Correct calculation for an Excess Fare

[WesternLancer]

Hi all - just wondering if anyone who knows how to correctly calculate an excess fare can check if this charge made was correct.

Journey was Bath to Oxford via Didcot Super Off Peak Rtn (with a 16-25 Railcard) - ticket marked 'not valid via Reading' price £26.10

Used outbound on a direct Bath - Oxford train last Saturday (so via Didcot)
but wished to return via Reading due to better connections at Reading than at Didcot at the time of travel - last Sunday

Excess Fare requested and purchased before boarding on return journey - price charged £17.55

The price of the XS seems rather high (ticket is marked 16-26 so presumably the Railcard has been applied to the XS)

Has it been calculated correctly?

Appreciate a check by anyone who knows. Thanks in advance.

 

[Bletchleyite]

You were charged wrongly.

The excess should have been half the difference between the Super Off Peak Return not via Reading and the same fare via Reading. With 16-25 these are:

not via Reading: 26.10
not via London: 43.65

Difference 17.55
divided by 2 is 8.77 (expect this would round to 8.80 as the railway usually only charges in 5p increments)

A common mistake is to charge the full difference between the tickets as is required for all other types of excess other than route and (I think) class - this has happened to me more often than not and I repeatedly have to query it.

I'd approach GWR customer services and ask for a partial refund.

 

[WesternLancer]

You were charged wrongly.

The excess should have been half the difference between the Super Off Peak Return not via Reading and the same fare via Reading. With 16-25 these are:

not via Reading: 26.10
not via London: 43.65

Difference 17.55
divided by 2 is 8.77 (expect this would round to 8.80 as the railway usually only charges in 5p increments)

A common mistake is to charge the full difference between the tickets as is required for all other types of excess other than route and (I think) class - this has happened to me more often than not and I repeatedly have to query it.

I'd approach GWR customer services and ask for a partial refund.

Thanks @Bletchleyite - I suspected this might have been the explanation. Appreciate your confirming this. Now to get on to GWR!

Thinking about this it a poor mistake to make I would think, given this was for the return journey an XS that applied to the already completed outbound journey would not seem logical to apply when offering a Return ticket portion for excess.

I assume it would be a mistake to try to apply for a partial refund via the GWR website refund portal (as I expect that can only really handle unused ticket refunds) and thus better to e-mail customer services in the hope they will process it / understand what is required to be done.

 

[JOnTrack]

@Bletchleyite has it in one, they definitely excessed both legs.

Get that refund!

 

[WesternLancer]

@Bletchleyite has it in one, they definitely excessed both legs.

Get that refund!

Thanks - what are those screen grabs from? is that the instructions on how it should have been issued?

 

[Wallsendmag]

Thanks - what are those screen grabs from? is that the instructions on how it should have been issued?

Star mobile and they should only have issued one ticket, did you get two?

 

[WesternLancer]

Star mobile and they should only have issued one ticket, did you get two?

I think only one ticket issued (card ticket issued by member of staff with portable ticket machine as time of travel was after ticket office closed for the day) - copies of tickets uploaded

 

[WesternLancer]

Update on this:

It was about 10 days before the complaint for refund was submitted after the advice received here (so circa 20 October). Following a fairly prompt holding reply, a reply has come in today from GWR (13 Nov) saying £8.78 will be repaid.

I note the £8.78 is offered as an 'apology' (as opposed to a refund of a sum that was over charged) - but assume this is probably a template wording in their response message.

Thanks to all who helped with advice on this.

 

[redreni]

If I were in a mischievous mood I would be a bit tempted to accept the £8.78 by way of apology, bank it and then write back saying "now, about the refund I am entitled to..."

 

[WesternLancer]

If I were in a mischievous mood I would be a bit tempted to accept the £8.78 by way of apology, bank it and then write back saying "now, about the refund I am entitled to..."