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Speedferries Cancellation 29th March


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Just received email from Speedferries to say opening of new Dover centre has been put back a day and that there will be no sailings from Dover on 29th March - the day I and my trailer were due to go out of course. And they do not have reciprocol arrangements with other carriers out of Dover. 

So it's a refund, or I can use ticket to travel at another time - but of course they are fully booked for all days around 29th.

Or anyone been offered something different?

 

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Interesting situation about your cancellation...

I was a regular customer of Speedferries until early February when, having arrived at Dover at 6.00am for the 8.00am departure, I became mildly jarred off with them. I had sat in line until 7.45am when they announced the boat was broken down and would not be sailing. Why everybody was not fore-warned earlier I do not know.

A very pleasant young employee made his way around the cars getting peoples details and apologising. He was genuinely very embarrassed. But it was apparent the company could not give a stuff about what happened to us next. We had to leave the port, then re-enter to go to the Travel Centre and queue up to get on another ferry (P&O for eighty quid one-way). Some of the people queueing said this had happened to them before with Speedferries. My journey south ended up running four hours late and costing much more than I had planned.

Now, I used Speedferries regularly because I like to support small companies. But they really do not care what happens to their passengers on the regular occasions that they cancel at short notice.

My next three trips are already booked with Transmanche and LD Lines. The latter starts a new route on 1st May from Newhaven to Le Havre - which personally suits me very well, saves me lots of driving and is £99 return for a car and two.

I think Speedferries desperately needs another boat or two to be able to give customers a complete service...

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The line from Speedferries is they have technical problems resulting from the transfer from East to West dock. But if you phone Dover port, they tell you that Speedferries have not completed their refit in time to restart as scheduled on 29th March. (The boat has been out of the water during March for its annual refit. This ought to have been the ideal time for them to switch operations to the new dock.)

Another boat would certainly improve things, but unless they can keep 2 boats pretty full, the extra overheads would presumably eat into their operating cost advantage over the other ferry companies, leading to higher prices. You pays yer money, etc....

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Very true Alan, "You pay your money and you take your choice..." That is what I did when they totally messed up my travel plans and left me out-of-pocket.

However, as much as I want to, I cannot say I will not travel with them again because I do like them a bit.....!

I will just have to see how my trips with LD Lines go.

 

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I knew it was taking a chance to book for the first day after a refit, so I was not too surprised to get the e-mail about the cancellation. However, to Speedferries' credit, they have given an extra free return trip as compensation, which considering the ticket I was going to use was free anyway from their November offer, which itself was extended because of the dry docking, Ii think they've been quite generous in their treatment of passengers. Compared with some others I could mention by air and sea!
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Speedferries' official line is that it is negotiating on a second boat, similar to the first, but I don't know how true that is, because if you look at the builder's web site (www.incat.com.au) all of the similar ships seem to be well and truly spoken for. Unless they intend to refit one of the US military ones - but those are a little bigger than Speedferies wants. Of course, Speed One started off life as a warship (RNAS Jervis Bay) - not a lot of people know that. [:)]
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Pilot

When you say "extra" free return trip, do you mean in addition to a replacement for the one that was due to go Thursday or instead of? They have offered me a replacement ticket (or return ticket if I do not use the return part now) valid for an extra year in place of the cancelled booking. Not sure if your post indicates that you are getting a 2 for 1 deal as compensation. 

Hope this makes sense!

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[quote user="Alan Zoff"]

Well we were booked on the 29th and we did NOT get an e-mail! It was just that the OH is careful and rang up tocheck the reservations at 5pm the night before we were due to sail that we found out! AND we have not had any apologies or offers of another crossing! We took the single passage thro the Tunnel and paid £100! We have pets who travel with us and a long PO crossing is not best for them.

Just received email from Speedferries to say opening of new Dover centre has been put back a day and that there will be no sailings from Dover on 29th March - the day I and my trailer were due to go out of course. And they do not have reciprocol arrangements with other carriers out of Dover. 

So it's a refund, or I can use ticket to travel at another time - but of course they are fully booked for all days around 29th.

Or anyone been offered something different?

 

[/quote]
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  • 3 weeks later...

Alan Zoff wrote: "When you say "extra" free return trip, do you mean in addition to a replacement for the one that was due to go Thursday or instead of? They have offered me a replacement ticket (or return ticket if I do not use the return part now) valid for an extra year in place of the cancelled booking. Not sure if your post indicates that you are getting a 2 for 1 deal as compensation. "

Sorry to reply so late - only just got back from France. Speedferries e-mail says: "As you have been negatively influenced by the dry docking period for the second time, SpeedFerries would like to offer you a free return FLEX Ticket for a standard car and up to 5 passengers as compensation. The ticket is valid for 1 year and can be activated free of charge online. You will receive a booking number and security code for your free ticket by e-mail within the next two weeks.

With regards to your 29th March booking, please chose an option below." and goes on to  list the options. So, it's an extra free ticket.

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We were in SW France when we got the same message (....negatively influenced..second time .... & .... 3 options....). Luckily we got it just before we were due to make the journey north to Boulogne & we were able to make alternative arrangements for our crossing. 

Once home we replied to the email as requested, asking for clarification of our options, & eventually, after a wait of nearly three weeks, received an email copied as follows:

Dear ......... 

Thank you for your email

We apologise for the inconvienience caused on the 29.03.2007.  Your ticket has 
been put on hold for use within one year.  Unfortunately the other options do 
not apply to you as your ticket is a free ticket.

Kind regards
SpeedFerries

OK; it was the November 2-for-1 freebie, but we still had the inconvenience and expense caused by the cancellation, & they did send us the email promising a free flex ticket & choice of other options.  Had they not made the original offers the offer above might have been (barely) acceptable, but we find it amazing that they should now try to renege on their word. 

What do you think?  Is anyone else in the same boat?  We have written back but heard nothing more yet - has anyone had any change out of them? 

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Interesting!

Not having received the e-mail promised "within 2 weeks" I phoned today - needed to rebook the cancelled crossings which I did. Then I asked about the compensation crossing. The operator knew nothing about free compensation tickets and suggested I write to customer services, which I have just done by e-mail. Like Barter, my original ticket was the November 2-for-1 freebie, but when I booked to use it I did point out that my intention had been to use it during the revised dry dock period. "No problem, the validity is extended to May 31," they said.

Now, my e-mail cancelling the March 29th crossing did specifically say "As you have been negatively influenced by the dry docking period for the second time", so perhaps that's it. But seeing as I did not get the e-mail promised within 2 weeks perhaps they have back tracked. I'll await with interest a reply to the message I sent them this afternoon. 

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I just booked a crossing with a supervoucher ticket, I only wanted to book one way as I am uncertain of my return crossing and did not want to pay an amendment fee.

The system will not allow booking of one way on a voucher ticket so I had to phone the call centre in the UK on an 0870 number, they made my booking for me and told me that now I would be able to book the return leg on-line, however I dont have a PC in England and if I phone them to do it they will charge me £15 even though it is exactly what they did for me today gratuit.

They are still my favorites though you have to keep a keen eye on them.

 

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