Student Rail Card - Mistake

Roger · 13 Apr 2011

I am going to Exeter from Southampton with a friend (who already has her ticket). When booking tickets online (to collect at station), I selected 16-25 Railcard because I am a mature student and because the advert I spotted said I can get 1/3 off tickets.

I went to the train station today to fill out a rail card form and was told that I have to get my college to sign papers to confirm I am a mature student as NUS cards without the ISIC logo aren't valid. Unfortunately I am on Easter Holidays so therefore won't be able to get confirmation from the college to enable me to get the railcard.

Am I able to claim a full refund considering my train tickets are booked for this Friday or would it be possible to switch the ticket so that it becomes eligible to travel with someone who has a network rail card (which my friend has) as it's also the same cost as my ticket?

RailUK Forums

Mojo · 13 Apr 2011

What type of ticket have you purchased? Is it an Advance ticket?

Roger · 13 Apr 2011

Ticket Type: OFF-PEAK RETURN

Mike395 · 13 Apr 2011

In that case, you should be able to amend it to one with a Network Railcard, for a £10 admin fee (assuming that the ticket is more than £12 when discounted, if it's not than sadly the Network Railcard would cap at £12 so you'd also have any difference in fare to pay).

You will be able to do this at any staffed station.

Roger · 13 Apr 2011

Thanks for the quick responses!

wintonian · 13 Apr 2011

The trouble is it does say on the railcard website that you need a card with the ISIC logo or stamp from the college/ uni.

So I doubt in this instance you would get a refund for not being able to apply for the railcard unless it was a good will gesture.

To show an ISIC card (International Student Identity Card), NUS card featuring the ISIC logo or complete and certify the 'Mature students only' section of the application form,. This form needs to be certified by the establishment where you are studying

http://www.16-25railcard.co.uk/are-you-eligible/eligibility

Mojo · 13 Apr 2011

Just for future reference, there is no benefit to buying this ticket online as you will pay the same price at the station on the day as you did online. In fact, if you bought your ticket through some websites such as theTrainline or Raileasy you will actually pay MORE for buying online!

What website did you use? Did you buy this ticket through the Southern Railway website; if so, provided you meet their conditions you may be able to get a full refund: http://www.southernrailway.com/offers/rainy-day/

wintonian · 13 Apr 2011

I suspect it is more likely the OP bought from FGW or SWT if they used a TOC website.

If the tickets were bought from Southern then the no admin fee offer only applies to tickets to be collected at the station and to avail of the offer of a 'full' refund they must not be collected. If the OP has done ticket on departure through Southern and not collcted them then they will be ok.

If you can’t travel and require your money back, do not collect your tickets, but log in to ‘Your Account’ and view the relevant booking. Click the ‘Refund’ button, fill in all the required fields and submit the form. Then print off the form and send it to the address shown on the form

RPI · 13 Apr 2011

MikeW said:
if it's not than sadly the Network Railcard would cap at £12 so you'd also have any difference in fare to pay).

thought the NSE min fare was £13 now?

Mike395 · 13 Apr 2011

RPI said:
thought the NSE min fare was £13 now?

So it is, my mistake :oops:

. Swear it was 12 last time I looked! :P

pemma · 13 Apr 2011

Mojo said:
Just for future reference, there is no benefit to buying this ticket online as you will pay the same price at the station on the day as you did online. In fact, if you bought your ticket through some websites such as theTrainline or Raileasy you will actually pay MORE for buying online!

Although if he/she went via a cashback site to TPE or SWT's site then he/she would have got a bit of cashback or if they went via spotty red hanky they might be spending enough over the course of the year to collect loyalty points. It doesn't sound like they did in this instance though.

Ivo · 13 Apr 2011

Why aren't you able to get confirmation from your college? Are you not in close proximity to it? My Uni - even as one of the smallest in the UK - still has staff available over the holiday, who could do this kind of thing.

swt_passenger · 13 Apr 2011

Don't forget (if you didn't already know) that with a Network Card discount you must go direct from Salisbury to Exeter, the other obvious route via Westbury takes you outside the Network Card area, .

yorkie · 13 Apr 2011

Roger said:
Am I able to claim a full refund considering my train tickets are booked for this Friday or would it be possible to switch the ticket so that it becomes eligible to travel with someone who has a network rail card (which my friend has) as it's also the same cost as my ticket?

In theory, if you got a really nice ticket clerk you could get a zero-fare excess to the different railcard type, however I don't think this is likely to happen (but could be worth 'shopping around' and trying if you live near staffed stations served by reasonable TOCs , ie not SWT; Exeter St Davids and other FGW stations are a possibility. If you do manage to get this done at SWT let me know as maybe SWT are only bad in certain areas, but I doubt that...).

Alternatively, you could get an excess to the non-discounted ticket. East Coast will do this, but TOCs like SWT who are anti-passenger are unlikely to.

Failing that, a refund can be done but incurs a £10 admin fee, and you can then get a new ticket with the Network Railcard discount applied.

It is probably best to buy your ticket from the station on the day of travel (or on board if the ticket office is closed) as then if your plans change you are not penalised. Off Peak tickets are "walk-on" tickets and no pre-booking is required.

penaltyfines · 17 Apr 2011

Whilst technically wrong, what's the liklihood of a TOC taking action for a ticket with an alternate railcard discount applied to the ticket than the railcard you hold, if you are in fact complying with the conditions of your railcard (time validity etc) and the price of the ticket on your railcard would be the same?

island · 17 Apr 2011

Definitely non-zero and most likely to be a function of the guard/RPI you run into on the day.

Solent&Wessex · 17 Apr 2011

It is quite common to see people with discounted tickets with the wrong discount code shown (ie Seniors with Y-P rather than SNR), but the correct fare paid. As long as the passenger has a railcard and the fare paid is still correct then I am happy.

Sleepy · 17 Apr 2011

kwvr45 said:
It is quite common to see people with discounted tickets with the wrong discount code shown (ie Seniors with Y-P rather than SNR), but the correct fare paid. As long as the passenger has a railcard and the fare paid is still correct then I am happy.

see it alot as well - high speed clerks or TVM user error I often wonder ??

djw1981 · 17 Apr 2011

You can get an ISIC card from any branch of sta travel on presentation of a valid student card and proof of age - passport etc. Then you can use that card to obtain a railcard.

Student Rail Card - Mistake

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