2Together Query

[Farang]

Hi,
Landing at Gatwick with Mrs. Farang after a holiday I realised I didn't have our 2Together railcard so had to buy full price tickets home from the ticket machine.
What are the chances of a refund of the extra cost? Most of the journey home was on Southern, with a short stretch on SWR.

 

[Starmill]

Low, I would imagine. But if you ask very politely then maybe.

 

[Joe Paxton]

Low, I would imagine. But if you ask very politely then maybe.

I understand there is a new-ish RDG policy that a passenger can get one refund of the difference (per year I think) if they forget their railcard and ask customer services for this. I did indeed put this to the test a whole back and wrote to SWR having forgotten my railcard and so having bought a full price ticket from one of their stations (I enclosed the ticket and photocopy of my railcard). After a while they replied asking me to call up their customer services number in order to give them my payment card details so they could refund it - this method seemed a bit of a faff (though perhaps it's an anti-fraud measure?), besides I was very busy at the time and the sum wasn't enormous so I never got round to it, but in theory it's possible.

 

[button_boxer]

After a while they replied asking me to call up their customer services number in order to give them my payment card details so they could refund it - this method seemed a bit of a faff (though perhaps it's an anti-fraud measure?

It’s a standard rule of the card companies that if someone asks for a refund of something they bought on a card then the refund should be sent back to the same card. Buying something on card and then attempting to get a refund in cash is a warning flag that the card may be stolen.

 

[Joe Paxton]

It’s a standard rule of the card companies that if someone asks for a refund of something they bought on a card then the refund should be sent back to the same card. Buying something on card and then attempting to get a refund in cash is a warning flag that the card may be stolen.

Yep, though I was hoping for an RTV. I do however appreciate why they would do it like that.

 

[father_jack]

Hi,
Landing at Gatwick with Mrs. Farang after a holiday I realised I didn't have our 2Together railcard so had to buy full price tickets home from the ticket machine.
What are the chances of a refund of the extra cost? Most of the journey home was on Southern, with a short stretch on SWR.

Hi. First of all, don't be a robot and feel you have to use the ticket machine !!!

However in fairness you're now at the mercy of the good clerk/bad clerk scenario at the window. A good clerk would issue the discounted ticket and then excess the ticket to the full rate and advise that the excess can be reclaimed from a ticket office of the same TOC or customer services on subsequent production of the railcard. The excess process can be difficult as some (bad) clerks will get stuck because you can't choose a 2TR discount on a lone ticket. The work around being to choose a lone railcard type, as you're excessing to public rate it won't matter......

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

It is indeed industry policy for forgetful Railcard holders to get a refund of a brand new undiscounted the first time they forget their Railcard so each year. Sadly (but not surprisingly), the application of this policy is lax at best, and it can often take a lot of prodding for TOCs to give a full refund on a ticket that has (legitimately) fully been used.

 

[Joe Paxton]

However in fairness you're now at the mercy of the good clerk/bad clerk scenario at the window. A good clerk would issue the discounted ticket and then excess the ticket to the full rate and advise that the excess can be reclaimed from a ticket office of the same TOC or customer services on subsequent production of the railcard. The excess process can be difficult as some (bad) clerks will get stuck because you can't choose a 2TR discount on a lone ticket. The work around being to choose a lone railcard type, as you're excessing to public rate it won't matter......

I think the policy is that the passenger should buy a full price ticket and then reclaim the difference with the TOCs customer service department.

The process you suggest is imaginative, but I suspect somewhat unorthodox and likely not the approved method.

 

[AlterEgo]

A good clerk would issue the discounted ticket and then excess the ticket to the full rate and advise that the excess can be reclaimed from a ticket office of the same TOC or customer services on subsequent production of the railcard.

Is this an established process, or something you just hope would be possible?

 

[Wallsendmag]

That just sounds like adding complication and time to the transaction for no reason whatsoever.

 

[Starmill]

Can you tell us who you bought the tickets from? Unless I am missing something you seem to have told us who you travelled with but not who operated the machine you bought the tickets from?

Southern's passenger charter does not mention refunds for forgotten railcards. I haven't looked anywhere else in their literature for it though.

NRCoT says:

8.5 If you are travelling with a Railcard discounted Ticket and are unable to present the Railcard when asked by the staff or authorised agents of a Train Company, you will be treated as having joined a train without a valid Ticket and Condition 9 will apply.

8.6. However, if you were unable to present the Railcard because you had forgotten to carry it on that particular journey or mislaid it, the Train Company concerned will refund any fare or Penalty Fare paid in accordance with Condition 10.

8.7. In order to claim such a refund, you will need to contact the customer service department of the Train Company that charged you the additional fare or Penalty Fare, providing the full details of your Railcard, together with the additional Tickets you have purchased or any Penalty Fares notices. A maximum of one such claim will be considered in any 12 month period.

Bizzarely, it would seem that the procedure then is to buy a railcard discounted ticket if you have forgotten your railcard, and then buy a new ticket at full price, and then get a refund on the full price tickets later, on presentation of both tickets and railcard.

 

[Farang]

Thanks all for taking the time and trouble to respond.

In the spirit of KISS, I’ve sent the tickets, a copy of the railcard and a covering letter to Southern signed by both of us to try to forestall this response:

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2018/may/15/southern-rail-railcard-delay-repay-together-claim

If I forget the railcard again within the next 12 months I shall be forced to be more imaginative.

Starmill, I’m afraid I didn’t notice which company operated the machine.

 

[Starmill]

If you can tell us the station it was at, we might be able to do some detective work for you

However if you have already sent the letter you could just wait and see what they have to say.

Also, it's generally best to add a short quote if you link to an online article, in line with forum guidelines.

 

[Deafdoggie]

I understand there is a new-ish RDG policy that a passenger can get one refund of the difference (per year I think) if they forget their railcard and ask customer services for this. I did indeed put this to the test a whole back and wrote to SWR having forgotten my railcard and so having bought a full price ticket from one of their stations (I enclosed the ticket and photocopy of my railcard). After a while they replied asking me to call up their customer services number in order to give them my payment card details so they could refund it - this method seemed a bit of a faff (though perhaps it's an anti-fraud measure?), besides I was very busy at the time and the sum wasn't enormous so I never got round to it, but in theory it's possible.

It’s faff, people don’t bother, they don’t pay. Saves them money. That’s all there is to it!

 

[father_jack]

Is this an established process, or something you just hope would be possible?

It is established at the factory where I work

 

[AlterEgo]

It is established at the factory where I work

Refunding and amending tickets in a factory? Eh?

 

[Clip]

If you can tell us the station it was at, we might be able to do some detective work for you

However if you have already sent the letter you could just wait and see what they have to say.

Also, it's generally best to add a short quote if you link to an online article, in line with forum guidelines.

ik guessing as they landed at gatwick and travelled from gatwick as thats pretty much what is stated in the op.