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Refunds for April tickets now not required

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Ian99

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Hi

Five of us were due to go to Southern Spain on 6 April via Eurostar, the SNCF night train to Cerberes, local train to Barcelona and then a RENFE train Barcelona to Cordoba.

I bought all the tickets and have asked Trainline for a refund but I am yet to hear back from them.

I wonder if anyone has had any luck getting refunds for similar tickets?

Ian

(As an aside, booking.com asked me if I'd like a cost-free refund on accommodation I bought in Portugal for after that trip which I accepted)
 
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yorkie

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Trainline will be inundated with the requests but I am sure they will get there eventually
 

Ian99

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Yes, fair comment, yorkie. Should I expect to get a refund on the Eurostar part as well? I travel a lot so I would normally be able to use a voucher but in this case it would be a voucher covering 5 people's fares....
 

yorkie

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I don't know Eurostar's policy but I will look it up...

Edit: See below:

https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/travel-info/service-information/coronavirus-and-eurostar-service
We’re currently receiving thousands of calls and emails and we’re unable to provide our usual levels of service. Please rest assured that we are working hard to respond to all calls and emails as quickly as we can, and we appreciate your patience. If you have emailed us or submitted an eVoucher request and have received an automated email, your eVoucher will be sent to you directly in due course.

We recognise that many customers are changing their travel plans based on government advice, travel restrictions, or to protect their loved ones.

To provide you with flexibility and peace of mind we are able to offer you an eVoucher if you are due to commence your outbound Eurostar journey between Friday 13 March and Monday 1 June 2020.

We will offer you an eVoucher equivalent to the full value of your current Eurostar train or Eurostar package (train + hotel) booking. You can use this eVoucher online to make a new booking by 30 September 2020, to travel to any Eurostar destination up to the end of March 2021 (subject to availability).

We will apply no change fees for this. If the value of your new booking is greater than the value of your eVoucher, we’ll ask you to pay the difference.

To claim your eVoucher, please complete your details here.
 

Ian99

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yorkie

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I'd assume so, yes.

If the voucher is not tied to you (or it may be tied to you booking it but not travelling), I am sure other forum members could help you out.

If things are back to normal in August I will be very keen to be using Eurostar and I know other forum members will be too.
 

Randomer

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Thanks again! I might not be able to use a £500+ voucher before 30 September 2020.

Just a small point but reading the terms it would allow you to book something up to March 2021, as in you have a full year to use the amount, but have to book it before September.

If you are already aware of this my apologies but seemed an important thing to point out if you missed it.
 

Ian99

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Yes, useful to point it out but I don't plan that far is advance.

Bearing in mind that the government says that I am not allowed to take this train, I can't believe that it will be long before E* changes its mind and agrees to refund rather than give out vouchers.
 

SamYeager

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Bearing in mind that the government says that I am not allowed to take this train, I can't believe that it will be long before E* changes its mind and agrees to refund rather than give out vouchers.
E*, just like the airlines, will be keen to to issue vouchers and/or persuade you to rebook in order to avoid having to refund actual cash.
 

Ian99

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Sure - I can understand why they would rather issue a voucher than give back the cash. But it's not just to aid cashflow - the time limit on the voucher only serves for E* to make money by the consumer not being able to use it in time and hence forfeit the voucher.

I didn't spend £500 to get a time expiring voucher - I paid it to travel which I am now not allowed to do.
 

TFN

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I had an 18th March E* booking and they were heavily pushing people to apply for vouchers around a week before departure. I waited until the day before, when they "officially cancelled" my train and I got the refund for it a few days ago.

I got a 8th and 16th April bookings that I'm waiting for them to "cancel" first. I hope that you might be able to get your E* money back if they cancel your train but I don't know how it works through trainline
 

Ian99

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Useful info - did they contact you to tell you that the train you had tickets for was cancelled? Or did you have to check yourself?
 

30907

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I have 8th and 16th April bookings that I'm waiting for them to "cancel" first. I hope that you might be able to get your E* money back if they cancel your train but I don't know how it works through trainline

Now they are down to 1tpd you'd be unlucky NOT to be cancelled - can't see the situation changing quickly.
 

Ian99

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E* sent both a text and an email

Can you tell me please if it was a text / email saying, "your train xxx is cancelled, we will send you a refund" or did you have to claim it?

I can see that my train for this Sunday is not running but Trainline are saying, "I cannot refund you right away. I need to file a claim to Eurostar to request your full refund. It might take months before they reply to us. I know this is not ideal, but this is their normal process and delay for that kind of request."
 

TFN

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Can you tell me please if it was a text / email saying, "your train xxx is cancelled, we will send you a refund" or did you have to claim it?

I can see that my train for this Sunday is not running but Trainline are saying, "I cannot refund you right away. I need to file a claim to Eurostar to request your full refund. It might take months before they reply to us. I know this is not ideal, but this is their normal process and delay for that kind of request."

The exact text states: "We've had to cancel your train from Brussels / Lille / Calais on 18 March following changing demand in light of Coronavirus. Please go to (insert link) for free exchange or refund."
 

Ian99

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Interestingly, despite it being less than 24 hours before we were due to travel, I have not received anything from Eurostar saying that the train will not run tomorrow. I know it won't - because I checked on their website - but I'm surprised they haven't advised me. They sent me an email a month or so back saying that the train layout had changed so they have my email address...
 

30907

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May or may not be relevant, but I have just been notified that the vouchers I received against a trip next week are now valid against a booking made in the next 12 months for travel in the next 18.
 

Ian99

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Thanks. I didn't apply for a voucher - they can give me the money back as the train I booked didn't run. If they had offered a 5 year voucher then I might have taken that instead so the revised terms you mention are a step in the right direction.
 
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