LNER Refund

[ricoblade]

Hi All - I think this is the right section as it is a "post-travel ticketing issue".

I got caught up in the ECML disruption on the 21st May and decided not to travel from Retford to London return as I would get into London way too late by the suggested alternatives (take a train north to Doncaster and take a re-routed ECML service via Lincoln or drive to Newark).

To me this was a cancelled train as it was never going to arrive at Retford.

I submitted a Refund Request via the LNER website (as that's where I'd bought the tickets) in the "My Booking Section". I got a confirmation email with a reference number and "we'll get back to you within 10 days".

I'd not heard anything and sent a follow up via the "contact us" form on the 7th June and got another reference number with "we're really busy and it will take up to 20 days to get back to you".

I checked the refund request in My Bookings this morning and it says "Awaiting Travel Tickets". Nowhere in the process, including the refund confirmation email, did it ask me to send tickets, nor say how I should send them (post, scan, etc).

This appears to be in a black hole and it' s £137.00 so I'd appreciate any advice on what to do next.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Assuming you paid by card, I'd just ask the card issuer (be that your bank or credit card company) to process a chargeback. Yes, it will cost LNER additional fees but it's not on for them to sit that substantial an amount of money due to their incompetent Customer "Service".

 

[_toommm_]

Had you collected the tickets by the time you'd decided to abandon your journey and request a refund? If so, they'll need the tickets posting back to them to process a refund.

 

[ricoblade]

Had you collected the tickets by the time you'd decided to abandon your journey and request a refund? If so, they'll need the tickets posting back to them to process a refund.

Yes, I've got them.

I am very loath to post original tickets to some address having not been asked to do so and not having that address.

 

[Hadders]

If asking for a refund it’s not unreasonable to expect to have to return the tickets, particularly if they are flexible ones that are valid for a month.

 

[ainsworth74]

I would suggest a phone call may well leaf to some resolution in this case.

 

[Darandio]

Yes, I've got them.

I am very loath to post original tickets to some address having not been asked to do so and not having that address.

It's stipulated on the refund page. https://www.lner.co.uk/customer-service/refunds/

 

[ricoblade]

It's stipulated on the refund page. https://www.lner.co.uk/customer-service/refunds/

OK but why should I go looking at that when I just filled in the form and got the confirmation email and never got asked to send the tickets. I will read it and see if I can expedite something. I'd happily scan them and send them in.

I agree with the other comment that a phone call may be necessary but I won't have time to do that until next weekend at the earliest, especially if they are not good at answering the phone. Isn't that the purpose of having online forms in the fist place?

 

[EastCoastway]

It's part of the NR CoT

Section F, 30.1: If the train you intended to use is cancelled, delayed, or your reservation will not be honoured, and you decide not to travel, you may return the unused Ticket to the original retailer or Train Company from whom it was purchased, where you will be given a full refund with no administration fee being charged.


If you decide not to travel or turn back to your origin then you are entitled to an abandoned journey refund from the original retailer. You must send them the original tickets though to complete the refund because they have to go in the TOM.

 

[ricoblade]

Right, I've had 5 minutes to read the web page. What an utter load of garbage, my comments in square brackets.

"If you still have the ticket(s) you want refunded [what if I don't?], you need to return these with the form [what form, I submitted it online and where to?]. We recommend that you use a guaranteed delivery service such as Royal Mail Special Delivery, since we can’t be held liable for any tickets that vanish en route[how handy]. Unfortunately, we can’t refund you any costs for postage and packaging.

To @EastCoastway's point, what is the TOM please? These are Advance tickets for a particular train on a particular day so cannot be re-used, they know that from the "My Bookings" screen.

 

[najaB]

These are Advance tickets for a particular train on a particular day so cannot be re-used, they know that from the "My Bookings" screen.

How do they know they weren't used on the day, without the unmarked tickets being returned?

 

[AlterEgo]

Regardless of the lack of usability of the website, for which I'm sure the complaints are justified, the solution is easy.

The tickets are unused, so send them back. The address is:

LNER Web Support
Freepost RTUH-TUGH-GCLZ
Cramlington
NE23 1WG

Be sure to send them recorded.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Be sure to send them recorded.

Not necessary unless the tickets are worth much over £20. Even standard second class post will compensate you for this amount of loss, if you get Proof of Postage at a Post Office (which is f.o.c.). I'm not 100% sure whether this also applies to Freepost items sent without a stamp, so just to be on the safe side I'd put on a second class stamp.

 

[Saperstein]

Not necessary unless the tickets are worth much over £20. Even standard second class post will compensate you for this amount of loss, if you get Proof of Postage at a Post Office (which is f.o.c.). I'm not 100% sure whether this also applies to Freepost items sent without a stamp, so just to be on the safe side I'd put on a second class stamp.

Usually OK if you have a postal address, I once had to post some tickets back to Merseyrail, and all I was told was send them to "Freepost MERSEYRAIL CUSTOMER RELATIONS".

The teller at the post office didn't know how to issue a Certificate of posting to just a one line freepost address, I sent them anyway and it was sorted, (low value tickets), for high value tickets I would have looked for a better address and used signed for.

 

[trentside]

Not necessary unless the tickets are worth much over £20. Even standard second class post will compensate you for this amount of loss, if you get Proof of Postage at a Post Office (which is f.o.c.). I'm not 100% sure whether this also applies to Freepost items sent without a stamp, so just to be on the safe side I'd put on a second class stamp.

For peace of mind you could also make a photocopy of the tickets, so you have copies of them should any further dispute arise. Not that I’d imagine it would in a straightforward refund case.

Like others have said, unfortunately, the tickets need to be returned in order for the refund to be processed.

 

[Saperstein]

Regardless of the lack of usability of the website, for which I'm sure the complaints are justified, the solution is easy.

The tickets are unused, so send them back. The address is:

LNER Web Support
Freepost RTUH-TUGH-GCLZ
Cramlington
NE23 1WG

Be sure to send them recorded.

Are you sure thats the address for refunds? they are giving an address in Crawley, Sussex on the website.

 

[AlterEgo]

Are you sure thats the address for refunds? they are giving an address in Crawley, Sussex on the website.

I always send them to the Web Support address - no problem.

 

[Haywain]

Are you sure thats the address for refunds? they are giving an address in Crawley, Sussex on the website.

The address in Crawley is correct. It is where your refund will be processed.