Can I get a refund?

Trix2

Hi there, can anyone help me with this query.

I was supposed to go to Derbyshire today from Kent, using Virgin website Advanced purchase tickets - 2 singles (not that cheap ones either). I couldn't get to London - no trains from Kent to London because of the snow. Can I claim a refund of the first fare because of the travel disruptions. I realise I can't do anything about the return part.

I only realised this morning that I couldn't claim a refund of the fares as they are non-refundable despite being only £30 less than a Saver return. :eek: Is that a new thing? I'm sure I have changed or returned advance tickets in the past.

Well - I won't do that again! Unless it is very cheap of course.:money: The difference in fares was £60 for my 2 singles or £90 for the Saver return. Not worth the restrictions.

Anyway - any help gratefully received. I can't find much on the website. Doesn't seem to cover these sort of weather events.

Thanks

Altarf

Did you have one ticket for the whole journey or two, one to London and one from London to Derbyshire?

If you had one ticket and the trains out of Kent were not running then National Rail Conditions of Carriage rule 26 comes into effect and you should get a refund -

26. Refunds on tickets which have not been used
If you decide not to use a ticket (other than a Season Ticket - see Condition 36) to make all or part of your intended journey, then:
(a) if the train you intended to use is cancelled, delayed or your reservation will not be honoured, you decide not to travel and at that time you return the unused ticket to any ticket office, the Train Company responsible for that ticket office will, if it is in a position to do so, give you an immediate full refund as shown in Condition 27

If the Virgin ticket only covered from London to Derbyshire, then it is a separate journey and unless the Virgin trains were cancelled or delayed then you would be out of luck. However the snow is causing problem on the trains north of London as well (as I can tell you from personal experience today) and Virgin seem to have their share of problems - http://www.virgintrains.co.uk/serviceupdates/default.aspx?date=02/02/2009#sa07cbd1d64048f896b3bd7a49b0bb24

Poor weather conditions affecting Virgin Trains services

Start date
02/02/2009

Last updated
02/02/2009 16:00


Route affected
All Virgin Trains services to and from London Euston


Description
Because of poor weather conditions affecting Virgin Trains services, journeys are subject to severe delays and alterations
Customers should only attempt to travel if the journey is absolutely critical, and if customers do travel there is no guarantee that a return service will be available later today, due to further heavy snow being forecast for later today
Journeys to / from London Euston may be delayed by up to 30 minutes. To ease congestion, some services may be cancelled
Ticket Easements
Virgin Trains ticket restrictions have been lifted. Customers may also use tickets dated for today (Monday) on their services tomorrow (Tuesday 3 February)

As an aside, this can be one of the downsides of splitting tickets, if you have problems on one of the split tickets.

Trix2

Thanks Altarf. I did only have one ticket so should be covered for a refund. I have tried emailing Virgin, couldn't get through on the phone, but no reply yet - not surprisingly. The bit about using the ticket tomorrow is interesting. I wonder if it will apply to my restricted ticket.

You are right about getting split tickets. I try to get all my tickets through to the destination now, because of that little problem.

Thanks again.

ticketcollector

Hope you have sucess in using your tickets today. If not it might be worth putting in a passengers charter claim. Virgin will try and wriggle out of paying the claim.
As someone else has pointed out NRCoC 26 applies if you don't travel.
Virgin are known for their poor customer service regarding ticket refunds, you will prob be passed around trainline, virgin, your toc at the start of your journey, etc.

Trix2

Hi TicketCollector, I decided not to try today, as the page detailing the easements on tickets for yesterday has disappeared from the Virgin website. Also contacting Southeastern, they say they won't honour yesterday's ticket for today and I would have to buy a new ticket down to London - and claim a 'possible' refund with the unused bit. They said to send in both tickets but I can see Southeastern wriggling out of this refund, as I would have to give in my ticket purchased today in London.

So I could end up at Euston having paid £24 more for a single and still not be able to go to Manchester - ending up having to buy another one to go back. Probably a return would be safer. I do wish there was some clarity on the websites when this sort of thing happens (and it does more often than you'd think). But I suppose that would be too easy.

This cheaper ticket could end up being loads more expensive than the normal saver one.

Oh and thanks for the info about the Sun 2for1 offer.

Regards - Trix

ticketcollector

I will still put in a claim though.

If you dont claim you'll never know if they would have paid it!.

http://virgintrains.co.uk/aboutus/passengerscharter/somethingwrong.aspx


5.2 Compensation
If your train is delayed or cancelled, or a delay or cancellation of a Virgin train causes a delay to your overall journey, you may be entitled to claim compensation.

5.3 Refunds
5.3.1 Immediate Refund:
If the train you planned to catch is delayed or cancelled and you decide not to travel, we will, where possible, give you a full refund if you return your ticket to any ticket office. Alternatively you may claim a refund by writing to our Customer Relations Manager.

Customer Relations Manager Virgin Trains
Meridian
85 Smallbrook Queensway
Birmingham B5 4HA

Telephone: 0845 000 8000
(national call rates apply)

Fax: 0121 654 7500
Textphone: 0121 654 7528
E-mail:customer.relations@virgintrains.co.uk

Trix2

That's great TicketCollector, thanks for the addresses. I was struggling to find anything useful on the Virgin website. It's a bit of a maze.

Trix2

Hi ticket collector - as predicted I haven't had any luck with reclaiming my ticket. I have been ignored by Virgin, and can't find any mention of a refund form on Trainline. Do you know if there is a pdf of a claim form I can get? Any other hints and tips would be appreciated.

Thanks

Trix2

Hi --I think i'm on a winner here. I have got a trainline reply. So hoping to sort that out soon. Any info on my other post appreciated.:j

FARE-COP

Have a look at this,

http://www.traindelays.co.uk/

You might find it helpful...no guarantees

ticketcollector

FARE-COP wrote: »

Have a look at this,

http://www.traindelays.co.uk/

You might find it helpful...no guarantees

That site is okay, when the admins finally get around to approving the user-submitted delays. Although quite regularly the delays that are submitted do not tally up with the internal motoring systems which claims are based on.