Altering tickets bought on Redspottedhanky

[breadfan]

I purchased 2 adult tickets and 1 child ticket for Preston to Edinburgh and return , totalling 170quids. Being a bit stupid, I forgot to tick the railcard box.

I've emailed the website to see if it is possible to alter the tickets, but 4 days later I've still not had a reply.
I realise I'm probably fighting a lost cause but am I likely to get any joy on this?

It does seem strange that it does not flag up that you would save a load of money by purchasing a railcard just for the one journey, but hey, they've got to make money

 

[snail]

Try ringing them on 0800 377 7748. Were these Advance tickets? If they are then no refunds are possible. You could change the ticket type for an admin fee of £10 per ticket but that would be pointless as the railcard discounted tickets would be cheaper.

If not advances then a change or cancel/reissue should be possible.

 

[transportphoto]

I suspect that the OP has purchased Off Peak Returns route via Carlisle, the total for the two adults and one child come to £163.25. A refund is possible on these tickets, but a £10 admin charge is chargeable per ticket... so it's likely you'll only see a £133.25 refund.

TP

 

[island]

I think it's £10 per transaction not per ticket.

 

[yorkie]

This reminds me..

I know we've had the 'wrong railcard' issue discussed previously, but can anyone confirm:

If a passenger makes a booking and immediately realises that a mistake regarding railcard discount has been made (e.g. no discount - as in this case - or the wrong discount), if it was from a station it is my understanding that the station would non-issue the tickets and issue replacements, with no admin costs. Is that just goodwill? Or is there some right to this?

And, either way, is that an advantage of booking at a station (compared to online) or should the same principle apply online?

I know someone who bought some Senior discounted tickets and meant to buy 16-25, realised as soon as the confirmation appeared, contacted the vendor immediately and they wanted £10 to change them.

 

[Prairie_5542]

It is down to the individual to make sure they have the right ticket and right Railcard discount on tickets.

If a customer just bought an Advance ticket at my window, then immediately realised wrong date by checking I would non-issue the ticket and do the ticket they wanted. If a customer had bought an Advance from me after checking dates and times thoroughly, then came back the next day and said they got wrong dates or times, just too bad, buy a whole new ticket.

Many a time customers have bought tickets online through the various websites, and come to me wanting their ticket changed or refunded. They are directed back to who they bought the ticket from.

In all cases, customers are reminded that they can buy whatever ticket they want from me; 1. Without the £1.50 booking fee 2. They get the correct ticket 3. Saves having to ffaff about sorting wrong tickets out!

Buy your tickets from the ticket office, keep them going!!

 

[trentside]

If a customer just bought an Advance ticket at my window, then immediately realised wrong date by checking I would non-issue the ticket and do the ticket they wanted. If a customer had bought an Advance from me after checking dates and times thoroughly, then came back the next day and said they got wrong dates or times, just too bad, buy a whole new ticket.

Many a time customers have bought tickets online through the various websites, and come to me wanting their ticket changed or refunded. They are directed back to who they bought the ticket from.

In all cases, customers are reminded that they can buy whatever ticket they want from me; 1. Without the £1.50 booking fee 2. They get the correct ticket 3. Saves having to ffaff about sorting wrong tickets out!

Buy your tickets from the ticket office, keep them going!!

I'm in agreement, completely!

I will also rectify any mistakes on Advances that the customer notices immediately. I always make a habit of repeating details to them and making sure they check the journey print - this ensures they check their tickets and stops people returning and accusing you of making a mistake (still occasionally happens though). I will correct something if they return promptly (30 minutes to an hour) but if it's left till the next day, then I'm afraid it's a new ticket and a customer comments form if they're unhappy.

Officially, we're only supposed to do non-issues within 30 minutes of issue. After this the normal refund process applies, including any fees - though we have discretion on this, and I'll sometimes extend the non-issue time up to an hour or so depending on circumstances.

 

[maniacmartin]

It is understandable that sometimes customers get the wrong tickets when buying face to face, as miscommunications can occur.

But when buying online, the details are written on the screen clearly, and there is a confirmation page to click through, so whilst mistakes can still happen, it is only one person's fault - the passenger's! Also, buying online and then changing your mind will cause the vendor to incur 2 lots of ToD fees, a problem that doesn't happen to ticket offices.

I will nearly always buy Advances online though, as I find it easier to view the prices for each itinerary on the screen at the same time and choose at my leisure than having to discuss the options verbally with a ticket clerk whilst a queue forms behind.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Officially, we're only supposed to do non-issues within 30 minutes of issue. After this the normal refund process applies, including any fees - though we have discretion on this, and I'll sometimes extend the non-issue time up to an hour or so depending on circumstances.

Some clerks are very generous with refunds. I once got a weekly season ticket that I bought from a TVM refunded in full upon arrival at my destination, even after telling the clerk that I had just travelled on it. (I had meant to buy a different weekly season ticket with less validity, and subsequently bought this cheaper ticket. Fat fingers...)

 

[yorkie]

Officially, we're only supposed to do non-issues within 30 minutes of issue.....

This is helpful but what I want to know is whether this is just a case of discretion being shown, or is it a bonus of using a ticket office?

Or, perhaps, is someone booking online entitled to this?

As an instant realisation that the wrong ticket was bought - immediately after payment and the booking email came through - resulted in a passenger realising the railcard type was wrong, an email was sent instantly, yet £10 was demanded.

If the answer really is that passengers have more rights at ticket offices, then I think that we need to really push to make people aware of that, and the TOCs should be forced to make the drawbacks of booking online clearer.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Buy your tickets from the ticket office, keep them going!!

I agree... except some ticket offices are really awkward and don't want our custom, which forces us online. Most London Overground ticket offices, many SWT ticket offices, and Sheffield station are particular examples!

 

[thelongestroad]

We will always non-issue a transaction if the mistake is realised straight away or not long after, even with advanced tickets.

In my experience, online retailers (including TTL) are not very helpful when it comes to this.

 

[trentside]

This is helpful but what I want to know is whether this is just a case of discretion being shown, or is it a bonus of using a ticket office?

Or, perhaps, is someone booking online entitled to this?

As far as I'm concerned, within the 30 minute time limit (or longer with my discretion, if I'm satisfied ticket is unsed) - the customer is entitled to change their mind on walk-up tickets and not incur any fees. When it comes to Advances, I will only rectify my mistakes (or a colleagues). It's a definite bonus of using a ticket office - or at least, some ticket offices.

I'd like to think online retailers would offer a 'no quibble' guarantee within 30 minutes to an hour of booking non-Advance tickets, but as thelongestroad says, some are not the most helpful.

 

[kieron]

I'd like to think online retailers would offer a 'no quibble' guarantee within 30 minutes to an hour of booking non-Advance tickets, but as thelongestroad says, some are not the most helpful.

Southern do to a degree (and even with some Advance tickets), but it's a lot easier to program a computer to issue a refund than it is to program one to decide whether or not it is appropriate to issue a refund in the first place.

On the other hand, web sites are fairly predictable, and will almost always be willing and able to issue the same sorts of ticket that they issued yesterday.

 

[breadfan]

Try ringing them on 0800 377 7748. Were these Advance tickets? If they are then no refunds are possible. You could change the ticket type for an admin fee of £10 per ticket but that would be pointless as the railcard discounted tickets would be cheaper.

If not advances then a change or cancel/reissue should be possible.

Just phoned them.

I told them that I had clicked the Family Railcard box but it the site must have lost this whilst I was looking at other options.
They looked and saw that they are advance tickets and not refundable but the operator said she'd have a word with her supervisor.
After a while she came back to me and said they'd give me a 1/3 of the fare back as an e-voucher.

Result! A totally unexpected result. Even better when you consider that the booking was made on 19th January.

Thanks for the replies.

 

[paulypaul]

I have to say that I have always found RSH customer service excellent, but I appreciate that's only my experience of the company.

 

[breadfan]

I have to say that I have always found RSH customer service excellent, but I appreciate that's only my experience of the company.

You're not alone.

The irony was that about 5 minutes after my phone call, I got an email (5 days later), saying - nope, no refunds, Best Wishes, someone from Atos.

Good to know there's folk out there who can be human.

 

[Be3G]

On the subject of getting mistaken tickets refunded/changed, I once bought a YNG-discounted zone 1–6 London travelcard from Enfield Lock ticket office in the morning, to be used in a day or two's time. Or at least, it was a 16–25 railcard that I showed the clerk; I only noticed later in the day that the ticket had been sold with a SNR discount instead (I don't look that old!).

Seeing as Enfield Lock ticket office is only open in the morning, I got the ticket changed at Liverpool Street instead, with no argument – I seem to recall the process involved feeding my travelcard through a printer to mark it as cancelled/withdrawn/whatever.

 

[Prairie_5542]

On the subject of getting mistaken tickets refunded/changed, I once bought a YNG-discounted zone 1–6 London travelcard from Enfield Lock ticket office in the morning, to be used in a day or two's time. Or at least, it was a 16–25 railcard that I showed the clerk; I only noticed later in the day that the ticket had been sold with a SNR discount instead (I don't look that old!).

Seeing as Enfield Lock ticket office is only open in the morning, I got the ticket changed at Liverpool Street instead, with no argument – I seem to recall the process involved feeding my travelcard through a printer to mark it as cancelled/withdrawn/whatever.

That would probably been 'non-issued out of shift' then to print the new one. This is required for the clerk to balance correctly at end of shift.