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Given a ticket suggestion that turned out not to be optimal at East Croydon

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GodAtum

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I wanted to buy a 1st ticket from Zone 2 to London last week as I already have a Zones2-6 travelcard. Went up to the ticket counter. Guy asked which London station, I said London Bridge. Guy tapped away, asked two colleagues for help, and said there is no 1st class from New Cross Gate to London Bridge. So he said I should buy one from East Croydon. Cost was £9.70.

I have now just realised I could of bought a 1st from Clapham Junc - London terminals for £8.40.

Words cannot describe how upset and stupid I feel :cry: I know its not much but how can 3 ticket staff not know about that routing?? Would I have any chance of getting a refund as I have kept all my receipts and tickets?
 
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DaveNewcastle

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Words cannot describe how upset and stupid I feel :cry:
Don't worry about it!
We all make mistakes - some of us do so quite regulalry. But life goes on and we all get a chance to do better the next time.
I'll counter your story with one of my own. Just yesterday, a Ticket Office clerk made a mistake with some tickets I was buying. The total was just a few pounds more than I wa expecting, (but still within the bounds of plausibility). But before he'd finished, he realised, and his contrition and apologies were unstoppable!
With no prompting from me, the compensation offered for an error that hadn't even been concluded, appears to exceed the loss that I hadn't quite got as far as incurring!

I'm regularly finding railway staff being supportive, friendly, helpful and going beyond their remit. Maybe those posting criticisms on here only post when things go against them? (this is not specifically aimed at you, GodAtum).
I continue to be pleased with rail staff wherever I find them; a pleasure which I wouldn't extend to some of the senior personnel, whether their sectors are corporate, statutory, governmental, regulatory or global-software houses (which I won't name for fear of a sticky 's' on my keyboard).

But I wouldn't call your incident a 'con'. Surely it is simply an error, at some level or other. A 'con' implies a deliberate attempt at deceipt and deceipt intended to produce gain.
 

causton

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...you said you wanted to go to London Bridge!

How do you intend to use that Clapham Junction - London Terminals ticket to travel first class to London Bridge, if you did buy it? Unless you went via Waterloo - Waterloo East - LBG (is that valid?) but is it worth it to save the small amount you did from East Croydon on a direct train? :)
 

NSE

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...you said you wanted to go to London Bridge!

How do you intend to use that Clapham Junction - London Terminals ticket to travel first class to London Bridge, if you did buy it? Unless you went via Waterloo - Waterloo East - LBG (is that valid?) but is it worth it to save the small amount you did from East Croydon on a direct train? :)

That's exactly what I thought
 

bicbasher

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Isn't their 1st on the Horsham to LB services which call at New Cross Gate? They use 377's, unless it's declassified from there?
 

RJ

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Isn't their 1st on the Horsham to LB services which call at New Cross Gate? They use 377's, unless it's declassified from there?

If this is case, then the ticket can be created and printed out at 1.5x the price SDS. Creation of tickets can be done, most commonly in the case of Cross London season tickets.

There is a direct rail service from Clapham Junction to London Bridge via New Cross Gate, but not all railway staff would think of that off the top of their head.

I think con is an incorrrect appropriation of the clerks' actions and it's not a matter to get overly angry about. They made a mistake, an oversight even. If was in your shoes GodAtum, I would have done the research first. I will warn though that I've had problems obtaining a ticket from a different location from there so use the excellent TVMs if possible!
 
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yorkie

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I think con is an incorrrect appropriation of the clerks' actions and it's not a matter to get overly angry about.
Absolutely. I can think of many more cases that are more of a "con" than this one, which really isn't at all. I doubt they were obliged to do any research to find an alternative fare whatsoever.

I have changed the topic title to more accurately describe what appears to have happened (and can I remind all members to please read our updated Forum Rules, which require thread titles to be appropriate and descriptive. The new rules were written by forum members and not simply imposed by the moderation team).
 

GodAtum

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Thank you for the advice. I have to go to London St Pancras tommorrow. What 1st ticket can I buy as I already have a Zone 2-6 card?
 

island

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New Cross to W Hampstead Stns £4.20?

Edit: No, that won't work. What route are you planning to take?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Would Sydenham London to London St Pancrs do it? FDS £5.50 FDR £11.
 

island

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The Sydenham ticket will cover you, but I don't make any guarantee it's cheapest.
 

GodAtum

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I found a Denmark Hill - St Pancras FDR for £8.49. Would that be valid?
 

island

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I am not sure you are covered between New Cross Gate and London Bridge on that combination. It's not a mapped route (DMK-LBG is valid only via QRP on map SL) but perhaps Denmark Hill-Lewisham-New Cross-(walk)-New Cross Gate-London Bridge is less than three miles over the shortest route, giving you the validity you need. Can't verify that just now.

Edit: Railmiles suggests it's 11ch over the three miles, but the NRT (which I can't currently get access to) might have rounding in your favour.
 
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LexyBoy

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Where did you find a price ending in 9?

Typo I think; the fare is £8.40 and wouldn't be valid as it's to London Terminals rather than St Pancras.

edit: also not valid as there's not a permitted route from Denmark Hill to St Pancras via New Cross Gate as far as I can see (I say this as a ticket with destination West Hampstead is the same price).
 

RJ

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Thank you for the advice. I have to go to London St Pancras tommorrow. What 1st ticket can I buy as I already have a Zone 2-6 card?

Try Peckham Rye to West Hampstead Thameslink - that will work.

Typo I think; the fare is £8.40 and wouldn't be valid as it's to London Terminals rather than St Pancras.

In that case, the ticket printed out would say London St Pancras on it as opposed to London Terminals. I suggested WHP because from experience, I have very specifically asked for a ticket to STP (from DMK as it happens) and they keep giving me London Terminals tickets, which I then make them cancel and print the right one. Fine if you have time, not good if you're in a hurry as it means taking your chances with the famously lenient FCC RPIs. Also, they both fall under the same Zone 1-2 price band.

 
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RJ

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Just did a search online, there are no trains with 1st sections so I cannot buy a 1st ticket?

I should think there are between Blackfriars and St Pancras. Or at the very least, between London Bridge and Blackfriars which is a recognised reasonable route. Try the Southern website - that one will allow the purchase of the First Class ticket.

 
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island

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But most of the online engines won't sell you a first class ticket if your entire journey consists of trains with only standard accommodation, even if one exists for your flow.
 

OwlMan

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But most of the online engines won't sell you a first class ticket if your entire journey consists of trains with only standard accommodation, even if one exists for your flow.

Are you sure?
It seems to me to depend on what fares are available not which class is available on the train.
 

island

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No I'm not, because I am not in the habit of travelling in first other than on simple advances.
 
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