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Is TPE offering fee free refunds on Advances at the moment?

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gray1404

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Is TPE offering fee free refunds on Advances at the moment? This is for a ticker booked on their site for travel on their services. I have already collected the ticket from the TVM so I assume I would need to send this back? Is there a deadline that I would nee to do this by?

Thanks.
 
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CyrusWuff

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The current situation is that Advance tickets remain non-refundable, but can be changed for a future date with no admin fee. Any difference in fares will still need to be paid, however.
 
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gray1404

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I'm not travelling until Saturday, returning Monday. I'll keep an eye on the situation. In this case, I won't be making the trip in the future so it is either a refund or nothing. The trip in cancelled because the College I was meant to me attending for those couple of days has been instructed to close by the authorities. Just had confirmation of this.

I am wondering though if it might be worth me sending the unused tickets to Customer Service afterwards explaining the situation and asking for a goodwill gesture refund by Rail Travel Voucher.

But I think I'll be best waiting to see how things pan out yet. i.e. if they end up cancelling services I'm booked on anyway. Is there any way I can still "cancel" online or am I best not doing this?
 
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fireftrm

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gray1404 said:
I'm not travelling until Saturday, returning Monday. I'll keep an eye on the situation. In this case, I won't be making the trip in the future so it is either a refund or nothing. The trip in cancelled because the College I was meant to me attending for those couple of days has been instructed to close by the authorities. Just had confirmation of this.

I am wondering though if it might be worth me sending the unused tickets to Customer Service afterwards explaining the situation and asking for a goodwill gesture refund by Rail Travel Voucher.

But I think I'll be best waiting to see how things pan out yet. i.e. if they end up cancelling services I'm booked on anyway. Is there any way I can still "cancel" online or am I best not doing this?
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TPE have been quite clear as Cyrus says - no refunds but they will allow the change to a different date/time with the difference to be paid. So I really don't think you will get anything better than that and its reasonably generous as it is as they are dropping the amendment fees
 
_toommm_

_toommm_

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fireftrm said:
TPE have been quite clear as Cyrus says - no refunds but they will allow the change to a different date/time with the difference to be paid. So I really don't think you will get anything better than that and its reasonably generous as it is as they are dropping the amendment fees
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TPE haven’t had amendment fees for a while, even before COVID-19.
 
Kite159

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fireftrm said:
TPE have been quite clear as Cyrus says - no refunds but they will allow the change to a different date/time with the difference to be paid. So I really don't think you will get anything better than that and its reasonably generous as it is as they are dropping the amendment fees
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It's good, but would be better if they allowed the tickets to be refunded for website credit valid for 12 months. As who knows when the advice will change. Also having fee-free changes is good, but if the tickets were purchased for a specific event which has been cancelled or postponed.
 
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gray1404

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In terms of ticket changes, do they need to be changed for an alternative specific train? Rater then any day ether side of booked travel date, or something similar.
 
221129

221129

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gray1404 said:
In terms of ticket changes, do they need to be changed for an alternative specific train? Rater then any day ether side of booked travel date, or something similar.
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You would change them how you would normally. So to another advance ticket on a different day, paying any difference in fare.
 
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gray1404

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Its really poor show they are not offering fee free refunds at this time. At a time when the government is advising against non essential travel. Their stance is based on an assumption that travel can be arranged between the same stations at a later date and that such a date is known now. Shameful given the current situation.
 
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robbeech

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Bear in mind that people are changing them to random dates as far into the future as they can with a view to changing them again when they know a bit more, or cancelling and refunding should a policy be put in place that allows this.
For this reason, advances at the cut off point (around 12 weeks) are getting used up so tickets end up being more expensive as the lower tiers have sold out with people using those trains as "holding places" for their tickets. You may find that coming forward a couple of weeks will yield more cost effective "holding places" for your tickets if you plan on holding out until advice changes.
 
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robbeech

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gray1404 said:
Its really poor show they are not offering fee free refunds at this time. At a time when the government is advising against non essential travel. Their stance is based on an assumption that travel can be arranged between the same stations at a later date and that such a date is known now. Shameful given the current situation.
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Agreed, in a strange way, it's almost encouraging people to travel when they might not have been sure. If they were going to an event that is cancelled this might provide them with no reason to go, but if they were planning a weekend in London to see a range of things that are still possible (but strongly advised against) then not allowing these refunds might encourage them to make the trip, potentially causing accelerated spread of the virus. It's a bit of an extreme view perhaps, but if we are strongly advised (with potential for that to be stepped up further) not to travel by the government then everyone should do their part to discourage it. Can the government not pay the retailers fees?
 
221129

221129

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robbeech said:
Agreed, in a strange way, it's almost encouraging people to travel when they might not have been sure. If they were going to an event that is cancelled this might provide them with no reason to go, but if they were planning a weekend in London to see a range of things that are still possible (but strongly advised against) then not allowing these refunds might encourage them to make the trip, potentially causing accelerated spread of the virus. It's a bit of an extreme view perhaps, but if we are strongly advised (with potential for that to be stepped up further) not to travel by the government then everyone should do their part to discourage it. Can the government not pay the retailers fees?
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Which is all well and good until you realise oh wait it's the DfT behind this policy! Who'd have thought it eh?!
 
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robbeech

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221129 said:
Which is all well and good until you realise oh wait it's the DfT behind this policy! Who'd have thought it eh?!
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Indeed! Transport Focus are claiming that it is unfair. That seems to be as far as they're prepared to go in this matter though.
 
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BigCj34

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I got an earlier Eurostar than intended back from Paris as the city was in lockdown on Sunday, the website said I would have to pay the difference to change train though the ticket desk at Gare du Nord just booked me on the next train.

I had booked an onward journey with GA, and asked at the GA ticket office at Liverpool St if my advance ticket could be endorsed for earlier travel after explaining the situation. This was swiftly denied, I am not sure if the man at the desk was even aware of the corovirus epidemic going on!

Definitely should be some relaxation of the rules but it requires the UK government to force this rather than hoping the TOC's are nice; the latter has been a patchwork of varying policies.
 
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robbeech

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Looks like things are starting to change with retailers now offering refunds on advances moving forward.
 
krus_aragon

krus_aragon

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All operators are switching to a reduced timetable from Monday, and any advance ticket can be refunded free of charge if your booked train is delayed or cancelled. That'll be the opening of the floodgates.

TfW are refunding Advances from Monday, see this post of mine from yesterday.
 
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