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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

train ticket refunds

36 replies

rabbitwoman · 19/03/2020 19:32

of course, there are so many worries around at the moment this may not seem very important - but so many people are rallying round and trying to help in these exceptional circumstances, i am AMAZED that you cannot get a refund on train tickets at the moment!

of course, if you are going on holiday and able to plan in advance the cheapest way to travel by train is to buy three months before travel and book advance single tickets - these are 'non-refundable' though. online and on twitter i have seen literally dozens of people who have spent hundreds of pounds on these advanced single non-refundable tickets - and the train line is just refusing to refund them.

my tickets for for my holiday down to cornwall at easter. i spent £100. they will not refund - and i cannot even rebook. these trains probably won't even be running by then. for me it is not such a huge deal, but there was someone on twitter who had spent over £700 on train tickets, to take a family away, and they are digging down and saying the terms and conditions state they are non refundable.

it's bloody scandalous!!

OP posts:
Iusedtobeapartygirl · 19/03/2020 19:36

I agree.

LNER are great. They refunded me £160 for tickets to London in March and April, even though they were non refundable advance tickets.

Trainline on the other hand... Not so good.

I know who I will be booking with and who I will be avoiding in the future!

WingDefence · 19/03/2020 19:37

Avanti have waived the admin fee for altering tickets for advance fares. So you still can't get a refund but you can change to another time for free (usually £10 fee I think). But that might just be if you book direct with them and obviously if you don't think you want to travel to that destination in the future, that isn't super helpful.

bemoreeverything · 19/03/2020 19:38

It really does depend on the TOC. If you buy from a 3rd party like the train line then you have no chance. Some TOC's, like LNER are being much more helpful, but, realistically the train is running and the terms and conditions of an advance ticket are such that they are non refundable. You take the chance, or get travel insurance. I bet every single peeps on ranting about not getting a refund hasn't bothered to insure their journey.

bemoreeverything · 19/03/2020 19:39

Person

I8toys · 19/03/2020 19:43

I booked trains in Germany for our Easter holidays. We are trying to get the money back there. I hope for goodwill gestures in the form of rebooking/vouchers for rebooking. How they react to this now determines for me whether I use the same service in the future.

NumberMonkey · 19/03/2020 19:43

GWR have just refunded ours for next weekend - also non refundable advance tickets

DD had booked elsewhere and although they won't refund, they will let her rearrange them for 12 weeks time at no cost.

PiggyPlumPie · 19/03/2020 19:45

I had an email from Trainline earlier today offering me a refund/change and saying that they are waiving refund/change fees.

CatBatCat · 19/03/2020 20:06

Trainline gave full refund and waived the fee for my tickets today.

Soconfusedandlost · 19/03/2020 20:15

I would say that maybe nearer the time (about a week or so before) TL will email you to offer refunds etc. I had a trip booked to Bristol tomorrow and they emailed me Tuesday with a clicky link to cancel with full refund

Original poster
rabbitwoman · 19/03/2020 20:16

I do have travel insurance , actually, got the cheapo policy through meerkats to get the year's worth of 241 meal deals etc..... I will try them next, but the policy was v cheap so doubt it will cover me....

Although I can't really afford to write off £100,if I can't get a refund it will only mean I won't be going away in the summer, but with things the way they are at the moment I am one of the luckiest ones I guess...

OP posts:
CakeandCoffeeQueen · 19/03/2020 22:04

I’m in the same boat, we can move the date though, booked through Trainline. I was wondering if we go into an official lockdown if they’ll them refund?

Coughsyrupsucks · 19/03/2020 22:33

My Mum got a full refund from Trainline, no problem at all.

UnaCorda · 19/03/2020 22:47

@Iusedtobeapartygirl Did you apply online for a refund or over the phone? I thought they were only offering a credit note for advance tickets.

BeBraveAndBeKind · 19/03/2020 22:54

I've just completed a form for a £150 reefund from GWR. It's only certain ticket types but luckily our super off peak tickets fell into that category. Not so hopeful about the non-refundable hotel in London though.

strivingtosucceed · 19/03/2020 23:18

Trainline is not doing refunds on the advance single even though LNER are. They've lost my business for sure with that.

UnaCorda · 19/03/2020 23:40

Trainline is not doing refunds on the advance single even though LNER are.

How do you get a refund? I've only seen credit offered.

Leeds2 · 20/03/2020 00:24

Have those of you who have applied, and said you have been refunded, actually got the money in your bank account? I am being told 28 days.

Fr0g · 20/03/2020 01:09

thanks for starting this thread - I'd made a booking through --southwestern trains (as it happens to go to Dorset, but I book all my train travel through them).
They're pretty cheap advance tickets; it wouldn't have been too much of a pain if I'd lost the money, but from looking at the website, if you can't use advance non-refundable tickets, you can get a credit to put against a new journey - so have put a claim in, fingers crossed.
thanks OP Wine

Sunflower20 · 20/03/2020 01:57

The people who have received a refund, did you buy advance single tickets?

Pixxie7 · 20/03/2020 02:24

These are all things which need to be addressed. I am sure they will be given time.

Iusedtobeapartygirl · 20/03/2020 12:08

@UnaCorda

I sent them a facebook message and they replied asking for my booking number and email. I was also just expecting a credit note, and would have been very happy with that, but the money pinged into my bank account a couple of days later. Very happy.

Arseit · 20/03/2020 12:47

On Trainline advance tickets the email I’ve had says no refunds but you can rebook for travel within 12 weeks. Which is no bloody use when we’ve been told to avoid non-essential travel. Called them, was 154 in the queue. I’ll leave it and call back some other time. But I certainly won’t be using them ever again. Very poor show.

Whenwillthisbeover · 20/03/2020 12:51

I’ve got tickets to
London next week through Trainline but because they were advance singles I can’t get a refund. They are allowing you to change the date without a penalty but al the other dates between now and September are around £270. My DD and I paid £34.50! So I will be writing off the cost. Promised a refund from the ticket agency I booked the theatre through but they have now done radio silence so who knows. Cancelled hotel fine.

Iusedtobeapartygirl · 20/03/2020 13:23

I 've learned to never use trainline again.

Arseit · 20/03/2020 14:35

@Iusedtobeapartygirl - totally.
Never again. And I spent a lot with them.

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