Minor complaint about FGW

[Ivo]

I was bored on Thursday, so I went down to Taunton for the evening. I bought a return from Bristol TM (I used the bus from here to BRI). Shortly before reaching Taunton, I realised that (owing to the time) it would be best if I bought an excess fare for the return between Bristol and Bath [which I have done before now]. But...

[1] When I got to Taunton, the Ticket Office was closed. Should close at 20:00, currently closing at 19:00 (with no explanation at the station).
[2] The conductor on my next train (which I used to Weston-s-M only) told me to buy the ticket on the HST from WsM.
[3] WsM office was also closed (it was 21:00 by now).
[4] I boarded the HST, but there was no sign of the Train Manager, or of any conductor. I asked the buffet guy, and he said to wait until Temple Meads, where we had a 22 minute wait (or would have if we weren't running seven minutes late).
[5] I tried at Temple Meads, and the Train Manager said, "I should have done it at Taunton".

Buy an Excess Fare at Taunton? After the Ticket Office is closed? Huh? And if I tried at Bristol, not only was the Office closed (it closes at 21:30), and I also risked getting back too late (however unlikely). So then the train leaves BRI, with me now "ticketless" through no fault of my own. The Train Manager finally comes along - and bear in mind I was literally three seconds walk from his door in Coach A - and insists that he has to sell me a full price ticket. Is this really fair? Did I not have a case for simply buying the cheaper Excess Fare? As if that wasn't bad enough, he didn't even conduct a ticket check, so if I hadn't mentioned it I wouldn't have had to pay at all.

 

[43167]

I was bored on Thursday, so I went down to Taunton for the evening. I bought a return from Bristol TM (I used the bus from here to BRI). Shortly before reaching Taunton, I realised that (owing to the time) it would be best if I bought an excess fare for the return between Bristol and Bath [which I have done before now]. But...

[1] When I got to Taunton, the Ticket Office was closed. Should close at 20:00, currently closing at 19:00 (with no explanation at the station).
[2] The conductor on my next train (which I used to Weston-s-M only) told me to buy the ticket on the HST from WsM.
[3] WsM office was also closed (it was 21:00 by now).
[4] I boarded the HST, but there was no sign of the Train Manager, or of any conductor. I asked the buffet guy, and he said to wait until Temple Meads, where we had a 22 minute wait (or would have if we weren't running seven minutes late).
[5] I tried at Temple Meads, and the Train Manager said, "I should have done it at Taunton".

Buy an Excess Fare at Taunton? After the Ticket Office is closed? Huh? And if I tried at Bristol, not only was the Office closed (it closes at 21:30), and I also risked getting back too late (however unlikely). So then the train leaves BRI, with me now "ticketless" through no fault of my own. The Train Manager finally comes along - and bear in mind I was literally three seconds walk from his door in Coach A - and insists that he has to sell me a full price ticket. Is this really fair? Did I not have a case for simply buying the cheaper Excess Fare? As if that wasn't bad enough, he didn't even conduct a ticket check, so if I hadn't mentioned it I wouldn't have had to pay at all.

The conducter was wrong. If the ticket office is closed then he has to offer the full range of tickets. Stupid comment by him: should have done it at Taunton. How could you when it clearly wasnt possible. As you were already on the train, with a valid ticket it shouldn't have been a problem.

I once got an excess on the train from New Street to Bristol without any problem. I was going to Birmingham, but changed my mind en-route asked him if I could have a another ticket and it was issued.

 

[sonic2009]

I was bored on Thursday, so I went down to Taunton for the evening. I bought a return from Bristol TM (I used the bus from here to BRI). Shortly before reaching Taunton, I realised that (owing to the time) it would be best if I bought an excess fare for the return between Bristol and Bath [which I have done before now]. But...

[1] When I got to Taunton, the Ticket Office was closed. Should close at 20:00, currently closing at 19:00 (with no explanation at the station).
[2] The conductor on my next train (which I used to Weston-s-M only) told me to buy the ticket on the HST from WsM.
[3] WsM office was also closed (it was 21:00 by now).
[4] I boarded the HST, but there was no sign of the Train Manager, or of any conductor. I asked the buffet guy, and he said to wait until Temple Meads, where we had a 22 minute wait (or would have if we weren't running seven minutes late).
[5] I tried at Temple Meads, and the Train Manager said, "I should have done it at Taunton".

Buy an Excess Fare at Taunton? After the Ticket Office is closed? Huh? And if I tried at Bristol, not only was the Office closed (it closes at 21:30), and I also risked getting back too late (however unlikely). So then the train leaves BRI, with me now "ticketless" through no fault of my own. The Train Manager finally comes along - and bear in mind I was literally three seconds walk from his door in Coach A - and insists that he has to sell me a full price ticket. Is this really fair? Did I not have a case for simply buying the cheaper Excess Fare? As if that wasn't bad enough, he didn't even conduct a ticket check, so if I hadn't mentioned it I wouldn't have had to pay at all.

thats' wrong. he should of given you an excess, because you've explained yourself, not your fault ticket office is closed, and you cant do excess on ticket machine's at the station, there are some fgw guards that do this, and sell you full price ticket, guard was probs on commision!

i'd right to fgw and complain about this and explain what you have explained here.

 

[Greenback]

You should contact FGW, but the National Rail Enquiries website shows Taunton ticket office closes at 1900. But that actually helps your argument, as FGW should therefore know there's no chance of you obtaining an XS there in the evening!