Refund advice

[gingerheid]

Hello

My parents are supposed to be flying from Scotland to England next week, and are wondering about he best fall back to have just in case.

(You'll be pleased to know they've finally seen the light and are swearing blind they'll get the train next time.)

I'm thinking that what they want is a full price off peak return, as it's not a lot dearer than the advance tickets (£115 v £102), and as if their flights are ok they can apply for a refund and only lose £10.

The Trainline information for the ticket says

REFUNDS

If you decide not to use your ticket to make all or part of your intended journey then you can apply for a refund from the My Account pages, or through Customer Support within 28 days of expiry of the ticket. Please note, the outward portion cannot be refunded if the return portion has been used. A GBP 10.00 administration fee will apply and the amount of the refund will take into account any use you have made of the ticket and in some circumstances no refund will be paid.

Does anyone know what these "some circumstances" in which "no refund will be paid" are? Is what I'm describing I want to do possible with this ticket?

 

[eddygrim]

you will get your money back any way its the law, its just trying to put you off aking for one.

 

[ainsworth74]

Also don't buy them from the Trainline, they charge booking fees and I think also charge for using certain types of card. Use a TOC website, I would personally suggest www.Eastcoast.co.uk

 

[gingerheid]

If the tickets were to be bought at a railway station, what would the refund procedure be? Would it be the 28 days thing?

Or would they have to apply before the time of the outward journey?

 

[krus_aragon]

I read those two last terms as being together. I.E., that they read:

"if you've used some of the ticket, you'll get less than the full price back. If you've used most of the ticket, there might not be anything worth refunding."

So if you buy a ticket from Cardiff to Barry Island and you get off at Cadoxton and ask for a refund on the remainder, it will be pointed out to you that a CDF-BYI ticket is the same price as a CDF-CAD.

 

[gingerheid]

Ah yeah - I see what you mean. And that could also apply to another sentance;

The Scotrail website says that if you buy a ticket off them you have to ask for the refund before the outward departure time, which wouldn't be ideal (they might not know if they're flying or not until they get to the airport.)

When do you have to do the my account tab thing on trainline? "You can apply for a refund from the My Account pages, or through Customer Support within 28 days of expiry of the ticket."

If you want to do it through the My Account tab (which seems more likely to go well and not get tied up in dealing with awkward people), when would you have to do that by. Before the departure time?

 

[Greenback]

I read those two last terms as being together. I.E., that they read:

"if you've used some of the ticket, you'll get less than the full price back. If you've used most of the ticket, there might not be anything worth refunding."

So if you buy a ticket from Cardiff to Barry Island and you get off at Cadoxton and ask for a refund on the remainder, it will be pointed out to you that a CDF-BYI ticket is the same price as a CDF-CAD.

You are correct. It is part of the sentence about par tof the ticket being used and, as such, it is warning people that making half the journey does not mean they will get half the money refunded!

You have 28 days to apply for a refund. Normally, if you decide not to travel shortly after purchasing the ticket at a station, you get an immediate and full refund. Making an application means that the refund has to be processed and you don't get the money staright away.

I'm sure someone cna provide the relevant NCoC quotes!

 

[John @ home]

I'm thinking that what they want is a full price off peak return, ... as if their flights are ok they can apply for a refund and only lose £10.

But the big advantage of Off-Peak Return tickets is that they don't need to be purchased in advance. They are not quota-controlled. You can buy them a few minutes before the train leaves. The question of a refund does not then arise.

 

[gingerheid]

I thought about that, but it's quite a long journey and would be liable to be busy if there were no flights, and they'd rather pay £20 to be sure they'd have seats if they needed them.