"Rail.Ninja": un-accredited UK ticket retailer?

[takno]

I reckon the tickets are real and work fine, I think they want repeat customers so they need the customer's experience to go well, and as long as the customer doesn't realise the mark up they paid if the ticket was fine they may well buy again from them.

I guess the main risk to that is that it says on the ticket exactly what the ticket actually cost

 

[mangyiscute]

I guess the main risk to that is that it says on the ticket exactly what the ticket actually cost

I'm sure most people booking by this website will either not notice this or assume that it means something else, especially if they don't have English as a first language

 

[island]

To prevent money laundering LNER would only refund the ticket to the account from which it was purchased, whether by vouchers or an actual payment. I could not see LNER condoning refunding to anyone who had not been involved in the initial purchase.

LNER is not bound by money laundering regulations, which apply only to financial institutions and other prescribed types of businesses like solicitors and jewellery shops. If it chooses to only refund a ticket to the card from which it was purchased, it does so due to its internal policies or perhaps its contract with its payment services provider.

 

[Haywain]

perhaps its contract with its payment services provider.

You mean the bits that are about preventing money laundering?

 

[island]

You mean the bits that are about preventing money laundering?

Neither you nor I have sight of the contract in question, but the primary reasons such contracts have language around refunds of card transactions needing to go back to the original card are to disincentivize card fraud by using a stolen card to purchase goods and then obtain a cash refund, to prevent "manufactured spend" by running money through a card to generate rewards or hit thresholds whilst then having it refunded in cash, and to avoid customers borrowing cash advances via a card without paying its penal cash advance rates.

 

[Haywain]

Neither you nor I have sight of the contract in question, but the primary reasons such contracts have language around refunds of card transactions needing to go back to the original card are to disincentivize card fraud by using a stolen card to purchase goods and then obtain a cash refund, to prevent "manufactured spend" by running money through a card to generate rewards or hit thresholds whilst then having it refunded in cash, and to avoid customers borrowing cash advances via a card without paying its penal cash advance rates.

Yes, which is not much different to money laundering.

 

[diffident]

Yes, which is not much different to money laundering.

It may turn out to be a bit worse than that. I've so far found that the operation is run by a Russian individual who is the main beneficiary and in Russia, through two shell companies, one in Hong Kong and one in Malta. Whilst it's scraping on the definition of money laundering, it is almost certainly currently sanction-busting.

 

[KimLawrence]

No idea if they're "accredited" or not (whatever that actually means, it's a term often used here with no explanation), but I'd be wary of any retailer who has "Are we legit" (sic) in their list of customer service questions.

If they are not accredited and dont have a license then they should not be operating. But they maybe purchasing from an National Rail accredited Ticket seller! bit like ticket touts. Are ticket sellers accredited for limited time and therefore has/could any license or accreditation be removed to discourage sales. Are accreditations required to be kept up to date and be continually updated with industry changes? It looks like they are selling as a tout which is not fair on those that are "legit" and those who diligently keep up to date and are licenced etc

 

[skyhigh]

But they maybe purchasing from an National Rail accredited Ticket seller!

Have you read the last couple of pages? That's exactly what they are doing.

 

[superalbs]

Railninja has expanded its branded sites, there is now all of these:
australiatrains.com
moroccotrains.com
norwaytrains.com
polandtrains.com
finlandtrains.com
swedentrains.com
railjets.com
italyrailway.com
spanishtrains.com
portugaltrains.com
alfapendular.com
czechrails.com
britainrails.com
irelandtrains.com
koreatrains.com
ktxtrains.com
shinkansentrains.com
japanesetrains.com

Of course these are filled to the brim with irrelevant photos and incorrect information.

Edit: Also found all of these:
scandictrains.com
canadatrains.com
beneluxtrains.com
russiantraintickets.com
sapsantrains.com

 

[JB_B]

Is known yet which (legitimate) retailer/s they're sourcing their UK rail tickets from?

 

[Adam Williams]

Is known yet which (legitimate) retailer/s they're sourcing their UK rail tickets from?

It was LNER for me, see upthread. Probably the worst choice given the discussion here though

 

[skyhigh]

Railninja has expanded its branded sites, there is now all of these:
australiatrains.com
moroccotrains.com
norwaytrains.com
polandtrains.com
finlandtrains.com
swedentrains.com
railjets.com
italyrailway.com
spanishtrains.com
portugaltrains.com
alfapendular.com
czechrails.com
britainrails.com
irelandtrains.com
koreatrains.com
ktxtrains.com
shinkansentrains.com
japanesetrains.com

Of course these are filled to the brim with irrelevant photos and incorrect information.

Edit: Also found all of these:
scandictrains.com
canadatrains.com
beneluxtrains.com
russiantraintickets.com
sapsantrains.com

They already had most (if not all) of these in September:

Something else I've noticed is that Rail Ninja have several 'fake' Railway websites made to look like an official website but in fact have no connection.

For example:
https://www.alfapendular.com/ (in the style of Portugal's Alfa Pendular)
https://www.norwaytrains.com
https://www.britainrails.com/ (logo looks similar to National Rail)
https://www.railjets.com/ (Railjet style)

It seems like a very very dubious operation.