ARGH! First Great Western...online booking

skattykatty

I'm travelling in the first week of the new year and decided to be all organised and book my return ticket online with First Great Western. I requested 1st class delivery of tickets. Roll on 9 working days and I've received every Christmas order within 2 days of payment but no tickets. I called the train line and spoke to a man I could barely hear who told me that as I couldn't prove I hadn't received by ticket (I asked and he said they couldn't prove they actually posted it) I have to call back the day before I travel and pick up the tickets from the ticket office!!! What's the point of online booking if I still have to travel earlier to line up with the added stress of only being able to travel at a specific time. Also, any money I 'saved' by booking in advance will go on the phone bill, I spent over 8 minutes on the phone to them yesterday.

I've emailed to complain and will write too, but I don't understand why they won't just post me another ticket, only I can use it??? Is there anything I can do?

wealdroam

skattykatty wrote: »

...I don't understand why they won't just post me another ticket, only I can use it???

Sorry can't help with your problem, but I am curious as to what type of ticket can only be used by you?

As it's a paper ticket, surely anyone can use it can't they?
And if that's the case, then of course it wouldn't be good business to have two of them 'out there'.

Kite2010

Sounded like you purchased the tickets from the trainline instead of going direct via FGW.

If so, FGW won't do anything as you have no contract with them. It's a shame you didn't select collection from self-service machine (and not use the fee charging trainline)

maniacmartin

Kite2010 wrote: »

If so, FGW won't do anything as you have no contract with them.

I agree that FGW are unlikely to help unless Trainline agree to release the tickets for ToD, however, the OP does have a contact with FGW. The National Conditions of Carriage, which the OP will have had to tick to agree to when buying says this:

NRCoC wrote:

1. Your contract
A ticket that has been issued to you is evidence of a contract between you and each Train Company whose trains you have the right to use. Where the company selling you the ticket is not one of the Train Companies on whose services you are travelling, the seller
is acting as agent for the Train Company or Companies in whose trains you are entitled to travel.

Thus Trainline are merely an agent of the relevant train companies, who the contract is with