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Rail travel vouchers help please.

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I have today got some Rail travel vouchers from Southern trains as was on there trains which was late.

on the letter it tells me that i can exchange them at a Southern trains station into cash but i dont live in there area and my station is run by Virgin trains.

so can i still change the vouchers into cash as both Virgin and southern dont seem to know and i am confused as if i can or not.

i know i can use the vouchers at any station to buy tickets and if you can only exchange them for cash at a station who issued the vouchers them they need to change it so we can exchange for cash at any station in the UK.
 
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IanXC

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In answer to your question you can only exchange them for cash at Ticket Offices operated by Southern.

Rail Travel Vouchers can be used as you mention to purchase tickets at any National Rail ticket office - Southern choose to provide the further option to exchange their vouchers at their ticket offices for cash. I'm not aware of any other operator offering such an option.

Its worth noting that you will shortly be able to opt for your delay repay compensation as a payment to your bank account, so I would think it unlikely the scheme will be amended to allow encashment more widely.
 
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In answer to your question you can only exchange them for cash at Ticket Offices operated by Southern.

Rail Travel Vouchers can be used as you mention to purchase tickets at any National Rail ticket office - Southern choose to provide the further option to exchange their vouchers at their ticket offices for cash. I'm not aware of any other operator offering such an option.

Its worth noting that you will shortly be able to opt for your delay repay compensation as a payment to your bank account, so I would think it unlikely the scheme will be amended to allow encashment more widely.

i thought it was UK wide about changing them to cash and did not know that it was only Southern that did it.

also the Vouchers look old as well so have them changed the look of them ever since they started years ago?

the whole thing just seems very dated.
 

Solent&Wessex

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The latest NRCOC says, in relation to delays:

Compensation will be paid in rail travel vouchers or, at your request, in money.
This will be by means of a refund to the debit or credit card used to pay for your
ticket or, at the Train Company’s discretion, in notes and coins, a cheque or a bank transfer payment (usually referred to as a BACS payment).

This, as I read it means that if you paid by card it can be refunded, at your request, to your card that you originally used. If you paid by any other means such as cash etc, then repayment in that form is at the discretion of the train company.
 

sarahj

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The latest NRCOC says, in relation to delays:



This, as I read it means that if you paid by card it can be refunded, at your request, to your card that you originally used. If you paid by any other means such as cash etc, then repayment in that form is at the discretion of the train company.

I do wonder how long Southern will exchange for cash when folks can (and do), turn up at small stations in the evening and exchange £800 worth for cash. Just about cleared out the ticket office concerned.
 

najaB

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ISouthern choose to provide the further option to exchange their vouchers at their ticket offices for cash. I'm not aware of any other operator offering such an option.
Scotrail also give this option, the RTVs have to be redeemed within 28 days of issue..
 

bb21

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I do wonder how long Southern will exchange for cash when folks can (and do), turn up at small stations in the evening and exchange £800 worth for cash. Just about cleared out the ticket office concerned.

Strangely I wonder whether those ticket office staff would prefer that to happen, as they will have to handle less actual hard cash at the end of the shift.
 

sarahj

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Strangely I wonder whether those ticket office staff would prefer that to happen, as they will have to handle less actual hard cash at the end of the shift.


Well the person running the ticket office concerned was not happy. It's called paper work. The person turned up about 5 mins before closing time, meant home later and then, even the next day they were busy processing these vouchers. And this is a busy little ticket office, often with a queue.
 

bb21

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Well the person running the ticket office concerned was not happy. It's called paper work. The person turned up about 5 mins before closing time, meant home later and then, even the next day they were busy processing these vouchers. And this is a busy little ticket office, often with a queue.

Ah, 5 minutes before the end of the shift. Doubt I'd be happy in that case. :lol:
 

CyrusWuff

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Well the person running the ticket office concerned was not happy. It's called paper work. The person turned up about 5 mins before closing time, meant home later and then, even the next day they were busy processing these vouchers. And this is a busy little ticket office, often with a queue.

I'm surprised there's no limit to how much can be exchanged in one go, like there is for "ordinary" cash refunds (KnowledgeBase specifies £200, with refunds in excess of that paid by cheque).
 

ainsworth74

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I'm surprised there's no limit to how much can be exchanged in one go, like there is for "ordinary" cash refunds (KnowledgeBase specifies £200, with refunds in excess of that paid by cheque).

Probably haven't thought it through!
 

DarloRich

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I do wonder how long Southern will exchange for cash when folks can (and do), turn up at small stations in the evening and exchange £800 worth for cash. Just about cleared out the ticket office concerned.

Jesus! i have nearly £500 and thought i had a lot of vouchers. Am i the only person happy to be the recipient these vouchers? I don't want cash.
 

Planes&Trains

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Hi, does anybody know if Southern or any other TOCs still convert vouchers to cash? And if they do, do they only do it for vouchers issued by themselves or will they convert for any vouchers? Any help is appreciated.
 

Elecman

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Virgin don't as I specifically asked them yesterday, you have to return the vouchers at your risk to Virgin Customer Services and wait at your task for them to send you a covering cheque. I also asked if the vouchers could be taken to a Virgin Booking Zoffuce for them to forward internally providing me with an official receipt for the vouchers, they agreed this may be an option at the individual booking office managers discretion.
 

gray1404

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Its worth noting that you will shortly be able to opt for your delay repay compensation as a payment to your bank account, so I would think it unlikely the scheme will be amended to allow encashment more widely.

Details please? When is this happening and is this for Southern or all TOCs?

It is worth noting that the ability to cash in Southern vouchers has changed slightly in that now, a voucher issued by any of the bands within Govia Thameslink Railway now can be cash in at any of the ticket offices of the group. So a voucher issued by Southern can be cashed in at a Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern or Gatwick Express ticket office.
 

IanXC

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Details please? When is this happening and is this for Southern or all TOCs?

It is worth noting that the ability to cash in Southern vouchers has changed slightly in that now, a voucher issued by any of the bands within Govia Thameslink Railway now can be cash in at any of the ticket offices of the group. So a voucher issued by Southern can be cashed in at a Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern or Gatwick Express ticket office.

All TOCs - enshrined in the updated National Rail Conditions of Carriage:

NRCOC said:
H.42.(d) Compensation will be paid in rail travel vouchers or, at your request, in money.
This will be by means of a refund to the debit or credit card used to pay for your
ticket or, at the Train Company’s discretion, in notes and coins, a cheque or a bank
transfer payment (usually referred to as a BACS payment).
Rail travel vouchers may be exchanged or used in part payment for tickets for any
rail journey on the services of the Train Companies.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/static/documents/content/NRCOC_effective_from_19_July_2015.pdf
 

gray1404

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All TOCs - enshrined in the updated National Rail Conditions of Carriage:



http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/static/documents/content/NRCOC_effective_from_19_July_2015.pdf

That doesn't really answer my question so I think I might have not been clear in my last post. I am aware of the changes to the NRCoC dating back to July 2015. However, despite this some TOCs (including Southern) are still insisting on issuing travel vouchers. You post said:

Its worth noting that you will shortly be able to opt for your delay repay compensation as a payment to your bank account, so I would think it unlikely the scheme will be amended to allow encashment more widely.

So when you say "shortly" (i.e. in the future) does that mean that there are some changes coming up in the future that you are aware of? Maybe whereby all customers will have a right to request payment to a bank account directly?

Hope that is more clear now. :)
 

IanXC

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That doesn't really answer my question so I think I might have not been clear in my last post. I am aware of the changes to the NRCoC dating back to July 2015. However, despite this some TOCs (including Southern) are still insisting on issuing travel vouchers. You post said:



So when you say "shortly" (i.e. in the future) does that mean that there are some changes coming up in the future that you are aware of? Maybe whereby all customers will have a right to request payment to a bank account directly?

Hope that is more clear now. :)

You will note that the post you quoted was from August 2015. I seem to recall the amended NRCoC was not available immediately or there was some kind of phase in period.

So "shortly" being 8 months ago, no I don't have any further information.

I would suggest that if Southern are not delivering what is enshrined in the NRCoC you ought to consider taking up a conplaint with them and potential referral to Transport Focus.
 

gray1404

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You will note that the post you quoted was from August 2015. I seem to recall the amended NRCoC was not available immediately or there was some kind of phase in period.

So "shortly" being 8 months ago, no I don't have any further information.

I would suggest that if Southern are not delivering what is enshrined in the NRCoC you ought to consider taking up a conplaint with them and potential referral to Transport Focus.

I had heard that there was going to be some change to consumer law too you see (in addition to the NRCoC) but I don't know any more details.
 
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