Have I been sold the correct ticket?

[SWT_USER]

Hi all,

I'll be brief as I'm on my phone but basically:

Went to Southall ticket office and asked for a Groupsave4 ticket from Liverpool Street to Colchester return for today.

Looking online on the Greater Anglia site before I left I was under the impression the price should have been £60.20 for the Anytime Day Return for all 4.

I was charged £63. Any suggestions as to why?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Just to add we'll be leaving Liverpool Street between 5 and 6 depending on when people arrive from work.

 

[dzug2]

You've been sold an off peak return (valid one month) rather than an anytime day return

Possibly not valid at the time you want to leave.

 

[LexyBoy]

The old saver tickets are only restricted befor 09:30 in the morning

Not true unfortunately, the restriction is 9A which means it's not valid until 1835 in the afternoon peak from Liverpool St.

You'll need to get the tickets changed. If the ticket office won't change them without an admin fee (I'm guessing you may not be able to get back to Southall today?), then I think (I may be wrong) that the tickets could be excessed to the Anytime Day Returns - the ticket type doesn't need to stay the same so I can't see why a SVR can't go to an SDR.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Aren't there afternoon restrictions on the use of Off Peak tickets from London Liverpool Street? (Meaning that you can't get a train to Colchester between 1629 and 1834).

P.S. Are you travelling over for the Colchester v Brentford game?

 

[SWT_USER]

Thanks for the help guys, I will try and excess at the Liverpool Street ticket office. What do I need to ask for and what should the cost be?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Also the greater Anglia site was willing to sell the the cheaper £60.20 ticket during the peak!

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Yes indeed, it looks as though you have been sold the Off-Peak Return rather than the Anytime Day Return and you will need to get this changed to travel between 5 and 6. An excess is the simplest solution but leaves you out of pocket, a refund and new purchase should not leave you out of pocket as it is the railway's fault but you would temporarily be paying twice.

 

[LexyBoy]

Also the greater Anglia site was willing to sell the the cheaper £60.20 ticket during the peak!

Yes; this fare is for 4 x GroupSave-4 Anytime Day Returns. The equivalent Off Peak Day Return fare is £49.60.

An excess to the Anytime Day Return fare would cost you nothing (as you've already paid more than the correct fare). As hhf says the best course of action would be to ask for a refund on the original tickets as mis-sold and buy new tickets, though as the difference is only £2.80 you may not consider it worthwhile.

 

[SWT_USER]

Yes; this fare is for 4 x GroupSave-4 Anytime Day Returns. The equivalent Off Peak Day Return fare is £49.60.

An excess to the Anytime Day Return fare would cost you nothing (as you've already paid more than the correct fare). As hhf says the best course of action would be to ask for a refund on the original tickets as mis-sold and buy new tickets, though as the difference is only £2.80 you may not consider it worthwhile.

The lady in the ticket office just said Group Save isn't valid at all in the peak and she couldn't find the £60.20 fare. Can't afford to buy new tickets sadly.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

The £60.20 Anytime Day Return fare should be available if you use a "Groupsave 4" discount code. Definitely showing as available on the Greater Anglia website just now.

However, elsewhere, I've seen mention in publicity material that GroupSave is only valid on Off-Peak Day Returns for return on the same day, where available.

 

[SWT_USER]

Thanks, I'll try And load the site on my phone and show them.

Surely though if their site is willing to sell me the ticket it has to be valid, regardless of other publicity?

 

[222007]

Not true unfortunately, the restriction is 9A which means it's not valid until 1835 in the afternoon peak from Liverpool St.

Apologies i hadnt realised there was an afternoon restriction i wasnt at work so hadnt checked befor posting. The savers i see don't have afternoon restrictions so i wasnt aware of them

 

[SWT_USER]

No joy with any ticket office staff, on the first off peak train and will miss the first few minutes of the match.

 

[LexyBoy]

Apologies i hadnt realised there was an afternoon restriction i wasnt at work so hadnt checked befor posting. The savers i see don't have afternoon restrictions so i wasnt aware of them

No worries. Only Savers from the London area (as far out as Reading, Stevenage etc) are permitted to have afternoon restrictions, so it's reasonable that you'd not come across them.

 

[lemonic]

http://www.greateranglia.co.uk/tickets-fares/daily-tickets/group-travel

GroupSave Terms and Conditions
1. The following ticket types are available with GroupSave: Off-Peak Day Singles, Off-Peak Day Returns, Off-Peak [period] Returns and Off-Peak Day Travelcards. Where there is no off-peak ticket type available then GroupSave is available on Anytime Day Singles and Returns, but only at off-peak times
2. Weekday evening travel restrictions do not apply on Greater Anglia

Is GroupSave allowed on Anytime tickets anyway on this route? Apparently not according to the Greater Anglia website.
Also note point 2 which is directly contradicted by

9. No travel is permitted from Liverpool Street between 16:29 and 18:34 inclusive, Monday to Friday.

Looks very sloppy to me.

 

[yorkie]

Surely though if their site is willing to sell me the ticket it has to be valid, regardless of other publicity?

It is not uncommon for tickets that are not intended to be valid (at a particular time, and/or via a particular route) to be shown as valid on the online booking engines. This is for a variety of reasons. There are two main choices in these cases:

1. Argue that because it is shown as valid online, the ticket should be valid when purchased from a ticket office (which I'd agree with) BUT you run a very high risk of the ticket being withdrawn and/or being refused travel as per the online itinerary (as a contract was not formed at that point)
2. Booking online, obtain reservations (where available) and/or bring a printed itinerary from the website. That makes the tickets valid by the itinerary agreed by both parties as per the contract.

Personally I go for option 2 every time.

 

[island]

I didn't think GroupSave was valid on Anytime tickets, except Anytime Day Singles when there is no Off-Peak Day Single available.