Unable to amend AP ticket purchased on EC website

[Drsatan]

On 16 October I purchased an AP single from Reading to Exeter St Davids for travel on 27 October on the East Coast website. Due to a change of plans I needed to transfer my reservation to another train on the same day, so I rang FGW's customer service helpline, and was given the number of East Coast's web support team. I rang that number, and was told that since I'd bought the ticket online I'd have to change it online. I subsequently logged onto my account on the EC website, and upon finding the 'My Bookings' page, discovered that the 'Amend' button next to the ticket details had been greyed out. However, the 'amend' button next to ticket details for another journey booked by myself on the same day with XC had not been greyed out.

Does this mean that either there's a glitch with the EC website or that I have to wait before I can amend the booking?

 

[yorkie]

Perhaps the EC website does not allow non-EC journeys to be amended online. I'd go to a station instead.

You will be charged the difference between the fare available now for the service you choose, and the price paid, plus a £10 admin fee.

 

[maniacmartin]

(Sidenote: Something is wrong with all of the WebTIS (RSH, EC, Southern, etc) websites at the moment. They're all being very sluggish to me and giving timeouts)

 

[Drsatan]

Perhaps the EC website does not allow non-EC journeys to be amended online. I'd go to a station instead.

You will be charged the difference between the fare available now for the service you choose, and the price paid, plus a £10 admin fee.

Ah ok, I assumed I only had to pay a £10 admin fee. I'll look at fares later - it might be cheaper to buy a new ticket!

 

[island]

Unless your ticket cost under £10 to start with, it will not be cheaper to buy a completely new one.

 

[wintonian]

Unless your ticket cost under £10 to start with, it will not be cheaper to buy a completely new one.

True but if it only cost a couple of quid more than that it might just be easier to buy a new one.

 

[Drsatan]

An update

Went to my local station (operated by FGW) this morning and the ticket office clerk said he couldn't do anything about AP tickets.

I still couldn't amend the booked train on the EC website, so I rang EC's web support team and was told they couldn't do anything, although if I booked another ticket between the same destinations I'd receive a refund, but only if the ticket was of the same value. Having looked on the EC website the only tickets available for travel between RDG and EXD on 27 October are Super Off Peak Singles.

In all fairness I'm confused as to what I should do now.

 

[island]

I recently discovered that many FGW stations don't do advances and you may need to go to a "bigger" station.

 

[trentside]

I recently discovered that many FGW stations don't do advances and you may need to go to a "bigger" station.

I was also surprised to discover this.

If you check ATOCs Schedule 17 you can see whether the station you visited is capable of doing reservations. If it is, then they were capable of changing the ticket. It can be a bit of a headache to do, but doesn't take all that long.

 

[calc7]

An update

Went to my local station (operated by FGW) this morning and the ticket office clerk said he couldn't do anything about AP tickets.

I still couldn't amend the booked train on the EC website, so I rang EC's web support team and was told they couldn't do anything, although if I booked another ticket between the same destinations I'd receive a refund, but only if the ticket was of the same value. Having looked on the EC website the only tickets available for travel between RDG and EXD on 27 October are Super Off Peak Singles.

In all fairness I'm confused as to what I should do now.

If there's no Advances left at all (you should verify this on National Rail) then your best bet is to "print off" the ticket anyway, and you should be able to change this to a Super Off-Peak Single for the difference in fares plus an admin fee which is nearly always £10. This should be done prior to the departure of the reserved train.

 

[wintonian]

I was also surprised to discover this.

If you check ATOCs Schedule 17 you can see whether the station you visited is capable of doing reservations. If it is, then they were capable of changing the ticket. It can be a bit of a headache to do, but doesn't take all that long.

Thanks for the link this was also news to me.

Perhaps I ought to actually read the agreement one day when I have trouble sleeping!

 

[bb21]

Thanks for the link this was also news to me.

Perhaps I ought to actually read the agreement one day when I have trouble sleeping!

You want to make the problem with sleeping worse?

 

[Drsatan]

I was also surprised to discover this.

If you check ATOCs Schedule 17 you can see whether the station you visited is capable of doing reservations. If it is, then they were capable of changing the ticket. It can be a bit of a headache to do, but doesn't take all that long.

I've checked that and my local station can change reservations, funnily enough.

 

[yorkie]

I've checked that and my local station can change reservations, funnily enough.

In that case contact FGW Customer Services and, if they do not resolve it, contact Passenger Focus.

You could also try contacting ATOC about FGWs failure to comply with the Ticketing & Settlement Agreement.

If Reading station does not charge you the difference between the fare you paid and the Super Off Peak Single (+£10 admin fee*) then in my view you have done everything you can and therefore not had an opportunity to pay and therefore on board you should be treated as having had no opportunity to pay.

(* I'd be tempted to ask FGW Customer Services to pay an admin fee to you for your inconvenience!)

 

[Drsatan]

In that case contact FGW Customer Services and, if they do not resolve it, contact Passenger Focus.

You could also try contacting ATOC about FGWs failure to comply with the Ticketing & Settlement Agreement.

Thanks. It could be that the ticket clerk (who is normally very helpful) didn't know he could alter reservations. This is something I'll bear in mind as my father has purchased AP fares from the same station in the past.

 

[yorkie]

Yes, it could be a training issue.

 

[Drsatan]

Just rang FGW's customer services number and the very helpful lady who answered attempted to ring East Coast's web support team on my behalf, but their office has closed. I've been given a case number and told to ring East Coast again tomorrow.

 

[yorkie]

I don't see why either telesales office is refusing to do it, either of them can do it! So can competent, trained staff at a station with access to the reservation system. It can be done any time up to departure (but not after departure).

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/advance_conditions.html

Changes to time or date of travel must be arranged before departure of the first reserved train printed on the ticket, after which the ticket has no value and a new one must be purchased. You will need to present the ticket(s) and reservation(s) when you request a change.

 

[Be3G]

If you check ATOCs Schedule 17 you can see whether the station you visited is capable of doing reservations. If it is, then they were capable of changing the ticket. It can be a bit of a headache to do, but doesn't take all that long.

I'm confused. According to that document, Brimsdown can't do reservations, but I've purchased advance tickets from there before which I'm pretty sure came with reservations (i.e. they weren't ones for a non-reservable route). :?

 

[Drsatan]

Update: rang East Coast web support yesterday, and was told to book another RDG-EXD ticket for travel on the same day, and once I had done that, I was to ring the same call centre again, and quote the booking reference. After posting the original tickets to East Coast I'll be eligible for a refund on the original tickets minus a £10 admin fee.

 

[wintonian]

Update: rang East Coast web support yesterday, and was told to book another RDG-EXD ticket for travel on the same day, and once I had done that, I was to ring the same call centre again, and quote the booking reference. After posting the original tickets to East Coast I'll be eligible for a refund on the original tickets minus a £10 admin fee.

In your letter I would ask for an admin fee of around £10 to be paid to yourself due to the inconvenience of all this faffing around. I would also offer to forego the admin fee as a gesture of goodwill if they also choose to forego the admin fee charged to yourself.

 

[dave4jackie]

I was also surprised to discover this.

If you check ATOCs Schedule 17 you can see whether the station you visited is capable of doing reservations. If it is, then they were capable of changing the ticket. It can be a bit of a headache to do, but doesn't take all that long.

that's if info is right,it's not right for merseyrail as all staffed stations can do reservations without having to ring another station

 

[Paul Kelly]

According to that document, Brimsdown can't do reservations

The document is only saying they don't have to do reservations. It's not required by regulation. They can if they want to!

 

[Be3G]

Right, thanks. trentside said it was a list of stations that were ‘capable’ of doing them, which is why I was confused!

 

[trentside]

Right, thanks. trentside said it was a list of stations that were ‘capable’ of doing them, which is why I was confused!

Yes, sorry about that - a slight misunderstanding on my part too.