Waiting for railcard

[faddy]

My wife and I are traveling in a week's time (a week that contains two bank holidays) and my Disabled Railcard (which can be renewed online but not at a station) has expired. I'd like to buy discounted Advances in the next day or two and would need the railcard by date of travel.

It seems to me that I may have three options:

1) Get the railcard renewed as a digital card - not keen on being reliant on my phone remaining charged so probably won't do this.

2) Pay £6.50 for Special Delivery to ensure that it arrives in time. This is probably what I'll do.

3) The reason for this post is that I'm pondering the option of trusting to free (Second Class post) delivery, but if it hasn't arrived in time buy full price tickets on departure then use the "forgot my railcard" procedure to reclaim their cost (a white lie as I wouldn't have forgotten it, I just wouldn't have received it, but crucially it would have been issued). Is the reclaim procedure straightforward and reliable? Would I need to provide anything other than my original (discounted) and replacement (full price) tickets and a scan of my railcard? Could I buy the replacement tickets at the (Northern) ticket office or would I have to buy them onboard the (Virgin WC) train? Who would I be reclaiming from - the seller of the original tickets, the seller of the replacement tickets or the company we were traveling with (if all three different)? The cost of the replacement full price tickets would be around £170 for the two of us, so if there's a significant risk of this plan not working I'll stick with option 2)!

 

[gray1404]

I would renew the railcard online today and pay for special delivery. Assuming the you would save more then £6.50 in getting railcard discounted tickets.

 

[Hadders]

I think Special Delivery is the way to go. Bear in mind that normal post is really busy at this time of year and combined with no postal service Christmas Day and Boxing Day and 2nd class post having a target of delivery on the 3rd working day and you're leaving things very tight.

 

[najaB]

Is the reclaim procedure straightforward and reliable? Would I need to provide anything other than my original (discounted) and replacement (full price) tickets and a scan of my railcard? Could I buy the replacement tickets at the (Northern) ticket office or would I have to buy them onboard the (Virgin WC) train? Who would I be reclaiming from - the seller of the original tickets, the seller of the replacement tickets or the company we were traveling with (if all three different)?

As others have already said, Option 2 makes the most sense, but to answer your questions:

• It has been to date.
• No.
• Either would be fine. You would be best served by showing the expired Railcard and explaining the situation at the station, they may endorse the tickets to allow you to travel rather than selling you new tickets.
• Seller of the replacement tickets.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Why would you buy new tickets and not just pay the X/S on the originals?

 

[najaB]

Why would you buy new tickets and not just pay the X/S on the originals?

Because thats the stabdard procedure with most TOCs. There is some debate over if it's possible to excess away a Railcard discount.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Because thats the stabdard procedure with most TOCs. There is some debate over if it's possible to excess away a Railcard discount.

No debate at LNER stations in the words of a famous sportsware company they "Just do it"

 

[najaB]

No debate at LNER stations in the words of a famous sportsware company they "Just do it"

Unfortunately, others have reported different experiences.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Unfortunately, others have reported different experiences.

At other TOCs?

 

[najaB]

At other TOCs?

Yup. It certainly was the stated process with at least a couple of TOCs in the past - XC and SWT come to mind.

 

[faddy]

As others have already said, Option 2 makes the most sense, but to answer your questions:

• It has been to date.
• No.
• Either would be fine. You would be best served by showing the expired Railcard and explaining the situation at the station, they may endorse the tickets to allow you to travel rather than selling you new tickets.
• Seller of the replacement tickets.

Thanks for the detailed reply, overtaken by events as replacement card is on its way by Special Delivery. I had thought I might just buy full price tickets at ticket office with no explanation therefore necessary. I'd already binned my expired card.

Out of academic interest as I hope not to forget my railcard, is the "once per year" thing enforced centrally through the railcard issuer or is it in practice once per year per train company? And is it once per calendar year, once per twelve month period from card issue, or simply "after one refund, no more for twelve months"?

 

[LowLevel]

No debate at LNER stations in the words of a famous sportsware company they "Just do it"

We used to be able to do it on Avantix though it was in our training manual not to. The ability has been removed from us on board trains with Envoy - it's not possible to excess a railcard discount away. I suppose it's to stop people chancing it on board. Our STAR machines still do it at the clerk's discretion though from what I've seen - to be fair if you're going to the window in advance you're probably honest rather than a chancer so I have no issue with that.