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Megatrain T&C

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OwlMan

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Megatrain seems to have new T&Cs.
10(e) seems to make it clear about travelling short

Megatrain Terms & Conditions

These General Terms & Conditions apply for journeys wholly on megatrain services provided by East Midlands Trains, South West Trains or Virgin Trains.
1.You must be aged 16 years, or older, to purchase tickets and services from this website.
2. Fares apply to all passengers aged 5 years or older. No discount is given for children or Railcard holders.
3. When booking your journey, you must check your journey itinerary before making payment. Once paid for, megatrain tickets are not refundable except under Condition 10h.
4. You can amend your megatrain booking up to 48 hours before the departure of the first megatrain service in your booking. You will need to pay the difference between the price paid and the next available price for your journey. If the new journey is at cheaper, there will be no refund of the difference. A £1 fee (50p amendment and 50p booking fee) will apply for each booking changed. If you purchase more than one ticket for the same journey you will only be able to amend the group of tickets and you will not be able to amend the tickets individually.
5.You should arrive at your departure station at least 15 minutes before the scheduled departure of the train. This will allow you plenty of time to board and prevents any delay to the train service.
6.Journeys are only available for travel in Standard Class. A Weekend First Upgrade is available on East Midlands Trains at weekends and public holidays, subject to availability.
7. Megatrain booking references cannot be used in conjunction with any National Rail, East Midlands Trains, Virgin Trains or South West Trains promotion or offer unless stated otherwise. (This includes, but is not limited to, PlusBus and discounted admission tickets to attractions.)
8. Seat reservations are not available on megatrain services.
9. Services provided by Virgin Trains must be booked at least 48 hours in advance of travel. Services provided by other operators can be booked the day before travel.
10. Bookings for megatrain services are in accordance with the National Rail Conditions of Carriage. Some of these conditions are clarified or specifically amended below.
a. A valid booking reference acts as the ticket for your journey. This can be a printed confirmation e-mail, SMS or written format. You must present this when requested by a member of staff whilst travelling on the train or to enter/leave a station.
b. NUS Extra card holders must show their card and booking reference when asked by a member of staff. If you are unable to show your card when requested, you will need to buy a new rail ticket. This rail ticket will be the price of the most appropriate undiscounted Single rail fare for the journey being made. No refund will be given on the megatrain ticket or additional ticket purchased.
c. If you are unable to present a valid reference for your journey when requested, either on the train or exiting the station, you will be treated as having no ticket for your journey. You will have to pay the undiscounted Anytime Single rail fare for the journey being made. In addition, you may have to pay a Penalty Fare if your journey involves travel on East Midlands Trains or South West Trains. No refund will be given on the megatrain ticket or additional ticket purchased.
d. If you are unable to present a valid reference for you journey when entering the station, you will need to buy a ticket from the self-service ticket machine or ticket office. No refund will be given on the megatrain ticket or additional rail ticket purchased.
e. You must travel between the stations, on the date and at the time(s) in your booking confirmation. If you start, break and resume, or end your journey at any intermediate station you will need to buy a new rail ticket. This rail ticket will be the price of the most appropriate undiscounted Single rail fare for the journey being made. No refund will be given on the megatrain ticket or additional ticket purchased.
f. You must ensure that you have a valid rail ticket for any parts of your journey not covered by your megatrain reference. If you are unable to do this, you will be charged the undiscounted Anytime Single rail fare for the journey being made. In addition, you may have to pay a Penalty Fare if your journey involves travel on East Midlands Trains or South West Trains.
g. A maximum of two children (aged under 5 years) can travel for free with each fare paying adult. They are not entitled to a seat unless a journey has been purchased for them. Children travelling for free cannot occupy a seat if it is needed by a fare paying passenger.
h. If the megatrain service you are booked on is cancelled, or delayed by 60 minutes or more, you may travel on the next available rail service towards your destination. If you then decide not to travel, you may have a full refund of the megatrain fare and booking fee.
i. No compensation will be offered if your journey is cancelled or delayed.
j. You may take up to three items of luggage (up to 50kg each) with each fare paying passenger, without charge. More details are available in the National Rail Conditions of Carriage. Please ensure luggage is safely stored in luggage racks (where provided), in overhead racks or under your seat. A charge may be made for excess or over sized luggage; large items that obstruct doors and gangways cannot be carried.
k. Cycles (not tandems) are permitted on megatrain services operated by South West Trains (London Waterloo to/from Bournemouth, Havant, Poole, Portsmouth and Weymouth only) and must be stowed in dedicated areas of the train, subject to space. Cycles are not permitted on any East Midlands Trains or Virgin Trains services. Folding cycles can be carried on any megatrain service as hand luggage if they remain folded for the duration of journey.
11. Insurance is purchased by the carrier in accordance with our legal responsibility. All legal liabilities to third parties, to include damage to property and personal injury are covered. Our maximum liability to you for any loss or damage to your luggage, on megabus.com services under any and all circumstances is limited to £500 for all such loss or damage.

Megabus.com will not be liable for any monetary loss or the loss of legal documents. This includes currency, valuable securities such as cheques, premium bonds, money orders, certificates, passports or driving licences. Items of significant value such as jewellery and portable electronic devices should be kept on your persons at all times. Megabus.com can not be held liable for these items left unattended.
It is advised that you insure your luggage, especially if you are carrying valuable items, with reputable insurers against all usual and normal risks of loss or damage, to the full replacement value of the luggage, with no excess.

Loss of luggage or personal property must be notified immediately to a megabus.com employee. The passenger should also contact the company owning the vehicle on which they travelled.
12. If we have reason to suspect fraudulent use of booking references, transfer to another person, or other abuse, we reserve the right to refuse you travel on our service(s). No refund will be given in relation to fraudulent use of booking references.
13. Stagecoach Group and affiliated company passes are not valid for travel on megatrain services.
 
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Urban Gateline

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Thank heavens for that, we heard about it in a briefing a few days ago, so finally it will be easy to enforce the rules when passengers do finish short or try to join midway in their booked journey!

Megatrain is a bargain way to travel point to point, so if people want extra advantages like breaking the journey or starting/finishing at intermediate stations then they need to pay more for a more flexible ticket!
 

tony_mac

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As usual, a term that is possibly extremely punitive, which is simply hidden in the middle of the small print.

If it's so reasonable to charge hundreds of pounds because a passenger gets off 10 minutes early, why isn't it displayed prominently?
 

All Line Rover

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This is not surprising, as the old T&C's could be "manipulated" in a way that is favourable to the passenger. And we can't have that now, can we? That would be disastrous!
 

swt_passenger

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As usual, a term that is possibly extremely punitive, which is simply hidden in the middle of the small print.

If it's so reasonable to charge hundreds of pounds because a passenger gets off 10 minutes early, why isn't it displayed prominently?

I thought the requirement that you must make the journey booked (on Megatrain) was already rammed home during the booking process the time I used it.

Unless people really do buy things online without reading the screen at all while doing so...

PS - has 10(h) clarified cancellations and refunds compared to before?
 

SWT_USER

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Can't see it deterring many people, chances of being caught at non barrierd stations or where there's a connecting train to catch are slim.

I know a group of people who frequently travel to South West destinations using SWT and will always alight at Clapham Junction to get back to stations on the Windsor side rather than waste half an hour going to Waterloo and back.
 

Wolfie

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"h. If the megatrain service you are booked on is cancelled, or delayed by 60 minutes or more, you may travel on the next available rail service towards your destination. If you then decide not to travel, you may have a full refund of the megatrain fare and booking fee."

my bold and italics

Is it me or does this open another whole can of worms....

"Here you go Mr X-Country RPI, here is my Megatrain reference number"......
"What do you mean no valid ticket and a penalty fare?????"
 

tony_mac

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I thought the requirement that you must make the journey booked (on Megatrain) was already rammed home during the booking process the time I used it.
I think they used to, but I can't see it any more.

They put, in red letters, just above a box you have to click on
"ANY TRANSPORTATION PURCHASED FOR RESALE WILL NOT BE HONOURED."

I would have thought the fact that any deviation from the exact itinerary could result in large financial penalties would be more imporant to most passengers.
 

gordonthemoron

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5.You should arrive at your departure station at least 15 minutes before the scheduled departure of the train. This will allow you plenty of time to board and prevents any delay to the train service.

is this really necessary?
 

causton

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is this really necessary?

It'll be for people who can't manage time properly. If they aim for 15 minutes early and get there 10 minutes late they're still 5 minutes early!


d. If you are unable to present a valid reference for you journey when entering the station, you will need to buy a ticket from the self-service ticket machine or ticket office. No refund will be given on the megatrain ticket or additional rail ticket purchased.
...or, you *could* go home, or do something else surely? Or do you *have* to buy a ticket? ;)
 

NathanPrior

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is this really necessary?

Try telling that to people at Waterloo...waiting for the 9:39 to Southampton last saturday..didn't come up with a platform til 9:33 then the train was infront of a not in service 5 carriage one leaving many people confused as to why the doors wouldnt open on the not in service one..bit of a fail there
 

bb21

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is this really necessary?

Ahem, I will just say that I have been told off before for arriving at the station with 4 minutes to go by one of the gateline staff, who promptly dragged me to the side and showed me these terms, which in turn took another two minutes leaving me running for the train as it pulled in.
 

AlterEgo

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Ahem, I will just say that I have been told off before for arriving at the station with 4 minutes to go by one of the gateline staff, who promptly dragged me to the side and showed me these terms, which in turn took another two minutes leaving me running for the train as it pulled in.

What?? Where was this? That is utterly absurd and no mistake.
 

bb21

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What?? Where was this? That is utterly absurd and no mistake.

Leicester. The guy doesn't seem to be working there any more so I wonder where he has gone and who he is now terrorising. ;)
 

yorkie

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What?? Where was this? That is utterly absurd and no mistake.
You've not experienced EMTs legendary 'customer service' then? ;) Some of them treat customers worse than prison wardens would get away with treating prisoners! I try to avoid inconveniencing them by travelling with them as little as possible. And to think back in MML days I used to put up with extended journey times because their 1st class service & fares were worth it, no chance now!
"What do you mean no valid ticket and a penalty fare?????"
Interesting that PFs are mentioned. SWT incorrectly issued customers PFs in a famous case at Eastleigh, but informed sources within SWT informed me that the PFs were successfully appealed. At the time several people commented on this forum how the NRCoC did not allow for a PF to be issued in such circumstances, and neither does the PF legislation.

Interesting that the TOCs used to claim that the "full" fare ticket should be purchased, butt his has now been amended to the "appropriate" fare, which is in line with the correct rules for any other ticket. However what is different with Megatrain is that they claim a brand new ticket should be issued, this would normally be an excess fare. Are they allowed to get away with that? and would it stand up in court? (of course for £1 tickets, if you're then being charged a fare of say £50, the difference between a new ticket and an excess is not going to be worth worrying about!)
 

AlterEgo

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Interesting that the TOCs used to claim that the "full" fare ticket should be purchased, butt his has now been amended to the "appropriate" fare, which is in line with the correct rules for any other ticket. However what is different with Megatrain is that they claim a brand new ticket should be issued, this would normally be an excess fare. Are they allowed to get away with that? and would it stand up in court? (of course for £1 tickets, if you're then being charged a fare of say £50, the difference between a new ticket and an excess is not going to be worth worrying about!)

The NRCoC is "amended" by the Megatrain TnCs (for example, no delay compensation is payable on any Megatrain ticket).
 

route:oxford

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e. You must travel between the stations, on the date and at the time(s) in your booking confirmation. If you start, break and resume, or end your journey at any intermediate station you will need to buy a new rail ticket. This rail ticket will be the price of the most appropriate undiscounted Single rail fare for the journey being made. No refund will be given on the megatrain ticket or additional ticket purchased.

Still very poorly worded. (Even the NRCoC doesn't define what a journey is).

So I shall continue to disembark at Wolverhampton, delete my megatrain text message reference on the platform knowing that I have a return portion of my Oxford-Wolverhampton ticket without fear of being charged.
 

clagmonster

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As far as I can see, condition 10e is the same as it was in December when we last discussed the issue. See my post, in which I quoted the condition:
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showpost.php?p=891814&postcount=57
I'm not sure whether any other terms have changed.

I look forward to the discussion as to the definition as to "most appropriate undiscounted Single rail fare for the journey being made" which is open to interpretation. I would hope it is the cheapest valid single, but others may disagree.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Still very poorly worded. (Even the NRCoC doesn't define what a journey is).

So I shall continue to disembark at Wolverhampton, delete my megatrain text message reference on the platform knowing that I have a return portion of my Oxford-Wolverhampton ticket without fear of being charged.
No, but you have to travel between the points on your booking confirmation. Although in a case where you have another ticket valid to exit at said station, I admit you are less likely to be caught (not that I would condone or encourage it, a keen guard could see you alighting and remember your Megatrain ticket).

Come to this of it, this states that you must travel. So is technically deciding not to use a Megatrain ticket breaking the conditions? Not that I can see that would be legally enforcable.
 
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