How to get rail ticket refund - if possible

EdGasket

My daughter had an advance single from Newcastle to Portsmouth and was at Newcastle station in good time waiting by the train marked Kings Cross for the doors to open; even asked somebody and was told it was the right train. Well as time ticked by beyond the scheduled departure she twigged something was not right. Turns out her pre-booked train had left from a different platform. She asked a member of station staff what to do and was told she'd have to buy another ticket which she did from the ticket office. This however has cost her £92 which she can ill afford. When she got on the next train, the guard said her original advance ticket would be OK!
So is it possible to get a refund of the additional ticket she bought for £92 (with YP railcard) or is it just tough luck, put it down to experience? She has all tickets unmarked plus the receipts for purchase. I am thinking though that she will probably not qualify for a refund as she travelled on a later train than the one she had an advance ticket for. What is annoying also is that she paid for another entire journey whereas she could of at least limited it to the Necastle-KingsCross leg which would have saved £20.
Anyone know if she could get a refund and how? East Coast website says to return to the station she bought the ticket from but as that is Newcastle and she lives in Portsmouth, it is not possible. The only other address given is for refunds on web tickets.

Jeff_Bridges_hair

I doubt you would get a refund for it if im honest. It is her responsibility to make sure she reads the departure boards and not rely on ' The man on the platform' of which TOCs hear all the time with regards to refunds or being on the wrong train..

Sorry to be blunt but it is what it is.

Livingthedream

Jeff I think you might be a quick to come to that conclusion.:beer: If the replacement ticket (£92 one) was an Off Peak or Anytime ticket (Sounds like it was as it was bought on the day) and it hasn't been marked/used because the guard accepted her Advance ticket for travel down to London, then the OP should get a refund.

The best thing to do is go to your local station explain that you didn't use the replacement ticket because your original ticket was found to be valid and therefore could I have a refund please. You should get a refund minus any admin fees applicable, normally £10.

Depends on how good your local station is for customer services unfortunately.

EdGasket

She just tried the local station. They were not very helpful and said the refund would have to be through the station where she bought the ticket "next time she is up there she can drop in" ! Unfortunately she is not going back to Newcastle anytime soon.
However I know this station to be unhelpful and think we will try the main one in town another day.

Axial

Train companies only have to deal with refunds which they have sold themselves.
So for example, any c2c station could deal with a refund of a ticket purchased at any other c2c station, but not one sold by East Coast etc.

Its unlikely that any ticket office would refund a ticket for a time in the past, whether it has been marked or not as there's no way of knowing if it has or hasnt been used.
The only way is customer services who may send some vouchers as a goodwill gesture, but this depends on the TOC

EdGasket

I have been told by East Coast Customer Services that I have to ask for the refund from Newcastle station and they have given me an address. They also said that I could apply at any station who should then forward the details to Newcastle for processing. It seems somewhat haphazard what response you get from a local station though who don't seem aware of the procedure for refund of a ticket bought elsewhere.

spiro

How about East Coast desk at Kings Cross if you are in London in the near future?

EdGasket

I'm in Portsmouth so not going anywhere near London soon.
We've sent off the tickets with a form to Newcastle so we'll see what happens.