Another relevant thread, relating to admin fees being charged per ticket, can be found at:
Hello everyone! So my parents and I are going up to London on Monday the 18th and returning on Wednesday the 20th. Now as I was booking the tickets they booked the cheapest, of course, but didn't see that they were advance tickets. Now the inbound is okay, but the outbound has now become a...
www.railforums.co.uk
Thanks for the advice, I will bear this in mind, but I do like like the LNER website interface, plus I regularly get a 10% cash back offer from Lloyds when I book through the LNER website using my Debit Card (not through the app though oddly).
I‘ve now bought the new tickets and submitted the claim for the now redundant tickets using the form Watershed linked up.
Thanks both.
In your case, perhaps you are better paying for what may be more expensive fares, and paying more in admin fees, in order to get the cashback.
However, if you are ever booking for many people and may need to change the times, then that
may tip the balance.
I believe the cashback will effectively be subsidised by taxpayers (it's surely anticompetitive, but it would cost too much for a legal case) so we can't compete with that; however if you do book with us, we will do our best to provide enhanced customer service, whenever possible, and we are grateful for these bookings as it helps with the running costs of the forum (including hosting free fares workshops; our income has taken a hit lately which is partly why I've not run any recently).
It's not easy to compete with TOCs, and indeed most people are probably quite happy to pay a bit extra to book with LNER and be stuck with higher fees. I am pretty sure the likes of LNER see us an annoyance, as we do undercut their high fares on numerous occasions, and things like cashback are perhaps their way of trying to deter people from booking with us.
Anyway, it is good - in my opinion - that the choice is there; some people
want to see us banned from selling tickets, which would leave no option.
Another difference between the sites, is that if the trains are cancelled, and the tickets are unused, then you can request a full refund and we won't apply an admin fee.
However with LNER it seems a lot of people do get charged the admin fee and are told to send an email if they want the fee to be refunded:
I was booked on 6.40am from Leeds to London Kings Cross. Too many trains cancelled and delayed to make it worthwhile to travel for my meeting. Unbelievable that you charge 10 pound admin fee for my refund when you cancelled the trains!! #notgoodenough
Unfortunately if your service is cancelled, your existing ticket would only be valid on the LNER before or after. You can alter and change your ticket if this is preferred but there may be an admin fee and price difference charge ^Libby
He was on 09.22 from Leuchers to York. Then I booked him on 10.00 from Edinburgh to York. Now I’ve moved him to 09.30 Edinburgh to York and I’ve been charged an admin fee
Morning! I was charged a £10 admin fee for requesting a refund on a journey which had been cancelled due to bad weather, are we meant to be charged fees on journeys where the train never runs?
Appreciate you had a busy weekend, but think how your customers felt with NO support whatsoever that day. Out of pocket, both in fuel and now in a ridiculous admin fee and all you can say is "thanks for your patience"? No apology?
so after a horrific day travelling on Sunday, two cancelled trains and my daf having to drive from Retford to Peterborough, I have only received one refund, with an admin fee of £10 applied! Sorry, but I didn't cancel my journey, you did! No reply to my email either...
my train on sunday from newark to king’s cross was cancelled and my refund has had a £10 admin fee deducted, how can this be fair??
Hi, I had a ticket booked for a train during the strike (TPE) but did not travel. Requested refund but minus £10 booking fee meaning I was only left with £4, I thought if a ticket was booked for a strike due this admin fee was waived?
Please email the team at
[email protected], they will refund the admin fee. ^Sam
Hiya, my train from Leeds to Hemel (via London) was cancelled yesterday. I have been charged a £10 admin fee on my refund - how do I claim this fee back please?
Both trains we booked from Peterb to KX return today were cancelled. I claimed a refund and a £10 admin fee has been charged. Seriously? Having been a victim of last Friday when we didn't get home until 2.15am and now this, it should be a full refund and compensation!
you just let me book a train from KX to Newcastle despite LNER advice not to travel on their trains today -something I only saw after I’d booked. On cancelling, you’ve charged me £10 admin fee.
Surely LNER are at fault, not the disrupted passengers?
I guess charging these fees by default helps them to offer cashback, as most passengers who are charged a fee wouldn't bother to claim a refund of the fee.