Overdistance excess - admin fee?

[mathmo]

This weekend I wanted to get an overdistance excess on the return portion of an Off-Peak Return. The member of staff at the ticket office initially quoted me an amount for the excess plus a £10 admin fee. When I said I wasn't paying that as it was cheaper to buy a new ticket (it was) she immediately said she'd "waived" the £10 admin fee (which made it much cheaper to get the excess), and I bought it with no complaint.

Is there really such a thing as an admin fee on excesses? And if so, why did the member of staff at the ticket office waive it so quickly?

 

[bb21]

There is no admin charge for an excess on a walk-on ticket.

 

[causton]

why did the member of staff at the ticket office waive it so quickly?

Because they had made it up!

Either they couldn't remember, wanted to take some extra money, were trained badly or just weren't concentrating...!

 

[Tomonthetrain]

Was it a VT office at a station called WVH?

If so then they have tried to do it to me! I just persisted with the argument...and when I suggested they check the manual they gave up and did it anyway without the fee

 

[RJ]

There is no admin charge for an excess on a walk-on ticket.

Changing the date of a ticket can be done as a zero fare excess, for which there is a right to add the admin fee supplement.

 

[bb21]

Changing the date of a ticket can be done as a zero fare excess, for which there is a right to add the admin fee supplement.

Isn't that more of a refund and a new issue effectively combined as one transaction?

 

[RJ]

No, it's changing the ticket and the supplement is aptly named "Change of journey admin fee." A refund is an entirely different process which sees the original ticket retained. It takes longer and requires a lot more paperwork. As they say, there's more than one way to skin a cat