Train Duplicate Season Ticket Refund

rufiotgl

Hi Guys & Gals.

Would greatly appreciate ANY help here.

Long story short.

Renewed my GOLD Season ticket (paid for by me VIA my employer with an interest free loan) in April this year. It was stolen 2 weeks later which i reported to the police along with all my personal possession (but they are saying they now have NO record of now i actually need it as im trying to get a refund (i promise you i did too, im searching my phone records for evidence of the call)).

I got a duplicate. 2 months later i quit my Job, handed my season ticket over to the company who i USED to work for and have since moved to Canada. My old company has been trying to get a refund from SE (yes, the dreaded SouthEastern) which they said it wouldnt be problem as its a CORPORATE ticket. But SE say that as they have issued a duplicate, i cant claim a refund (and have to go f*ck myself) for 2 and a bit grand (((( !!

Needless to say, im not willing to give up 2 and a bit grand and im working my hardest to get it back.

Im gonna speak to my local MP (Michael Fallon), Citizens advice and Passenger Focus group. I was also thinking of using an ombudsman or as a last resort, a small claims court!!

It doesnt seem at all fair and its so much money to loose.

Has anyone had any luck or has any advice?? Should i get the money back due to advice of poster i will treat them to a reward !!

Thanks for reading

Dan

thelawnet

I wonder if you can get the ticket switched to a much cheaper routeing (say £100/year) and get a refund that way?

Livingthedream

You could try the advice on the other thread you posted on or try posting on the RailUK forum and ask the members over there for some help.

http://www.railforums.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=105

Axial

Lets have a look at the ol' Duplicate Season Ticket Application form.

This Application form must be handed in at the station where the original ticket was issued. Duplicate season tickets are issued subject to the National Rail Conditions of Carriage which are available at stations; and in particular condition 34.

Please note that:
i) an administrative charge will be made for the issue of a Duplicate Season Ticket.
ii) refunds are not normally made on Duplicate Season Tickets no longer required for travel.

IMO you have had the best advise, apply for a Changeover ticket for a very short journey, Ryde St Johns to Ryde Pier Head IIRC.

Also dont forget that refunds are issued subject to Condition 36

36. Season Ticket refunds
If you decide not to use or to stop using a Season Ticket, a refund will only be made if the Season Ticket is returned to the Train Company from which it was bought. However, to qualify for a refund (in the case of a Season Ticket valid for a month or more when issued) there must be at least seven days’ validity remaining or, in the case of any other Season Ticket, at least three days’ validity remaining.

Refunds are calculated from the date the Season Ticket is returned. If you were ill and, consequently, unable to hand the ticket in earlier, a refund will be calculated from the date your illness started, provided that a medical certificate or other evidence satisfactory to the Train Company (for example, a letter from your employer on headed notepaper may be sufficient) is produced, covering the period from the start of your illness until the ticket is handed in. The refund will be the difference, if any, between:

(a) the price paid for the Season Ticket; and

(b) the total cost of the combination of tickets that you would have needed to make one return journey a day up to the date the Season Ticket was handed in, less a reasonable administrative charge (not exceeding £10).

This means the amount you receive will not usually be pro rata to the price of the ticket and, in some cases, there may be no refund payable.

wealdroam

Axial wrote: »

IMO you have had the best advise, apply for a Changeover ticket for a very short journey, Ryde St Johns to Ryde Pier Head IIRC.

I agree... a changeover may work.

An annual ticket from Ryde St Johns Road to Ryde Pier Head is £296.00.
Maybe you meant Ryde St Johns Road to Ryde Esplanade which is only £148.00.

But better still, as being in Canada the OP won't be bothered about a Gold Card, is Devonport to Devonport Dockyard which is only £96.00 per year.

So losing just £96.00 might be easier to swallow.

Axial

wealdroam wrote: »

So losing just £96.00 might be easier to swallow.

I'd forgotten about Devonport and Devonport Dockyard.

Given how refunds and changeovers are worked out, then for £96 it may even be cheaper to have a change over than a refund.....

rdwarr

As the OP had only used the annual ticket for 2 months and 2 weeks then a changeover would often pay out more than a refund (depending on the original cost).
Strictly speaking the changeover in this situation would be exploiting a loophole but I'm sure the OP would retain the moral high ground given the circumstances.

rufiotgl

thanks for all your suggestions/help guys.

Im thinking that a change over to a cheaper route might be the best option. But as i gave the ticket up in June & am only now trying to change it over for a cheaper route, does that mean that i will lose the money from June till now even though i havent used it?? As in effect, even though i havent used it since June, they arent to know that unless i take supporting evidence & even then, they may not allow me to change it?!

Axial

Possibly.

The problem i see is that you can't issue a backdated ticket (i.e the new ticket would need to start today or some point in the future at which point the old one becomes void), but then I suspect it will depend on whatever the person at South Eastern Trains who makes such decisions decides, especially given they know you want a refund and would only be going down the Changeover route to avoid the no refunds up Duplicates policy!

ChrisRFincham

Not exactly the same subject but does anyone know if in the last budget HMRC are planning to raise the tax free amount on a season ticket loan from £5000 up to £10,000 from next year? I've heard this might be the case but cannot get anyone to verify it. Thanks

wealdroam

ChrisRFincham wrote: »

Not exactly the same subject but does anyone know if in the last budget HMRC are planning to raise the tax free amount on a season ticket loan from £5000 up to £10,000 from next year? I've heard this might be the case but cannot get anyone to verify it. Thanks

You are right, it's not the same subject.

You have a good answer following your other post.