TOC plans regarding advance tickets if destinations become no-go (Coronavirus)?

[Bletchleyite]

Because I'm quite anal about these things, I did actually read through that long page of conditions when I first booked with trainsplit.com, and it never occurred to me that there were two fees in play here. I thought they were referring to the TOC fees.

There is no TOC fee, it's a retailer fee.

 

[Haywain]

they refer to a "£10 administration fee" for amendments and cancellations, but it does not make it clear that this is an additional charge from trainsplit.com on top of the £10 admin fee charged by the TOC.

You are reading it wrong, it is just one £10 fee. And I'm pretty sure that you could have bought your tickets in a single booking by using the advanced options on the search page - Trainsplit, unusually, allows you to specify different via points on outward and return journeys.

 

[MKB]

You are reading it wrong, it is just one £10 fee. And I'm pretty sure that you could have bought your tickets in a single booking by using the advanced options on the search page - Trainsplit, unusually, allows you to specify different via points on outward and return journeys.

Just tried it and it doesn't work. It only allows 99 minutes extra change time. (I needed 6 hours in LIV.) And even trying 99 minutes, it bizarrely gave only one choice of return journey that was nowhere near the time I asked for and involved a second overnight stay.

To be clear, on your first point, are you saying that trainsplit.com do not pass on the £10 fees from Avanti, Northern and LM that I would, in normal times, face for changing a booking, and only charge their own fee? I thought the former were embedded in the fare rules of the ticket?

 

[trainophile]

Edit: Oh hang on, you decided not to travel and then your train was cancelled? No, that's OK, you're entitled to a refund if your booked train was cancelled whether you were going to travel or not.

I thought you meant Delay Repay, where for it to apply an actual journey must be made and disrupted.

I did mean delayed. A train I have an Advance on for this morning was terminated short, and the subsequent one was cancelled, so I would have missed my connection (different Advance ticket, different TOC), so overall I would have got to my destination about two hours late. I have submitted a photo of both tickets and in the "amount" box I have put the total. However I am still at home and wasn't even planning on travelling, although usually wild horses wouldn't have stopped me.

So shoot me Northern, I don't really care anymore .

 

[Bletchleyite]

I did mean delayed. A train I have an Advance on for this morning was terminated short, and the subsequent one was cancelled, so I would have missed my connection (different Advance ticket, different TOC), so overall I would have got to my destination about two hours late. I have submitted a photo of both tickets and in the "amount" box I have put the total. However I am still at home and wasn't even planning on travelling, although usually wild horses wouldn't have stopped me.

So shoot me Northern, I don't really care anymore .

If you claimed Delay Repay when you did not travel, that is fraudulent.

 

[trainophile]

I don't really see why claiming for a cancellation when you had no intention of travelling is okay, but claiming for delay when you weren't on the train is fraudulent.

 

[Blinkbonny]

I for one appreciate the service Trainsplit has given to me over the last two years or so. I have even in the past suggested them charging a subscription fee, as for every ticket I book through them I plot out at least a dozen more.

I'd rather not pay the £10 fee but in terms of services rendered it's a bargain.

On another note, I was once stupid enough to book the same series of journeys twice. They sorted it for me all for the one fee.

 

[sheff1]

I don't really see why claiming for a cancellation when you had no intention of travelling is okay,

NRCoT do not specifically state it is 'okay'. Whether any such claim is therefore fraudulent is not something I can answer.

 

[221129]

but claiming for delay when you weren't on the train is fraudulent.

Because you were not delayed!

 

[35B]

Interesting email just in from XC, advising me:

We are now accepting tickets for our services two days prior and two days after the date shown on your ticket,
at any time of day, until further notice.

https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/disruption is explicit that this includes Advances.

 

[221129]

Interesting email just in from XC, advising me:

We are now accepting tickets for our services two days prior and two days after the date shown on your ticket,
at any time of day, until further notice.

https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/disruption is explicit that this includes Advances.

Indeed this is the case, and all staff have been briefed on this.

 

[alistairlees]

Interesting email just in from XC, advising me:

We are now accepting tickets for our services two days prior and two days after the date shown on your ticket,
at any time of day, until further notice.

https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/disruption is explicit that this includes Advances.

GWR are doing something similar - an Advance ticket can be used on any train on any one of three days - one day before the booked date; the booked date; one day after the booked date. It would be great if they told retailers! (Hint, hint)

 

[trainophile]

Given that most people expect to be staying at home for several weeks at the minimum, I'm not sure what's the point of offering ticket acceptance on any of three consecutive days.

 

[Pacef8]

Hello everyone stuck with advanced tickets that can not be refunded . We have advanced tickets to travel from lime-street to london this morning. Avanti have been a mare and will not budge on refunds . My partner rang their help line and logged our wish to get a refund as my partner works in a maternity unit and we are not going anywhere for a while . Out 7.16 departure has now been cancelled . Does this qualify as a full refund now.
My best wishes to everyone whatever their circumstances and thanks for the great forum .

 

[krus_aragon]

Does this qualify as a full refund now.

Yes, that is true regardless of the current situation. See https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/72098.aspx

1. I bought a train ticket and my train has been cancelled or delayed and I can’t make my journey anymore – can I get my money back?

Under the National Rail Conditions of Travel, if you have purchased a ticket and your train is cancelled or delayed, and you choose not to travel, you may return the unused ticket to the original retailer which the ticket was purchased from and you will be given a full refund with no administration fee being charged. This applies to all tickets including those which are usually non-refundable

 

[lewesroad]

Had an e-mail from GWR last night explicitly saying that for “Non-refundable tickets - such as Advance Purchase......If your booked train is no longer running, you’ll be entitled to a full refund”.

 

[Pacef8]

Thanks for that.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Had an e-mail from GWR last night explicitly saying that for “Non-refundable tickets - such as Advance Purchase......If your booked train is no longer running, you’ll be entitled to a full refund”.

The NRCoT doesn't give them a lot of choice in that. The Government would have to explicitly suspend it.

 

[trainophile]

So none of us are travelling as we're adhering to Govt advice, but some are lucky as their trains are cancelled while the rest just have to lose out. Doesn't quite seem fair to me.

 

[Bletchleyite]

So none of us are travelling as we're adhering to Govt advice, but some are lucky as their trains are cancelled while the rest just have to lose out. Doesn't quite seem fair to me.

I do think the approach they are taking is wrong - credit notes would be better, or RTVs. Nobody knows when things will restart properly, it could easily be 12-18 months.

 

[alistairlees]

So none of us are travelling as we're adhering to Govt advice, but some are lucky as their trains are cancelled while the rest just have to lose out. Doesn't quite seem fair to me.

The TOCs are running a refund lottery, effectively. With any luck they will change position shortly.

 

[Pacef8]

Totally agree the dft needs to clarify this, we would of settled for a credit.

 

[Hadders]

This is all so typical of the railway.

Eventually they're going to have to offer refunds on Advance tickets as trains get cancelled and advice not to travel restrictions become more severe. I just don't get why they don't do this now.

Instead, they try to do things on the cheap, suffer brand damaging publicity in the process and eventually have to concede.

Remember - these are the same people (aided and abetted by the DfT) who want to reform fares....

 

[alistairlees]

Currently (or shortly) the following TOCs are offering fee-free refunds for Advance tickets

• Southeastern
• Hull Trains
• TfW Rail (from Monday, according to their press release)
• LNER (in the sense that they will give you a credit voucher valid for the next 12 months that you can spend on any train ticket - not just Advance - on any train operator - not just LNER! - so that's pretty close to a cash refund for most people)

Does anyone know of any more?

 

[trainophile]

Currently (or shortly) the following TOCs are offering fee-free refunds for Advance tickets

• Southeastern
• Hull Trains
• TfW Rail (from Monday, according to their press release)
• LNER (in the sense that they will give you a credit voucher valid for the next 12 months that you can spend on any train ticket - not just Advance - on any train operator - not just LNER! - so that's pretty close to a cash refund for most people)

Does anyone know of any more?

Is this only if you bought your ticket from the same TOC? I have several TfW tickets that I bought on other websites.

 

[alistairlees]

Is this only if you bought your ticket from the same TOC? I have several TfW tickets that I bought on other websites.

That’s correct - this is TOCs as retailers, not as operators. If you did not buy your tickets from one of these TOCs, then you cannot get a refund on your advance tickets - no matter who you are travelling with. Thank goodness it’s so simple.

 

[Haywain]

That’s correct - this is TOCs as retailers, not as operators. If you did not buy your tickets from one of these TOCs, then you cannot get a refund on your advance tickets - no matter who you are travelling with. Thank goodness it’s so simple.

I did hear that the change LNER made at the start of the week was so that there was consistency across the industry. That went well.

 

[trainophile]

That’s correct - this is TOCs as retailers, not as operators. If you did not buy your tickets from one of these TOCs, then you cannot get a refund on your advance tickets - no matter who you are travelling with. Thank goodness it’s so simple.

That's harsh .

 

[trainophile]

Right, through Advance ticket for travel today. Train short terminated so I wouldn't have been able to reach my connecting service. RTT states "cancelled" from the termination point onwards, although departed origin station on time. Where do I stand with this one?

Edited to add that the cancellation was announced before the origin departure time as it's due to staff shortages. It was booked on Trainsplit if anyone from there wishes to advise further.

 

[alistairlees]

Right, through Advance ticket for travel today. Train short terminated so I wouldn't have been able to reach my connecting service. RTT states "cancelled" from the termination point onwards, although departed origin station on time. Where do I stand with this one?

Edited to add that the cancellation was announced before the origin departure time as it's due to staff shortages. It was booked on Trainsplit if anyone from there wishes to advise further.

If you have abandoned your journey then you can claim all your money back from the retailer from which you bought your tickets.