Advance Ticket Refund?

[whole diary]

[Umberleigh]

Tried to get to East Sussex on Xmas Eve, with FGW^▸ (First Great Western) 1st Advance tickets (two singles), and a Zone 5 travelcard purchased online. Return date 28/12.

(Onward travel to E Sussex to be then purchased on the day, as the station I was to be picked up from could well have been different to the drop-off station on 28th).

However, after having to bus it between Exeter and Tivvy Parkway (two hour delay) it then became apparent ALL services to Sussex and Kent were cancelled (this was now 2pm). Fearing I would get stranded in London, I turned back at Bristol TM^‡(resolve), and eventually arrived back in Truro 11 hours after I set out.

Am I entitled to a refund on the return ticket and Travelcard? I have a note from the ticket office at Bristol TM requesting the relevant guard/s to allow me to return to Truro (compliments slip with date stamp) and my return ticket clearly stamped by the Cross Country service I took back to Plymouth.

Any help much appreciated.

[JayMac]

Difficult one to say for definite.

You've had partial use of both the 1st Advances, getting you as far as Bristol and back to Truro. There are no clear rules on refunds or delay compensation in this scenario. I'd suggest you ask the original retailer nicely, explain the situation, highlighting that you never reached your intended destination, and the travel you did undertake was subject to extreme delays.

The Travelcard is wholly unused so that can be returned to any staffed station, or the original retailer, for what should be a full refund with no admin fee, as you were unable to travel due to disruption.

[brompton rail]

I would have thought that you could be entitled to a refund as you were unable to complete your journey, but it could be that as you could have travelled to Paddington you are not entitled. Discretion by the member of staff who receives your refund request, perhaps. If you purchased at a station you could start there.

A long time ago (BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) days) when we had "the wrong kind of snow", I travelled on the 0605 Leeds to Plymouth. And then it snowed, that sticky stuff with the power to bend and break trees, and it didn't stop. A diversion between Chesterfield and Derby (via Trent junction) took us under the M1, where nothing was moving. Arriving Derby around 11.00 (due 07.35), where the Leeds crew should swop with a Bristol crew presented a problem - they were not coming. Some keen football supporters tried to bribe taxi drivers to take them to their match in Bristol and failed!  The young ladies keen to get to the NEC^» (National Exhibition Centre - about) for "The Fashion Show" were given special care by the (all male) train crew. Eventually the crew decided that they would rather try to return to Leeds ( and home) in the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) they had brought down. We set off, stop on sight, slowly to Chesterfield where an urgent request came through the train's PA^▸ (Public Address) for a driver that signed the "old route" to Sheffield. One appeared from 'the cushions' to act as pilot and eventually we arrived in Sheffield. Fortunately the only clear route to Leed was via Doncaster where I alighted. The train got to Leeds about 13 hours after it had left (arriving at near normal time had it gone to Plymouth!). My first task was to visit the Booking Office to request a refund, which was accepted without hesitation. So, as I never made it to Worcester as planned, my card was later refunded.

[Umberleigh]

Thanks. Will let you know the outcome, and yes, politeness will be the order of the day! The Leeds saga above does at least put mine in perspective...

[ChrisB]

Assuming the combination took you to PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) (though I doubt it as you had only a Zone 5 Travelcard onwards which you couldn't use at PAD) - yes, you could have reached your FGW^▸ (First Great Western) destination if somewhat late.

Strictly, FGW could say that you could have completed your outward journey, and thus your return journey on 28th was also possible - and therefore no refund was due. They also relaxed the restrictions for 23/24th to allow travel at any time. I think you'll need to ask *very* nicely with a grovel...and still they'd be within rights to refuse.

The downside on splitting tickets is that the first TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) doesn't have to care where you were onwardly going - their responsibility ends at the terminus of their ticket.

The Travelcard is definitely refundable in this case.

[JayMac]

I think the 'Zone 5 Travelcard' may be an error in the OP^▸ (Original Poster / topic starter) as there is no such ticket. I went with the assumption that the OP had 1st Advances from Truro to Paddington and return, then either a Zones 1-2, 1-4 or 1-6 Travelcard for cross London travel, purchased online at the same time as the 1st Advances. OP said he was purchasing further tickets to get him to/from his destination (which may've been variable) in East Sussex.