Changing an Advance booked on TPE Deadline?

[gray1404]

I understand an Advance ticket booked on the TPE site can be changed with no admin fee charged. I understand this has to be done in advance so that can "excess" ticket can be sent out in the post. Can I ask how long in advance this is? I seem to recall it is about 1 week. Is that a week (or however many days it is) in advance of the new travel date or the original travel date? (Of course, I assume any changes have to be done before departure of the original train).

Context is I have an Advance ticket booked for Monday, if I wanted to change by date of travel to the end of next week, would I be able to do this?

I am struggling to get my existing Advance ticket to show when I got to make a change (just playing around for now). When booking I had to use WebTIS and the show slower routes advance options, which doesn't show when making changes so I'm only getting more expensive fares. If I rebook a new fare at the same price then contact them will they simply refund the original fare (if I post the ticket back). I see there is a live chat option that perhaps I could use.

 

[_toommm_]

TPE's advance changing on the website is currently broken. You'll need to buy a new ticket, making sure the destination and starting station are the same (especially make sure if you're travelling to a station group, it's the same station as on the original). Phone TPE CS and they'll refund the original; this can be done up to the departure time of the original ticket.


Be careful with the call centre opening time as they advertise an 11pm close, but I regularly find them closed at 8pm.

 

[gray1404]

Thanks for the update. To throw another spanner in the works, will I still be able to do this if I have collected the original ticket from the TVM already? I have booked both my "outward" advance and my "return" advance (the latter being the one I might change) in the same booking so only have one collection reference covering both tickets. I assume as they are taking the "rebook and refund" route rather then the usual "excess" route they will require the original ticket to be returned to them before issuing a refund... So do I need to merely notify them before departure of the original ticket or they have actually received it back in the post by then? (Although I still TPE are still accepting ticket returns for refund back email with the ticket cut in half so hopefully they might allow this).

Just to confirm too it is TPE Customer Service rather then their Telesales I am to call and this is AFTER I have booked the new ticket? Sounds like they are very strict that the origin and destination stations must be identical too! I'll be sure I keep that in mind.

Thanks again!

 

[_toommm_]

Thanks for the update. To throw another spanner in the works, will I still be able to do this if I have collected the original ticket from the TVM already? I have booked both my "outward" advance and my "return" advance (the latter being the one I might change) in the same booking so only have one collection reference covering both tickets. I assume as they are taking the "rebook and refund" route rather then the usual "excess" route they will require the original ticket to be returned to them before issuing a refund... So do I need to merely notify them before departure of the original ticket or they have actually received it back in the post by then? (Although I still TPE are still accepting ticket returns for refund back email with the ticket cut in half so hopefully they might allow this).

Just to confirm too it is TPE Customer Service rather then their Telesales I am to call and this is AFTER I have booked the new ticket? Sounds like they are very strict that the origin and destination stations must be identical too! I'll be sure I keep that in mind.

Thanks again!

I'm not too sure, but I'd imagine that as you've already collected your tickets, you'd need to complete the form in addition to phoning them up, although it will be worth checking with them when you phone up.

I only mention the same station issue as I've booked tickets to Manchester Stations Group before, and they've refused refunds because the e-ticket came out as Victoria and I booked my new ticket from Piccadilly (which are both obviously part of the Manchester Stations Group.

EDIT: The refund form has an option for changing an advance ticket, so like I say double check as I rarely use paper tickets, but your post above sounds pretty accurate.

Refund Portal