Forgetting RST leisure card and purchasing at full fare

[cr767055]

Hi everyone,

Apologies if this has already been discussed elsewhere.

Does anyone know whether there is a process for refunding the 'difference' of a ticket purchased on-board for full-fare as you did not have your RST leisure card on you, at a ticket office?

Assuming there is not but just curious as to whether there is, similarly to railcards I believe? Has anyone done this before?

 

[Sleepy]

No such facility exists unfortunately. With railcards it's 1 refund per year via customer relations only at my TOC.

 

[45107]

With railcards it's 1 refund per year via customer relations only at my TOC.

That’s if you forget your railcard after purchasing a ticket. To my knowledge it doesn’t apply if you buy a full fare ticket & subsequently produce a railcard.

Failure to present RSTL/Priv card with a reduced rate ticket is a travel irregularity issue (as per the conditions of issue).

 

[Idiotic]

As already said there’s no system in place sadly.

A briefing went out recently about it being a travel irregularity if you travel without it too.

 

[cr767055]

No such facility exists unfortunately. With railcards it's 1 refund per year via customer relations only at my TOC.

Interesting - never heard of any sort of limit for Railcard-related refunds.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Oct 2024 ==

As already said there’s no system in place sadly.

A briefing went out recently about it being a travel irregularity if you travel without it too.

(to confirm - in this specific situation I bought a ticket at full fare onboard as I had forgotten my card, therefore had not travelled on a reduced rate without it!)

 

[iphone76]

Interesting - never heard of any sort of limit for Railcard-related refunds.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Oct 2024 ==


(to confirm - in this specific situation I bought a ticket at full fare onboard as I had forgotten my card, therefore had not travelled on a reduced rate without it!)

I forgot my PRIV once and paid full fare. I emailed customer services explaining that I was very stupid and asked for forgiveness and a refund of the differnce and they kindly did.

I scanned all the evidence of me holding a PRIV and the full priced ticket i purchaed and emphasised again I was very stupid and a bubble head and it worked.

 

[cr767055]

I forgot my PRIV once and paid full fare. I emailed customer services explaining that I was very stupid and asked for forgiveness and a refund of the differnce and they kindly did.

I scanned all the evidence of me holding a PRIV and the full priced ticket i purchaed and emphasised again I was very stupid and a bubble head and it worked.

Oh interesting! I imagine that depends agent-by-agent but might give that a try.

What sort of evidence did you provide of holding priv? Just a scan of the card? Funnily enough I told the TM I had a photo of it but that wasn't enough.

 

[iphone76]

Oh interesting! I imagine that depends agent-by-agent but might give that a try.

What sort of evidence did you provide of holding priv? Just a scan of the card? Funnily enough I told the TM I had a photo of it but that wasn't enough.

Scan of the priv together with the ticket I purchased at full price. I wasn't expecting anything, but took a chance.

I kept emphasising my stupidity and asking for their understanding and for taking their time.

 

[Deerfold]

Interesting - never heard of any sort of limit for Railcard-related refunds.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Oct 2024 ==


(to confirm - in this specific situation I bought a ticket at full fare onboard as I had forgotten my card, therefore had not travelled on a reduced rate without it!)

What happens if I don't have my Railcard with me and I have to buy a new ticket or pay a Penalty Fare? - 16-25 Railcard

A 16-25 Railcard costs just �30 and it'll save you 1/3 on rail fares throughout Great Britain for a whole year.

www.16-25railcard.co.uk

If you are travelling by train on a ticket with a Railcard discount, you must travel with your valid Railcard. If you forget your Railcard you will either be required to buy a new ticket or you may on certain services be liable for a Penalty Fare. However, a train company will normally allow you to claim back this extra expense on the first occasion in each year where this happens.

Each of the specific railcard sites have a similar quote about forgetting your card.

 

[greyman42]

I forgot my PRIV once and paid full fare. I emailed customer services explaining that I was very stupid and asked for forgiveness and a refund of the differnce and they kindly did.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

 

[Wallsendmag]

As the brief has only just gone out you'll be lucky to get a refund.

 

[skyhigh]

As the brief has only just gone out you'll be lucky to get a refund.

What brief?

 

[Wallsendmag]

What brief?

The brief from RDG

 

[Surreytraveller]

The brief from RDG

Obviously a restricted mailing list, then

 

[Kite159]

The brief from RDG

I presume this is brief reference RST 50 dated the 12th September.

 

[greyman42]

I presume this is brief reference RST 50 dated the 12th September.

I can't find anything relating to this?

 

[CyrusWuff]

I can't find anything relating to this?

It was sent out by Rail Staff Travel and didn't get uploaded to Knowledgebase.

Your Retail or Pricing Manager should be able to forward a copy.

 

[Surreytraveller]

Its always been the case since BR days if you haven't got your travel facilities you just have to pay full fare. If the public are expected to remember to have a valid ticket with them, then presumably staff are too!

 

[miklcct]

Its always been the case since BR days if you haven't got your travel facilities you just have to pay full fare. If the public are expected to remember to have a valid ticket with them, then presumably staff are too!

And there is a forgotten railcard policy. How is a staff discount card different from a public railcard apart from the qualification criteria?

 

[ainsworth74]

Anyone want to post it or "accidentally" ( ) send it to me so I can post rather than just this slightly odd shadow boxing thing we've got going on where it seems not even some railway staff know what it says

 

[MrJeeves]

And there is a forgotten railcard policy. How is a staff discount card different from a public railcard apart from the qualification criteria?

The Railcard policy is written into the Railcard terms. Most other discount authorities, such as the RST cards, do not have such a clause.

I assume it's deemed that staff should be more aware of the importance of keeping the right supporting documents for the highly attractive discounts you can have.

 

[Surreytraveller]

And there is a forgotten railcard policy. How is a staff discount card different from a public railcard apart from the qualification criteria?

Completely different T&Cs. There never used to be a forgotten railcard policy either - must have been introduced around the turn of the millennium?

 

[Haywain]

And there is a forgotten railcard policy. How is a staff discount card different from a public railcard apart from the qualification criteria?

It's not unreasonable that staff should be held to a higher standard.

There never used to be a forgotten railcard policy either - must have been introduced around the turn of the millennium?

Much later than that.

 

[Surreytraveller]

.Much later than that.

I stopped working in ticket offices in 2001. It had been introduced by then. Probably about 1998 or 99

 

[janb]

I stopped working in ticket offices in 2001. It had been introduced by then. Probably about 1998 or 99

Can't speak to that as I was still in school/uni. I started in ticket offices in 2008 and the forgotten railcard policy was introduced 28th February 2017.

 

[Surreytraveller]

Can't speak to that as I was still in school/uni. I started in ticket offices in 2008 and the forgotten railcard policy was introduced 28th February 2017.

Unless it was just an update of an existing policy, but there was definitely one introduced when I worked in ticket offices. It allowed you to forget your railcard once a year

 

[Sleepy]

I stopped working in ticket offices in 2001. It had been introduced by then. Probably about 1998 or 99

Seem to remember this was TOC specific initially ?? (Bit like when Virgin allowed railcard holders to use off-peak tickets at some restricted times)

 

[Falcon1200]

Some years ago I lost my staff travel passes while on holiday, and had to buy a full-fare ticket to get home..... for £120! But it was nobody's fault but mine.

 

[ainsworth74]

For interest some extracts of RST50 which was referred to above are included below:

[...]

Introduction

This briefing gives ticket inspection and revenue protection staff guidance on dealing with:

• people who travel with staff discounted (priv rate) leisure tickets without valid supporting Rail Staff Leisure Card, RST Online Leisure Card or Staff Travel Card (and supporting Photo ID where required).
• people who travel with FIP discounted tickets who are unable to produce their FIP International Reduced Rate Card and passport.

This includes dealing with people who present a Rail Staff Leisure Card, RST Online Leisure Card, Staff Travel Card or FIP Card which is expired.

The process is different to dealing with members of the public travelling on railcard discounted tickets who are unable to present their public railcard. In relation to rail staff travel, there are two key messages:

• Each person travelling with a staff discounted (priv-rate) leisure ticket must have their discount card with them when travelling.
• It is not possible to claim refunds on public rate tickets purchased when staff facilities are not carried.

[...]

Guidance to ticket inspection staff for priv discounted leisure tickets

On discovering someone travelling with a priv rate leisure ticket who does not have a valid Rail Staff Leisure Card, RST Online Leisure Card or Staff Travel Card you should:

• issue them with a new ticket charged at the difference between the priv rate they hold and the full public fare.
• attempt to establish the identity of the person travelling, as this will determine how rail staff travel deals with the Ticket Irregularity report. Proof of who they are such as driving licence, bank card, etc is helpful. It is also helpful to have the name of the company which they claim to receive their staff travel facilities
• report this to Rail Staff Travel as a Travel Irregularity (even if you are unable to confirm that the person is eligible for the priv discount)

Unlike people travelling with a public railcard, those travelling using priv rate leisure tickets without their accompanying Rail Staff Leisure Card, RST Online Leisure Card or Staff Travel Card are not eligible to get a refund on the difference paid, or any new tickets purchased, if they can subsequently prove their were eligible for priv rate tickets.

[...]

(emphasis as per original)

 

[Surreytraveller]

For interest some extracts of RST50 which was referred to above are included below:


(emphasis as per original)

This sort of information should be available to holders of staff travel facilities, as you cannot rely on staff to know them!