Refund when return train cancelled?

zedonk

We bought return train tickets to visit my folks over Christmas (they were actually returns and not two singles). The journey there went smoothly but our return train was cancelled, as was the next train and most other trains showing on the board. We would have had to wait over an hour for a not-cancelled train, and the station staff weren't confident that one would definitely run either (with severe disruption expected all day), so we arranged a lift with a relative instead. 

We can't claim on delay repay because we decided not to travel by train. But the Trainline say they can't refund us either because we used the outward half of our return tickets. Surely this can't be right? 

daveyjp

Another post showing why you should never use Trainline, they really do take the 'p' when things go wrong and simply ignore the national conditions of carriage,

You are due a full refund due to an abandoned journey, this needs to be from Trainline with no admin fees payable, maybe remind them of their obligations.

From Conditions of Carriage:

30. Your Right to a Refund If Your Train Is Disrupted and You Choose Not to Travel

30.1 Conditions 30.1 – 30.4 cover all Tickets other than Season Tickets, and also apply if you have begun your journey but are unable to complete it due to a delay to, or cancellation of, your service. In such cases, you are permitted to return to your point of origin and still get a refund.

You may return an unused Ticket to the original retailer or Train Company from whom it was purchased, where you will be given a full refund with no administration fee charged, if you decide not to travel because the train you intended to use is:

• cancelled, or

• delayed, or

• rescheduled from that in Published Timetable of the Day after you have purchased a

Ticket or Tickets, or

• your reservation will not be honoured

MilesT6060842

Delay repay is not available in this case, as you chose to abandon the return journey due to excessive delays;  any train company would reject such a claim.

But you are entitled to a refund because of the "abandonment" where you did not/could not reasonably travel;  different refund process and rules apply, just need to start the refund request with trainline the right way (it may be less automated).

zedonk

Thank you both! 

yorkie2

You are entitled to a refund of 50% of the cost of the return fare.

Did Trainline relent, and issue this to you, in the end?

I have had such refunds from Trainsplit, for unused return portions, where the return leg was subject to delay/cancellation, without quibble.

zedonk

I ended up getting a refund from Scotrail. Technically it should have been Trainline that refunded me, but I kept coming up against "computer says no" and Scotrail were actually helpful.