Airlines aren't (in most cases) really offering a public transport service and aren't wholly reliant on the generosity of taxpayers for their continued existence. 30 years ago the trains would have run and BR would have received nothing for their efforts. Bad luck, that's a risk you take with events susceptible to poor weather. The modern railway has used it's soaring fares to transfer the risk entirely to the customer. Either you need to take out a loan to buy a ticket or you have to pay for a service you can't use. Either way, the shareholders win.
-
Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Boardmasters specials to Newquay 2019
- Thread starter SWTrainspottin
- Start date
- Status
Airlines aren't (in most cases) really offering a public transport service and aren't wholly reliant on the generosity of taxpayers for their continued existence. 30 years ago the trains would have run and BR would have received nothing for their efforts. Bad luck, that's a risk you take with events susceptible to poor weather. The modern railway has used it's soaring fares to transfer the risk entirely to the customer. Either you need to take out a loan to buy a ticket or you have to pay for a service you can't use. Either way, the shareholders win.
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
The Prisoner
Member
- Joined
- 22 Aug 2012
- Messages
- 326
GWR have done the right thing.
Those who have travelled down are being allowed to come home early at no cost with whatever ticket they have - they have already traveled down (as many had) and are coming back on what we’re supposed to be ECS. Think about that - all GWR have done is be flexible - no refund - and no extra trains (albeit some no running with passengers rather than empty).
Refunds for those who hadn’t set off only, but from what I can see many had.
There seems to be a minority of posters on this forum who think the railway can do no wrong and that all customers should be treated with the inflexible “computer says no” “not my shift” “not my problem” approach. Times have moved on - you need to as well.
Oh, and you can’t go anyway and “use your hotel” for a festival that has been cancelled. If I need to explain this you probably weren’t qualified to comment on this thread at all.
Those who have travelled down are being allowed to come home early at no cost with whatever ticket they have - they have already traveled down (as many had) and are coming back on what we’re supposed to be ECS. Think about that - all GWR have done is be flexible - no refund - and no extra trains (albeit some no running with passengers rather than empty).
Refunds for those who hadn’t set off only, but from what I can see many had.
There seems to be a minority of posters on this forum who think the railway can do no wrong and that all customers should be treated with the inflexible “computer says no” “not my shift” “not my problem” approach. Times have moved on - you need to as well.
Oh, and you can’t go anyway and “use your hotel” for a festival that has been cancelled. If I need to explain this you probably weren’t qualified to comment on this thread at all.
bramling
Veteran Member
Obviously people wouldn’t be able to go for the festival, but there are still other things to do, both in Newquay and the wider area. It is one of Britain’s prime holiday areas after all.
Personally I’m not really seeing it from a railway point of view. Merely that as someone who plays by the rules and avoids risk by buying flexible refundable tickets, it quite naturally irritates to hear others moaning when they *choose* to buy a non-refundable ticket, take the benefit of the - in many cases extremely substantial - discount, find the raison d’etre of the trip cancelled due to a foreseeable if unlucky situation, and then expect the same treatment as someone who has taken the trouble to pay for a flexible booking. If that’s the expectation then why should anyone ever buy anything other than a non-refundable ticket? Next time I book a hotel why shouldn’t I book a cheap rate and then expect a refund if the trip is called off due to poor weather?
The Prisoner
Member
- Joined
- 22 Aug 2012
- Messages
- 326
Whilst it may be one of Britain's prime holiday areas thousands of people were coming to stay in a tent at a festival. Now there is no festival there is nowhere for them to stay. Can Newquay really accommodate 55,000 people additionally during peak season? Where do you expect them to stay?
The hotels in the town were full and many had already arrived when they found out. https://www.heart.co.uk/cornwall/news/local/boardmasters-music-festival-cancelled/ (and plenty articles more like this stating that most people had already arrived and there were no rooms in hotels available, and yes it does also state that some were determined to stay and have fun despite the weather and having nowhere to sleep).
So in summary thousands of people should just suck it up, sleep wherever they can and GWR should do nothing to help, even though they can (quite easily given that there are ECS going back) and that as most people had already set off the offering of refunds was probably symbolic as they could only be claimed for unused tickets.
This isn't just a couple going away for a weekend to a hotel (weatherproof usually aren't they?) and moaning because they want a refund - this is thousands of people stranded with nowhere to sleep.
PR? Good will? Helping out because you can?
"Computer says no".
bramling
Veteran Member
I don’t have a problem with the goodwill shown in terms of providing transport home - indeed that’s exactly the sort of thing a decent transport provider should be attempting to do. It’s the “I’ve chosen (to pay less for) a non-refundable ticket and now I expect a refund” mentality. Yes, people should suck it up.
SWTrainspottin
Member
- Joined
- 6 Sep 2016
- Messages
- 453
Hang on, what has happened to the first post of this thread including the original post? It seems to have disappeared..
Edit: The first page is located here: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/boardmasters-specials-to-newquay.167810/
Why has it been split up?
Edit: The first page is located here: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/boardmasters-specials-to-newquay.167810/
Why has it been split up?
The vast majority were not going for a bit of a paddle. They were going for a hedonistic booze (and drug) filled few days. The sort of crabs they wanted aren’t in buckets in Padstow. They’ll tell you it is all about the music. It isn’t. It’s all about getting smashed off your face and doing stuff you wouldn’t dare do at home. (I’ve done festivals when I had hair...).
Giving them refunds on advances is crackers. They alol bought the cheapest tickets and are using social media to try to strongarm GWR. Same as the twitterati always do. I suppose they could offer a staggered refund/discount off next years tickets.... but it’s a life lesson... book cheap and take the risk on the no refund bit... pay more, take less risk....
Giving them refunds on advances is crackers. They alol bought the cheapest tickets and are using social media to try to strongarm GWR. Same as the twitterati always do. I suppose they could offer a staggered refund/discount off next years tickets.... but it’s a life lesson... book cheap and take the risk on the no refund bit... pay more, take less risk....
dk1
Veteran Member
Those posters like me that think it wrong to start refunding non-refundable tickets for this event seem not to be in the minority at all.
The Prisoner
Member
- Joined
- 22 Aug 2012
- Messages
- 326
Some of the comments here back up why our country has become as intolerant and divided as it has.
"Computer says no"
Well done GWR for having some common sense. Well done some of you for having none.
Feel free to reply and shoot me down with "terms and conditions".
"Computer says no"
Well done GWR for having some common sense. Well done some of you for having none.
Feel free to reply and shoot me down with "terms and conditions".
VT 390
Established Member
- Joined
- 7 Dec 2018
- Messages
- 1,366
Now that GWR have offered free refunds on advanced tickets because this event was cancelled they should now offer refunds because any event has been cancelled as otherwise it is not really very fair on everyone else, if they don't what makes this event any more special to others?
Exactly how often are such events cancelled at the last minute?
This does not set some sort of precedent that must be adhered to no matter what the circumstances. I am sure GWR - and other TOCs if they find themselves in the same situation - will consider each one on a case-by-case basis. And apply some common sense as well.
Pissing off several thousand people who may potentially spend lots of money with your company for many years to come in the future is not a top business tip.
And next year ? Let’s say gloastknbury is cancelled. Or cheese rolling. Or Reading have a match at Plymouth rained off.
Amazed they haven’t all started a crowdfunding request as well. Pay me as my pills cost a tenner each in London, they’re only a fiver in Cornwall. And I can’t afford to get totally mashed for five days in London without coming back to my parents pad. And if father finds out that I am not there for the music, he’ll stop my allowance.
Amazed they haven’t all started a crowdfunding request as well. Pay me as my pills cost a tenner each in London, they’re only a fiver in Cornwall. And I can’t afford to get totally mashed for five days in London without coming back to my parents pad. And if father finds out that I am not there for the music, he’ll stop my allowance.
bramling
Veteran Member
So what is the difference between:
1) Person A has a short weekend break booked in St Ives hoping to spend time on the beach and decides not to bother because of the weather
2) Person B has a festival booked in Newquay and it gets called off so they decide not to bother
Both have made a conscious *choice* to benefit from a cheaper ticket and were, at the time, happy to benefit from the substantial saving.
The computer is quite right to say no IMO.
I’m all for flexibility and goodwill, and in all honesty I don’t like this form of pricing, however it’s what we have, and lots of people are very happy to take advantage of the cost savings it offers. The flip side of the coin is these sorts of arrangements only work with rigid inflexible enforcement. So they lose their money (actually they don’t *lose* anything as they were planning to spend that sum of money anyway, all it means is they don’t make the journey), what a shame - I’m sure one occasion when the gamble doesn’t pay off will be offset by the many occasions when money is successfully saved.
Cake and eat it too springs to mind.
I think that a lot of people on here are arguing under the misapprehension that there is a choice between paying rock bottom for an advance fare, or paying a bit more for some flexibility.
It's not. Many longer flexible fares are now so expensive that they're not really an option for most of the public. The advanced fare is the fare full stop.
Given what a dissappointment such cancellations are to those caught up in them, I think it's excellent practice for TOC's to help out people by getting them back.
It's not. Many longer flexible fares are now so expensive that they're not really an option for most of the public. The advanced fare is the fare full stop.
Given what a dissappointment such cancellations are to those caught up in them, I think it's excellent practice for TOC's to help out people by getting them back.
I am surprised GWR could turn the ECSs into services people could board so soon. After all it would need guards and the return services may not have been set up to allow for guards to be working on the trains. Well done to them for doing so though.
Tayside Blue
Member
- Joined
- 22 Aug 2012
- Messages
- 5
The 'Person A' and 'Person B' analogy doesn't really fit though does it? Person B is actually 1000's of people - heading to a specific advertised event that has now been pulled at short notice. In order for your analogy to work like-for-like, Person A would need to be 1000's of people heading to St Ives for a pre-arranged advertised beach festival subsequently cancelled at short notice with the news that the beach would be closed off for the entire duration. GWR deserves a lot of credit for their approach. I'm sure that they will recoup some losses with ticket sales in future months/years from the Boardmaster crowds who probably have a much better opinion of them as a company now.
bramling
Veteran Member
I don't see any difference at all. Both hypothetical person A and person B have bought travel tickets, and their plans have changed - coincidentally because of the weather. Actually I think your argument supports my point - why should 1000s of people heading to one specific event get preferential treatment over 1000s of people going to separate things?
I think GWR have done more than enough by changing their arrangements to provide homeward travel.
Last edited:
SWTrainspottin
Member
- Joined
- 6 Sep 2016
- Messages
- 453
8th August
800315
1Z30 0636 London Paddington - Newquay
5Z40 1227 Newquay - London Paddington (ECS)
802112
1Z31 0903 London Paddington - Newquay
1A96 1507 Newquay - London Paddington
802011 / 802006
1Z32 1203 London Paddington - Newquay
1Z42 1803 Newquay - Plymouth (vice 5Z42 ECS to London Paddington)
800315
1Z30 0636 London Paddington - Newquay
5Z40 1227 Newquay - London Paddington (ECS)
802112
1Z31 0903 London Paddington - Newquay
1A96 1507 Newquay - London Paddington
802011 / 802006
1Z32 1203 London Paddington - Newquay
1Z42 1803 Newquay - Plymouth (vice 5Z42 ECS to London Paddington)
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Maybe the sales websites should offer insurance covering that kind of thing.
There isn't a train crew depot at Newquay, so in most cases the guard will have been travelling on the ECS anyways, allowing it to be put into passenger use with ease.
I suspect you are atypical (not least on these forums) in never buying Advance tickets. I for one only avoid them if my plans are uncertain and/or I require flexibility, and over longer distances that is rarely the case. I don't avoid them "just in case" of illness or whatever.
Given that all TOCs heavily promote Advance fares, and that it is presumably in their interest to do so (not least for an event like this) for both yield and load management, it is hardly surprising that "normal" travellers book them.
In this case, one could hardly expect people to book flexible tickets just in case the event were to be cancelled, and the situation that has arisen is almost on a par with an official "do not travel" warning.
bramling
Veteran Member
I can understand all of that. It's not the action of buying the restricted ticket that is objectionable, but the expectation of the restrictions disappearing when it suits. The clue is in the name - inflexible! If one buys an inflexible ticket and plans change then I don't see why it's such a problem just to suck it up. Does anyone here buy a lottery ticket and then expect their money back if they don't win anything?!
"When it suits" hardly describes this weekend's forced cancellation.
And even Advance tickets are refundable when the Railway says "don't travel."
bramling
Veteran Member
Everyone’s reason for cancelling something is “enforced” and important to them. I don’t see what’s different about this.
father_jack
Member
- Joined
- 26 Jan 2010
- Messages
- 1,130
An elefanto in the room is that while GWR have said "refunds" on tickets no fee no problem, have the other sales outlets particularly the more aggressive types agreed to refund theirs.........
SWTrainspottin
Member
- Joined
- 6 Sep 2016
- Messages
- 453
9th August
800321
1Z30 0636 London Paddington - Newquay
5Z40 1227 Newquay - London Paddington (ECS)
802103
1Z31 0903 London Paddington - Newquay
1A96 1507 Newquay - London Paddington
For tomorrow, 12 August
All specials which were meant to run for people returning from the festival have been cancelled. Normal timetable to resume tomorrow instead.
800321
1Z30 0636 London Paddington - Newquay
5Z40 1227 Newquay - London Paddington (ECS)
802103
1Z31 0903 London Paddington - Newquay
1A96 1507 Newquay - London Paddington
For tomorrow, 12 August
All specials which were meant to run for people returning from the festival have been cancelled. Normal timetable to resume tomorrow instead.
- Status