Unable to amend Advance ticket

[Gnasher11]

Good Morning,

I booked an advance ticket for a seat on the 23:45 Paddington-Penzance Sleeper for 15th December on the GWR website

I needed to amend the ticket, so logged in to my account yesterday, but when accessing the ticket there was no option to amend the journey, only view completed details.
This is despite the fact that it clearly states 'Changeable for a fee before booked departure time' beside the booking.

So this morning (date of travel) I phoned the Web Support team, who I have to say were less than helpful!
They told me that changes can only be made to advance purchase tickets up to 5 days before the date of travel, which clearly goes against what it says on the Website.

Her only suggestion was to visit a GWR station and try to get the ticket amended at the Ticket Office. As I am in South West London, this would mean an unnecessary return journey to Paddington. Which would cost me £13.40 at peak time. And I am not convinced that the ticket office wouldn't just refer me back to web sales!
I have emailed GWR asking them to clarify, but am not expecting a reply any time soon! I normally book all of my GWR journeys on Cross-country website as this allows changes without any Admin fee, which is great, but have been told by them that they are not allowed to offer even seated tickets for the GWR sleeper, hence my reversion to booking Sleeper journeys with GWR. Does anybody know what the official policy is on amendments to Advance bookings? Thanks

 

[westv]

I thought AP tickets could be amended up to 18:00 the day before travel.

 

[AlterEgo]

Sounds like they want to send your tickets out first class post and that’s why they won’t amend. Have you tried HUACA?

Hang Up And Call Again.

 

[Gnasher11]

As you have to rebook for a later date, and we didn't even get that far, I doubt that is the case, but I like HUACA!

 

[Gareth Marston]

The issue here is that you physically have to hand in the old tickets in to amend them.

 

[westv]

The issue here is that you physically have to hand in the old tickets in to amend them.

I'm sure the last time I had to amend printed tickets the new ones contained something like "only valid with ticket 12345" (or whatever the old ticket number was) but that was at least a couple of years ago.

 

[Puffing Devil]

The issue here is that you physically have to hand in the old tickets in to amend them.

VTWC let you post them in after the event. I traded in a First Advance for an Off-Peak single on Wednesday so I could get home earlier. Re-booking made online 3 hours before departure, original advance left later in the day. Replacement tickets delivered to the VTWC App or TOD. No need to show the advance, which have gone off in the post today.

I'm wondering if I would have had to send the tickets back at all if I had an unactivated e-ticket (not paper) on their app.

 

[Hadders]

Advance tickets are amendable however on Webtis sites (like GWR) an excess ticket is posted to you. This means there has to be seven days to be able to amend the ticket on-line.
A competent ticket office will be able to do the amendment.

 

[Gnasher11]

I appreciate all the replies, I was wanting to change the ticket for February next year, I have changed Advance tickets with GWR before, so am aware of the 'must collect original tickets, and a new excess ticket as well' unfortunately it appears that I just might have left it too close to date of travel to succeed, which is totally my fault as I knew a week ago that I wouldn't be travelling! It was a case of 'I'll get round to it' I shall wait for GWR'S reply and update this post as and when. Thanks again for all input!

 

[causton]

Have you not been able to get to a ticket office? Bit late now but up to the time of departure, you can change it at a ticket office and there should be no issues...

 

[Gnasher11]

I was told it had to be a GWR ticket office and have only just finished work.

 

[yorkie]

I was told it had to be a GWR ticket office and have only just finished work.

Any competent ticket office should be able to do it. (Sadly that does not mean all ticket offices)

 

[Gnasher11]

Very busy at work the last few days, getting a Winter pressures ward that wasn't supposed to open for another 2 weeks ready to open tomorrow due to extremely high numbers of admissions, also the reason I won't get home this weekend.