Forced to buy a second ticket

thescouselander

MarkyMarkD wrote: »

As you say, wealdroam, it was either "via Banbury" both ways or it was two singles.

The OP simply didn't look at the terms of the ticket they were buying - their fault. No rights of refund or complaint.

I've looked up the same journey on thetrainline and there are two differently priced open return fares - one via London, and one not. This is not uncommon. Offpeak, the "via London" route is 70p cheaper; peak time the "via London" route is twice as expensive.

You have to look at all the ticket options and can't simply assume you can return via a different route. If you travelled outbound via London (and I guess you didn't) then you would have been breaching the ticket conditions then too.

On the second screen there is the following:

Return:
Any valid train. Please check the ticket terms for validity

More Details

If you click on "More Details", it says:

This ticket is only valid for travel on services via Banbury

On the shopping basket screen (just before you pay) it says:

* 1 Adult(s) Full Fare @ £175.00

* This ticket is only valid for travel on services via Banbury
* Flexible ticket with no time restrictions on when you can travel.


Basically, you didn't read the ticket terms in several different places and hence bought a ticket which didn't cover travel via London.

The routes via Wolverhampton are just as quick as via London!

I think this is unclear to someone unfamiliar with train travel. The website should have said "WARNING - ONLY VALID ON SPECIFIC ROUTES - CHECK TERMS AND CONDITIONS!"

Kua

Hehe. Looks like I've opened a Pandora's box. Asone poster recommended, I might try complaining to Virgin. Its worth a shot.

dzug1

thescouselander wrote: »

I think this is unclear to someone unfamiliar with train travel. The website should have said "WARNING - ONLY VALID ON SPECIFIC ROUTES - CHECK TERMS AND CONDITIONS!"

What's difficult or unclear about * This ticket is only valid for travel on services via Banbury

Tilt

Kua wrote: »

Hehe. Looks like I've opened a Pandora's box. Asone poster recommended, I might try complaining to Virgin. Its worth a shot.

why? I thought you bought the ticket from thetrainline.com. In any event, I reckon you had an advance ticket which carry set terms. They can only be used on specific trains as per stated on the ticket or the journey print out.

Jeff_Bridges_hair

Livingthedream wrote: »

Just found this;

National Rail Conditions of Carriage (NRCoC), Condition 13, permits customers to travel by a different route, from the one stated on the ticket or allowed by conditions of the National Routeing Guide, to make their journey on payment of an Excess fare. The Excess fare is calculated as follows:

Single tickets
The difference between the price already paid and price of the cheapest Single ticket, available for immediate travel, that allows the customer to travel on the route and Train Company of their choice.

Return tickets - change of route in both directions
The difference between the price already paid and price of the cheapest Return ticket, available for immediate travel, that allows the customer to travel on the route and Train Company of their choice.

Return tickets - change of route in one direction only
Half the difference between the price already paid and price of the cheapest Return ticket, available for immediate travel that allows the customer to travel on the route and Train Company of their choice.


which to me means that the OP should have had his Ticket excessed for the change of route and not have been charged a new single fare (I assume £50ish is a single London to Lancaster with railcard), therefore the train manager was wrong and this gives the OP the grounds to complain to Virgin Trains. This is dependant that the OP didn't have Advance tickets as these can't be excessed.

Again this is MHO and I'm happy to be proved wrong.

To be honest if there was going to be any excess of a fare it should've happened on the leg to Waterloo - not on the leg from London.. If you ticket is routed out side of London then you choose to take a journey from London its a whole new ticket.

Im guessing this was 2 singles too.. I want to return at **** time and the fastest train was via Banbury so thats what they were sold.

wealdroam

Jeff_Bridges_hair wrote: »

If you ticket is routed out side of London then you choose to take a journey from London its a whole new ticket.

Why?

Did you read that bit of the National Conditions of Carriage, that you quoted, which says...

National Rail Conditions of Carriage (NRCoC), Condition 13, permits customers to travel by a different route, from the one stated on the ticket or allowed by conditions of the National Routeing Guide, to make their journey on payment of an Excess fare.

It goes on to say that the excess is the difference between what has been paid and should've been paid for the route travelled.

wealdroam

OP, can you please re-read post#4 and tell us what type of tickets you have?

Livingthedream

Kua wrote: »

I might try complaining to Virgin. Its worth a shot.

Tilt wrote: »

why? I thought you bought the ticket from thetrainline.com

Because his complaint will be with Virgin trains and not with trainline.con, as IMHO the Virgin train manager should have excessed the fare for the journey.

Tilt wrote: »

In any event, I reckon you had an advance ticket which carry set terms. They can only be used on specific trains as per stated on the ticket or the journey print out.

Advance tickets for that journey don't have route: Banbury on them, hopefully the OP will tell us soon exactly what type of tickets he had for his journey.

Livingthedream

Jeff_Bridges_hair wrote: »

To be honest if there was going to be any excess of a fare it should've happened on the leg to Waterloo - not on the leg from London..

I understand what your saying, but what happens if the OP didn't see a train manager on the Winchester to Waterloo leg, the first available time to get his ticket excessed would have been London Euston if he had realised he was off route or onboard the Virgin train to Lancaster when challenged by the Virgin train manager.

pmm1981

An excess should have been the course of action here.

To the OP, why oh why are you buying open return a) in advance, they are the same price on the day from the station BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY
WHY ARE YOU USING THE TRAINLINE, YOU HAVE PAID FEES TO BUY TICKETS FROM THEM MEANING YOU PAID MORE THAN YOU WOULD ON THE DAY.

DO NOT USE THE TRAINLINE TO BUY TICKETS AS THEY CHARGE FEES

To add, did anyone realise an agent/TOC gets around 9% of the fee in commission and trainline still charge fees!!!