Refund for Flexible Tickets

[Mordac]

Hi all. Can someone explain to me how I would go about getting a refund for a flexible ticket, if my plans change and I decide not to travel?

 

[gray1404]

As its a flexible ticket and you change your mind deciding not to travel, you return your ticket to the ticket office (or customer service of the train company who runs that ticket office if you are unable to take it back) or postal address of the online retailer for a refund. You will be charged a £10 administration fee per ticket and must return the ticket within 28 days of it's expiry.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Hi all. Can someone explain to me how I would go about getting a refund for a flexible ticket, if my plans change and I decide not to travel?

Contact the original retailer and ask for a refund. They will probably deduct a £10 administration fee - bogus IMO but enforceable unfortunately.

 

[Mordac]

So if I buy it from a station ticket office, all I need to do is to go back there? Does it have to be the same ticket office I bought it from, or are others with the same TOC ok?

 

[gray1404]

You could go to another ticket office of the same train company, however they may have to send the ticket off and you will be send a cheque by the train company accounts department. That said the same may happen if you go back to the same office that you got the ticket from.

I have returned tickets to the same office and still had to wait for a cheque and I have returned one ticket to a different booking office of the same train company and they have processed the refund back onto my card right away. There is no way of knowing really until you go and ask. However, do not be afraid of going to a different booking office of the same train company because they will still be able to, at the very least, send your refund request through to their accounts department for processing.

 

[Starmill]

So, why not a percentage cost? The fact that XC has stopped charging 'refund' fees on Advances shows that it's clearly just a money-making ruse.

Actually CrossCountry allow free amendments to any Advance ticket booked on their website, up until the train's departure time.

Southern offer full refunds for free on most flexible tickets, if you purchase them online and select ticket on departure as the delivery method, and you have not yet picked the tickets up. Money Back Guarentee.

 

[Starmill]

As an example, I was recently unable to travel on a ~£15 ticket booked months in advance (a refundable one though)

What ticket was it? Was there a reason you booked it months in advance? I always wait until the day of travel whenever possible to book a flexible ticket, as this means if there are any unforeseen circumstances such as illness you won't lose out.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

What ticket was it? Was there a reason you booked it months in advance? I always wait until the day of travel whenever possible to book a flexible ticket, as this means if there are any unforeseen circumstances such as illness you won't lose out.

I booked it together with a (nonrefundable) ticket for an attraction and wanted to book it all in one go - not realising the £10 refund fee at the time! Lesson certainly learned in that respect!

Southern's money back guarantee definitely seems a good idea for just this kind of circumstance in future. Though it baffles me why they require you to send in a form by post to get a refund (so requiring a human to sort, open and process), rather than doing it using the automated online refund form that other TOCs (eg VTWC, XC) allow you to use.

 

[wibble]

You will be charged a £10 administration fee per ticket and must return the ticket within 28 days of it's expiry.

That's not entirely true - will depend on the retailer and when it's submitted for refund. Some TOCs don't charge the admin, and some will only charge the fee per transaction, and not per ticket.

 

[gray1404]

I can't list every retailers policy on here as the op hasn't said where they purchased the ticket from. Hence, in general £10 fee and submit within 28 days worst case scenario.

 

[Mordac]

I can't list every retailers policy on here as the op hasn't said where they purchased the ticket from. Hence, in general £10 fee and submit within 28 days worst case scenario.

I haven't purchased it from anywhere yet, I just wanted to know for future reference! :P

 

[TUC]

If you decide not to travel because your train is cancelled or delayed then under NRCOT condition 30.1 you should not be charged the £10 administration fee.

 

[gray1404]

In that case I suggest you book online though the Southern website. If you book on their site an Off Peak, Super Off Peak or Anytime ticket you decide to not to travel you will receive a full refund without an admin fee provided you select to collect your ticket from a station and have not yet collected the ticket.