Refunds - Who is responsible?

[ErnieH]

This is really just for advice as to who is responsible for a refund when a service is cancelled. The circumstances are that I was booked to travel from Bromley South to Falkirk Grahamston (Advance Single) on the 24th of January. Due to the well-documented storm in Scotland, the 1200 service from Kings Cross to Inverness was cancelled along with most, if not all, Scottish services. Due to engineering work all East Coast services were cancelled over the following weekend, so I couldn't use LNER until Monday. I spoke to the ticket clerk at Bromley and she advised that I might or might not be able to use my ticket on Monday and to avoid problems with gates, etc, I opted to buy another ticket for Monday.

As the original ticket was bought from Scotrail at Grahamston, I made an online application for a refund for the return journey to them. This was refused because, they said, as LNER had cancelled the service. they should issue the refund. LNER's website indicates that refunds for a cancelled service should be by the Company that issues the original ticket. On this basis, I have appealed Scot Rail's decision but still await an answer, now several days overdue.

Needless to say, I don't want to run out of time with my claim and if LNER are liable for the refund, I need to move quickly.

I'm sure there is a simple answer; maybe someone can advise what it is!

Many thanks, Ernie

 

[Mcr Warrior]

@ErnieH. Welcome to the forum. If you booked your ticket at Falkirk Grahamston, reckon that you *may* have to return your ticket to the booking office there, so that they can process the refund. More info here...

Refund Request Form

If you abandoned your journey due to disruption or a cancellation, you can request a refund on any ticket type. If trains are running normally and you decide not to make your journey, you can apply for a refund on certain types of ticket. There's a £5 administration fee per ticket. Please note...

www.scotrail.co.uk

Extract...

If you abandoned your journey due to disruption or a cancellation, you can request a refund on any ticket type

You shouldn't, however, have to pay any admin fee under the circumstances. Leave it to others to suggest how best to get your refund without having to actually call in person at Falkirk Grahamston station. Maybe a refund request form can be obtained from Bromley South and on-forwarded up to Falkirk.

 

[AlterEgo]

This is really just for advice as to who is responsible for a refund when a service is cancelled. The circumstances are that I was booked to travel from Bromley South to Falkirk Grahamston (Advance Single) on the 24th of January. Due to the well-documented storm in Scotland, the 1200 service from Kings Cross to Inverness was cancelled along with most, if not all, Scottish services. Due to engineering work all East Coast services were cancelled over the following weekend, so I couldn't use LNER until Monday. I spoke to the ticket clerk at Bromley and she advised that I might or might not be able to use my ticket on Monday and to avoid problems with gates, etc, I opted to buy another ticket for Monday.

As the original ticket was bought from Scotrail at Grahamston, I made an online application for a refund for the return journey to them. This was refused because, they said, as LNER had cancelled the service. they should issue the refund. LNER's website indicates that refunds for a cancelled service should be by the Company that issues the original ticket. On this basis, I have appealed Scot Rail's decision but still await an answer, now several days overdue.

Needless to say, I don't want to run out of time with my claim and if LNER are liable for the refund, I need to move quickly.

I'm sure there is a simple answer; maybe someone can advise what it is!

Many thanks, Ernie

Scotrail are responsible for the refund. You must take the ticket - because they need the physical ticket to show it's unused - into the ticket office for a refund.

https://www.scotrail.co.uk/plan-your-journey/refunds (open the widget where it says "at a station booking office").

In future, consider using e-tickets and avoiding booking offices to get around this inconvenience.

 

[Haywain]

I'm sure there is a simple answer; maybe someone can advise what it is!

As stated, the refund must be claimed from Scotrail and, ideally, by returning the ticket to the office where it was purchased. This should be done within 28 days of the travel date (although it is not clear whether a refund could reasonably be refused if the claim is outside this time limit).

 

[ErnieH]

Thanks to all who responded with advice on how to obtain a refund from Scot-Rail. A very helpful lady at Falkirk High has now processed the refund.

However, what I don't understand is why this can't be done on-line, especially as the service was cancelled at a time when all services to Scotland were cancelled.

Although not a regular traveller between Scotland and England, the advice to use e-tickets in future, is something to consider.

Many thanks, all.

Ernie

 

[AlterEgo]

Thanks to all who responded with advice on how to obtain a refund from Scot-Rail. A very helpful lady at Falkirk High has now processed the refund.

However, what I don't understand is why this can't be done on-line, especially as the service was cancelled at a time when all services to Scotland were cancelled.

Because you have a paper ticket, which may have been used on alternative services, on a later date, or already submitted for a refund, or passed to someone else. This is the chief limitation of paper tickets - they work like a banknote and realise their value only in physical form.

 

[Watershed]

Because you have a paper ticket, which may have been used on alternative services, on a later date, or already submitted for a refund, or passed to someone else. This is the chief limitation of paper tickets - they work like a banknote and realise their value only in physical form.

Post-Covid most retailers quite sensibly allow paper tickets to be refunded by providing a picture of the ticket cut up or otherwise defaced.

It is always possible for an eTicket to be used without being scanned, so the absence of records as to ticket use isn't proof that the ticket wasn't used. The same goes for paper tickets not being put through barriers, and even then it is very rare for the magstripe to be checked (most ticket offices wouldn't even have the knowledge or equipment to do this anymore anyway).

If there is disruption then the railway has to give the passenger the benefit of the doubt.