Can't overdistance excess be bought beforehand?!

[miklcct]

I have bought a bunch of tickets between Bournemouth and Guildford on Trainsplit for 5 coming weeks. The tickets involved are all advance tickets between Bournemouth and Woking and flexible tickets between Woking and Guildford.

Unfortunately I have made the same mistake again - I only found out when arriving Guildford, there is a suburban train departing in 2 minutes so I immediately bought a Guildford - London Road single to take that train.

Afterwards I returned to the station office at Guildford. I showed my e-ticket from Woking to Guildford next week and said I want to travel further to London Road. The staff told me that they can't do that before the day of travel and told me to sort that out on the day.

I tried to price out my intended journeys again on Trainsplit but only one out of 5 coming weeks I could generate my desired split, using advance tickets between Bournemouth and Woking and a flexible ticket between Woking and London Road. On all other weeks it generated split on all advance tickets by splitting at Winchester. Also, the price has already gone up for some of the weeks as well. Therefore I would like to keep my tickets.

The combination of an advance between Bournemouth and Woking and a flexible ticket afterwards allows me to take a 5-minute connection at Woking and a 2-minute connection at Guildford in the outward journey which I can discard if I miss it. It's obvious that I would like to avoid a ticket office visit on each of the day as the only purpose of taking the suburban train is to save a further few minutes compared to walking from Guildford (so I will only consider taking the train of the connection time is sub-minimum).

Is the staff correct that an overdistance excess can only be bought on the day? It's so much hassle getting the destination right when buying tickets.

 

[yorkie]

Is the staff correct that an overdistance excess can only be bought on the day? It's so much hassle getting the destination right when buying tickets.

They are wrong.

However there is no clear cut entitlement to such an excess; we know it is a rail industry policy & procedure to issue them but there is nothing in the Conditions of Travel that enshrine our right to be sold such an excess.

Nevertheless you could write to the company asking them to provide appropriate training to the staff, though I don't know what the chance of success with that would be.

 

[Watershed]

I have bought a bunch of tickets between Bournemouth and Guildford on Trainsplit for 5 coming weeks. The tickets involved are all advance tickets between Bournemouth and Woking and flexible tickets between Woking and Guildford.

Unfortunately I have made the same mistake again - I only found out when arriving Guildford, there is a suburban train departing in 2 minutes so I immediately bought a Guildford - London Road single to take that train.

Afterwards I returned to the station office at Guildford. I showed my e-ticket from Woking to Guildford next week and said I want to travel further to London Road. The staff told me that they can't do that before the day of travel and told me to sort that out on the day.

I tried to price out my intended journeys again on Trainsplit but only one out of 5 coming weeks I could generate my desired split, using advance tickets between Bournemouth and Woking and a flexible ticket between Woking and London Road. On all other weeks it generated split on all advance tickets by splitting at Winchester. Also, the price has already gone up for some of the weeks as well. Therefore I would like to keep my tickets.

The combination of an advance between Bournemouth and Woking and a flexible ticket afterwards allows me to take a 5-minute connection at Woking and a 2-minute connection at Guildford in the outward journey which I can discard if I miss it. It's obvious that I would like to avoid a ticket office visit on each of the day as the only purpose of taking the suburban train is to save a further few minutes compared to walking from Guildford (so I will only consider taking the train of the connection time is sub-minimum).

Is the staff correct that an overdistance excess can only be bought on the day? It's so much hassle getting the destination right when buying tickets.

There are industry procedures to issue overdistance excesses, but there is no legal right to them and so availability is highly variable. By all means, feel free to make a complaint and raise it with the relevant TOC, but I don't think you're going to get very far.

If you don't wish to (or are unable to) obtain an overdistance excess, you have the choice between buying your ticket to London Road (and hence overpaying in some cases) or else being unable to make a potential 2 minute connection.

 

[miklcct]

I have tried the ticket office again to excess the Woking - Guildford ticket today 5 minutes before my booked Bournemouth - Woking train but the staff refused to excess it, and told me to buy another ticket from Guildford to London Road.

I then left the ticket office without buying anything, and tried to excess that ticket on train. The guard eventually sold me the excess to allow me to get to London Road when I asked for that while he was checking tickets.

I'll write a complaint afterwards as this should be the ticket office's job, rather than the guard's job when a ticket office is available.

 

[skyhigh]

I'll write a complaint afterwards as this should be the ticket office's job, rather than the guard's job when a ticket office is available.

You can complain, but I doubt you'll get anywhere as you have no entitlement to be sold that excess.

 

[30907]

I then left the ticket office without buying anything, and tried to excess that ticket on train. The guard eventually sold me the excess to allow me to get to London Road when I asked for that while he was checking tickets.

I'll write a complaint afterwards as this should be the ticket office's job, rather than the guard's job when a ticket office is available.

If the guard is able to issue tickets, then it is perfectly reasonable for them to be asked and to comply. I imagine most over-distance excesses are rather more spontaneous purchases than yours

 

[Bletchleyite]

If the guard is able to issue tickets, then it is perfectly reasonable for them to be asked and to comply. I imagine most over-distance excesses are rather more spontaneous purchases than yours

The risk of doing it on board is of course that if you don't manage to excess or alight before validity runs out you become liable to PF or prosecution.

 

[30907]

The risk of doing it on board is of course that if you don't manage to excess or alight before validity runs out you become liable to PF or prosecution.

True. In the OP's case they will simply walk, of course

 

[mmh]

I have made the same mistake

I have made the same mistake again

departing in 2 minutes

immediately

a 5-minute connection

Yes, I think you have made the same mistake again. As has been said before, live your life a little slower and you'll probably find it far more relaxing and enjoyable.

Pretty much all of your posts recently have this pattern. Calm down, your heart will probably appreciate it.