Single ticket round following season ticket purchase

[muug1982]

Hi,
My season ticket required renewal this morning. I am entitled to a half price season ticket as Luton Airport Staff (http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk/luton-airport-staff-travel-scheme/). My home station is Market Harborough, but following the bank holiday my journey commenced at Coleshill Parkway. The first station where I can buy the season is therefore Leicester.

I took the 07:35 from Coleshill, which this morning was 8 mins late departing CEH. I currently have impaired mobility (crutches) and with the reduced connection time at Leicester due to the delay I determined I would be unlikely to make my connection to the 08:32 to Luton Parkway and purchase the season ticket. (The ticket office staff often struggle to process the discount correctly first time, although they have never failed to do it within the usual 15min connection)

As a result I purchased a single (Mkt Hboro - Ltn Parkway) from the conducter on the Coleshill - Leicester leg and then completed the discounted season purchase on arrival at Luton Airport Parkway. I thought that the single might be refundable as part payment for the season, but the clerk said no, but it could be refunded at the point of purchase (which in this case would presumably be XC)

Can someone advise whether there is ground for a refund and who to apply to...as it happened there was no checks on the EMT service, although the barriers were operational at Luton Parkway...could I have claimed no opportunity to buy my required ticket until arrival at Luton Parkway?

 

[Qwerty133]

I'm guessing you had a valid ticket for Coleshill to Market Harborough, if so there was no reason for you to buy a further ticket for the rest of the journey, as you hadn't had the opportunity to buy the ticket you wanted to purchase and you had bought a ticket valid for part of your journey.

 

[maniacmartin]

i believe Qwerty133 is correct. however, as the ticket was purchased the single should have been accepted as part payment of the season ticket under section 3 of the National Rail Conditions of Carriage. I would complain to the operators of Luton Airport Parkway ticket office (FCC).

3. Where the full range of tickets is not available

If you cannot buy an appropriate ticket for the journey you want to make because the range of tickets that is available at the station from which you intend to start your journey is restricted, you must buy a ticket or Permit to Travel before you travel that entitles you to make at least part of the journey. You must then, as soon as is reasonably practicable, buy an appropriate ticket to complete your journey. In these circumstances, you only need to pay the fare that you would have paid if you had bought a ticket immediately before your journey. The price you will have to pay will be reduced by the amount paid for the ticket or Permit to Travel.

 

[bb21]

I think Condition 3 is open to interpretation in these circumstances and I believe the OP took the correct course of action to purchase a single ticket for the section beyond Market Harborough. A part exchange should be offered at the destination ticket office however in line with Condition 3.

While it is possible to use a combination of tickets for one journey, I think an argument can be made that the OP should disembark at Market Harborough and purchase an appropriate ticket for his journey thereon. I don't think it is clear at all how Condition 3 applies when a combination of tickets is required, so I would advise caution.

This is in addition to the issue of whether the ticket office at Leicester was an opportunity to buy the season ticket. (Yes, I understand the argument from the side that claims you do not have to miss your train, however we also have experienced legal professionals on the forum who say the opposite and we have never managed to reach consensus on this issue.)

Too many grey areas for my liking to allow me to say confidently that the Market Harborough - Luton single did not need to be purchased.

 

[GadgetMan]

deleted

 

[Abpj17]

3 doesn't really read like it would apply to a season ticket either

 

[jon0844]

Isn't this one of those cases where it's worth writing in to customer services (or emailing) and seeing what happens? It might well be considered a one off incident that is worthy of a little goodwill gesture?

 

[reb0118]

Was this a weekly season that you purchased? If so I believe that single fares are not refunded for the purchase of weekly seasons as these can be purchased on board trains.

I realise that you are entitled to a discount on you season and that probably this discount is not available from the on train staff. This scenario was probably not envisaged when the rules where made up so I would concur with johnmorris0844 above and contact customer services for further assistance.