Rights when cancelling train tickets?

nottRobin

I bought train tickets on eastmidlandstrains.co.uk, but after I'd bought them I realised I'd accidentally bought them for the 18th rather than the 19th of December.

I called them up about 10 minutes after buying the ticket to ask them to refund me or change the tickets, but they told me they can't do either, all the can do is refund me some of it (about 40%) once I've booked another ticket.

Does anyone know if I have any legal rights here? Do train tickets count as normal online good where I'm entitled to a refund within 7 days? Or are there other laws whereby if I just made a mistake on their website, they are obliged to refund me or change my booking? Because obviously if the interface had made it more clear which day I was buying the ticket for I might not have made the mistake...

Thanks,
Robin.

lucylucky

I think you will have to bear the cost of changing the date, unless you can in anyway prove negligence on the part of the train company.

Your mistake, you pay.

Sorry

dmg24

nottRobin wrote: »

Because obviously if the interface had made it more clear which day I was buying the ticket for I might not have made the mistake...

The date is listed on every page through the booking process - how is this not clear?

mjm3346

nottRobin wrote: »

Because obviously if the interface had made it more clear which day I was buying the ticket for I might not have made the mistake...

Don't see how it could be considered unclear, you select the date you want to travel then the date you have chosen shows on several screens before you confirm the purchase.

A service not goods, no right to a refund unless the type of ticket you were after allows it.

DCFC79

Im sure you were asked to check the dates before paying in which case i dont think you have a leg to stand on and will have to bear the cost of the error

just checked and the last screen before payment details the journey eg time and date so you cant really say its down to the interface,

put it down to user error meself

DCFC79

nottRobin wrote: »

I bought train tickets on eastmidlandstrains.co.uk, but after I'd bought them I realised I'd accidentally bought them for the 18th rather than the 19th of December.

I called them up about 10 minutes after buying the ticket to ask them to refund me or change the tickets, but they told me they can't do either, all the can do is refund me some of it (about 40%) once I've booked another ticket.

Does anyone know if I have any legal rights here? Do train tickets count as normal online good where I'm entitled to a refund within 7 days? Or are there other laws whereby if I just made a mistake on their website, they are obliged to refund me or change my booking? Because obviously if the interface had made it more clear which day I was buying the ticket for I might not have made the mistake...

Thanks,
Robin.

just for reference

wealdroam

nottRobin wrote: »

Does anyone know if I have any legal rights here? Do train tickets count as normal online good where I'm entitled to a refund within 7 days?

You are thinking about the Distance Selling Regulations.

But paragraph 2.20 on page 9 says (amongst other things)...

The requirements to provide pre-contractual information, written and additional information, the right to cancel and the obligation on the supplier to carry out the contract within a maximum of 30 days do not apply to the following types of contract.

... Contracts to provide accommodation, transport, catering or leisure services (for example hotel accommodation; plane, train, or concert tickets; car hire or sporting events) where you agree to provide the service on a specific date or within a specific period.

nottRobin

Okay thanks guys. I guess that's pretty conclusive.

Just to clarify - it's not that I think the website is inadequate, and I know that it was my own stupid fault, I just thought there might be a law stating that if you buy or book anything online and then try to amend the order within 24 hours or something they had to honour it because of the *possibility* of their interface being at fault. But it doesn't look like such a law exists.

Thanks again.

dmg24

nottRobin wrote: »

Just to clarify - it's not that I think the website is inadequate, and I know that it was my own stupid fault, I just thought there might be a law stating that if you buy or book anything online and then try to amend the order within 24 hours or something they had to honour it because of the *possibility* of their interface being at fault. But it doesn't look like such a law exists.

That wasn't what you said in your first post though, was it?

nottRobin wrote: »

Because obviously if the interface had made it more clear which day I was buying the ticket for I might not have made the mistake...