redreni
Member
Unfortunately I didn’t have the same luck as GPmartin. [...]
I concur with Haywain it's not so much the tickets you used, the issue is the return portion of those super off-peak returns and the valid itinerary you had that was not delivered on. And the additional tickets you were made to buy at the gateline at Euston.My question is what do I do with our tickets we used yesterday (Sunday): [...]
As WMT have told you, you could get a refund on the tickets you were unable to use (although I'm not sure how much they'd give you if you used the outbound but not the return portion - presumably half). As these tickets were presumably much cheaper than the amount for which you were shaken down at Euston, however, you might want to press instead for reimbursement of those greater costs.
That could either be from Avanti on the basis that they were required under the NRCoT to assist you due to the fact you'd otherwise have been stranded, or against WMT under PRO.
There are other threads about enforcing PRO rights - it is best to ask to be re-routed at the earliest opportunity (otherwise they could claim to have been unaware that you wanted to be re-routed as you might have preferred to defer travel or take another mode of transport entirely (e.g. coach) and get a refund on your train tickets later). Should the TOC that is responsible for re-routing you (in this case WMT) refuse, then it is advisible to keep evidence or their refusal before you re-route yourself by buying a new ticket. The truth is, however, they wouldn't have re-routed you as the testimony of others on this thread, as well as other evidence, demonstrates clearly. So there's no harm in asking them to reimburse you for the tickets you bought from Avanti on the basis that you incurred this cost as a result of their failure to re-route you as required under PRO.
I would pursue both options concurrently:
- against Avanti under NRCoT for a refund of the tickets you bought from them on the basis that you were effectively stranded so, notwithstanding lack of general ticket acceptance, in your case they were obligated to accept your ticket) and
- against WMT for reimbursement of your costs in buying new tickets from Avanti as a result of their failure to re-route you under PRO.
I don't think the fact you'd be pursuing Avanti for a refund changes the fact you have already incurred these costs, so it's perfectly proper to also seek reimbursement of those costs from WMT, providing it is your intention to do the following:
- If you get a refund from Avanti, contact WMT to explain this and withdraw your claim for reimbursement, and
- in the unlikely event Avanti refunds you and WMT compensates you at the same time, contact WMT to offer them the money back (but do charge them a reasonable admin fee).