(01 Oct 2023, 3:13 pm)Rob44 wrote has anyone heard or read anything about refunds? Not so much the network one tickets ( although you pay to use all 3 major bus operators in tyne and wear) but for those who bough exclusively GNE tickets? Im sure someone bought a weekly Gateshead ticket on Tuesday on the 27 so would he be entitles t0 40% of the total back as he couldn't use the ticket.
They're asking people on Social Media to contact them directly, rather than making a blanket statement about what they intend to do.
According to their Ticket Refund Policy, they reserve the right to refuse a refund:
Unforeseen circumstances
In the event of a suspension of services because of strikes, labour disputes, emergency or adverse weather conditions, reasonable refunds or extension of validity of pre-purchased tickets may be considered but the decision will be entirely at the discretion of the company. Refunds will not be made in respect of days on which it can reasonably be foreseen that no service or a replaced service will be provided, or days on which the company has advertised a reduction or suspension of service such as Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
This pretty much echoes consumer law, and whilst I'm by no means an expert on it, they'd class industrial action as an unforeseen circumstance. Even though they're completely at liberty to prevent the dispute.
That being said, it'd be extremely poor of them to not refund days lost to customers, and I imagine it'd cause even more reputational damage than they've already done to themselves.