Train fare fluctuations after booking what are my rights?

dollyfinz

Sorry if this has been asked before
Booking train tickets yesterday for a group of 5, at lunchtime they were £37 ('only 5 seats left at this price'!), by the time I booked in the evening they were up to £50. I booked thinking the prices were going up, but this morning they are back to £37. I realise we're not talking much but I'm interested in the principle.
I rang their helpline to be told prices fluctuate and no refund. I am waiting on a call-back from the supervisor as I'm not happy with that at all!
Can't help feeling that there is some false advertising issue (in the 'only 5 seats left at this price' claim which obviously wasn't true) and disappointed that it comes with no price promise like easyJet's offer if prices drop after you have booked.
Anyone have experience of a similar issue?!
I plan to email a complaint if I don't have any luck with the supervisor (if they ever call), but I don't expect this to get me anywhere!
Thanks in advance!

elverson

Which tickets did you book and from which website?

dollyfinz

5 x return tickets (although bought as singles as they were cheaper) from Oban to Glasgow, travelling in about a months time
Used thetrainline but the train operator is Scotrail

dggar

dollyfinz wrote: »

5 x return tickets from Oban to Glasgow, travelling in about a months time
Used thetrainline but the train operator is Scotrail

First error was to use theTrainline. They charge a booking fee.
a better bet is to check prices using National Rail
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/
and then book with the Train Operating Company.

dollyfinz

I did actually compare prices between trainline & Scotrail, both have showed the same price change. I wonder if this was unintentionally my fault for putting the same search into the 2 different sites, maybe this flagged interest in the route & triggered the fare increase? Although I don't imagine the system is that intuitive, I would think the fares only change according to actual tickets purchased?

lammy82

If you add tickets into your basket then I think advance fares will become unavailable, unless you don't check out in time and then they go back in the pool.
If there was one other person viewing the site who had 'reserved' one of the available fares and you were searching for a group of 5 tickets then it might have made them unavailable temporarily. You might have been able to search for 4 tickets though.

If you bought all 5 tickets at the higher price then there may still have been 4 tickets at the lower price available, if that makes sense. Then the one person who had a lower-price ticket in their basket didn't check out in time and all 5 were then available.

Anyway, as another poster pointed out, don't use TheTrainLine because it charges a booking fee, and secondly good luck with customer services but I don't think you are entitled to any refund. Ticket availability does tend to come and go.

Mr_Singleton

So, because they are now cheaper you seem to allude to wanting a refund for the difference..... put the shoe on the other foot and you bought them at the cheaper price would you be happy for the TOC to come back to you demanding more money as the prices have gone up?

I'd suggest you shrug and put it down to life is sometimes %*^£! and then move on with your life.