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Advance Fares - Non-refundable?

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Harlesden

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Is it the case that when an Advance Ticket is purchased, and then one week prior to travel, a family situation makes it impossible to make the journey, a request for refund would automatically be denied - simply because it is an Advance ticket?
 
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Ferret

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Sadly, yes

Although if the family situtation still allowed travel at a future date, the OP could try and rebook the tickets for that subject to the change of journey fee and any difference in fare...;)
 

DaveNewcastle

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. . . the OP could try and rebook the tickets for that subject to the change of journey fee and any difference in fare...
Indeed.
The process can be quite simple if the Advance was booked on-line * and the physical tickets had not yet been collected. While the booking remains in the seller's system, it is possible to view your booking history, select the journey you wish to change, click 'Amend' and re-select a new date and time of travel. In this case any adjustment in price is done automatically (though not a downward adjustment if the later journey is cheaper than the original journey) as is the £10 admin fee.

* This description applies to how it operates on the East Coast web-site.
 

AlterEgo

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Is it the case that when an Advance Ticket is purchased, and then one week prior to travel, a family situation makes it impossible to make the journey, a request for refund would automatically be denied - simply because it is an Advance ticket?

That's right.

Some TOCs will make exceptions for serious illness or bereavement and may offer to reimburse some or all o the fare, in cash or vouchers.

A "family situation" unless it fits the criteria above is unlikely to be given sympathy.
 

Harlesden

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The "family situation" was merely a quick "for instance".
The fact is an organization reimbursed me for the tickets to travel to a job interview. The interview has been canceled due to the vacancy having been withdrawn. I was actually hoping for the "no refund possible" scenario (provided I can get e-mail confirmation of the refund denial from the TOC) because if I can't get a refund, I don't have to refund the reimbursement and so get to use the tickets anyway merely to enjoy the trip out of London.
 

rail-britain

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The fact is an organization reimbursed me for the tickets to travel to a job interview
get to use the tickets anyway merely to enjoy the trip out of London
That is pretty much your only option, use them for leisure and enjoy

I had the same issue with claims receiving Travel Vouchers
I had planned to use them but was unable to get a full two weeks off
So had to use them on three days off, not as I had planned, but at least it used them up
 

taxidave

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I obtained full refunds from FGW for 5 return journeys I had intended to make in August and two further ones in September, all advance tickets, when I contacted them and informed them I had broken my ankle and was in plaster and unable to leave home.
 

MikeWh

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I obtained full refunds from FGW for 5 return journeys I had intended to make in August and two further ones in September, all advance tickets, when I contacted them and informed them I had broken my ankle and was in plaster and unable to leave home.

Full marks to FGW then. That's the sort of discretionary decision that should see you use them again.
 

dvboy

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Indeed.
The process can be quite simple if the Advance was booked on-line * and the physical tickets had not yet been collected. While the booking remains in the seller's system, it is possible to view your booking history, select the journey you wish to change, click 'Amend' and re-select a new date and time of travel. In this case any adjustment in price is done automatically (though not a downward adjustment if the later journey is cheaper than the original journey) as is the £10 admin fee.

* This description applies to how it operates on the East Coast web-site.

LM waive the £10 fee when changing Advance tickets online.
 

LondonJohn

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LM waive the £10 fee when changing Advance tickets online.

I think this is a technical fault as opposed to a LM policy becuase someone tweeted along the lines of Thank you for not charging amendment fee and they replied oh were you really not charged. have to look into that.
 

amcluesent

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think this is a technical fault

I though the same when I amended AP tickets on EC. The price of the new journeys came up as £0 so it was just the £10 to pay which seemed reasonable.
 

John @ home

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The price of the new journeys came up as £0 so it was just the £10 to pay which seemed reasonable.
But that means that tickets are still available at the price you originally paid (or less), so the excess is £0.

That's different from the report of the LM site not charging the £10 fee. I think we would have heard rather more about this if it were a permanent feature rather than an occasional fault.
 

dvboy

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I think this is a technical fault as opposed to a LM policy becuase someone tweeted along the lines of Thank you for not charging amendment fee and they replied oh were you really not charged. have to look into that.

Yeah that was me! The reply I got was tongue-in-cheek in my opinion, and I never heard anything about it since.

It has been mentioned on the Which website in the past so I think it's something they are aware of but not in a hurry to fix provided it's kept quiet ;)
 

moonrakerz

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Full marks to FGW then. That's the sort of discretionary decision that should see you use them again.


Indeed - I got a full refund by post from FGW a couple of years back and more recently I got a full refund at a booking office (against a new ticket) without an "admin fee" - and it was on an SWT service too !
 

RJ

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I used to do refunds, amendments, change of dates etc. for free at my discretion, provided the ticket was purchased from the same TOC I worked for.
 
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