Change ticket from Off peak to anytime

[shinkansen1966]

I have used Virgin East Coast to book train tickets online. I still use them for the Nectar points. I have the bought the following tickets:

Thursday 20 October
Banbury to Birmingham International, off peak return, £16.90. This ticket is not valid before 09:57 departure from Banbury to Birmingham International.

I now realise that I wanted to buy an anytime return from Banbury to Birmingham International. An anytime return costs £16.30. I have no idea how I made this mistake or why an anytime return is cheaper.

How do I change my off peak £16.90 ticket to anytime £16.30 ? I've selected 'collect at station' option. If I can cancel the ticket, there's a £10 fee.

Should I collect the ticket and change the ticket at a station beforehand ?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Searle]

The return portion of the off peak return (£16.90) is valid for a month, whereas the return portion of the anytime day return (£16.30) is only valid on the day, that's why the off peak is more expensive than the return. I would imagine that the best thing to do is to pick up the ticket from a machine, and then go to a ticket office and ask them to change (excess?) it for you. Shouldn't cost any money as you're going to a cheaper ticket.

 

[shinkansen1966]

Shouldn't cost any money as you're going to a cheaper ticket.

This what I was thinking.

So if I go into a ticket office, is there are charge for changing a £16.90 off peak return to a £16.30 anytime day return ?

Edit: here's what the Virgin East Coast web site says:

"Why do you want to change your Off-Peak ticket?

If you would simply like to change train times to travel on a peak service, for travel on the same day and do not hold an m-ticket, please pay the difference in fare at the Travel Centre. There is no administration fee to make this change."

https://www.virgintrainseastcoast.com/customer-service/change-ticket/#tab_Off-Peak

 

[Searle]

Shouldn't be as far as I'm aware! I'm sure someone will confirm/deny this for you as well.

 

[Merseysider]

No charge. It's a zero-fare excess. There is an argument that you don't need to obtain the excess before travel, or at all, but if you can get hold of it before travelling it'll probably make your life easier.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Given the original ticket is valid to return within one month, don't be surprised if the Ticket Office say that it can only be excessed to the £25.80 Anytime Return, and you'd need to buy a new ticket and claim a refund on the original if you want the Anytime Day Return.

Another possibility is that you'll be told they can't excess it as it was bought online, and you'll need to buy a new ticket and seek a refund...Not that I'm at all cynical, you understand!

Another option would be to phone East Coast Web Support (03457 225 111) and explain the situation and they should refund the original tickets and reissue the Anytime Day Return with no administration fee being applied, just as a Ticket Office should if you'd bought the ticket from them and had a change of plans.

Unfortunately, the list of circumstances where the admin fee should be waived isn't in any public documentation, but it's mentioned in the refunds section of KnowledgeBase (or was the last time I checked at least), and The Manual before that.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I must admit it can be difficult to get a zero-fare excess issued because staff have to do paperwork to explain why they have done it. I have never obtained one successfully - it always just used to be a case of "just travel anyway and tell the guard, it will be fine" as indeed it always was. But in these PF-and-prosecution-happy days I would want the excess.

Let us know how you get on.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Another possibility is that you'll be told they can't excess it as it was bought online, and you'll need to buy a new ticket and seek a refund...Not that I'm at all cynical, you understand!

Wouldn't surprise me, given that VTWC's online sales site *still* says if you want to change route you have to refund and reissue, rather than the correct procedure which is an excess fare on the half you want to change for half the difference. I reported this a couple of times but they have never fixed it; they clearly prefer misleading people and raking in the tenners.

 

[Wallsendmag]

You can't X/S a ticket type for half the difference ,it has to be the whole difference


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[Merseysider]

You can't X/S a ticket type for half the difference ,it has to be the whole difference

Regarding a change of route excess, which is what Neil was talking about, that's incorrect.

The OP is not trying to 'half' excess their ticket anyway.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Ok misread that oops


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Given the original ticket is valid to return within one month, don't be surprised if the Ticket Office say that it can only be excessed to the £25.80 Anytime Return, and you'd need to buy a new ticket and claim a refund on the original if you want the Anytime Day Return....

This is, unfortunately, what I would have to say if approached.

....Another option would be to phone East Coast Web Support (03457 225 111) and explain the situation....

This is the advice I would give, but bear in mind that, as it was your error, they do not have to waive the admin fee.

 

[30907]

but bear in mind that, as it was your error, they do not have to waive the admin fee.

Though, as I discovered yesterday, they will do so if you contact them within an hour of making the booking. Not much use to the OP now though.