Refunding a ticket that is no longer valid?

[JacobWrenn]

Is it possible to refund a ticket that is no longer valid?

I tried to do this using the Southern website (bought from a Southern TVM) and they said no refund could be issued as the ticket no longer had any value.

Is this the policy of all operators?

 

[Watershed]

Is it possible to refund a ticket that is no longer valid?

I tried to do this using the Southern website (bought from a Southern TVM) and they said no refund could be issued as the ticket no longer had any value.

Is this the policy of all operators?

What do you mean by no longer valid? Do you mean expired? If so, how long ago?

What kind of ticket is it, and what is the reason for the refund (i.e. change of mind/plans or something that's down to the railway)?

 

[JacobWrenn]

I have attached the photo of the ticket that I used on the application. I have also included the response from Southern. The reason was my own change of plans however the Southern website said that this was a valid reason.

 

[Watershed]

I have attached the photo of the ticket that I used on the application. I have also included the response from Southern. The reason was my own change of plans however the Southern website said that this was a valid reason.

You don't need a reason to get a refund for walk-up tickets like this, but the Conditions of Travel do state that an administration fee of up to £10 may be deducted for such refunds. Accordingly, with your ticket having a value of less than £10, there is no refund payable.

It is questionable whether applying a blanket administration fee of £10 is an unfair term in a consumer contract (the ORR recently conducted a review and found that retailers' true administration costs were more like £4). But on a £6 ticket, is it going to be worth your while arguing the toss over it... I doubt it.

 

[JacobWrenn]

Makes sense. Would be nice if they made that clear on the response though.

 

[trover]

Next time you may consider purchasing walk up tickets from Southern website (or any GTR retailer) and opt for collecting from TVM, you can obtain fee free refund if you don’t collect the tickets.
https://www.southernrailway.com/tickets/buy-tickets/money-back-guarantee

 

[[.n]]

Next time you may consider purchasing walk up tickets from Southern website (or any GTR retailer) and opt for collecting from TVM, you can obtain fee free refund if you don’t collect the tickets.
https://www.southernrailway.com/tickets/buy-tickets/money-back-guarantee

This is actually the main reason I use the Southern site - its really handy feature

 

[island]

It is questionable whether applying a blanket administration fee of £10 is an unfair term in a consumer contract

The Supreme Court precedent in OfT vs Abbey National & others strongly suggests that the term about refund fees is not assessable for fairness.

 

[Watershed]

The Supreme Court precedent in OfT vs Abbey National & others strongly suggests that the term about refund fees is not assessable for fairness.

I very much doubt that the fees charged for a refund are one of the "core terms" of a purchase for buying rail tickets. Core terms would, in my mind, be such issues as the price of the tickets, and the validity they offer. The refund fee is very much a secondary consideration.

This is in stark contrast to a bank account - where the rate of interest paid for positive balances, and charged for negative balances, is a core part of the bargain and really the main reason why one might choose one bank over another.

I note that the ORR is also now, with a considerable degree of reticence, starting to force retailers to reduce their fees.

 

[island]

I very much doubt that the fees charged for a refund are one of the "core terms" of a purchase for buying rail tickets. Core terms would, in my mind, be such issues as the price of the tickets, and the validity they offer. The refund fee is very much a secondary consideration.

I can see you’ve not read the judgement then, as if you had, you’d know that the Supreme Court ruled that the level of fees for services that most customers would not use, such as authorised and unauthorised overdrafts, were not assessable for fairness. The ruling did not concern interest rates.

There is a very clear read-across to fees for refunding a train ticket.

 

[Bletchleyite]

In any case it wouldn't be unreasonable not to offer any refunds at all, therefore offering any kind of partial refund seems by definition reasonable, particularly after the validity when almost nothing is refundable elsewhere in life.

 

[island]

Indeed. I doubt I would get very far looking for a refund on an unused concert ticket because I booked the wrong day.

(Which I did last week )

 

[Bletchleyite]

Indeed. I doubt I would get very far looking for a refund on an unused concert ticket because I booked the wrong day.

(Which I did last week )

I've done that before. Fortunately Ticketmaster (which I tend to use) has a built-in resale mechanism, which I suppose is vaguely equivalent to a refund.

You have to wait for it to sell out and someone to buy it though, and nowt after the gig (obviously).