Southeastern ticket refund - 5/12/12 snow problem

[hozza94]

One of my friends has a ticket refund problem today. He had to cancel his trip from Staplehurst to London today because of all the cancellations and the broken down train this morning near Staplehurst. He brought an anytime day single and a web offpk day single last month and it was posted to him last week.

Total cost: £21.35 (12.40+8.95)

When he was trying to refund the ticket on the Southeastern website, he found out only one was refundable and they charge a £10 refund fee.

Does any one know the way of properly refund the cost of both tickets?

 

[33011]

One of my friends has a ticket refund problem today. He had to cancel his trip from Staplehurst to London today because of all the cancellations and the broken down train this morning near Staplehurst. He brought a web anytime day single and a web offpk day single last month and it was posted to him last week.

Total cost: £21.35 (12.40+7.95)

When he was trying to refund the ticket on the Southeastern website, he found out only one was refundable and they charge a £10 refund fee.

Does any one know the way of properly refund the cost of both tickets?

On SWT we can't refund internet bought ticket they have to take it up with the internet company they bought them from. I'm not sure what Southeastern do. probably best to ring them up. online may just think you just didn't travel for personal reasons and charge admin fee. Ringing them up may avoid fee.

 

[hozza94]

Well my friend just sent them a query... would that help?

 

[33011]

Well my friend just sent them a query... would that help?

I would ring them better to deal with a person I would think. Probably would get a quick response too. Even if they can't help they may be able to advise

 

[hozza94]

He is just trying Southeastern CS now.

 

[33011]

He is just trying Southeastern CS now.

Good luck. Let us know how he got on.

 

[island]

Officially, you must surrender the ticket to a booking office immediately when you decide not to travel in order to obtain a refund with no fee. Was this done?

 

[hozza94]

Well he asked at the station... but they told him they cannot refund him there...
So he was told on the phone: do the refund form and give them a cover letter explaining what happened, then post it to them.
Should work...

 

[island]

Fair enough then.

 

[barrykas]

Well he asked at the station... but they told him they cannot refund him there...

Ho hum...Another ticket office shirking their responsibilities under Condition 26(a) of the NRCoC. Why am I not surprised?

 

[33011]

Ho hum...Another ticket office shirking their responsibilities under Condition 26(a) of the NRCoC. Why am I not surprised?

I don't know if this is applies to all Ticket Offices but on SWT Ticket office staff are not allowed to refund any internet bought tickets. So maybe same rule applies .

 

[pjnathanail]

Officially, you must surrender the ticket to a booking office immediately when you decide not to travel in order to obtain a refund with no fee. Was this done?

Even if not, a claim to the retailer is permitted by the NRCoC up to 28 days after the ticket expires:

(b) if the train you intend to use is cancelled, delayed or your reservation will not be honoured, your ticket or relevant portion of it is completely unused, you decide not to travel and you submit a claim for a refund within 28 days of the expiry of the ticket to the Ticket Seller you will be given a full refund as shown in Condition 27 as soon as practicable and in any case within one month of your claim being received.

 

[maniacmartin]

I don't know if this is applies to all Ticket Offices but on SWT Ticket office staff are not allowed to refund any internet bought tickets. So maybe same rule applies .

If that is SWT's policy for cancelled/delayed trains then they are in violation of NRCOC 26a, as barrykas states. Of course the legislation is biased so passengers can't bring a criminal prosecution against a TOC that doesnt respect the NRCOC

 

[island]

Even if not, a claim to the retailer is permitted by the NRCoC up to 28 days after the ticket expires:

But what about the footnote at the end of that condition?

 

[AlterEgo]

But what about the footnote at the end of that condition?

This is rarely enforced because it's simply not always practical to return it to the retailer on the same day.

In practice you should return the ticket in good time (and certainly no longer than 28 days after expiry) to the retailer, explaining that the journey was abandoned, and a full refund should be given, without charging the administration fee.

 

[island]

Now that's a name I haven't seen around in a while. Welcome back!

 

[33011]

If that is SWT's policy for cancelled/delayed trains then they are in violation of NRCOC 26a, as barrykas states. Of course the legislation is biased so passengers can't bring a criminal prosecution against a TOC that doesnt respect the NRCOC

Advanced tickets bought at ticket offices can be refunded due to disruption at ticket offices. Internet tickets however are a different can of worms. They could've been bought from any one of the companies who sell internet tickets so the refund should be done through the company the ticket was purchased from.

 

[barrykas]

Advanced tickets bought at ticket offices can be refunded due to disruption at ticket offices. Internet tickets however are a different can of worms. They could've been bought from any one of the companies who sell internet tickets so the refund should be done through the company the ticket was purchased from.

I refer to Condition 26(a) once again:

if the train you intended to use is cancelled, delayed or your reservation will not be honoured, you decide not to travel and at that time you return the unused ticket to any ticket office, the Train Company responsible for that ticket office will, wherever possible, give you an immediate full refund as shown in Condition 27;

No ifs, no buts, the TOC operating the Ticket Office IS REQUIRED to arrange a refund, REGARDLESS of where the ticket was purchased. Sadly, certain stations seem to ignore this and send the passenger back to the original issuing location (looking at you Euston, Waterloo and Victoria) anyway.

The only reasonable excuses for not doing so would be at smaller stations with insufficient cash on hand to pay out cash refunds, or where the passenger is unable to provide warrant account details for tickets paid for by warrant, in which case you'd need to seek a refund under Condition 26(b) via the original seller.

 

[maniacmartin]

How about the other way around?
Do customer services addresses for ticket-vending websites count as "any ticket office"? Could I return a station-purchased ticket to a website operator and claim a refund under 26(a)? (A bit of a hypothetical question i know...)

 

[33011]

I refer to Condition 26(a) once again:



No ifs, no buts, the TOC operating the Ticket Office IS REQUIRED to arrange a refund, REGARDLESS of where the ticket was purchased. Sadly, certain stations seem to ignore this and send the passenger back to the original issuing location (looking at you Euston, Waterloo and Victoria) anyway.

The only reasonable excuses for not doing so would be at smaller stations with insufficient cash on hand to pay out cash refunds, or where the passenger is unable to provide warrant account details for tickets paid for by warrant, in which case you'd need to seek a refund under Condition 26(b) via the original seller.

You are correct tickets bought at a ticket office can be refunded at any ticket office regardless of TOC and I have not disputed this.It may be quicker however to get your refund through the TOC your bought your ticket from.It states in the Passenger's Charter if you bought your ticket from a Travel Agent you should take the ticket back to them for a refund. Wouldn't trainline etc be classed as a travel agent? That was the point I was making with online tickets nothing else.

 

[craigwilson]

Sadly, certain stations seem to ignore this and send the passenger back to the original issuing location (looking at you Euston, Waterloo and Victoria) anyway.

And Manchester Victoria...they once refused to refund a ticket because I'd bought it at Piccadilly. In my case it wasn't disruption, it was a case of buying the wrong ticket, and I'd just happened to buy my ticket at Picc to save time as that's where I'd arrived into earlier that morning.

Are they still required to do a refund at any station even in this case where there's no disruption, as in my case?

 

[barrykas]

You are correct tickets bought at a ticket office can be refunded at any ticket office regardless of TOC and I have not disputed this.It may be quicker however to get your refund through the TOC your bought your ticket from.It states in the Passenger's Charter if you bought your ticket from a Travel Agent you should take the ticket back to them for a refund. Wouldn't trainline etc be classed as a travel agent? That was the point I was making with online tickets nothing else.

And Manchester Victoria...they once refused to refund a ticket because I'd bought it at Piccadilly. In my case it wasn't disruption, it was a case of buying the wrong ticket, and I'd just happened to buy my ticket at Picc to save time as that's where I'd arrived into earlier that morning.

Are they still required to do a refund at any station even in this case where there's no disruption, as in my case?

Refunds for tickets in circumstances other than disruption are covered by Conditions 26(c), (d) and (e). Briefly:

A ticket bought from a ticket office (or self-service ticket machine) can be submitted for refund at any ticket office. If it's a different TOC they SHOULD forward the claim to the Customer Services Manager at that TOC. Note, however, that such refunds get sent by ordinary post, which delays the refund.

A ticket bought through a TOC website or Telesales needs to be sent to the address notified by that TOC, again at your own risk.

A ticket bought through a travel agent or other website needs to be returned to the issuing office.

 

[hozza94]

The tickets and form are now sent to the address given by Southeastern on their refund form. Hopefully he will get his full refund soon as that what he was told by the CS on the phone.