Extortionate Peak Fares?

Emx

Hi, I'm quite new to this site, but it seems fascinating and full of so much useful advice.
Anyway, I had a situation with a train fare the other day, and I'd like to complain. I've written most of the letter, but am unsure if I can ask for any form of compensation/goodwill gesture, or how I should finish it off. Or even if it is grounds to complain.
I think the letter pretty much covers the situation, so any comments are more than welcome

I am writing to you today in complaint about a train fare I had to purchase on Monday 17th January. I was travelling from Felixstowe to Norwich, which would normally cost me £14.30. However, I was unfortunate enough to take the 7.48am train from Felixstowe, which at the time I did not realise was a peak train. Due to this one leg of my return journey being peak, my tickets increased substantially by £5.70 each to a full £20 each (on this occasion I was travelling with a friend for whom I also paid the same fare).
I feel that this increase of £5.70 is almost extortionate, as it is not possible to take any other peak trains throughout the day at any other leg of the outward or return journey. It seems to me that I paid an extra £5.70 just for the privilege of the peak Felixstowe-Ipswich train, when the return for that journey by itself only increases by 50 pence. I realise that I did take a peak train, but as there are no other peak trains available after that one I can’t understand the justification of the £5.70 increase. I would have expected the increase of 50p as with the other return, but not more than eleven times that amount.
I would also like to point out that although the 7.48am Felixstowe-Ipswich is a peak train, there are not even any additional carriages to accommodate the increase in passengers and as such many people have to stand for the journey.

Jeff_Bridges_hair

What are you hoping to achieve? Unfortunately the higher peak fares are there for a reason and as you travelled on a peak time train then you would have to pay the peak time price if you did not have the right ticket.

given that you were travelling on NXEA who operate the penalty fare scheme you were lucky they didnt just give you the PF to be honest - they have a bit of a rep for it.

you can finish off your letter how you want but the people were nice enough to just excess charge you and not PF.

Emx

Thanks for the reply
The station I travelled from (Felixstowe) isn't a penalty fare station as it isn't staffed. Everyone who takes that train buys their ticket on the train.
I don't think I explained very well.
I just don't get how the increase on Peak, Felixstowe - Ipswich is 50p, but to go all the way to Norwich (where there are no more peak trains at any stages of the journey anytime during the day, outward or return) the peak increase is nearly £6.
It would have been cheaper for me to buy a peak single Felixstowe - Ipswich and then buy the standard return to Norwich from there.

Does that explain it better?

Edit: The £20 wasn't an excess charge or PF, it just happened to be a nice round amount.

dzug1

Emx wrote: »

It would have been cheaper for me to buy a peak single Felixstowe - Ipswich and then buy the standard return to Norwich from there.

Does that explain it better?

Then why didn't you?

If you didn't know bear it in mind for next time.


I really think a complaiint is 101% pointless

Livingthedream

Peak fare are due to Supply and demand, lots of people needs to travel to work at these time and the train companies know this and charge you for the privilege. It also serves to do two other things, make people think about perhaps travelling that little bit later therefore getting a cheaper Off peak ticket and to try and stop train overcrowding (not very well).

Good luck with your complain, you will need it.

Emx

I completely understand peak fares. I'm not debating that I had to pay extra as such.

I also realised I failed to mention that it's not a direct journey Felixstowe - Norwich. There's a mandatory change-over at Ipswich.

I just don't think it's fair that my peak increase was £5.70 when for everyone doing just that stage of the journey it is only 50p. The Ipswich - Norwich train wasn't peak no matter which one I took once I arrived at Ipswich, and there are no peak trains available anyway on the return journey. I could not physically travel on any more peak trains that day. That is why I think £5.70 is unfair and why I wanted to complain. I could understand if I was paying for the option of taking other peak trains, but there weren't any to take.

wealdroam

Emx wrote: »

I just don't think it's fair that my peak increase was £5.70 when for everyone doing just that stage of the journey it is only 50p. The Ipswich - Norwich train wasn't peak no matter which one I took once I arrived at Ipswich, and there are no peak trains available anyway on the return journey. I could not physically travel on any more peak trains that day. That is why I think £5.70 is unfair and why I wanted to complain. I could understand if I was paying for the option of taking other peak trains, but there weren't any to take.

Looks like you bought the wrong ticket, doesn't it?

As Dzug said, why did you not buy an Anytime Day Return from Felixstowe to Ipswich at £4.60, and an Off Peak Day Return from Ipswich to Norwich at £14.30?

That would've saved you a whole £1.10, wouldn't it?

The alternative was to wait for the next train from Felixstowe when you could've bought an Off Peak Ticket on the train.

cos_2

I see what you're saying and completely agree that it's a bonkers set up. Go ahead with your letter asking them to explain their logic and please post any response back. I'm keen to know what they'll say!

P.S. I'm not sure why other respondents are trying to get you to understand why peak fares exist (which you do), or are telling you you should have done something different(which you can't)! Kind of missing the point, I'm afraid ...

Emx

Off peak Felixstowe - Norwich is £14.30
Off peak Ipswich - Norwich is £14.30
Peak Felixstowe - Ipswich is £5.10
Off peak Felixstowe - Ipswich is £4.60
I still would have been paying £5 more than anyone else doing that leg of the journey when they were only charged an extra 50 pence.

Am I really sounding that unreasonable?

And on this occasion I couldn't wait for a later train as I had somewhere to be at a certain time. Not to mention they've changed the Felixstowe-Ipswich train times which makes it much more inconvenient for everyone (but that's a different complaint). I did expect to be charged peak, but I don't understand why that particular journey has such a large increase. It seems I'm viewing this whole matter wrong however.

Jeff_Bridges_hair

Emx wrote: »

Off peak Felixstowe - Norwich is £14.30
Off peak Ipswich - Norwich is £14.30
Peak Felixstowe - Ipswich is £5.10
Off peak Felixstowe - Ipswich is £4.60
I still would have been paying £5 more than anyone else doing that leg of the journey when they were only charged an extra 50 pence.

Am I really sounding that unreasonable?

And on this occasion I couldn't wait for a later train as I had somewhere to be at a certain time. Not to mention they've changed the Felixstowe-Ipswich train times which makes it much more inconvenient for everyone (but that's a different complaint). I did expect to be charged peak, but I don't understand why that particular journey has such a large increase. It seems I'm viewing this whole matter wrong however.

It doesnt matter what the peak fares are for any other journey so stop try ing to compare them and justify them.

You had a ticket from point A to point B. you had the wrong fare so had to excess the fare up for your whole journey from point A to point B.

anything else is irrelevant to your case and you ended to realise what others have said about why peak trains exist. You wont win with any sort of letter so just take it on the chin and move on.

Incyder

Its not worth the headache complaining for a fiver.

This is life. Its unfair and usually not much fun. Then you die.
At least you now know something you didn't know before and you won't be caught out again, ever, so that has to be worth a fiver.

I had a parking ticket slapped on my car in 1984........none since. Lesson learnt.