What qualifies for a refund?
Cancelled service
A bus, train, or ferry that was cancelled entirely — including short-notice cancellations you weren’t warned about in advance.
Severely delayed service
A service so delayed that it no longer served its purpose for your journey, or caused you to miss a connection or appointment.
Repeated failures on a route
Consistent cancellations or delays on a route you rely on can form the basis of a broader claim for fare refunds covering multiple affected trips.
Extra costs you incurred
If the cancellation or delay forced you to take a taxi, rideshare, or alternative transport, those extra costs can be included in the claim.
Legal basis
Your claim rests on the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993. When a transport operator sells you a fare, it guarantees that the service will be carried out with reasonable care and skill, within a reasonable time, and be fit for purpose. A cancelled or severely delayed service that leaves you stranded falls short of that guarantee and entitles you to a remedy.How Refund handles your claim
Tell Refund about the service failure
Describe which service was cancelled or delayed — the route, operator, date, and time. Include how late it was, whether it was cancelled entirely, and what you ended up doing instead.
Provide the fare and any extra costs
Tell Refund how much you paid for the affected service and any additional expenses the failure caused — taxi receipts, rideshare records, or notes about missed connections.
Review the claim draft
Refund identifies the right operator and the applicable Consumer Guarantees Act grounds, then drafts a formal claim for your review and approval.
Extra consequential costs — like a taxi home after a cancelled train, or a rideshare because the last bus didn’t show up — can also be included in your claim. Keep any receipts or booking confirmations and upload them when you start your case.
What you’ll need
Service details
The operator, route number or name, and the scheduled date and time of the service that was cancelled or delayed.
Fare paid
How much you paid for the affected journey — a ticket, card transaction, or fare confirmation.
Description of the delay or cancellation
How long the delay was, whether the service was cancelled entirely, and what impact it had on your journey or day.
Extra costs incurred
Any receipts for alternative transport or other costs forced on you by the service failure.
Prefer to hand it off entirely?
- Chat interface
- Autonomous agent
Go to refund.co.nz/case/pt-refund and describe what happened. Refund drafts the claim and sends it once you’ve read and approved it.
Frequently asked questions
Does a short delay qualify, or does it need to be a full cancellation?
Does a short delay qualify, or does it need to be a full cancellation?
It depends on the context. A five-minute delay is unlikely to succeed, but a delay that caused you to miss a connection, arrive significantly late, or rendered the journey useless for your purposes can qualify. Refund assesses each case individually — start a case and the agent will give you an honest read.
What if I didn't keep a receipt for the taxi I had to take?
What if I didn't keep a receipt for the taxi I had to take?
Bank statements or rideshare app records can substitute for paper receipts in most cases. Include whatever records you have and Refund will work with them.
Which operators does Refund cover?
Which operators does Refund cover?
Refund covers all NZ public transport operators — including Auckland Transport bus and rail services, Transdev, KiwiRail, Interislander, Bluebridge, and regional bus services nationwide.
What does it cost?
What does it cost?
Nothing unless Refund recovers money for you. The success fee is 25% of what is saved; if the claim is unsuccessful, you pay nothing.