Ticket problem

[willas00]

Hi,

I purchased a ticket on Friday for a day return to Birmingham for Monday.

I got my ticket at the ticket office and put it in my wallet.

I've just checked the ticket and it's dated for 4th feb! The day I bought it!

The ticket looks a bit tatty as it's been in my wallet but it's not been used, will I be able to go to the station tomorrow and get it changed for the correct date?

 

[Flamingo]

£10 surcharge usually, I'm not sure of you can do it at a booking office or have to post it off, depends on which TOC I think.

 

[willas00]

TOC is FGW

 

[yorkie]

Good luck - you'll need it!

Were you at the station for another journey on Friday and thought you'd get a ticket for future travel while you were there?

I wouldn't normally consider getting a walk-on ticket in advance, unless I wanted PlusBus. But if I did, I think I'd check the date.

I think you'll be unlikely to get the £10 admin fee waived.

 

[willas00]

I was at the station meeting someone so thought to save time I'll get my ticket now, never had a problem before so just put it in my wallet without checking.

Just got the ticket out to put into a ticket wallet with my rail card to see the date is incorrect! Eek!

 

[BestWestern]

Hi,

You don't mention exact destinations but if it's a barrier station it would be clear that you hadn't used it, or else you wouldn't have it (assuming barriers were operating of course!). Mention that you asked for a specific date as you suggest from your post that it was a booboo on the part of the clerk so as long as you're not too aggrieved about it they might cut you a bit of slack. No promises, of course....!!

Best of luck

 

[willas00]

It's from Cheltenham to Birmingham no ticket barriers at Cheltenham but of course there is staff at New Street normally any Birmingham tickets get taken from me if I leave at New Street.

Yes I got it from the ticket window so it was just a genuine error on the part of the ticket office clerk.

 

[theblackwatch]

I see that you made the same journey on Friday. Presumably you had a different ticket for that day which you could show to prove you had no need for for 2 tickets on the same day?

 

[Flamingo]

Unless you can give a good argument (involving sick children or puppies), you're down £10. CoC specifically say

D. YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
21. Buying tickets
As soon as you can, you should check that the details shown on the ticket are
consistent with the journey you intend to make and that you have received the
correct change. If you think a mistake has been made you should tell the person who sold
you the ticke

FGW site says

Refunds
Refunds on train tickets are dependant on the type of ticket that has been bought. If you have a ticket that has not been used please contact the Train Company that is responsible for the ticket office where it was bought, or the telesales service or website.
An administration fee may apply and in some circumstances, non-refundable tickets may be applicable for refunds.

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=35

 

[willas00]

Yes that's correct, I had purchased tickets to go to new street on Friday then purchased when I got back into Cheltenham ready for Monday to travel again.

 

[theblackwatch]

I think if you take all the tickets with you then and explain what happened in full, you have more of a chance.

 

[Flamingo]

Give it a go, if you can see the same clerk there might be more of a chance.

 

[willas00]

Thanks for the advice, I'll take the tickets along tomorrow and see what happens

 

[theblackwatch]

Thanks for the advice, I'll take the tickets along tomorrow and see what happens

Do come back and let us know how you got on.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Take the tickets back and explain, most clerks will waive the admin if the clerk was at fault, but you may have to claim as a refund and pay again. They can't non-issue tickets from another day.

 

[willas00]

I couldn't find my other tickets from Friday so I seen how it would look me going along having done the journey on the Friday with a different set of tickets.

It was my own fault and I should of checked them first so I decided to purchase another ticket (To go to Rugby instead).

 

[londonbridge]

On the subject of checking tickets etc to make sure they have been issued correctly,I make a point of checking my PAYG receipt when I top up after I was stung for £9. This happened about three years ago before PAYG was available on National Rail.

Got the bus into work,at lunchtime went to the newsagent and asked to top up my card with £10,and at the same time bought a one day travelcard,which I used to go from work straight into central London for the evening and then back home. Went to work next day,when I went to get the bus home again my card showed 'not enough money'! Asked the driver to check my usage,which revealed the newsagent had only added £1 to my card! Got home,dug the receipt out of the bin and saw that it did indeed say only £1. I admit that I hadn't checked it at the time of purchase.

Went back to the newsagent the next day with the receipt-remember this was now two days after my purchase-explained what had happened and asked for £9 to be added to my card. He refused,saying there was no way to check my story against the machine records,and that I should have checked the receipt at the time,adding that if a mistake is made in an Oyster transaction,the customer only has one hour to challenge and correct it! Told him I was ringing Tfl and threatened him with the police. Both Tfl and the police said there was nothing they could do and it was between me and the newsagent. So I was basically done out of £9-needless to say that newsagent has never had my custom since.

 

[34D]

On the subject of checking tickets etc to make sure they have been issued correctly,I make a point of checking my PAYG receipt when I top up after I was stung for £9. This happened about three years ago before PAYG was available on National Rail.

Got the bus into work,at lunchtime went to the newsagent and asked to top up my card with £10,and at the same time bought a one day travelcard,which I used to go from work straight into central London for the evening and then back home. Went to work next day,when I went to get the bus home again my card showed 'not enough money'! Asked the driver to check my usage,which revealed the newsagent had only added £1 to my card! Got home,dug the receipt out of the bin and saw that it did indeed say only £1. I admit that I hadn't checked it at the time of purchase.

Went back to the newsagent the next day with the receipt-remember this was now two days after my purchase-explained what had happened and asked for £9 to be added to my card. He refused,saying there was no way to check my story against the machine records,and that I should have checked the receipt at the time,adding that if a mistake is made in an Oyster transaction,the customer only has one hour to challenge and correct it! Told him I was ringing Tfl and threatened him with the police. Both Tfl and the police said there was nothing they could do and it was between me and the newsagent. So I was basically done out of £9-needless to say that newsagent has never had my custom since.

This wass quite a common for the newsagents.

Re the original question, did you buy either/both tickets with a debit/credit card?

Your unused ticket - was this purchased at (say) teatime but an 'anytime' ticket? If so that should show that you wouldn't possibly have asked for an anytime ticket at 5pm.

Of course, the fact that you can't now find your Friday ticket may look as though you were lucky enough not to get gripped on Friday and are just trying it on - but if you can prove two transactions.....

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Did you pay cash for the £10 top up that was only £1?

Because if you used your plastic, it'll be on the bank statement. Then you'll have your proof of the fraud...

 

[londonbridge]

No,I paid by cash. Anyway,as I said this incident took place nearly three years ago,I just mentioned it to illustrate the importance of checking tickets and/or receipts. Whether it was deliberate or a genuine mistake,I still ended up losing nine quid.

 

[Eric]

Something like this happend to me last year.

I went to the self service machine at Bradford Interchange and paid the £19.10 for a return to Hull.

The tickets (or so I thought) came out of the printer and down as did my 90p change and I very hastily scooped the two tickets and change up, put them in my wallet and ran for the Leeds train on platform three as this was ready to depart and was already 10 minutes late.

The conductor came and asked for my ticket and so sat there in my seat I open my wallet and to my horror I had a Hull - Bradford return and a Rochdale - Bradford return ticket.

The only conclusion I can come to is that someone before me had paid for a Bradford - Rochdale return and they had left the return portion of the ticket in the machine.

With me then picking up the return Hull - Bradford and Rochdale - Bradford tickets, while leaving my Bradford - Hull ticket in the machine.

Luckily I showed the conductor both and the time that both we're printed was 11:51 (for the Rochdale - Bradford) and 11:52 (for my Hull - Bradford) and after due consideration he accepted my story and told me to explain the above to the conductor on the Leeds - Hull train.

I've always wondered who that person was whose been oblivious to the fact that they've left there return Rochdale - Bradford ticket in the machine and likewise someone has then been able to pick up my Bradford - Hull out ticket and have a free trip to Hull.

 

[asylumxl]

If you have your receipt and go to the issuing station, I believe they can check the transaction and get the ticket numbers from it, which will show the ticket was wrongly issued.

 

[class377man]

Something similar happened to me last year. I had a Southern DaySave that I used to travel to Milton Keynes and had pre-purchased an additional ticket to use on LM from there to Northampton at my local Southern station before I left. Unfortunately, the ticket clerk sold me a ticket for three days in the future! (I forget the exact dates).

I spoke to the guard on the Southern service who advised me to just explain what happened if I was confronted by LM staff. This didn't quite sit right with me because I've heard the horror stories of unsympathetic guards! Thankfully there was no ticket check between MKC and NMP and the member of staff on the barrier at NMP was so pre-occupied in chatting to his mate that I'm sure I would have got past had I waved anything vaguely orange at him.

I certainly check any tickets I buy before I get too far now.