To ask for a refund

[chickadee87]

Hello- I 'lurk' a lot on these boards but now I have a burning question! I bought 2 tickets for the English national ballet nutcracker with the national rails 2for1 deal. The deal was available for boxing day and a few other dates. The tube strikes obviously threw a spanner in the works but the overground was also out of service. Given that I bought the deal with the intention of travelling to London by train, but there was no overground service as it was Boxing Day, plus the tube strikes, am I entitled to receive a refund? Even if we could get to London we wouldn't have been able to receive the deal as we would not have had the valid national rail train tickets. Currently £67 out of pocket :-(

bus???

No you're not entitled to a refund. The two things are not connected.

When did you buy the tickets ie the tube strike has been advertised for some time as have the changes to National Rail services (although there weren't many trains running anyway since it was Boxing Day).

Could you not have got a cab, driven or gone by bus?

The deal was connected to the tickets, hence the National Rail 2for1 deal. I wouls have need to present my valid national rail tickets when we arrived at the theatre. Why was I sold a deal for Boxing Day if national rail services would not be available to me anyway?

Would have needed*

Unless the whole this was bought as a package (tickets+travel inclusive in one price) then no.

You may be able to get a refund on your train tickets if they were spacific journey tickets (only valid for that day), you will have to send off for a refund (you can collect the forms from a station or get them online I think).

However I suspect, from what you say, that your train tickets were bought additional to the ballet tickets and so you are not entitled to any refund or compensation as it is not the ballets fault that you were unable to find alternative transport.

Sorry.

What a shame you missed the performance.

Though the fault lies with neither the ENB nor the theatre. Your deal was with whoever sold you the tickets.

Sorry X post.

Why did you not check there was a valid service running before you booked the tickets? Especially since it was boxing day and everyone knows public transport only runs sporadically on a bank holiday.

Ok- thanks for your responses.. I just find it bizarre that a deal was offered for the 26th of December if national rail trains would not be running anyway? Ho hum- I have emailed the theatre and English national ballet- will see what they say! Really I should b talking to the 'days out guide' operator but I can't seem to find a contact number!

Well YANBU to ask for a refund, but I'm not sure what their policy is on this. You can try.

i would complain to the national rail 2 for 1 people.

you have been sold an offer that you could not use- you have to produce the rail tickets to get the offer, and national rail should know that there is no service on boxing day.

i would complain long and loud to them and ask for refund. it is their fault you are in this position.

There's no harm in writing and asking for a refund and seeing what they say

But surely you could have got this deal even if you didn't need to travel on that day? So for instance if I live in London I could have bought a couple of national rail tickets for use earlier in the month and then used them to validate my 2for1 ballet tickets for yesterday? If its a case of you not reading the small print properly then you may well be out of luck, but it doesn't hurt to ask. Even if you don't get a refund you may get an exchange for another date (depending on how sold out it is).

I just had a quick read about the offer and it looks like you need to take your disput up with the Days Out Guide people (I assume that's who you booked the deal with) as they are the ones responsable not the ballet, theatre or national rail.
Especially if they told you that there would be a train service, and since you have to check train times on the site I assume they did.

I know the deal you mean as I have used them and I think you have a point...

Basically you buy the entry to the event / museum and get 2for1 separate to the travel BUT you must present the National Rail ticket from that day to be admitted. So the OP can not drive, get a bus or walk to the venue but MUST use a train.

If you bought the tickets prior to the tube strikes being announced then I think you have a case for a refund. If there was anyway of you travelling into London by train that day then you might have less chance.

I would read the T&C's carefully and perhaps give Trading Standards a call.

For what it's worth I have travelled into London (about a hour away) and travelled from Manchester using the trains on Boxing Day with no issues in the past.

So there must have been a reduced service is what I meant to say!

Thanks all- small print says ticket MUST display the date of the visit- so I would have gained entry on the 26th dec with a ticket dated 24th dec for example. A London Underground or bus ticket would not be accepted. I appreciate it was an oversight on my part for not checking Boxing Day services further in advance- However when I checked travel options on the 24th due to tube strikes, national rail website did not dis

Did not say there would be no service.

Sorry! I wouldn't not have gained entry with a ticket dated the 24th*

You poor thing
Hope you get your money back

I think you have a reason to get a refund op. I am thinking you are not the only one that would be in this situation. I think the tickets have been sold under misleading circumstances.