unused rail ticket refunds

[Blackpuddin]

Sorry if this is not the right place, but I bought a train ticket a couple of weeks ago in expectation of a trip that is now not happening. It would appear from the GWR website that I can get a refund for this – or does it?

If you haven't already fallen asleep by now and would like to help me solve this one, the key bit of information you need to know is that my ticket is described as a Super Offpeak Single. Right, now here's what the GWR site says:



From this I started off thinking that, as I decided not to travel, I am liable to pay them £10 as a kind of punishment fee. Fine. The ticket was £45 so it's still worth doing.
Then I look further down the page and see that yes, with a Super Off-Peak ticket I can claim a refund if for any reason I didn't travel. OK, good so far.
Then I look below that and see that, on Advance tickets, I can only claim a refund if I couldn't travel due to a delay or cancellation.

I'm wondering if there is a distinction here between an advance ticket, ie one I bought in advance (which kind of applies to all tickets when you think about it, they don't like it if you try and buy one retrospectively), and an Advance ticket, which sounds like a specific GWR product that, if I had one, wouldn't be subject to a refund in my case. It's a bit hard to know as they start their website sentences with a capital A, just like you're told to do at skule.

I do admit to buying a ticket in advance, but is this an Advance advance ticket? Or just an advance ticket?

And am I supposed to wait until after I've not travelled before submitting my claim for a refund? That's not clear either.

All opinions will be eagerly read and possibly laughed at. Hopefully there might be a serious one in there.
Thanks in advance .

Edited by Blackpuddin on Tuesday 2nd October 17:10

[RemyMartin81D]

I work for GWR albeit it as a driver, tickets are a black art in their own right but from the data you put I'd say you bought an advance ticket and fall under the rules for that.

Would need a picture of your ticket to be sure but in a nutshell the fare paid , if you can get that fare for a train on same journey tomorrow. Then it's not an advance. How advance tickets work is they are special rate singles sold in advance (obviously) in limited numbers. If you cancel then that is a empty seat that might not be paid and thus lost revenue. Was this long distance travel? Seat reservation etc?

[essayer]

You bought a Super Off-Peak ticket, in advance of travel, so you can claim a refund.

an Advance ticket is priced lower and restricted in numbers, per train, and these are not refundable.

Off-Peak: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_t...
Advance: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_t...

[Blackpuddin]

RemyMartin81D said:

I work for GWR albeit it as a driver, tickets are a black art in their own right but from the data you put I'd say you bought an advance ticket and fall under the rules for that.

Would need a picture of your ticket to be sure but in a nutshell the fare paid , if you can get that fare for a train on same journey tomorrow. Then it's not an advance. How advance tickets work is they are special rate singles sold in advance (obviously) in limited numbers. If you cancel then that is a empty seat that might not be paid and thus lost revenue. Was this long distance travel? Seat reservation etc?

Ooh someone on the inside, brilliant, thanks for replying. The ticket is for a trip from Stansted to Warminster in Wiltshire, so quite a long way but no reservations were involved. I don't have the physical ticket yet, just the reservation number that will allow me to pick the ticket up from the local station machine.
Here's what it says on the confirmation email:

[Blackpuddin]

essayer said:

You bought a Super Off-Peak ticket, in advance of travel, so you can claim a refund.

an Advance ticket is priced lower and restricted in numbers, per train, and these are not refundable.

Off-Peak: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_t...
Advance: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_t...

Great thanks, but can you clarify if I have to wait until I've 'not travelled' before I can put in a refund request? Again it's not clear from the website page. If I had a chance I'd go through this bloomin page with a flamethrower and do it all again so people like me wouldn't have to create daft threads like this.
Thanks again.

[V6Alfisti]

Blackpuddin said:

Great thanks, but can you clarify if I have to wait until I've 'not travelled' before I can put in a refund request? Again it's not clear from the website page. If I had a chance I'd go through this bloomin page with a flamethrower and do it all again so people like me wouldn't have to create daft threads like this.
Thanks again.

Don't see why you can't send in advance.

If you hadn't collected from the ticket machine, they would check that and refund minus fees.

If you have the ticket and can't travel 'for any reason' as it says, get it done now

[essayer]

Blackpuddin said:

Great thanks, but can you clarify if I have to wait until I've 'not travelled' before I can put in a refund request? Again it's not clear from the website page. If I had a chance I'd go through this bloomin page with a flamethrower and do it all again so people like me wouldn't have to create daft threads like this.
Thanks again.

Yeah, train ticket rules are only less unfathomable than train ticket validity rules, but National Rail is usually the definitive guide that all the train companies base their rules on.

I suspect you should claim the refund straightaway - if you wait until after the validity date, I reckon they'll say they can't refund it (they can't prove you did travel, but you can't prove someone didn't use the ticket either..)

[Blackpuddin]

Also, as the refund procedure seems to involve Royal Snail even though I bought the tickets online and got the confirmation via a 'no reply' email (funny that), am I supposed to go and print out the tickets and post them to GWR with a covering letter or will they spare me that aggro by accepting just the reservation number on a bit of scented notepaper?

[RemyMartin81D]

Blackpuddin said:

RemyMartin81D said:

I work for GWR albeit it as a driver, tickets are a black art in their own right but from the data you put I'd say you bought an advance ticket and fall under the rules for that.

Would need a picture of your ticket to be sure but in a nutshell the fare paid , if you can get that fare for a train on same journey tomorrow. Then it's not an advance. How advance tickets work is they are special rate singles sold in advance (obviously) in limited numbers. If you cancel then that is a empty seat that might not be paid and thus lost revenue. Was this long distance travel? Seat reservation etc?

Ooh someone on the inside, brilliant, thanks for replying. The ticket is for a trip from Stansted to Warminster in Wiltshire, so quite a long way but no reservations were involved. I don't have the physical ticket yet, just the reservation number that will allow me to pick the ticket up from the local station machine.
Here's what it says on the confirmation email:

Thanks for the further info. Given that is giving you options of suggested trains as opposed to a defined train and seat then it looks like a refund can be had, minus £10 admin fee(joke)

[Blackpuddin]

essayer said:

Blackpuddin said:

Great thanks, but can you clarify if I have to wait until I've 'not travelled' before I can put in a refund request? Again it's not clear from the website page. If I had a chance I'd go through this bloomin page with a flamethrower and do it all again so people like me wouldn't have to create daft threads like this.
Thanks again.

Yeah, train ticket rules are only less unfathomable than train ticket validity rules, but National Rail is usually the definitive guide that all the train companies base their rules on.

I suspect you should claim the refund straightaway - if you wait until after the validity date, I reckon they'll say they can't refund it (they can't prove you did travel, but you can't prove someone didn't use the ticket either..)

Their insistence on doing this by post is a major pain in the arris but I guess as long as I stick it (whatever it might be) in the post tomorrow (3rd) with a dated letter I should be OK as the intended date of travel was the 9th.

[Blackpuddin]

RemyMartin81D said:

Thanks for the further info. Given that is giving you options of suggested trains as opposed to a defined train and seat then it looks like a refund can be had, minus £10 admin fee(joke)

Aha, I'm beginning to understand this language, many thanks for the explanation.

[rs1952]

Blackpuddin said:

Their insistence on doing this by post is a major pain in the arris but I guess as long as I stick it (whatever it might be) in the post tomorrow (3rd) with a dated letter I should be OK as the intended date of travel was the 9th.

If there's a staffed station near you, you could hand it in there rather than post it. You could also ask a question or two about routeing (see more below)

Incidentally for the avoidance to doubt (because nobody has mentioned the important bit on this thread so far) an Advance ticket in this context is one that is particularly well-discounted on the full fare, but you have to agree to use a specific train (eg an Advance ticket from Stansted to Liverpool Sreeer that says it is for the 1430 train is only valid on that train and no others).

And no matter what the email they sent you says, I would at least look into travelling via Paddington, changing either at Bath or Westbury - the chances are you'd get to Warminster a bit quicker than via the route they are suggesting. Your ticket, valid for any permitted route, would allow you to go that way.

[Blackpuddin]

There is a staffed station near me and I did ask if they could help with refunds but the system isn't set up for that, possibly to avoid confrontations at the window. Anyway I've posted the confirmation email to their Returns dept so let's see what happens.

[silverfoxcc]

Go onto Rail UK forum about this. It is full of ticket office bods who know the rulebook inside out