Hi all

I booked a ticket via the GWR website several months ago.

At the time of booking,

I specified my outward journey but not my return.

I purchased a ticket based on a journey that satisfied my outward requirements and that told me simply "Return journey: by 26 Jun 2017".

I received an email confirmation stating the same.

A few days ago I rang to book seats on the journeys

only to be told that I couldn't travel on the mid day journey back that I wanted on the ticket that I had bought (a super off peak) but would need to either wait a further 4 hours before I could get the first train that met the ticket criteria or pay a further £50 to do so (almost as much as my original ticket).

I was also told that if I did this on the day on the train, it would cost me £80 to quote "rectify my mistake".

I asked why was I not told at the time of booking that I would be limited to certain trains for my return journey and was told

"did I tick the terms and conditions box at the end of the transaction - because that explains the ticket types"

I find this HIGHLY miss leading and a near deliberate attempt to con travellers into having to pay more for their journeys when finding themselves on a train they apparently should not be travelling on.

I also asked if the difference in fair would have been cheaper had I paid the difference at the time and (due to my only finding this out a week before travel) was told it would have been significantly cheaper.

Anyone else feel this is miss leading too?

I would really like to complain about this practise to the highest I can - who should I send it too?

Thanks

Whenever I've booked tickets online, I've seen a variety of prices, along with a description of the ticket type, even if the details of what that type means aren't stated in flashing neon.

When you booked, did you see "Advance", "Anytime", and "off-peak" as well as "Super off-peak"?.

Did you think "Hey, an Anytime ticket seems much more expensive"?

"Off-peak ; that is cheaper, maybe it'll be restricted to off-peak"

"Super off-peak, even cheaper than off-peak.... I wonder why?"

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/46590.aspx

If you want to travel at peak times, with maximum flexibility as to trains ; you'll need to pay for an Anytime ticket.

If you want to travel at peak times but with a cheaper fare, look at 'Advance' fares (but you'll find they are valid for the booked service only, you won't be able to use it for an earlier service, and if you miss the booked train you will be ticketless).

With a week to go, look at getting a refund on your Super off-peak, and consider an off-peak (if that fits with your plans better), or if you must travel peak times, Advance fares.

I've found Virgin Trains' site to be best at giving the range of tickets (and their prices), when both outward and return trains are entered. Their app allows you to easily see what return trains the ticket type you have chosen is valid for, so you can see what return trains are allowed / dis-allowed.

Want an 'e-ticket'?. Try the website /app for the TOC (e.g. GWR) you'll be traveling on first. If it gives you the info you need, great. If not, use the Virgin app / site to find the right ticket and then buy it from the other TOC....

Going on to GWR's website, when I select a Super off-peak ticket, there is the 'i in a circle' information icon. Clicking on it:

"Super Off-Peak Return

Via Any Permitted Route

Ticket Description:

 

Off-Peak fares are cheaper tickets for travelling on trains that are less busy. You may be required to travel at specific times of day, days of the week or on a specific route."

Clicking on the potential return train times shows which trains are allowed / not allowed.

Super off-peak (unsurprisingly) is much more restricted than off-peak.

Check and see if an offer peak ticket (26% more expensive than a super off-peak for the example I tried, Plymouth to Paddington return) is an option for you.

(For that example, the latest afternoon train departs14;07, and the earliest evening train departs 19.03 for trains allowable for Super off-peak, some 5 hours of 'embargo' while for 'off-peak' the latest afternoon train departs16.36, and the earliest evening train departs 18.03, leaving only 1 1/2 hours peak time not permitted, and only the 17.03 service not allowed).

For that example (Plymouth / Paddington), traveling out super off-peak single, and back with an advance ticket might be an option.

£55 outward, and between £37 and £126 advance for the return (£126 for the peak 17.03 train, but £37 for the 18.35 ....).

£92 for both if you go for the 18.35 return is even cheaper than the Super off-peak return!.

I can't see that you have been misled, and doubt a complaint will get you very far.

If there are restrictions on a journey with GWR these are normally printed on the tickets. It might say that journeys via x station are excluded or ticket only covers journeys via x station. So if you tried to book seats on a train that stops at an excluded station or does not stop at the required station, then the ticket is not valid for the particular train.

It is complicated, but it is the way train companies try to restrict the route you can use the ticket for. It requires you to check the route of the train and what stations it stops at to see if your ticket is ok or not.

And people try to engineer cheaper tickets on one route and then use it on another. For example, it is far cheaper to buy a ticket from say Bristol to London via Gloucester than it is to just buy a ticket from Bristol to London but not via Gloucester. The train lines are split, with one route offering a faster route to destination and companies charge more for faster journeys.

I can see your points however to me the info button simply stating "You may be required to travel at specific times of day, days of the week or on a specific route." does not really tell me much (ie what times/routes) and as I hadn't yet collected the tickets I couldn't see if they said anything. My point is that it should be made clearer I guess

It is up to you to check. I have been in this situation a number of times. I had an argument with a guard on a train, as i had boarded a train using a cheaper ticket that was excluded. I had to pay the extra required. At another station, i had to wait over a hour for a another train.

What GWR will say is that if in doubt you should ask before boarding.

What GWR will say is that if in doubt you should ask before boarding.

And that is what I feel is miss leading - all I got was an email confirmation stating "Return journey: by 26 Jun 2017" - if this had said something along the lines of "Return journey: by 26 Jun 2017, subject to ticket restrictions, please check that your intended return journey is covered by this ticket" then I would have done just that..

You bought the ticket (and accepted the conditions) before you received the confirmation email.

How can you be misled (into buying the wrong ticket, if that is what you are claiming) by a confirmation that you only receive after purchase?.....

So nobody else feels that the train companies make buying a ticket over complicated and don't go far enough at the time of purchase to explain what ticket you are actually buying and what the restrictions of it are? I would be amazed if that were the case frankly

But experience tells most people that some tickets cannot be used on some services.

As an interesting point, i found searching recently that GWR allowed a cheap ticket to be used on a very early morning sevice, but then the same ticket type could not be used until after 9am. I presume on the route that very few wanted to travel at 6.20 am, but services between 7am and 9am at peak commutting time were very busy.

Before i travel i go to Trainline and put in the journey i am making to see when the ticket i purchased can be used. Yes sometimes at time of purchase it does not list what exact services it cannot be used on. Passengers have to check. Not great customer service, but that is the way they operate.

Did you really think "Super off-peak" wouldn't have ANY restrictions?

What did you do to check on any restrictions (like click the info icon, google "super off peak" or "GWR super off peak")?

https://www.gwr.com/plan-journey/tickets-railcards-and-season-tickets/ticket-types

and with a few minutes effort:

https://www.gwr.com/~/media/gwr/pdfs/your-journey/journey-information/gw150828-travelling-with-gwr.pdf?la=en

Which gives the restriction times for outbound and return trains for all of their services ....

its been this way for many many years

and with all rail companies on such tickets

if you don't read the T&C's sadly that's your problem