Mistake made when buying advanced ticket. No refund

Mistake made when buying advanced ticket. No refund

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wildcat45

Original Poster:

8,072 posts

189 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
quotequote all
This is going to be a case of just live with it I fear, but it is worth a try.

My cousin called to day she was having problems with a train company.

She bought tickets for her and two friends online and paid by credit card. Duting the buying process, she was looking for the best station to leave from, she lived between two. She chose one station then decided to change by going back in the website to the beginning.

Now she as been charged for five tickets instead of three.

A pretty obvious mistake. The summary shows five tickets one way, and only three back.

She is visually impaired and has difficulty using some websites. She says it wasn't obvious in the site (though I am sure it was there in the Terms and Conditions) that there were no refunds.

A call to the train company resulted in nothing. They won't budge and I guess that is their right. No discretion, no movement.

Now it isn't the train company's fault she can't see properly. But in the spirit of commin law is it not obvious she Made a mistake?

Can she just cancel the Credit Card transaction? Does the fact she bought online with a credit card have any impact on this?

I've a feeling she's going to have to write this one down to experience. £140's worth.

Any advice appreciated.

LeoSayer

7,303 posts

244 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
quotequote all
Do the distance selling regulations apply in this case?

I believe that gives you 14 days to change your mind.

wildcat45

Original Poster:

8,072 posts

189 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
quotequote all
Not online I think it's just over the phine when they apply

wildcat45

Original Poster:

8,072 posts

189 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
quotequote all


You got me googling. Thank you.

Would this help her?

http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/...

wildcat45

Original Poster:

8,072 posts

189 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
quotequote all
Sadly it doesn't cover train tickets.

photosnob

1,339 posts

118 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
quotequote all
Tweet the train company. Mention disability. It might not work - but it might. You have nothing to lose.

av185

18,503 posts

127 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
quotequote all
A few years back a similar thing happened to me when I was charged twice buying National Express coach tickets online........wrote a letter to the credit card company explaining (Mastercard) and obtained a full refund.

m8rky

2,090 posts

159 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
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One would think the huge amount of money she was about to pay at checkout would have been a clue.

anonymous-user

54 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
quotequote all
wildcat45 said:
Not online I think it's just over the phine when they apply
Where do people get such stuff from? The rules on distance selling (no longer called the Distance Selling Regulations, but never mind that) certainly do apply to online transactions. As pointed out above, however, those rules do not apply to passenger transport contracts.

As for the "spirit of the common law", the common law is actually quite unforgiving about unilateral mistakes.

It's worth a letter asking the train company to relent, but it doesn't have to.

wildcat45

Original Poster:

8,072 posts

189 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
quotequote all

You would think so. A genuine mistake.

I think she'll have to suck this one up.

From the booking form, to a human being it does look like a bit of a wierd error. Two one way tickets from ine station. 3 return tickets from the next station up the line all to the same destination.

The problem is a cobination of poor eyesight. She has a condition called Nistagmus and she likes to be independent, not to have to get people to do things for her. She's an intelligent person, but can be dim and clumsy.

I just hope she can cancel the credit card transaction. Or put a dispute on it or whatever it is called.

wildcat45

Original Poster:

8,072 posts

189 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
quotequote all
Breadvan72 said:
Where do people get such stuff from? The rules on distance selling (no longer called the Distance Selling Regulations, but never mind that) certainly do apply to online transactions. As pointed out above, however, those rules do not apply to passenger transport contracts.

As for the "spirit of the common law", the common law is actually quite unforgiving about unilateral mistakes.

It's worth a letter asking the train company to relent, but it doesn't have to.
Cheers for that. I guessed this. Being stupid is no excuse.

anonymous-user

54 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
quotequote all
Using the zoom button to magnify websites may be a good idea.

There is still a chance that a letter to the company explaining the situation fully may get a result. See also:-

http://www.passengerfocus.org.uk/help/rail-complai...

Negative Creep

24,964 posts

227 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
quotequote all
I'm not sure how she can dispute the transaction when she admitted it was her fault? If she already has the tickets then there's no chance as she already has the product.

emmaT2014

1,860 posts

116 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
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I use about 6 or so advance train tickets every month. The very last click you make before committing to it says "This is an advance ticket there are no refunds for this purchase!"

Maybe your sister can get her brother to turn configure the Accessibility features of her browser on. This can even get the computer to speak to her.

surveyor

17,811 posts

184 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
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I'd suggest a polite letter/email to the CEO. May result in nothing, may just do the job.

98elise

26,501 posts

161 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
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I'm surprised she can't get a refund. I buy advanced tickets all the time. I pay through trainline then collect at the station.

I once bought a return to Exeter, then couldn't find the return part when I got to the station.

I bought a single back but asked about a refund, and was told I could get one if I found the ticket. On the way home I found the ticket in the back of my wallet. At my home station I got a refund minus an admin fee (about £10 I think).

Negative Creep

24,964 posts

227 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
quotequote all
98elise said:
I'm surprised she can't get a refund. I buy advanced tickets all the time. I pay through trainline then collect at the station.

I once bought a return to Exeter, then couldn't find the return part when I got to the station.

I bought a single back but asked about a refund, and was told I could get one if I found the ticket. On the way home I found the ticket in the back of my wallet. At my home station I got a refund minus an admin fee (about £10 I think).
Single and return tickets are refundable -£10 if they are unused, but Advance tickets aren't

Chrisgr31

13,467 posts

255 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
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I mucked up an online booking for train tickets on Friday when using our own online train booking system. It is remarkably easy to do when trying several permeations of travel to get the cheapest fare. In my case the ticket was refundable, I managed to book to go on Saturday just gone rather than when I meant to go, however the ticket will be refunded less the £10 admin fee.

If it is a non-refundable ticket you are at the mercy of the train company, was it booked direct or through Trainline or similar? I would write to the train company and/or ticket site seeking an exception to the usual rule. I think letters tend to get more sympathetic treatment than phone calls

bigandclever

13,775 posts

238 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
quotequote all
This may or may not work for you (I believe it's discretionary) but I've managed to get refunds on Advanced tickets at the station itself, after a bit of form filling. Don't even need a sob story, just a straight-forward "I can't use them".

wildcat45

Original Poster:

8,072 posts

189 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
quotequote all
bigandclever said:
This may or may not work for you (I believe it's discretionary) but I've managed to get refunds on Advanced tickets at the station itself, after a bit of form filling. Don't even need a sob story, just a straight-forward "I can't use them".
Let's hope you live up to your username. Worth a try . Cheers.

Thank you all for your thoughts on this.