Fermiboson
Member
Was just at Plymouth, where due to special circumstances I needed to change the train I took to an earlier train. I bought from the forum site and had off peak tickets for all the splits, except for Tiverton Parkway to Bristol Temple Meads, which was an advance (3.95 pounds, railcard price) on a given GW service. I asked the station staff if it was possible to change the advance ticket to something which could be valid on the earlier service; the ticket office was closed.
The station staff stated that they could sell me an anytime from Tiverton to Bristol (20.30 pounds railcard price). I asked if the advance ticket was being excessed or if this was a whole new ticket; some confused messaging resulted. The first staff member stated that I would be paying the extra amount required from the price that would be paid in the first instance (that is, the amount that would be deducted from my card is 20.30-3.95 = 16.35). The second staff member denied this, and after a bit of further discussion, the first staff member also denied this. So instead, I asked for the split at Taunton (TIV - TAU 6.10, TAU - BRI 10.55, total 16.65 > 16.35) as a completely new ticket and bought it.
Was the first staff member right initially? I do recall hearing of advances being excessed or even changed to different advances on the forum. If an advance was available on a different service (say, an XC), would I have been able to change it at a ticket office for a lower price? The second staff member appeared to be operating under the assumption that any change at all to an advance was impossible, which seems to differ from the “exchangeable for a fee before travel” displayed on advance tickets. If I had more time to figure things out, what would have been my cheapest course of action, assuming I did not want to buy an XC advance?
The station staff stated that they could sell me an anytime from Tiverton to Bristol (20.30 pounds railcard price). I asked if the advance ticket was being excessed or if this was a whole new ticket; some confused messaging resulted. The first staff member stated that I would be paying the extra amount required from the price that would be paid in the first instance (that is, the amount that would be deducted from my card is 20.30-3.95 = 16.35). The second staff member denied this, and after a bit of further discussion, the first staff member also denied this. So instead, I asked for the split at Taunton (TIV - TAU 6.10, TAU - BRI 10.55, total 16.65 > 16.35) as a completely new ticket and bought it.
Was the first staff member right initially? I do recall hearing of advances being excessed or even changed to different advances on the forum. If an advance was available on a different service (say, an XC), would I have been able to change it at a ticket office for a lower price? The second staff member appeared to be operating under the assumption that any change at all to an advance was impossible, which seems to differ from the “exchangeable for a fee before travel” displayed on advance tickets. If I had more time to figure things out, what would have been my cheapest course of action, assuming I did not want to buy an XC advance?