Why is there no refunds for saver day passes for visitors who need to quarantine on arrival?

[Ian_Roberts]

I purchased 12 saver day passes for a party visiting from the UK and SBB have rejected any refund or voucher in exchange for future travel costing the party over 600 CHF.

It is wholly unreasonable not to refund the ticket cost when the documentation from the Federal Office of Public Health is very clear that you must avoid all contact with with other people and avoid public transport when entering from the United Kingdom.    We are a party of six who are vaccinated and have had booster jabs.

Our airline has provided a voucher in exchange for future travel and the hotel in Zermatt has provided a full refund as they do not want to accomodate guests who need to quarantine or isolate.

I have asked SBB if we are free to travel on the rail network on both days as it feels unreasonable not to provide a refund but at the same time to deny the travel service that is ticketed.

We're hugely frustrated with the lack of forethought or goodwill given to international visitors and do not advise anyone to consider using rail travel if they are considering a holiday visit to Switzerland.

[hyweldavies]

Hi Ian, I too was travelling to Zermatt and my circumstances i.e. all others have offered either vouchers or no charge, are the same. I have posted at length again this evening as I find the responses to date to be totally unacceptable.

[EllenvS · Accepted solution]

Hi @Ian_Roberts 

We are aware that trips are often booked very early and, in case of short-term changes in protective measures or quarantine regulations as well as personal reasons, many of our clients have to cancel their trips by public transport.

However, our trains continue to circulate and the entire public transport offer remeins unchanged. We are subject to the regulations of all the transport swiss companies, which do not grant us any goodwill.

Therefore, we continue to refund and cancel tickets in accordance with the current fare regulations and contract conditions and cannot grant any goodwill (not even in individual cases).

We thank you for your understainding. Have a nice day. EllenvS.

[hyweldavies]

Good evening Ellen,

All travel companies including airlines & rail companies offer 'Saver' type fares which in 'normal' circumstances customers understand to be non-refundable & non-transferable, however these are not 'normal' circumstances. These other travel companies (who also face the same financial & operational pressures as SBB as you mention) have all seen fit, for the sake of fairness, decency & no doubt being customer focused, to offer vouchers to use again on future travel (this would cost SBB zero). I find it incredibly disappointing, damaging to SBB's reputation and commercially a strange decision that they are still choosing to be so dogmatic, un-compromising and unfair. In such difficult times many businesses have come out of Covid as shining examples of how they helped their consumers, SBB is evidently not one of them, quite the opposite to be exact.

I'm sure that a number of your most disgruntled passengers may choose to post their thoughts on the wider Social Media travel sites, especially as we are likely to be faced with Covid related travel cancellations on a regular basis in future. I for one will be contacting the relevant Board Member at your HQ to share my concerns.

[VlaznimA]

Hello @hyweldavies 

If you would like to complain about the regulation or the refund conditions of savings offers, you can do so at our customer service. You have the possibility to make a complaint by phone at +41 800 401 401 or by e-mail at kundendienst@sbb.ch.

Have a nice day.

Regards, VlaznimA.

[hyweldavies]

Thank you