Train company online ticket purchase debacle.

JGB1955

Another vote for GWR.

Voyager2002

daveyjp said:

I wouldn't use a none TOC third party site such as Trip, Trainline etc as it makes things difficult if there are problems with the journey.

I use LNER, Northern and Scotrail to purchase tickets with no issues.

I have had several instances of problems with the journey, and the place where I had purchased the tickets made no difference: the ToC dealt with the situation. (The only difference is that I had to ask for "delay repay", whereas some ToCs will make payments automatically to people who bought tickets on their websites.)

I have also sometimes bought and used cheap tickets that were offered on TrainSplit and on Trip, but not on any of the ToC websites that I checked. (I think that TrainSplit uses Trainline as a booking engine, which is why I did not suggest it on this thread.)

Davesquire

Update: I was able to buy the tickets on the LNER site without any problems. Still awaiting a response from EMR (and I travel in a few hours)! Very shoddy.
I shall be taking the matter up with them on my return.
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On a related issue - I relayed all of this to a friend of mine, who said "I wouldn't bother complaining, just move on", which, in my experience reflects the view of most Brits.
THAT IS WHY WE GET SCREWED, people!
If the Englishman/woman/preferred gender DID complain and refuse to purchase goods and services, companies would change. But few ever do. (I appreciate that I am likely preaching to the converted). </rant>
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Thank-you all for your help and have a wonderful weekend.

RAS

In future, just go to your nearest physical station and buy there. Trainline charge a fee so are always more expensive for the same journey, but I've often got much cheaper deals at the station.

Last long trip it was £30 cheaper for the same outward journey same train, which compensated for the fact that it cost an extra £3 to get an open return, with a booked seat for the time I originally planned. Which removed stress if there was bad weather on my last day.

The station staff sometimes also found even cheaper deals that weren't on trainline.

Nonesuch_xx

JGB1955 said:

Another vote for GWR.

And a vote for greater Anglia (out of habit as most of my trips go that way).  C2C/avanti support London boundary fares if you need that.