Amending tickets booked with TP Express

[erk]

I have an Advance ticket, bought on the TPE web site (and collected at a station). The travel date is in the future. According to the web site, "You can now change your Advance train ticket for free and will only have to pay the difference between an old and new fare" and that I should "Go to your account, select your booking, view details and amend your journey."

When I try this, the booking has a note "You can't amend or refund this booking" and no obvious way of amending it.

Is there a knack to persuading the site to amend an Advance ticket?

 

[yorkie]

Not sure about the TPE website (someone like @_toommm_ may know) but a station ticket office can do it.

 

[_toommm_]

(For clarity to the OP I don’t work for TPE, I just use it as my main booking website)

You’re correct in that you can change it fee-free. The process I’ve had to follow is to buy a new ticket for the new date, then phone customer services to refund the original ticket.

Please make sure the origin and destination station are the same. Even if the stations are in the same group e.g. Manchester Victoria or Piccadilly, the stations must match exactly.

*I would phone up beforehand though to check they’re still enabling people to do this, as I’d hate for you to lose money on the back of my advice.

Explain the issue with the website not working, and they’ll most likely corroborate what I’ve said. *

 

[noddingdonkey]

The advice I got from TPE when I phoned up was to buy a new ticket for the replacement ticket between the two stations, then to contact their live chat service with both references and request a "change of journey refund". That worked for me.

The reason for not being able to do it online is because eTickets can't be revoked, apparently.

 

[_toommm_]

The advice I got from TPE when I phoned up was to buy a new ticket for the replacement ticket between the two stations, then to contact their live chat service with both references and request a "change of journey refund". That worked for me.

The reason for not being able to do it online is because eTickets can't be revoked, apparently.

That corroborates with the timeline of when I last successfully amended a ticket, which was then they did m-tickets only (where you’re locked down to the app).

 

[Hadders]

TPE's booking system treats changes to tickets as an excess fare and they post the excess ticket out to you (you cannot collect it at a TVM). This means changes online have to be made at least 7 days ahead of travel so that there is time to post out the excess ticket to you. The website won't allow you to make changes within 7 days of travel.

You should be able to make the change at a ticket office but as with all things like this you might need to shop around.

 

[alistairlees]

TPE's booking system treats changes to tickets as an excess fare and they post the excess ticket out to you (you cannot collect it at a TVM). This means changes online have to be made at least 7 days ahead of travel so that there is time to post out the excess ticket to you. The website won't allow you to make changes within 7 days of travel.

You should be able to make the change at a ticket office but as with all things like this you might need to shop around.

That’s a very poor customer experience. Takes away all the advantages of having an eTicket.

 

[Hadders]

That’s a very poor customer experience. Takes away all the advantages of having an eTicket.

I don't think the customer had an e-ticket in this instance as they mention collecting it at a TVM. In many respects it's easier than a re-purchase and refund but would be better if the excess could be collected at a TVM.

Ideally if Advance tickets are issued as e-tickets then a new e-ticket should be sent with the original one being cancelled in the database.

 

[northken]

The advice I got from TPE when I phoned up was to buy a new ticket for the replacement ticket between the two stations, then to contact their live chat service with both references and request a "change of journey refund". That worked for me.

The reason for not being able to do it online is because eTickets can't be revoked, apparently.

Which is rubbish (from them, not you) as CrossCountry just send out new eTickets if you amend Advance tickets and tell you to ignore the old ones.

 

[Hadders]

Which is rubbish (from them, not you) as CrossCountry just send out new eTickets if you amend Advance tickets and tell you to ignore the old ones.

But the OP didn't have an eticket.

 

[Fokx]

I have an Advance ticket, bought on the TPE web site (and collected at a station). The travel date is in the future. According to the web site, "You can now change your Advance train ticket for free and will only have to pay the difference between an old and new fare" and that I should "Go to your account, select your booking, view details and amend your journey."

When I try this, the booking has a note "You can't amend or refund this booking" and no obvious way of amending it.

Is there a knack to persuading the site to amend an Advance ticket?

You can’t amend a ticket once you have collected the original ticket from a TVM as you have in effect ‘activated’ the ticket and it will work on ticket gates and barriers as a valid ticket

The easiest thing to do is take your ticket to a booking office and amend the date/time but be aware that you may have to pay more depending on the date of the ticket.

Which is rubbish (from them, not you) as CrossCountry just send out new eTickets if you amend Advance tickets and tell you to ignore the old ones.

Because it wasn’t an e-ticket with a live QR code.

If you print out a physical ticket on magnetic strip ticket stock, it will work on the barriers and appear as a valid ticket allowing the person to use it wether they change the ticket or not.
It’s not poor customer service, it’s to prevent someone using a free valid ticket that they’re not entitled to use.

 

[erk]

Thanks for all the advice.

I'm aware I could go to a ticket office, but was hoping to avoid that. And wouldn't that cost £10 (TPE are advertising free changes)?

I will buy a new ticket and then engage with their customer services.

I'm sure that in the past I could do it on-line through TPE, and they sent out excess tickets. It's true that you then have tickets for both the old and new dates and might be able to get away with travelling on both dates. The risk seems small, and anyway isn't it also true for tickets excessed at a ticket offce?

 

[Hadders]

Thanks for all the advice.

I'm aware I could go to a ticket office, but was hoping to avoid that. And wouldn't that cost £10 (TPE are advertising free changes)?

I will buy a new ticket and then engage with their customer services.

I'm sure that in the past I could do it on-line through TPE, and they sent out excess tickets. It's true that you then have tickets for both the old and new dates and might be able to get away with travelling on both dates. The risk seems small, and anyway isn't it also true for tickets excessed at a ticket offce?

You can do it online with TPE but as I explained upthread you have to do make the change at least 7 days ahead of schedule so they can post the new ticket to you. It might be that with fewer people working in offices because of Covid that the 7 day period is extended.

 

[alistairlees]

The solution is both simple and obvious and is managed by other retailers

1. Uncollected ToD, and eticket, can just be refunded. The eTicket barcode is cancelled; the ToD is made uncollectable.
2. Collected ToD, and posted tickets, require an image of the ticket cut in half to be emailed. The tickets do not need to be physically returned. Then it can be refunded.
3. In both cases the customer buys a new Advance ticket online to replace the old Advance ticket, whilst adhering to the various terms and conditions (same stations, same route etc.)

This can all be done online (or should be able to be done online), with no need to visit any stations or wait for 7 days.

 

[erk]

I tried to change the ticket at Euston. As it was bought on-line they can only change it to a flexible ticket.

I tried at Manchester Piccadilly. As it was bought on-line they can only change it to a flexible ticket for immediate travel.

I tried at Manchester Victoria, where it cost £10. The staff member struggled a bit because the replacement was at a lower price than the original, but he consulted a colleague and it was all done amicably.

Thanks for the advice about other retailers. I don't think any of them tick all the boxes. One box that TPE ticks is bike reservations. If that's not needed there are undoubtedly better suppliers.

 

[Hadders]

Sounds like Avanti are making up their own rules....

 

[Elecman]

Avanti and before them Virgin have refused to do anything with 3rd party retailed online tickets for a few years since they altered thier ticketing system.

 

[Hadders]

Avanti and before them Virgin have refused to do anything with 3rd party retailed online tickets for a few years since they altered thier ticketing system.

Come to think of it I do remember reading something to that effect on here. That's pretty poor, especially as Avanti operate the ticket offices at stations like Euston and Manchester Piccadilly which are hardy rural backwaters.

I do wonder how compliant this is with the TSA.

 

[TUC]

I tried to change the ticket at Euston. As it was bought on-line they can only change it to a flexible ticket.

I tried at Manchester Piccadilly. As it was bought on-line they can only change it to a flexible ticket for immediate travel.

I tried at Manchester Victoria, where it cost £10. The staff member struggled a bit because the replacement was at a lower price than the original, but he consulted a colleague and it was all done

If the £10 charge was incorrectly applied in this case, I presume it is Northern (as operators of Manchester Victoria's booking office) who would be liable for refunding it?

 

[Andy Pacer]

Sorry, I'm a bit puzzled, @erk so you didnt manage to get it changed free of charge?

 

[erk]

Sorry, I'm a bit puzzled, @erk so you didnt manage to get it changed free of charge?

No, I was charged the standard £10 fee. I understood that TPE might have done it for free (if they could do it at all). Doing it at the station ensured that it was done before the original train departed. Should it have been free, even at a station?

I think Advance tickets (and especially, changes to them) are a little out of the ordinary at Manchester Victoria.

 

[_toommm_]

No, I was charged the standard £10 fee. I understood that TPE might have done it for free (if they could do it at all). Doing it at the station ensured that it was done before the original train departed. Should it have been free, even at a station?

I think Advance tickets (and especially, changes to them) are a little out of the ordinary at Manchester Victoria.

I
You can trust that TPE will change your advance ticket, even if it does seem like a convoluted method. Like I said, buy the new ticket on the TPE website making sure the departure and destination station are exactly the same, give them a bell and they'll refund the old ticket; thus creating an exchange.

I've done it a lot, and even in lockdown I've faced no troubles.

 

[island]

I tried to change the ticket at Euston. As it was bought on-line they can only change it to a flexible ticket.

I tried at Manchester Piccadilly. As it was bought on-line they can only change it to a flexible ticket for immediate travel.

I tried at Manchester Victoria, where it cost £10. The staff member struggled a bit because the replacement was at a lower price than the original, but he consulted a colleague and it was all done amicably.

Thanks for the advice about other retailers. I don't think any of them tick all the boxes. One box that TPE ticks is bike reservations. If that's not needed there are undoubtedly better suppliers.

Avanti downgraded their ticketing system a couple of years ago and cannot now do most advance ticket changes at stations. I forget what the criteria are, but it’s all rather nonsensical.

The LNWR office at Euston could probably have done it.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Avanti downgraded their ticketing system a couple of years ago and cannot now do most advance ticket changes at stations. I forget what the criteria are, but it’s all rather nonsensical.

The LNWR office at Euston could probably have done it.

VTWC did apparently Avanti are in the process of moving to a different TIS

 

[Haywain]

Avanti downgraded their ticketing system a couple of years ago and cannot now do most advance ticket changes at stations. I forget what the criteria are, but it’s all rather nonsensical.

As far as I can tell the restrictions are not in what the TIS can do but in what they want the TIS to be able to do.