Why can I get no refund on advance tickets even though cancelling 3 weeks in advance

[Craigfromhudd]

I have purchased some rail tickets to the value of £34 for the 9th of July.

I'd tried to find out if I could get a refund for them as my plans have changed.

That was with still about 4 weeks before the journeys.

But found as they are advance tickets I can't get any money back, even though canceling in loads of time and they can give seats to someone else.

Now just under 3 weeks before journeys though still well before.So why can't I get anything back if I cancel advance tickets.It's not like I'm not giving them enough notice.

 

[Ferret]

I have purchased some rail tickets to the value of £34 for the 9th of July.

I'd tried to find out if I could get a refund for them as my plans have changed.

That was with still about 4 weeks before the journeys.

But found as they are advance tickets I can't get any money back, even though canceling in loads of time and they can give seats to someone else.

Now just under 3 weeks before journeys though still well before.So why can't I get anything back if I cancel advance tickets.It's not like I'm not giving them enough notice.

For the simple reason that one of the conditions of Advance tickets is that they are non-refundable. If you didn't like that condition of the ticket then I'd suggest that you shouldn't have bought it!

 

[sonic2009]

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/advance_conditions.html

this may help.. it's part of your contract with the train company, it's in the t and c's that no refunds are offered..

 

[brompton rail]

I have purchased some rail tickets to the value of £34 for the 9th of July.

I'd tried to find out if I could get a refund for them as my plans have changed.

That was with still about 4 weeks before the journeys.

But found as they are advance tickets I can't get any money back, even though canceling in loads of time and they can give seats to someone else.

Now just under 3 weeks before journeys though still well before.So why can't I get anything back if I cancel advance tickets.It's not like I'm not giving them enough notice.

Because the Advance tickets are CHEAP! Same applies to cheap advance airline tickets. If you want your money back on tickets (less booking fee) you need to buy full price tickets

 

[allticketspls]

From the National Rail website at http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/advance_conditions.html

Refunds

Your ticket is non-refundable.

If the train you purchased a ticket for is cancelled or delayed by more than 60 minutes, special arrangements will be made to accommodate you on another train (although a seat cannot be guaranteed). If, as a result, you decide not to travel, a refund will be offered on completely unused tickets and you will not be charged an administration fee.

 

[Craigfromhudd]

Yeh guessed that. But they must know people don't read every detail in conditions so therefore they are able to rip people off that way cos it's in conditions and they know most won't have read all of them before they buy.

Simple.

They should still be able to refund them in full and get good price for their seat if you cancel weeks in advance.To not do so just shows them to be money grabbing rich people with no morals.

 

[Mojo]

The purpose of Advance fares is to encourage people to travel on quieter trains by offering reduced fares on these services. If customers were able to refund Advance fares prior to travelling, this would defeat the purpose of such fares.

You are able to change your Advance fare to an alternative service providing there are any left, and paying the difference between the fares (as applicable), plus an Admin. fee.

 

[Craigfromhudd]

From the National Rail website at http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/advance_conditions.html

Refunds

Your ticket is non-refundable.

If the train you purchased a ticket for is cancelled or delayed by more than 60 minutes, special arrangements will be made to accommodate you on another train (although a seat cannot be guaranteed). If, as a result, you decide not to travel, a refund will be offered on completely unused tickets and you will not be charged an administration fee.

Yes I know my ticket(s) are non refundable just sayin they b****y well should be and hoping that there was a way someone knew to make the rich owners of these companies have to pay me back

 

[Ferret]

Yeh guessed that. But they must know people don't read every detail in conditions so therefore they are able to rip people off that way cos it's in conditions and they know most won't have read all of them before they buy.

Simple.

They should still be able to refund them in full and get good price for their seat if you cancel weeks in advance.To not do so just shows them to be money grabbing rich people with no morals.

Have we yet another example on here of people wanting it both ways? People want the TOCs held to the last word of their obligations in the CoC (and one could argue rightly so), but as soon as there's a situation where the customer is required to accept their obligations, we get told how unfair it all is. How bizarre!

 

[Mojo]

Yes I know my ticket(s) are non refundable just sayin they b****y well should be and hoping that there was a way someone knew to make the rich owners of these companies have to pay me back

No they shouldn't. The purpose of Advance fares is to get people travelling on specific trains, not to be able to buy a ticket and then have it refunded whenever you fancy.

If I book a cheap room at Travelodge I cannot refund it. At least with the trains I can change my plans (for a fee, subject to availability).

 

[WestCoast]

You wouldn't expect a cheap Ryanair/easyJet ticket to be refundable would you? Same here. Difference being is that you can actually change an Advance ticket for a reasonable admin fee.

Yes I know my ticket(s) are non refundable just sayin they b****y well should be and hoping that there was a way someone knew to make the rich owners of these companies have to pay me back

The biggest stakeholder in the railways is the British taxpayer - not "rich owners".

 

[Craigfromhudd]

Have we yet another example on here of people wanting it both ways? People want the TOCs held to the last word of their obligations in the CoC (and one could argue rightly so), but as soon as there's a situation where the customer is required to accept their obligations, we get told how unfair it all is. How bizarre!

have we yet another example here of someone protecting the selfish rich and attacking someone looking for justice and the protection of the poor from being ripped off

 

[SS4]

Yeh guessed that. But they must know people don't read every detail in conditions so therefore they are able to rip people off that way cos it's in conditions and they know most won't have read all of them before they buy.

Simple.

They should still be able to refund them in full and get good price for their seat if you cancel weeks in advance.To not do so just shows them to be money grabbing rich people with no morals.

You'd get people buying the cheap advances "just in case" and then cancelling them creating a lot of work for everyone involved. In addition with advance tickets they count against the quote so there is nothing to stop me buying six advance tickets and refunding five of them once I know which train I want

 

[WestCoast]

have we yet another example here of someone protecting the selfish rich and attacking someone looking for justice and the protection of the poor from being ripped off

Who are the selfish and rich? The taxpayer loses out if the railways need more subsidising. That isn't good news for "the poor".

The private companies have to pay millions to the UK Government for their franchises and if they don't, they lose them. See National Express East Coast, who ran their business at a loss and in the end they just couldn't afford to keep paying the government.

 

[theblackwatch]

Yes I know my ticket(s) are non refundable just sayin they b****y well should be and hoping that there was a way someone knew to make the rich owners of these companies have to pay me back

If you wanted a refundable ticket, you could have bought a more expensive one that offered that. Instead, you CHOSE to buy one that didn't and CHOSE not to bother reading the Terms & Conditions (or perhaps were too stupid not to).

 

[SS4]

Simply put you bought a ticket signalling you agreed with the T&Cs one of which is no refund. The onus is on the potential customer to read the T&Cs before agreeing (would you read a contract such as a mortgage before signing it?) - the TOC simply has to make it available

 

[WestCoast]

Who are the "rich" in the case of the railways? I don't see where they are involved?

Some TOCs are making a loss - so their shareholders aren't doing brilliantly.

This isn't about rich people - It's about YIELD MANAGEMENT, fill specific trains up so that the railways can make greater use of capacity on quieter journeys. Don't offer refunds because these are low fares and they actually want people to turn up on these trains.

It's just an operational concept - you're not being cheated by "the rich". I hope you're not someone who goes around blaming everything on wealthy people - it's not a good attitude , whatever your political beliefs, background and class are.

 

[dzug2]

have we yet another example here of someone protecting the selfish rich and attacking someone looking for justice and the protection of the poor from being ripped off

The poor are only ripped off if they are stupid as well as poor.

And I'm not sure that anyone is 'protecting' anyone. They are explaining WHY, which is really not the same thing as defending.

 

[FGWman]

Are you planning on making the journey again in the next three months ? You can change them for a later train and just pay a £10 admin fee.

 

[Flamingo]

I have purchased some rail tickets to the value of £34 for the 9th of July.

I'd tried to find out if I could get a refund for them as my plans have changed.

That was with still about 4 weeks before the journeys.

But found as they are advance tickets I can't get any money back, even though canceling in loads of time and they can give seats to someone else.

Now just under 3 weeks before journeys though still well before.So why can't I get anything back if I cancel advance tickets.It's not like I'm not giving them enough notice.

You wanted a cheap ticket - you got one.

If you want to get some use out of them, then change the ticket for some other date / journey, but to do this you have to pay £10 admin charge plus any difference in price.

Otherwise, suck it up and stop bleating about exploitation, nobody forced you to buy non-refundable tickets.