Do I need a reason to turn in my season ticket?

[cholsey-choose]

Hi all,

I have a GWR season ticket of less than 2 months which I'm using less than expected. So I just popped to my local staffed station and asked them to calculate how much the refund would be.

But she told me that they couldn't refund it on a whim, that I would need some reason ("like if you changed job") to do it. Is this really correct? I can't see a mention of it on the relevant GWR page:

https://www.gwr.com/help-and-support/refunds-and-compensation/season-ticket-refunds

Either the web page is missing an important condition, or the station lady is seriously misinformed.

 

[hounddog]

Hi all,

I have a GWR season ticket of less than 2 months which I'm using less than expected. So I just popped to my local staffed station and asked them to calculate how much the refund would be.

But she told me that they couldn't refund it on a whim, that I would need some reason ("like if you changed job") to do it. Is this really correct? I can't see a mention of it on the relevant GWR page:

https://www.gwr.com/help-and-support/refunds-and-compensation/season-ticket-refunds

Either the web page is missing an important condition, or the station lady is seriously misinformed.

GWR staff making things up that contradict the official websites? Ask bnm about that one.

Just make up a reason that she has no way of checking.

 

[cholsey-choose]

GWR staff making things up that contradict the official websites? Ask bnm about that one.

Just make up a reason that she has no way of checking.

Well if there is no such policy I'm minded to kick up a bit of a fuss, that's why I want to be sure. As far as the website goes, I wonder that they mean by "If you no longer need your ticket... we can normally give you a refund from the date you hand it back."

Maybe they mean something specific by 'need', or 'normally' here?

 

[Hadders]

sounds like the staff member couldn't be bothered.

If it's an annual season you might get a larger refund by doing a changeover to a cheaper season ticket because changeovers are done on a pro-rata basis but full refunds aren't.

 

[cholsey-choose]

sounds like the staff member couldn't be bothered.

If it's an annual season you might get a larger refund by doing a changeover to a cheaper season ticket because changeovers are done on a pro-rata basis but full refunds aren't.

She seemed a bit flustered to be honest, like she wasn't quite sure of herself. This ticket is only for 7 weeks so that's not the issue.

If they really are supplying bad information then I will be quite annoyed -- if I hadn't happened to have looked at the website first, I would have just taken her word for it, possibly missing out on over £100 of refund.

 

[cholsey-choose]

Update: I just did their online chat help, and they told me that no reason is needed.

 

[najaB]

Perhaps she was getting confused with a fee-free refund?

 

[cholsey-choose]

Perhaps she was getting confused with a fee-free refund?

I'm gonna go back in and just confirm that before I complain. Don't want to get anyone in trouble.

Still, this is the station where they refused to sell me an oxfordshire day ranger and denied that it existed....

 

[Surreytraveller]

Just give the truth as the reason. You don't use it as much as expected.

 

[RJ]

The refund form has a reason field which needs to be populated. "No longer required" is as good a reason as any.

 

[cholsey-choose]

So when I walked in and asked her originally, she told me that that wouldn't be good enough, that I would need a 'real' reason such as change of job.

But I just had a weird interaction. I went back and confirmed that was what we was saying, then said that I had contacted customer services and they said different. She scrunched up her face and looked unhappy, but then processed it all apparently without complaint.

I'm still not sure whether she had been lying and was unhappy to be caught out in it, or had been wrong and didn't want to admit that she had been wrong. I'm leaning towards the latter.

But I'm going to write to GWR saying that this was unacceptable (whilst not including any details and asking them not to try to track down the particular staff member).

 

[47513 Severn]

But I'm going to write to GWR saying that this was unacceptable (whilst not including any details and asking them not to try to track down the particular staff member).

Is there really any point writing if you aren't going to provide them the specifics? The staff member is giving incorrect information and that needs to be corrected, regardless of whether that is through misunderstanding the policy or not wanting to process the refund.

If you don't give details nothing will happen.

 

[bb21]

Agreed. If you don't give any specifics, nothing will happen. Complaining does not necessarily get people in trouble, but will allow them to be better supported with targeted rebriefing, etc.

 

[cholsey-choose]

I guess I do see the point, but this particular individual is unlikely to make the slip again (if it was a genuine slip), because surely she will remember me.

I was hoping that if I complained some kind of memo (of the kind we all ignore) might get sent out re season ticket cancellations?

About this though...

Complaining does not necessarily get people in trouble, but will allow them to be better supported with targeted rebriefing, etc.

I am just *so* suspicious of the British private sector, that I'd rather let it slide than potentially get someone in trouble.

 

[Hadders]

I guess I am just *so* suspicious of the British private sector, that I'd rather let it slide than potentially get someone in trouble.

But the member of staff does deserve to get into trouble. TOCs are reasonable employers in the grand scheme of things so we're not looking at a job at risk situation (unless of course there's previous history).

This sort of thing is an example of the type of problem that the public expect 'management' to deal with. The problem is 'management' don't see these problems as when they're about the members of staff know exactly what to do!

If the public don't provide feedback on problems then they're unlikely to get fixed.

 

[yorkie]

...I am just *so* suspicious of the British private sector, that I'd rather let it slide than potentially get someone in trouble.

..and this is why such poor service is as common as it is in ticket offices

You are lucky; you were able to ask us. Many people just accept incorrect information and lose out!

Some Train Companies persecute and prosecute passengers for acting in a way that deprivesthem of money and making certain types of mistake, so the least we can do is ask for them to issue adequate training to their staff and have a word with the staff member.

They are not going to be sacked for it, despite the fact that customers who deprive train companies of comparable sums can end up losing their jobs.

It's up to you though.

 

[Surreytraveller]

Trouble I find these days is a lot of management haven't got a clue either, and just wouldn't understand the complaint, let alone deal with the member of staff.

 

[Greenback]

You should definitely bring this tot he attention of the TOC. Otherwise, how will anything ever improve (I'm disappointed enough that GWR hasn't appeared to have got any better since I worked for them).

It's certainly correct that no reason is required for a season ticket refund. Whether the staff member just couldn't be bothered, or whether they were simply genuinely unaware of this, the situation needs to be managed so that future passengers are not inconvenienced.

Whether GWR is able to do that properly is another debate entirely.