Can't collect tickets from local station

[Spurs]

I'm looking to book an advance ticket to travel in a couple of days' time. My only options for delivery are to collect at the station, or to spend £6 on postage. I can't use a print-at-home style option because I'm looking to take advantage of the GWR promotion on 16-25 railcard fares, and the offer doesn't work through other booking engines. Unfortunately, my local station lacks either staff or a ticket machine, and therefore tickets can't be collected there, so my only real choice is to pick them up at the interchange station and pay the (thankfully quite small) fare to get that far.

Firstly, would this technically put me in breach of the advance ticket rules, since I'd be starting my journey on the advance ticket later than the starting point? By the letter of the law, do I have to travel to the nearest station with collection facilities, pick up the ticket, travel back to my starting point and start again?

Secondly, is there any way to get the additional ticket I'll need refunded, or would I just have to hope the guard on-train showed discretion?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Firstly, would this technically put me in breach of the advance ticket rules, since I'd be starting my journey on the advance ticket later than the starting point?

Technically yes but it is essentially unenforceable, so don't worry.

Secondly, is there any way to get the additional ticket I'll need refunded, or would I just have to hope the guard on-train showed discretion?

No, I don't believe there would be scope for a refund, unfortunately.

 

[philthetube]

No, I don't believe there would be scope for a refund, unfortunately.

YHou could ask though, you never know your luck.

 

[RJ]

You're at a disadvantage if you want an Advance ticket from a station with no printing facilities at short notice. Might be worth awaiting a response from any guards on the forum to see if they know of any official or discretionary arrangements in place for people in this situation.

I'd like to think that any additional ticket purchased in order to get to the nearest printing facility would be refunded. Agree with philthetube that it might be worth asking. Maybe if you do so before the journey they can make some special arrangement.

 

[paddington]

On a GWR service I took recently, two different passengers boarding at Bruton told the guard they needed to pick up their tickets at Westbury.

The guard accepted this without question and didn't even ask to see a booking confirmation, nor where they were actually going (if they were going to Westbury then surely they would just buy from him).

One of the pax was preparing to load something on his phone if the guard had asked. The other looked a bit dodgy and at Westbury he left the station to smoke. Maybe he went back to pick up his ticket and continue his journey, maybe he didn't actually buy a ticket online at all.

Why not just book the advance from the interchange station? Is it more expensive?

 

[cactustwirly]

Can you not get them delivered, GWR do this for free, but you'll have to book atleast 5 days in advance.

 

[gray1404]

You need to buy a ticket to get you to the station where you can collect the tickets. However, it sounds like you are boarding at a station where you have to buy on board. Therefore, there would be no harm in asking the guard if you can collect your tickets later on and showing them your booking confirmation as proof you have paid. I am assuming the very service you are on will be printed on your booking confirmation. The guard may use their discretion but they by no means have to. The worst case is you have to buy a ticket. Should you run into an RPI after you have spoken to the guard then you will have received permission from an authorised person.