Refunds - trainline.com

Gemkw

Hi everyone

I've just bought train tickets via the trainline.com. It was for 2 people advance singles so 4 tickets. I realised after 20 minutes that I'd booked the wrong weekend. Phoned up to cancel and was told that I would lose £10 per ticket. This seems really wrong to me when it was an error, does anyone know if that goes against consumer rights or not?
Two of the tickets were only £13 too so the £10 fee seems ridiculous.

Thank you!

Gem

visidigi

The error was yours, and you bought the cheapest ticket type available - there are no rights to any refund if the retailer/provider chooses not to offer one.

If they are offering you one with a £10 surcharge then this is beyond what they have to do so under statutory regulation

Valli

http://www.thetrainline.com/buytickets/terms.aspx

can you not amend the tickets?

wealdroam

Valli wrote: »

http://www.thetrainline.com/buytickets/terms.aspx

can you not amend the tickets?

Maybe you can, but to change the date of an Advance Single ticket the fee is, you've guessed it... £10 per ticket.

Valli

wouldn't you know it.

One of these days every website is going to have an 'are you absolutely sure you want to buy these goods/services' button because no-one seems to read the T&Cs before they purchase!
£10 to change a ticket? So £40 to change 4? Wow!

paddyrg

The reason the tickets are cheap is because they're inflexible. Next time, a flexible fare will let you make amendments much more easily.

scootw1

Admittedly the op should have double and triple checked the details and t&cs but surely it is time for the trains watchdog to step in and end the scandalous fees for this kind of thing. The banks watchdog did it with banks. The op tried to change the ticket very soon after they booked so i dont think it is unreasonable to change them either free or much lower charge. If they were changing them two days before travelling then fair enough (10 pounds is still more than their admin costs i would guess) but it sounds to me as though the op was booking well in advance.

visidigi

scootw1 wrote: »

Admittedly the op should have double and triple checked the details and t&cs but surely it is time for the trains watchdog to step in and end the scandalous fees for this kind of thing. The banks watchdog did it with banks. The op tried to change the ticket very soon after they booked so i dont think it is unreasonable to change them either free or much lower charge. If they were changing them two days before travelling then fair enough (10 pounds is still more than their admin costs i would guess) but it sounds to me as though the op was booking well in advance.

The only reason £10 looks unreasonable is the OP bought a cheap ticket.

The £10 fee would be the same if the train ticket was £15 or £250.

£10 on a £250 ticket would be seen as more than reasonable.

scootw1

visidigi wrote: »

The only reason £10 looks unreasonable is the OP bought a cheap ticket.

The £10 fee would be the same if the train ticket was £15 or £250.

£10 on a £250 ticket would be seen as more than reasonable.

Perhaps it should be a percentage of the ticket cost then. 10 pound for a 15 ticket is 66%, on 250 pounds it is only 4% so a vast and unfair price difference.

visidigi

scootw1 wrote: »

Perhaps it should be a percentage of the ticket cost then. 10 pound for a 15 ticket is 66%, on 250 pounds it is only 4% so a vast and unfair price difference.

Businesses are in business to make money. The OP chose the most restrictive fair. Its by default going to be the most punishing when there is a problem with its use.

Additionally the OP accepted the terms, they can't call them unfair after the event.

Life isn't that fair I'm afraid.

scootw1

visidigi wrote: »

Businesses are in business to make money. The OP chose the most restrictive fair. Its by default going to be the most punishing when there is a problem with its use.

Additionally the OP accepted the terms, they can't call them unfair after the event.

Life isn't that fair I'm afraid.

Businesses are there to make money you are right but not rip people off with unfair charges. I assume you also think it right for banks to charge unfair fees, holiday companies to charge extra in term time, wonga to charge extortionate rates and the list goes on. Have you never been hit with fees you thought unfair? And were clearly stated in the t&cs i might add. This is why the watchdog is there. There would be no need for a watchdog if we let companies do what they want and charge what they want. But hey lifes unfair and the businesses are raking it in.