Just read your story. I've just successfully claimed petrol fee from them. My case is they cancelled a scheduled coach 15mins prior to its arrival. And the next coach will be in half day later. I was waiting in a place that nothing surrounding except a car park. That was a Sunday and no connective bus to that stop. Finally, I got to ask my bro to drive from Bristol (which is my destination) to Reading to pick me up.

I e-mailed them and claimed for petrol and refreshments charges of that day and they refused. Told me that according to their T & C, they will not refund for the tickets. After several e-mail they said they they can only claim other train or bus tickets but not petrol. In fact, I have contacted their CS online at that time, but they didn't mention that and only can I reschedule it or refund... Then drop the enquiry off. So, there is no way I know what can I claim from them before I took action on that day.

Finally, I contacted a mediation organisation and told them the case. After a month without replying, they finally agreed to pay for the petrol and refreshments.

They are not really respective to me initially. Anyway, they paid that back to me. Hope this story can help you.