Post-dated out of county n-train ticket

[pnjman]

Yesterday I went to the ticket office at University to buy a weekly out of county nTrain ticket from Hinckley to start today, to be told they only offer this ticket with validation starting on the day it is sold, and refused to sell me a ticket for today. I was told to buy the ticket at the station or on the train this morning, and wasn't believed when I said I'd bought post-dated nTrain tickets before (these must have been sold in error apparently), and that this ticket can only be bought from ticket offices within the West Midlands, which meant I couldn't get it in the morning.

In the end I purchased a single from Hinckley to New Street and bought the nTrain ticket there. When asking for the ticket at the office the first question asked was when I would like it to start! I asked about my experience at University and was told I could have bought the nTrain ticket then.

So who was right? And is it worth complaining and trying to get my single fare refunded?

 

[gray1404]

Yes it is definitely worth complaining to London Midland, enclosing copies of all tickets and asking for a refund. Give full details of dates, times and descriptions of who you spoke to. If their reply is not satisfactory ask for a Manager to review it and appeal to Transport Focus if needed. LM run the ticket office at University.

 

[CyrusWuff]

If it was a new ticket or a renewal with a break in validity then University were technically correct in their assertion that you had to buy it on the first day of validity, as detailed here on the National Rail website. If it's a renewal with no break in validity, it can be issued from noon the day before.

In practice, however, not all Ticket Offices apply that rule, just like they don't generally withdraw existing seasons at renewal and extend the new ticket by the appropriate number of days so you don't lose out (again, like they're supposed to, as you're only supposed to hold one season ticket for a given flow at a time).

 

[furlong]

If it was a new ticket or a renewal with a break in validity then University were technically correct

But then shouldn't the cost already paid for the single to reach somewhere where it could be purchased have been deducted at the point of sale?

 

[CyrusWuff]

But then shouldn't the cost already paid for the single to reach somewhere where it could be purchased have been deducted at the point of sale?

That's the theory...However, Hinckley is managed by EMT and the Ticket Office at New Street is run by Virgin West Coast who, I suspect, would be reluctant to undertake such a refund as they didn't sell the Single.

 

[OwlMan]

There is no reason why the ticket cannot be issued at Hinckley or on the train if the ticket office is shut as they are a product in the TIS systems and can be issued on standard stock

From i-knowledge base
nTrain (Cross boundary)

nTrain is a Rail Only Season Ticket available for 7 consecutive days or any period between one calendar month and one year.
In addition to being an in-boundary ticket valid within the Network West Midlands PTE area, nTrain tickets are also available from the stations outside of this area for travel into and around the NWM area.
Stations from which “cross boundary” nTrain tickets are available are listed below and these allow travel to all zones (12345) in the NWM area and stations to Rugeley Trent Valley.
These season ticket fares are shown in ticket issuing/Journey Planning systems with the destination W MID ALL ZONES (NLC I421).

Travel into the Network West Midlands area follows Routeing Guide rules and allows for travel by a permitted route into the zonal NWM area. As examples, travel between Lichfield City and Coventry must be via Sutton Coldfield/Birmingham New St whereas travel between Atherstone and Walsall is permitted via Rugeley Trent Valley with no requirement to travel via Birmingham New St.

Travel is available for Standard Class, and First Class where applicable.
nTrain tickets should be supported by a National Rail or Network West Midlands Photocard and can be issued on nTrain or orange common ticket stock.
Avantix tickets for 7 Day Season Tickets may be issued on-train to customers travelling from unstaffed stations.
Child versions can be issued at 50% of the adult rate.
nTrain Card Season Tickets are not valid on the Midland Metro System.

 

[pnjman]

There is no reason why the ticket cannot be issued at Hinckley or on the train if the ticket office is shut as they are a product in the TIS systems and can be issued on standard stock

Thank you, that is good to know. I stand corrected.

It doesn't help that the Network West Midlands website lists the only place available to buy the ticket as "Any staffed rail station within the Network West Midlands area" (Link), which I presumed was down to the use of dedicated green stock.