Ticket refund

[jammity87]

I had a zone 1-6 travel card with a boundary zone 6 single to Gillingham, i arrived at Charing Cross station for the last train to Gillingham however i was told the train only went to Slade Green and i had missed the last Gillingham train.

However it now turns out that the train did indeed terminate at Slade Green but there was a bus from SG to Gill. So i was wondering am i entitled to a refund for my unused ticket (the boundary zone 6 to Gillingham) because i was told the wrong information by southeastern staff.

 

[yorkie]

If you were told incorrect information then I'd have thought so. I guess the ticket office at Charing Cross was closed at the time you were there?

What did you do then, stay in London?

 

[jammity87]

Luckily i was able to stay at a friends, how do i go about claiming this money back. Looking through the southeastern website its hard to find out what to do.

 

[glynn80]

I had a zone 1-6 travel card with a boundary zone 6 single to Gillingham, i arrived at Charing Cross station for the last train to Gillingham however i was told the train only went to Slade Green and i had missed the last Gillingham train.

However it now turns out that the train did indeed terminate at Slade Green but there was a bus from SG to Gill. So i was wondering am i entitled to a refund for my unused ticket (the boundary zone 6 to Gillingham) because i was told the wrong information by southeastern staff.

I suppose technically they did tell you the correct information in that the train did only go to Slade Green and that the last Gillingham train had already departed. Your issue is that they failed to give you the full picture by failing to mention the Rail Replacement Bus from Slade Green to Gillingham.

All of the above however is an irrelevance because unused tickets can be submitted for refund regardless. The FRPP states the following on the issue (the information below is not in its entirety as information further on within the FRPP has been redacted to prevent fraudulent use):

Time limit on applications for refunds

The National Rail Conditions of Carriage (Condition 26) states that applications for refunds must be made within 28 days of the ticket’s expiry date at any Train Company’s ticket office.

Refund Application

After taking the Customer’s details, journey and appropriate refund details, ensure that the customer checks and signs the printed refund application. A copy of the printed document or a station receipt with the refund details should be given to the customer.

So basically as long as it has been less than 28 days since the ticket's expiry date, you can take the ticket back to any ticket office (they will forward this onto the relevant TOC for processing) and fill out a Refund Claim form.

The sting in the tail is that there is an administration fee that is charged by TOCs when processing refunds and these range from £5.00 to £10.00:

Refund administration fee

£10·00

• Arriva Trains Wales
• c2c
• East Midlands Trains
• First Capital Connect
• First Great Western
• First Hull Trains
• First ScotRail
• London Midland
• London Overground
• Merseyrail
• National Express East Coast
• Southeastern
• Southern
• South West Trains

£5·00

• All other TOCs

I am assuming that you purchased the ticket from either Southern/Southeastern ticket office (who charge £10.00 administration fee) and therefore you will be entitled to no refund since the SDS from Boundary Zone 6 to Gillingham is £6.40.

 

[yorkie]

I am not sure he can be entitled to no refund if staff are denying that there was a connection when, in fact, there was.

The problem is that if the passenger turned up after the last train had left then, as you say that's just tough and the admin fee applies.

jammity87 - did you randomly turn up at the station hoping there was a connection, or had you checked the timetables that there was such a connection and turned up in time for it?

If the latter, then I would have argued the case with the staff a bit more!

If the former, then that is very risky!

 

[glynn80]

I am not sure he can be entitled to no refund if staff are denying that there was a connection when, in fact, there was.

Did they deny there was a connection?

jammity87 - did you randomly turn up at the station hoping there was a connection, or had you checked the timetables that there was such a connection and turned up in time for it?

If the latter, then I would have argued the case with the staff a bit more!

If the former, then that is very risky!

Agreed and for £6.40 it is hardly worth fighting!

 

[jammity87]

I knew the last train leaves CX at 00:14 so i turned up on time, the person didnt say anything about a connecting train just that there was no further trains to Gillingham.

But it is £7 worth fighting for if the staff are very ill informed that they palm customers off with false information.

 

[yorkie]

Yes I agree. send a letter to Customer Services and enclose the ticket (keep a scan/photocopy)