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Off peak to peak return query

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PacerFacer

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19 Nov 2019
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5
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Hi there,

Medium-term browser shamelessly turned poster because I've got a query!

A week or so ago I went to get the last afternoon off-peak train from Liverpool Street to Norwich. Thanks to the wonderful confusing layout of the display boards at Liverpool Street I managed to miss my train.

I was meeting someone at Norwich and couldn't afford to wait out the peak window, so I went to purchase a new ticket. They said they were unable to upgrade my off-peak return (purchased as an e-ticket on the Virgin Trains app) to a peak return and said I'd have to purchase a new peak single. However, I've been looking around and the suggestion seems to be I should have been able to buy an excess ticket to make up the difference against a peak return. Before I take it to Greater Anglia, am I right in that thinking (I assume there's no mechanism to turn just the outward half into a peak ticket)?

Cost of my original ticket: £56:70 (appears to be walk-up price)
Cost of walk-up peak return: £113
Cost of walk-up peak single: £69:80
Notional cost of excess: £56:30
Difference: £13:50

Not a huge difference admittedly, but I feel I should make the argument out of point of principle given it was the terrible information boards that made me miss my train!

Many thanks!
 
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WesternLancer

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12 Apr 2019
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6,996
Hopefully someone will be along to answer this accurately.

ref the missed train, if you have a smart phone with you then using the realtime trains website can help give a platform indication even before it's up on station indicator boards (which can then help with a double check). This usually helps me know where to head for if I am tight on time for example, or want to get on promptly ahead of the crowd at the display, by hovering about near the platform gateline.
 

Brissle Girl

Established Member
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17 Jul 2018
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2,479
My understanding is that you have to buy a peak single or upgrade the whole of your ticket (which is more expensive). That happened to me a few years ago at Paddington, and I was similarly sceptical at first, but convinced myself that it was correct.
 

Hadders

Veteran Member
Associate Staff
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27 Apr 2011
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12,980
Welcome to the forum :smile:

You can change an Off Peak ticket to an Anytime ticket by paying the difference between the two fares. The ticket office at Liverpool Street should have been able to sort this. The fact you had an e ticket is immaterial.

Please do complain to Greater Anglia and let us know how you get on.
 

yorkie

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6 Jun 2005
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67,432
Location
Yorkshire
Indeed.

What ticket exactly was held?

Was it a London Terminals to Norwich Off Peak Return?
 

robbeech

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11 Nov 2015
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Edited : Removed, might have misunderstood. But generally you should be able to excess for the £56.30
 

island

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Excessing or amending e-tickets at booking offices is a complete crapshoot, annoyingly.
 

trebor79

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8 Mar 2018
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4,435
Liverpool Street ticket office have form for this. I was told flat out that I had to buy a new ticket in similar circumstances. I got blank looks when I asked about excess fares.
I bought a new ticket, then complained to GA who refunded me the entire cost of the new ticket, when all I asked for was a refund of the difference between that and the excess fare.
 
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