently experiencing booking errors on-line with regards to
Supervouchers charging extra money.  Please call 0870 22 00570 to book
your travel dates.  This a temporary error which is currently being
looked into.

[Captain Trips]

I still have 4 vouchers to use from my 2006 Supervouchers and am glad that I have read this thread. I find their website substandard and at least now I know if I have to phone, I can get them to waive any charges.

[MrCanary]

And I still have no desire to go back to these pirates.

I am pleased Brilec got a refund and a return voucher.

After lots of lost time when they could have told me their rotting bathtub was broken down, they promised me half my return fare as a refund, gave me no apology or voucher and left me paying nearly a hundred quid to go one-way on P&O.

The way I now refer to their company, you might find it difficult to believe I was one of their most regular passengers - but that counted for nothing. What a bunch of amateurs!   

                                   Mel

[Bob T]

I don't think that there is any ferry company or airline that can predict breakdowns. If speed ferries trebled their prices and bought another ferry with the proceeds then they would be no cheaper than the others. If P&O had a ferry breakdown, do you think that there would be another empty one there to use?

They may have taken time to tell you that it was broken down, but was that because they were trying to fix it and found that they could not do it in time?

I respect your wishes not to use them, but respect mine, and I will use them as often as I cross the channel.

[cooperlola]

Use whoever suits you Bob - sounds fine to me. I've never used S/F but people I know do and have no complaints.  But then, anybody's OK I guess until things go wrong.

However, one thing about using the Tunnel (which I do regularly) is that if there is a problem, they have a reciprocal arrangement with P&O so that you can use them as an alternative, FOC, - not for day-trips though.  On one such occasion, when there was a major problem with a train having broken down in the tunnel, I drove off to Dover and used P&O on the same ticket.  A couple of weeks later, I got a letter from Eurotunnel with an (unsolicited) apology and a free ticket for a further return trip. That's service. 

[Bob T]

Yes that is service, but you paid a premium for that.

[cooperlola]

True. Also, I avoid sea-sickness which is a major plus for me!  However, the frequent travellers deal of £370 for 10 single trips is not bad.  It also means I can nip back to the UK quickly and at a relatively low price.  A good bonus for me as I have an 84 year old mum back there. You just never know when you might have to take off at short notice...