First class ticket bought for service with no first class (scotrail)

[Tom1791]

A few days ago I purchased a first class advance single for Edinburgh to Aberdeen. The service is usually booked as a HST but was replaced by a class 170 on this occasion.

As it happens the first class ticket was actually cheaper than standard class offering on that train, as no more advance singles were on offer, only anytime singles. So although I paid £18.45 for my advance first class single, the only standard class offering was I think £27 (both with Railcard discount)

What, if any, compensation can I expect to get from scotrail? Some trains later in the day had standard class advance singles starting at £8.50, with first class at £18.45, so I understand if a similar experience has happened on this train I would be able to claim the difference in ticket price. I had intended to travel first class, and if I knew my train would not be a HST I would have booked on a different service.

Hopefully someone will be able to advice what compensation (if any) I am entitled to claim for.

Thanks in advance

 

[Watershed]

A few days ago I purchased a first class advance single for Edinburgh to Aberdeen. The service is usually booked as a HST but was replaced by a class 170 on this occasion.

As it happens the first class ticket was actually cheaper than standard class offering on that train, as no more advance singles were on offer, only anytime singles. So although I paid £18.45 for my advance first class single, the only standard class offering was I think £27 (both with Railcard discount)

What, if any, compensation can I expect to get from scotrail? Some trains later in the day had standard class advance singles starting at £8.50, with first class at £18.45, so I understand if a similar experience has happened on this train I would be able to claim the difference in ticket price. I had intended to travel first class, and if I knew my train would not be a HST I would have booked on a different service.

Hopefully someone will be able to advice what compensation (if any) I am entitled to claim for.

Thanks in advance

The NRCoT contractually entitle you to the difference between the amount you paid and the cheapest valid walk-up standard fare; obviously, that would be zero here. However, In situations like this, where you have deliberately chosen this service on the basis of first class being available at that price - that's not really going to fly from a Consumer Rights Act perspective.

The CRA entitle you to a "price reduction" where a service isn't provided with reasonable skill and care, or not in line with statements the trader made that influenced your purchasing decision. Given the restrictions on an Advance fare, in my view it is clear that the determination of an appropriate reduction (i.e. partial refund) has to be based on an equivalent standard class Advance, not the walk-up fare.

If you paid £18.45 for a first class Advance from Edinburgh to Inverness, that was tier VA9. Unfortunately, unlike most other TOCs' Advances, ScotRail don't have entirely comparable standard class tiers. But if we take the fact that tier VA9 is the second cheapest first class Advance out of four tiers, and there are six tiers of standard class Advances - the closest comparator in my view would be tier VA3, the third cheapest standard class Advance.

With a Railcard, a VA3 tier Advance is £8.50. That also aligns with what you were seeing a available on other services, so I think it's a reasonable point of comparison to use for what you ask from ScotRail.

So I'd write to them, setting out what you've said above, and asking them to refund the difference to the VA3 Advance. Let us know what they get back to you with.

 

[kkong]

A few days ago I purchased a first class advance single for Edinburgh to Aberdeen. The service is usually booked as a HST but was replaced by a class 170 on this occasion.

The ScotRail class 170s do have first class (one compartment at each end, with 9 seats in each).

Unless the service was - unusually - operated by a suburban class 170 without first class (are there any of them left?)

 

[rg177]

The ScotRail class 170s do have first class (one compartment at each end, with 9 seats in each).

Unless the service was - unusually - operated by a suburban class 170 without first class (are there any of them left?)

170393-6 and 170470/1 are still knocking about.

 

[kkong]

If we can have the OP's journey details, we can look on RTT to see which unit did the working.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

A few days ago I purchased a first class advance single for Edinburgh to Aberdeen. The service is usually booked as a HST but was replaced by a class 170 on this occasion.

As it happens the first class ticket was actually cheaper than standard class offering on that train, as no more advance singles were on offer, only anytime singles. So although I paid £18.45 for my advance first class single, the only standard class offering was I think £27 (both with Railcard discount)

What, if any, compensation can I expect to get from scotrail? Some trains later in the day had standard class advance singles starting at £8.50, with first class at £18.45, so I understand if a similar experience has happened on this train I would be able to claim the difference in ticket price. I had intended to travel first class, and if I knew my train would not be a HST I would have booked on a different service.

Hopefully someone will be able to advice what compensation (if any) I am entitled to claim for.

Thanks in advance

Did the 170 you travelled on have First Class Accommodation or not, that’s the crux of the issue here.

Compensation is not due for a different train type to what you expected, indeed you note the service is usually booked for an HST but for various reasons may not even have planned to be one on the day you travelled.