Difficulty obtaining refunds/Customer Service from LNR (West Midlands Trains)

[ruraltraveller]

Hi All,

I fairly regularly travel from NMP to EUS (with a tube journey), except a few weeks ago I was ill so couldn't travel - put through a refund on the app and it said that as I haven't collected by tickets from the machine it would automatically process a refund.

Lo and behold I got an email from LNR stating that I had to collect my ticket in order to post it back to them - of course, as the journey is now in the past I can't collect my ticket from the machine.

I've had this a few times before with LNR, and while the refund is hardly worth the time and energy, I find the principle and their pretty terrible customer service highly annoying.

On each previous occasion, and this one, I've had to raise it via their customer service team - of course, their team advise that it can take 20 working days for a reply, and inevitably they always respond on the very last day.

Last time around it took literal months to get the refund and in the end, I raised it as a complaint which received a very prompt reply, a nice apology and an even nicer complimentary set of two unlimited travel passes with LNR which I can only presume cost an arm and leg.

Anyway, it feels good to rant.

 

[Bletchleyite]

of course, as the journey is now in the past I can't collect my ticket from the machine

Fairly sure you still can - have you tried? It is a bit silly though!

 

[ruraltraveller]

Fairly sure you still can - have you tried? It is a bit silly though!

I tried with a previous booking some time ago and I'm pretty sure that it couldn't find the booking - must admit I haven't tried with the recent journey I mentioned.

To be honest, I balk slightly at having to pay the postage and get a stamp to post the tickets back to them, though maybe it would get me a quicker refund!

 

[signed]

I balk slightly at having to pay the postage and get a stamp to post the tickets back to them

Unless you got a different address, at least all the LNR addresses publically stated on their website are freepost

 

[Wallsendmag]

You should have a month at least after the travel date to collect the ticket

 

[ruraltraveller]

Unless you got a different address, at least all the LNR addresses publically stated on their website are freepost

This is the address listed to send the tickets to, it doesn’t state it’s a free post address:

PO Box 23972

Edinburgh

EH3 5DA

In fact, the LNR email rather cheekily suggests sending it Signed For with Royal Mail.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Dec 2025 ==

You should have a month at least after the travel date to collect the ticket

Thank you, I may have to do this - despite their website stating that if the tickets are uncollected then the refund should be automatically processed.

 

[AdamWW]

Thank you, I may have to do this - despite their website stating that if the tickets are uncollected then the refund should be automatically processed.

I'm pretty sure I've seen this used as a justification for punishing people who fail to collect their ticket and attempt to travel using the confirmation email.

 

[OscarH]

Making you print the tickets and post them when they're uncollected is insanity. It's a vast cost in person time and physical money for both parties for no gain to anyone

 

[ruraltraveller]

Making you print the tickets and post them when they're uncollected is insanity. It's a vast cost in person time and physical money for both parties for no gain to anyone

It is indeed, which I won’t be doing.

 

[Kite159]

I'm pretty sure I've seen this used as a justification for punishing people who fail to collect their ticket and attempt to travel using the confirmation email.

Isn't it Trainline which will automatically refund uncollected tickets (maybe less a small fee)?

Pretty sure one of the TOCs offered something similar (something rainy day), maybe Southern.

---

But I agree with other posters, if you haven't collected the tickets, the retailer (I presume in this case it's LNR) can see they haven't been collected so isn't it too hard to cancel the TOD reference and give a refund, rather than playing games with getting you to collect the tickets and then send them via snail mail for them to 'get lost' in the system.

 

[ruraltraveller]

Isn't it Trainline which will automatically refund uncollected tickets (maybe less a small fee)?

Pretty sure one of the TOCs offered something similar (something rainy day), maybe Southern.

---

But I agree with other posters, if you haven't collected the tickets, the retailer (I presume in this case it's LNR) can see they haven't been collected so isn't it too hard to cancel the TOD reference and give a refund, rather than playing games with getting you to collect the tickets and then send them via snail mail for them to 'get lost' in the system.

LNR also state that uncollected tickets should be refunded, but I’ve never had it happen.

As for it being easy for them to process the refund, I checked and last time it took me 4 months from first email to refund received - mainly due to very long response times, LNR saying that they had processed the refund but they hadn’t etc. in the end I had to log it as a complaint as I said in the opening post.

 

[signed]

This is the address listed to send the tickets to, it doesn’t state it’s a free post address:

PO Box 23972

Edinburgh

EH3 5DA

In fact, the LNR email rather cheekily suggests sending it Signed For with Royal Mail

Unfortunate, but that makes sense

 

[gray1404]

I would definitely use a different retailer moving forward who has a smoother refunds process

 

[Bletchleyite]

I would definitely use a different retailer moving forward who has a smoother refunds process

I wouldn't bother buying walk up tickets only fulfillable on paper for unreservable services on an app at all. It's no slower just buying rather than collecting them at the TVM and nothing is gained by buying them in advance. Whereas if you decide not to travel there's nothing to refund, you haven't paid it.

 

[yorkie]

I would definitely use a different retailer moving forward who has a smoother refunds process

Agreed; perhaps the forum site could be considered.

I wouldn't bother buying walk up tickets only fulfillable on paper for unreservable services on an app at all. It's no slower just buying rather than collecting them at the TVM and nothing is gained by buying them in advance.

In such circumstances, yes, that is generally true.

There may be times when an itinerary may be useful (though that can typically be generated immediately prior to travel), or if you are certain you want to travel and wish to solidify an entitlement to delay compensation, but as a general principle, I agree.

 

[AdamWW]

There may be times when an itinerary may be useful (though that can typically be generated immediately prior to travel), or if you are certain you want to travel and wish to solidify an entitlement to delay compensation

Or attempt to enforce your right to alternative transport rather than being told to go home and try another day.

 

[Alex-B]

This is the address listed to send the tickets to, it doesn’t state it’s a free post address:

PO Box 23972

Edinburgh

EH3 5DA

In fact, the LNR email rather cheekily suggests sending it Signed For with Royal Mail.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Dec 2025 ==


Thank you, I may have to do this - despite their website stating that if the tickets are uncollected then the refund should be automatically processed.

That address is for Trainline. I'm guessing LNR use Trainline for their web and app bookings, so the contact you've had with LNR may have been Trainline acting on their behalf until you submitted a complaint.

 

[ruraltraveller]

That address is for Trainline. I'm guessing LNR use Trainline for their web and app bookings, so the contact you've had with LNR may have been Trainline acting on their behalf until you submitted a complaint.

Interesting, didn't realise that, they must do some processing for them.

For those interested, I have emailed LNR twice about this refund and I'm still yet to receive even an acknowledgement.

Looks like a complaint will be incoming. Such a pointless waste of everyone's time.