Trainline refund, not hopeful

Quentin

beth.stephenson2009 wrote: »

Dont slanderise the trainline all over this forum, if used sensibly its a reliable service. If im travelling 2/3/4 upto a weeks time I would buy my tickets on the day...you run a lot of risks otherwise- tickets go missing, and RM can be as useful as a chocolate teapot.

Trainline are "slanderised" all over the web. ]

eg. Some more "slanderising" here:

http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews90686.html

(Where recent comments include: unhelpful/staggering incompetence/appalling/loes and misdirection etc etc)

And bearing in mind this is a moneysaving site, no-one shoulduse them as their are other, better reviewed and cheaper alternative sites available!

beth.stephenson2009

Quentin wrote: »

Trainline are "slanderised" all over the web. ]

eg. Some more "slanderising" here:

http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews90686.html

(Where recent comments include: unhelpful/staggering incompetence/appalling/loes and misdirection etc etc)

And bearing in mind this is a moneysaving site, no-one shoulduse them as their are other, better reviewed and cheaper alternative sites available!

I travel to London upto 8/9 times a year- everytime I have booked my tickets with the trainline, and the tickets have arrived within 5 days.

As I said, used sensibly and its fine.

And I will repeat myself again here- why run the risk of booking tickets online a few days before travel??? Thats pretty stupid.

beth.stephenson2009

In fact 99% of train stations I have been into in my life (and trust me- there has been alot) in recent years have had ticket machines installed. Why not order your tickets online if you insist on doing so, and pick them up from there? Surely that is much easier and your not working to restraints with RM/postage services..

System

beth.stephenson2009 wrote: »

In fact 99% of train stations I have been into in my life (and trust me- there has been alot) in recent years have had ticket machines installed. .

Well whoopee doo. The nearest train station that has a ticket machine for me is 25 miles away. Try getting out into the sticks for a taste of things.

Quentin

beth.stephenson2009 wrote: »

I travel to London upto 8/9 times a year- everytime I have booked my tickets with the trainline, and the tickets have arrived within 5 days.

As I said, used sensibly and its fine.

Well................you are hardly being a "sensible" moneysaver if you use them so often!

Go elsewhere and stop paying booking fees!

wealdroam

beth.stephenson2009 wrote: »

Dont slanderise the trainline all over this forum, if used sensibly its a reliable service. If im travelling 2/3/4 upto a weeks time I would buy my tickets on the day...you run a lot of risks otherwise- tickets go missing, and RM can be as useful as a chocolate teapot.

Have you read MSE's Cheap Train Tickets article?

As you might expect, they don't do slanderising, but they do point out that thetrainline charge a £1.00 booking fee and if one dares to use a credit card the charge is £3.50 for that.

That article also tells us that there are other third party online ticket sellers out there. Probably the best of those is Redspottedhanky. Worth a look, I suggest.

Remember also that most (if not all) of the train operating companies sell tickets online. They often have deals on their own tickets.

beth.stephenson2009

!!!!!! wrote: »

Well whoopee doo. The nearest train station that has a ticket machine for me is 25 miles away. Try getting out into the sticks for a taste of things.

I live in the sticks. If you really live in the sticks, you won't have a train station. We don't. Are nearest is 30 miles away..not that its a competition

System

beth.stephenson2009 wrote: »

I live in the sticks. If you really live in the sticks, you won't have a train station. We don't. Are nearest is 30 miles away..not that its a competition

I have a train station 4 miles away and there are 4 others between that one and the one with a ticket machine so 99% with machines falls rather flat for me

croesoswallt

UPDATE

Well, firstly my local station doesn't have one of those machines.
Secondly, the woman in the station said I shouldn't waste my time with third party companies, I can phone up the station itself and book my tickets and just pick them up at the desk.
Yes, I was foolish to book so soon in advance, but I am not rich and was hoping to save money (!) - even if only a couple of pounds. I am more learned now about buying train tickets.

The trainline asked me to twitter them, which I did (slightly annoying as I have a lot to say and can only use so many characters). It took a couple of days but they have refunded my next day delivery costs (£7.50) and have enquired as to whether I have sent back my tickets. I have not yet (I was waiting to hear something back first). So hopefully, that cost shall be refunded also.

The bottom line is, I paid them a lot of money for some tickets that were not received on time - not my fault. Some flaw in their contract with royal mail or the communication on their website has caused this. Am I to let it stand? Just because they are a large company does not mean that they should be excused human decency and giving the benefit of the doubt - especially considering that their profits must be enormous.

Anyway, the trainline people on twitter seem to be quite fair, maybe they just want to shut me up but it seems that they are indeed doing something about it.

wealdroam

croesoswallt wrote: »

UPDATE

Well, firstly my local station doesn't have one of those machines.
Secondly, the woman in the station said I shouldn't waste my time with third party companies, I can phone up the station itself and book my tickets and just pick them up at the desk.
Yes, I was foolish to book so soon in advance, but I am not rich and was hoping to save money (!) - even if only a couple of pounds. I am more learned now about buying train tickets.

The trainline asked me to twitter them, which I did (slightly annoying as I have a lot to say and can only use so many characters). It took a couple of days but they have refunded my next day delivery costs (£7.50) and have enquired as to whether I have sent back my tickets. I have not yet (I was waiting to hear something back first). So hopefully, that cost shall be refunded also.

The bottom line is, I paid them a lot of money for some tickets that were not received on time - not my fault. Some flaw in their contract with royal mail or the communication on their website has caused this. Am I to let it stand? Just because they are a large company does not mean that they should be excused human decency and giving the benefit of the doubt - especially considering that their profits must be enormous.

Anyway, the trainline people on twitter seem to be quite fair, maybe they just want to shut me up but it seems that they are indeed doing something about it.

Take a copy of your tickets before sending them the originals.