Forgot young persons rail card, charged additional £60. Mitigating circumstances?

Oasis1

I am seeking advice on how to make a complaint to Arriva Trains Wales. I was made to pay for an additional ticket for my return from Cardiff to Manchester as I had forgotten my Young Person’s rail card. My original advance return ticket cost £17.80 including the third discount. I was made to pay an additional £57.10 for another ticket. I am hoping to get a refund due to mitigating circumstance - my cousin had passed away two weeks previously, the day before my first university exam. The funeral was to be held the day after my last exam. This I am sure you can imagine was a stressful time, not being able to go home to see family due to being in the exam period. Straight after my last exam I then had to get a train to Cardiff for the funeral the next morning - again, as you can imagine I was stressed and desperate to get home and so it was an easy mistake to forget my rail card. On the journey to Manchester the train conductor seemed sympathetic and didn’t make me pay for another ticket. However, on the way back to Manchester it was a different story. I tried to explain I had forgotten and that I had my Natwest card and my student card, indicating I would have a student account at Natwest which issues the Young Person’s rail card. I even had the funeral service pamphlet in my bag too. He was very rude and I felt pressured to buy another ticket - he showed no sympathy or compassion and was more than happy to take my money.
I hope that if I complain, proving that I am in ownership of a valid rail card, that I wasn't trying to be fraudulent, that there had been mitigating circumstance with my exams and death of a family member that they will show good will and refund the £56.10. It is unfair, they should have a system in place that refunds tickets in this situation - it takes advantage of students as you end up paying more than you would if you bought full price advance tickets - just because you forgot to bring a card.
Can anyone please help me to construct a complaint - I don’t know how polite I should be etc. I have the tickets, receipt of the ticket, rail card, funeral pamphlet and exam timetable as proof.

Thanks :beer:

custardy

Oasis1 wrote: »

I am seeking advice on how to make a complaint to Arriva Trains Wales. I was made to pay for an additional ticket for my return from Cardiff to Manchester as I had forgotten my Young Person’s rail card. My original advance return ticket cost £17.80 including the third discount. I was made to pay an additional £57.10 for another ticket. I am hoping to get a refund due to mitigating circumstance - my cousin had passed away two weeks previously, the day before my first university exam. The funeral was to be held the day after my last exam. This I am sure you can imagine was a stressful time, not being able to go home to see family due to being in the exam period. Straight after my last exam I then had to get a train to Cardiff for the funeral the next morning - again, as you can imagine I was stressed and desperate to get home and so it was an easy mistake to forget my rail card. On the journey to Manchester the train conductor seemed sympathetic and didn’t make me pay for another ticket. However, on the way back to Manchester it was a different story. I tried to explain I had forgotten and that I had my Natwest card and my student card, indicating I would have a student account at Natwest which issues the Young Person’s rail card. I even had the funeral service pamphlet in my bag too. He was very rude and I felt pressured to buy another ticket - he showed no sympathy or compassion and was more than happy to take my money.
I hope that if I complain, proving that I am in ownership of a valid rail card, that I wasn't trying to be fraudulent, that there had been mitigating circumstance with my exams and death of a family member that they will show good will and refund the £56.10. It is unfair, they should have a system in place that refunds tickets in this situation - it takes advantage of students as you end up paying more than you would if you bought full price advance tickets - just because you forgot to bring a card.
Can anyone please help me to construct a complaint - I don’t know how polite I should be etc. I have the tickets, receipt of the ticket, rail card, funeral pamphlet and exam timetable as proof.

Thanks :beer:

whilst i wish you well with your complaint
it doesnt take advantage of anyone. its a discounted ticket system that requires you to carry the card and ticket

Gothicfairy

I don't know the legal situation with this but I should think that there are T&C's with the card that state you have to provide it when asked and without that card you have to buy a ticket.

I am sorry to hear about your problems but I am not sure any company have to take that into consideration and I am finding most don't care and to be honest why should they ?
I had a death/ redundancy / death / repossession / death all in one year ( and some smaller stuff too) and I forgot to pay my council tax monthly payment ( x 2 in the whole period), they are taking me to court for the full amount and as I can not pay it I will get a CCJ.
It sucks but there would seem nothing I can do about it.

If you do write to them I would be nothing but polite as you have to remember it is not their fault you forgot your card and although the conductor might have been rude he was probably just following the rules and didn't want to risk his job.

Oasis1

If their staff had been consistent in their response to my situation, I probably would have bought another ticket for the journey home as to avoid paying for a non-advance ticket.
And what I mean by taking advantage is that even if you prove afterwards that you did have a valid card, aslong as it's not a regular occurrence I think they should have a system which refunds you the extra you paid as part of good will and service to their customer. Or atleast give you the option of paying the difference. That ticket has a price written on it that you have paid - it's wrong that it then becomes completely worthless as if you haven't paid a penny.

custardy

Oasis1 wrote: »

If their staff had been consistent in their response to my situation, I probably would have bought another ticket for the journey home as to avoid paying for a non-advance ticket.
And what I mean by taking advantage is that even if you prove afterwards that you did have a valid card, aslong as it's not a regular occurrence I think they should have a system which refunds you the extra you paid as part of good will and service to their customer. Or atleast give you the option of paying the difference. That ticket has a price written on it that you have paid - it's wrong that it then becomes completely worthless as if you haven't paid a penny.

so you are unhappy that only one person risked their job to help you?
honestly,you made a mistake
accept it
try and get the money back.
however don't try and make it out that the company should do X,Y & Z for you
you used a service that has specific(and easy to meet) terms
you didnt meet the terms

Dave101t

its all in their terms and conditions, you forgot, you pay.
thems the rules.

PZH

easyhost wrote: »

..their site http://www.arrivatw.co.uk seems to be down for maintainence so cant get their address

be polite and explain the situation in full the best you can

Try here

http://www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk/ContactUs/

waterbaby

When I heard that my dad had been admitted to intensive care 300 miles away, I left immediately but overlooked finding my railcard, so spent £96 on a full fare ticket.

Later, I wrote a letter explaining what had happened, I stated explicitly that I understood and accepted that I was not entitled to anything, but given the circumstances, I would be grateful if they would consider my request.

They asked to see the ticket, and then sent me about £30 in vouchers for railway tickets, which was equivalent to what the railcard saving would have been.

They don't have any obligation, so if it's a refund you're after, be polite.

geordieracer

unfortunately there is very little chance of you getting your money back. The T&Cs of the railcard state that you must be in possession of it when travelling with a discounted ticket.

I understand your mitigating circumstances but unfortunately(again) this is a very common excuse when persons are found to have a discounted ticket and no railcard. Also i noted that you managed to get from Cardiff to Manchester without being stopped - this could also look unfavorably on you too should you wish to appeal the fare you were charged.

i know this isnt what you want to hear and im sorry for that, but you may wish to take your complaint over to http://www.railforums.co.uk/ where there is actually a thread on there about the excuses that people come up with. Also just post your own thread in the ticketing section too to see if they can really help you any further.

EDIT: this is the thread http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=46424

paddyrg

Most TOC's are pretty decent if you have all your tickets and railcards and are clearly not taking the pee! Just write to the customer services explaining the situation, with photocopies of everything, asking NICELY if they can HELP you. Maybe they will, but you have no right to go in squealing about how unfair it is to poor hard-done-by students.

In fact, if it is unfair, it is less fair to us over-26 year olds who have to actually pay the right price every time *shock horror*.

DCFC79

If you broke the rules by not carrying te card with you then pay up, you could try writing a letter but they arent obliged to offer anything