Great Western Coffee Shop

I've just received six complimentary tickets from FGW for renewing my annual season ticket.  They have to be validated before use by using scratch panels to indicate the dates for the journey and return trip.  However, there is only a year panel for 2009, of which there's not a lot left!  So, what am I to do for 2010?

I guess YOU dont have to use them - give them to people?  Are they for the same route?

If not - you still have two months!!!!!!!

May I suggest a call or email to FGW Customer Service? Ask nicely and they may be kind enough to replace/validate them for use into 2010.

I live by the maxim "If you don't ask, you don't get!"

Tickets are not transferable.

Apparently, they are transferable: see http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=4782.msg43096#msg43096

Certainly not transferable once validated, but there are special conditions that apply to the complimentary tickets allowing you to pass them to family/friends for their use. I think I recall FGW stating that passengers issued with complimentaries as part of the compensation during the Cotswold line blockade could pass them on to other people if they so wanted.

Good (and obvious, duh!) idea, awaiting their reply...

I would definitely suggest contacting Customer Services, they could be using up old stock, as the complimentaries I used last week had boxes for 2008,2009, and 2010. Mind you these were First Class ones, it may be different for Standard.

I've spoken to the FGW customer line, and apparently there's been a lot of queries about this.  I was given a reference number, and will have to return them with it to get tickets for next year.

A result, then!


It appears you weren't the only one being fobbed off with someone's out of date stationery? ::) ;D

I renewed my ticket in May this year (regular customer who buys an annual ticket) and am still waiting....

I have even written to FGW and they replied along the lines of this promotion is very much a lottery and not all will receive such benefits.....

I am on the mailing list; this week I received a letter offering me the chanace to travel first class on my regular route outside rush hour, couple of problems, no first class service from my station in the morning and i am not sure how the boss will react if i walk in around 10:30....Inculded with the offer was 6 free car parking tickets - the car park at my station is FREE -Oh well it is the thought that counts

I despair reading a thread like this. It seems FGW can't even get the issue of complimentary tickets right.

Is it that they are being too clever by half and trying to limit the the usefulness of the tickets to try and limit the revenue loss by giving free journies.

It seems me that if you give out complimentary tickets then they should be fully transferrable and valid on any FGW services. Otherwise you just upset people for no reason.

Are FGW under any obligation to offer free tickets?

Agreed they aren't but when they do it, why not do it well?

Just for the record, (a) they are, and (b) they are. It's just that they have an expiry date.