My mistake about the Railcard issue - I did know that you can only get an excess for this before travelling.
With Advances you of course also need a new ticket but what about people travelling at peak times with an off-peak ticket who in my limited experience seem to be charged for a new Anytime fare rather than an excess? Do guards then have the right to charge a new fare when an excess is the correct procedure?
On the lines I work, in a lot of circumstances, it's cheaper to sell a new Anytime ticket, that excess either portion of an off-peak ticket to an Anytime ticket, as the excess will charge for both legs of the journey.
This also applies if the passenger has a day travelcard ticket.
If the ticket in question is an off-peak return ticket that is valid for a month, the passenger will the still have an "unused" off-peak return portion for use on a train in the future, if they buy a new single for the outward journey.
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A question for any guards on here - you've charged someone for a brand new ticket, as the one they held is apparently invalid on the train. They don't have the funds to pay for a new ticket so you decide to issue an Unpaid Fare Notice.
Is it standard practice to invalidate the ticket they already held? Also, if it was the outward portion of a return ticket, is it standard practice to invalidate both portions?
It depends but usually yes, especially if the ticket has been used in what I consider to be a fraudulent manner, or I have serious doubts about whether the UFN will ever be paid or the correct details have been given, then I may stamp the ticket so they can't "have their cake and eat it" so to speak.
Also, if they are going to appeal the UFN (as is their right), if I've stamped the ticket it is proof that this is the ticket the dispute was over, to cover me as much as anything.