VTEC Left tickets at home

[The Rattler]

Hi all,

Pretty sure I read on here that Virgin Trains East Coast had a understanding view towards when that dreaded moment comes when you arrive at the station and have left your tickets at home.

This happened to me this morning travelling from Peterborough to Newcastle.

After I explained what had happened to the guys at the information desk at Peterborough they quickly wrote a note on a compliment slip and stamped it saying that I could travel to Newcastle. They told me to go to the ticket office in Newcastle when I arrived and they would reprint my tickets. Guard on the train was also fine and confirmed this. I would have got the tickets re-printed in Peterborough but there was a long queue.

Needless to say (as I wouldn't be writing this) went to the ticket office in Newcastle and had to buy a new ticket and then claim it back which is frustrating.

Did I imagine reading something or has their policy changed?

 

[AlterEgo]

Was this a walk up ticket or an Advance?

 

[800001]

Hi all,

Pretty sure I read on here that Virgin Trains East Coast had a understanding view towards when that dreaded moment comes when you arrive at the station and have left your tickets at home.

This happened to me this morning travelling from Peterborough to Newcastle.

After I explained what had happened to the guys at the information desk at Peterborough they quickly wrote a note on a compliment slip and stamped it saying that I could travel to Newcastle. They told me to go to the ticket office in Newcastle when I arrived and they would reprint my tickets. Guard on the train was also fine and confirmed this. I would have got the tickets re-printed in Peterborough but there was a long queue.

Needless to say (as I wouldn't be writing this) went to the ticket office in Newcastle and had to buy a new ticket and then claim it back which is frustrating.

Did I imagine reading something or has their policy changed?

Were they print at home tickets? Or orange tickets? Orange tickets can not be reprinted once they have already been issued.

 

[The Rattler]

They were advance orange tickets

 

[najaB]

They were advance orange tickets

Very odd that they offered to reprint them as I can't see how they could.

 

[AlterEgo]

They were advance orange tickets

I assume then, that you also had an Advance ticket for the return trip? Otherwise I wouldn't have bothered popping to the ticket office and just left!

I've never heard of VTEC offering any way around the misplaced tickets thing and would be surprised if they ever did without purchasing a new ticket.

 

[maniacmartin]

Can you upload a photo of the note that was written at Peterborough?

 

[Wallsendmag]

Very strange, I'd side with Newcastle


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[The Rattler]

I'd rather not upload the image as I really don't want to get anyone in trouble as the guy in Newcastle was pretty adament that it shouldn't have been done in the first place. Can't quite remember the exact words but is was along the lines of 'authority for 1 x gent to travel on headcode xxxx to Newcastle' plus he stamped it with a Virgin stamp with today's date. Gaurd didn't even blink when I showed it to him and also gateline staff at Newcastle only glanced at it.

I'm positive there was a thread in the main section shortly after Virgin took over which talked about this. Have googled it but can't seem to find it. Pretty sure if we part of a wider Virgin East Coast thread

And yes I had advance tickets for both out and return hence why I visited the travel centre in Newcastle

 

[Puffing Devil]

Common sense and discretion trumping "the rules"?

Well done VTEC.

 

[Phil.]

Common sense and discretion trumping "the rules"?

Well done VTEC.

Common sense and discretion?
Go and wash your mouth out this minute!

 

[gray1404]

Please tell me that the travel centre only made you buy tickets for the return leg of the journey.

Perhaps you should not have been given authority to travel, however, I would say once that has been issued (and indeed been accepted by the guard too) then you have travelled with permission from an authorised person and therefore the ticket office at Newcastle cannot charge for travel after the event. I do accept however they could have said that you had to buy new tickets for the return leg and should have offered you the lowest possible advances.

I would certainly take this up with Customer Service.

 

[Clip]

Please tell me that the travel centre only made you buy tickets for the return leg of the journey.

Perhaps you should not have been given authority to travel, however, I would say once that has been issued (and indeed been accepted by the guard too) then you have travelled with permission from an authorised person and therefore the ticket office at Newcastle cannot charge for travel after the event. I do accept however they could have said that you had to buy new tickets for the return leg and should have offered you the lowest possible advances.

I would certainly take this up with Customer Service.

I wouldn't - the OP was given permission to travel yes BUT were told to sort out the problem at Newcastle - so the fare still needs to be paid for both legs - but at Newcastle. I'm assuming this was because their train was soon to arrive- and they certainly can charge for after the event as no fare was paid for that leg of the journey

 

[gray1404]

To be exact, he was told that upon arrival at Newcastle the tickets would be reprinted and it was on that basis he was given the authority to travel. This was confirmed by the guard on the train.

I think that the fair thing to have done would have been for the booking office at Newcastle to accept that the OP had been given permission to travel by the staff at the starting station and the guard on the train but explain that they would need to buy tickets for the leg back. Upon telling them this they could have looked at the cheapest Advances and then it would have been up to the OP if they still wished to proceed with the sale.

 

[AlterEgo]

To be exact, he was told that upon arrival at Newcastle the tickets would be reprinted and it was on that basis he was given the authority to travel. This was confirmed by the guard on the train.

I think that the fair thing to have done would have been for the booking office at Newcastle to accept that the OP had been given permission to travel by the staff at the starting station and the guard on the train but explain that they would need to buy tickets for the leg back. Upon telling them this they could have looked at the cheapest Advances and then it would have been up to the OP if they still wished to proceed with the sale.

Agree.

It isn't fair play at all to "revoke" an Authority to Travel issued in good faith by a colleague and insist on payment of the fare. The passenger was travelling in accordance with the NRCoT while on that Authority in my view.

 

[Clip]

To be exact, he was told that upon arrival at Newcastle the tickets would be reprinted and it was on that basis he was given the authority to travel. This was confirmed by the guard on the train.

I think that the fair thing to have done would have been for the booking office at Newcastle to accept that the OP had been given permission to travel by the staff at the starting station and the guard on the train but explain that they would need to buy tickets for the leg back. Upon telling them this they could have looked at the cheapest Advances and then it would have been up to the OP if they still wished to proceed with the sale.

As I said, they were given permission to travel to Newcastle to sort the issue out - you cant reprint tickets - I thought this was obvious - so the fare still needed to be paid.

Im guessing Virgin, as they always do, will shrug this one away with a refund or some comp vouchers to make it go away but they shouldnt

 

[Clip]

Agree.

It isn't fair play at all to "revoke" an Authority to Travel issued in good faith by a colleague and insist on payment of the fare. The passenger was travelling in accordance with the NRCoT while on that Authority in my view.

The 'Authority' was given to the OP on the prevision that they sort it out at Newcastle so they didnt miss their train.

 

[gray1404]

I agree. This needs to be taken up with the company.

 

[Haywain]

The Rattler hasn't stated that he was asked to pay for the outward journey to Newcastle, for which he was given authority to travel without a ticket. I believe that it was unlikely that he was asked to pay for that journey. However, he would have been asked to buy a ticket for the return journey, quite rightly, and should have been offered the cheapest available ticket for that journey. If he was returning on the same day that would have been an Off-Peak Single at £98.00, so only £1 cheaper than an Off-Peak return (although we don't know that the outward journey was at a time when that ticket would have been valid).

In the circumstances a letter to Customer Services may elicit compensation for the fare paid, but as this was a mistake on the OP's part I doubt it is guaranteed. I'm afraid the message is clear - don't forget to bring your tickets with you!

 

[AlterEgo]

The 'Authority' was given to the OP on the prevision that they sort it out at Newcastle so they didnt miss their train.

No, an authority to travel is just that. It acts in lieu of a ticket. There is no requirement to purchase (another) ticket for the journey covered by an authority to travel. NRCoT is clear on that, regardless of the intent of the clerk.

The return journey is a different question though. I agree the OP has to regularise his position before the return journey, for which no authority was held.

 

[Antman]

Im guessing Virgin, as they always do, will shrug this one away with a refund or some comp vouchers to make it go away but they shouldnt

They certainly should if the OP was told the tickets would be reprinted at Newcastle.

It doesn't matter whether tickets can or can't be reprinted.

If the OP was told they would be when they shouldn't have said that, then Virgin have to live with the mistake made by their employee.

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

They certainly should if the OP was told the tickets would be reprinted at Newcastle.

It doesn't matter whether tickets can or can't be reprinted.

If the OP was told they would be when they shouldn't have said that, then Virgin have to live with the mistake made by their employee.

Exactly this! ^^^^

If someone with authority to stamp and endorse tickets and works for a TOC says it's fine. Then it's fine according to the OP.

Why on earth would someone who doesn't work in the rail industry doubt what they said.

 

[The Rattler]

Just to close this off.

The day after my trip I popped into the ticket office in Peterborough in the hope of getting a refund.

After explaining to the guy in the travel centre what had I happened I asked him to double check I had collected my original advance tickets, even though the guy in the Newcastle travel centre had done this the previous day and he had told me they had been collected. Now at this point I can say 100% I showed the guy the right reservation details in Newcastle as I have all my tickets saved into one folder on my phone, but it seems strange that he didn't check that the journey corresponded with my story. Also I would have thought when he tapped in my collection code it would have shown the journey details regardless of tickets being collected or not.

Anyway back to Peterborough and you've probably already guessed it but I hadn't collected the tickets, so totally my fault. Anyway the very nice man in the travel centre then organised a refund for the ticket I had to buy in Newcastle.

Have to say I was pleasantly surprised that I got my money back and I applaud VTEC for common sense and taking an understanding view to a regularly traveller getting into a bit of a pickle

Thank you for your posts and advice

 

[najaB]

Anyway back to Peterborough and you've probably already guessed it but I hadn't collected the tickets...

Ah, the situation makes sense now. Since the tickets hadn't been collected any ticket office could print them off.

Have to say I was pleasantly surprised that I got my money back and I applaud VTEC for common sense and taking an understanding view to a regularly traveller getting into a bit of a pickle

I agree, good on them for going above and beyond the bare minimum.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Very good service from VTEC there.

Two weeks ago I left my Birmingham to Cardiff Advance tickets at my boyfriend's house. I tweeted CrossCountry who said I'd have to buy a new ticket, bearing in mind a walk-up single even with a 16-25 RC is a staggering £38. So on top of the £18.40 I'd paid for my Advance ticket I would have been paying nearly £57.

CrossCountry tweeted me their customer relations email so I wrote to them. I just got the old 'as they are non-returnable and non-refundable' there was nothing I could do so I got on a Worcester train with my boyfriend and only paid for a single from Worcester to Cardiff with a split at Hereford which took it to £19.