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Was I missold? Help please.

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I am hoping someone can advise me if I was missold a ticket.
Last week I was travelling from Helsby to Manchester Victoria via Newton Le Willows on the 0649 ATW. If I am not travelling back on the same day, ATW will sell me (on the train) an Off Peak Return for £14.60, 10p more than the Day Return.

On this particular day the Guard was busy and did not get around to selling me a ticket so as I have done before I planned to buy one on the Northern connection at NLW (0722 to MCV).

The Guard on the Northern train first claimed there was no such ticket as an Off Peak Return and then claimed that there was but only if my journey started before 0630. I remonstrated but to no avail and stupidly I accepted his offer of a single at £12.60.

I have raised this with Northern and am awaiting their response but I am sure this ticket exists and is valid for this journey. Can anyone advise if I've been taken for a ride on this please?
 
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pemma

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According to the WebTIS booking engine neither the £14.50 or £14.60 ticket are valid on a journey leaving Helsby at 07:49 but it is valid at 06:49. However, the £12.60 single you were sold seems to have the same restrictions.

I think I've worked out why that is though. The fastest way of getting to Victoria departing Helsby at 07:49 involves double backing between Oxford Road and Deansgate so the standard ticket is invalid for the journey option that comes up. However, as you didn't take the advertised journey option and picked up a train to Victoria at Newton-le-Willows it should have been valid. It looks like the Northern guard was presented with something similar initially and didn't check why it was invalid when you questioned it.
 
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hairyhandedfool

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Firstly, there is an Off-Peak Return for £14.60 (and it is ten pence more than the Anytime Day Return) and it carries a restriction code of 8A (valid on any train, no break of journey on outward leg except to change trains or use the facilities). The ticket often shows the validity code and the guard should be able to check it up (although that may take longer than they want to spend doing it), it is also possible to check this on the National Rail website.

Secondly, if you have to resort to buying the single in future, make sure you keep the ticket when you go through the ticket check point at Victoria and go straight to the ticket office and explain, the staff there may be able to 'excess' the ticket to a return. It should be noted that officially they can't do this (as your journey is technically finished), but I know some of them do.
 
Joined
13 Apr 2011
Messages
623
Location
Helsby
According to the WebTIS booking engine neither the £14.50 or £14.60 ticket are valid on a journey leaving Helsby at 07:49 but it is valid at 06:49. However, the £12.60 single you were sold seems to have the same restrictions.

I think I've worked out why that is though. The fastest way of getting to Victoria departing Helsby at 07:49 involves double backing between Oxford Road and Deansgate so the standard ticket is invalid for the journey option that comes up. However, as you didn't take the advertised journey option and picked up a train to Victoria at Newton-le-Willows it should have been valid. It looks like the Northern guard was presented with something similar initially and didn't check why it was invalid when you questioned it.

Sorry. My mistake. It was the 0649 out of Helsby connecting with the 0722 at Newton.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Firstly, there is an Off-Peak Return for £14.60 (and it is ten pence more than the Anytime Day Return) and it carries a restriction code of 8A (valid on any train, no break of journey on outward leg except to change trains or use the facilities). The ticket often shows the validity code and the guard should be able to check it up (although that may take longer than they want to spend doing it), it is also possible to check this on the National Rail website.

Secondly, if you have to resort to buying the single in future, make sure you keep the ticket when you go through the ticket check point at Victoria and go straight to the ticket office and explain, the staff there may be able to 'excess' the ticket to a return. It should be noted that officially they can't do this (as your journey is technically finished), but I know some of them do.

That answers my question. Thanks very much and also thanks for the tip with the single!
 

hairyhandedfool

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Oh, try not to bamboozle them with jargon, just say you wanted the return and the guard wouldn't sell it.
 
Joined
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Well over 20 working days gone and no reply from Northern. Shoddy.
Since this episode I have purchased this ticket several time from ATW.
 
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