Refund and replace on advance tickets through Virgin

[AnkleBoots]

I bought an Advance ticket through Virgin Trains that I can't use, and am not sure which date I will eventually want to use the ticket.

If I pay the £10 admin fee, can I change it to a cheaper journey and get a refund of the fare difference (which is more than £10)?

 

[221129]

I bought an Advance ticket through Virgin Trains that I can't use, and am not sure which date I will eventually want to use the ticket.

If I pay the £10 admin fee, can I change it to a cheaper journey and get a refund of the fare difference (which is more than £10)?

No...

 

[AnkleBoots]

I should have bought it on xc, no?

 

[Starmill]

You can buy a new ticket and get your old ticket refunded. You need to log into your account and select change date/time.

The terms and conditions do not provide for you to get a refund of the difference, but you might still get it. You'll be asked to buy a new ticket, and your old booking will be refunded once you've done this. If you'd booked your ticket on the CrossCountry website you would get the refund of the difference (what's more, they wouldn't have charge you £10 to do it!).

Note that if you have the tickets you'll need to return them.

 

[Joe Paxton]

You can buy a new ticket and get your old ticket refunded. You need to log into your account and select change date/time.

The terms and conditions do not provide for you to get a refund of the difference, but you might still get it. You'll be asked to buy a new ticket, and your old booking will be refunded once you've done this. If you'd booked your ticket on the CrossCountry website you would get the refund of the difference (what's more, they wouldn't have charge you £10 to do it!).
...

No you wouldn't.

You pay the difference if the new ticket is more expensive, but you do not get refunded the difference if the new ticket is less expensive.

In fact, when changing it via the Trainline system (as used by XC), you will not be shown any fares that are lower than the original price you paid - even if such fares are otherwise available.

 

[Starmill]

You pay the difference if the new ticket is more expensive

When I followed the process, I didn't pay the difference, I paid the price of the new ticket.

but you do not get refunded the difference if the new ticket is less expensive.

Several days later, I was refunded the full price of the original ticket I paid for. The old ticket was more expensive than the new one.

What is that, then, if it's not refunding the difference...

In fact, when changing it via the Trainline system (as used by XC), you will not be shown any fares that are lower than the original price you paid - even if such fares are otherwise available.

I was showed ordinary fares at the same prices they were at if I went through any other website. Also, this would be impossible, because those fares would still need to be shown (albeit they may be shown at £0.00).

CrossCountry's website suggests strongly that this is the behaviour they intend for it too:

• No more fees - Buy a new Advance ticket, and we’ll refund your original for FREE**

**Tickets collected from the station, a ticket machine, or sent by post can be changed with no administration fee. You can change your ticket two hours after purchasing and up to 24 hours before you are due to travel. Print your own tickets and m-Tickets (via our Train tickets app) cannot be changed. If your new ticket is more expensive than your original, you will be charged the difference. Find out more here.

https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/customer-service/no-admin-fee

 

[gray1404]

If you want to change an Advance ticket on XC that has not been collected yet and the new ticket it the same price, do you have to pay for the new ticket on your card and then receive a refund back onto your card of the first one? Or, can you simply change it without any card needed as the price is the same?

 

[Joe Paxton]

If you want to change an Advance ticket on XC that has not been collected yet and the new ticket it the same price, do you have to pay for the new ticket on your card and then receive a refund back onto your card of the first one? Or, can you simply change it without any card needed as the price is the same?

The former - pay for the new ticket, then get a refund for the old.

 

[Starmill]

If you want to change an Advance ticket on XC that has not been collected yet and the new ticket it the same price, do you have to pay for the new ticket on your card and then receive a refund back onto your card of the first one? Or, can you simply change it without any card needed as the price is the same?

When I have done it, as I say above, I was shown normal prices and asked to pay for my ticket at face value.

You then wait for them to process the refund and for the bank to recieve the money which naturally will take a few days.