LNER Refunds Question

[gray1404]

I wish to cancel a ticket booked on LNER and I have already collected it from the TVM. The train I wanted to catch was cancelled.

Before I proceed with this refund request through my online account, do LNER require the physical ticket to be returned or will I be able to submit a photo of the ticket cut in half?

 

[Haywain]

I wish to cancel a ticket booked on LNER and I have already collected it from the TVM. The train I wanted to catch was cancelled.

Before I proceed with this refund request through my online account, do LNER require the physical ticket to be returned or will I be able to submit a photo of the ticket cut in half?

Does the answer affect whether you will apply for a refund? It certainly used to be the case of sending off the physical tickets but I don't know if that's changed in the last couple of years.

 

[gray1404]

Does the answer affect whether you will apply gor a refund?

Not really but if I have to post the tickets in the cost of registered delivery may be near to the cost of the tickets so hardly makes it worth bothering applying for refund with a ticket value under £10.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Not really but if I have to post the tickets in the cost of registered delivery may be near to the cost of the tickets so hardly makes it worth bothering applying for tickets with a value under £10.

If the value is that low you could just take the risk of posting them second class, to be fair. That'll mean probably getting a refund rather than definitely not doing (if this is their policy, I don't know I'm afraid).

 

[Haywain]

Not really but if I have to post the tickets in the cost of registered delivery may be near to the cost of the tickets so hardly makes it worth bothering applying for refund with a ticket value under £10.

There's a lesson here about using ToD and collecting tickets early.

 

[gray1404]

There's a lesson here about using ToD and collecting tickets early.

Agreed. I was planning ahead and trying to be organised.

Anyway if anyone knows if LNER will require me to post the tickets back or if they accept an image of them cut in half that would be great.

 

[Haywain]

Agreed. I was planning ahead and trying to be organised.

Anyway if anyone knows if LNER will require me to post the tickets back or if they accept an image of them cut in half that would be great.

Just go through the process, and if it asks you to post them you can then decide whether to bother. It might even be a freepost address!

 

[transportphoto]

Unsurprisingly, LNER’s website has the answer.

Reference page for info: https://www.lner.co.uk/support/refunds/

Claim form: https://lner-refunds.fastrailticketing.com/

The claim form details you have the option to either cut in half or post back.

TP

 

[gray1404]

Unsurprisingly, LNER’s website has the answer.

Reference page for info: https://www.lner.co.uk/support/refunds/

Claim form: https://lner-refunds.fastrailticketing.com/

The claim form details you have the option to either cut in half or post back.

TP

Thank you so much. When I log onto my account it wants me to goto a selection of different screens rather then taking me directly to this form.

Can I bypass the online account refund process and just you the form linked above?

 

[transportphoto]

Can I bypass the online account refund process and just you the form linked above?

I can only advise to follow the advice of LNER’s website given they’re you’re retailer. I know nothing more than what I’ve read there.

 

[redreni]

There's a lesson here about using ToD and collecting tickets early.

I suppose so, but then again if you're travelling from a station that only has one TVM (as I normally do) you are taking a bit of a risk if you don't collect the tickets until immediately before travel.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

FWIW, I struggled a month or so ago to get LNER to pay a refund as vendor when my train was cancelled: their initial approach was to claim that the ticket was not refundable: then they passed it to the operator of the (cancelled) train as Delay Repay: only after a third email did they refund. So you may need to be persistent, firm and clear in what you need from them.

But they did accept a picture of the (cut up) tickets rather than requiring physical submission.

 

[DanNCL]

There's a lesson here about using ToD and collecting tickets early.

Where do you draw the line? Trains can be cancelled at the very last minute after all the passengers are waiting on the platform, or indeed it isn’t unheard of for a train to be cancelled for whatever reason after the passengers have already boarded and are waiting for it to depart.

 

[Haywain]

Where do you draw the line? Trains can be cancelled at the very last minute after all the passengers are waiting on the platform, or indeed it isn’t unheard of for a train to be cancelled for whatever reason after the passengers have already boarded and are waiting for it to depart.

This isn’t about a train cancellation. When I book weeks ahead using ToD, I generally collect the tickets no more than a day or two before travelling because I know that refunds/changes are simpler for uncollected tickets. And if you are using low value walk-up tickets don't buy them until close to the date of travel.

 

[gray1404]

I've requested a refund as instructed on the LNER website through my online account. A confirmation message and email saying they have received my refund request and will be in touch.

No option to send a picture of the tickets cut in half sadly so we'll have to see what happens.

 

[redreni]

This isn’t about a train cancellation. When I book weeks ahead using ToD, I generally collect the tickets no more than a day or two before travelling because I know that refunds/changes are simpler for uncollected tickets. And if you are using low value walk-up tickets don't buy them until close to the date of travel.

Me too, but I suspect we both pass through railway stations a lot more often than some others do. For some, the penultimate opportunity to collect without going well out of their way (immediately before travel being the last chance) might come a fortnight before travel.

 

[Haywain]

but I suspect we both pass through railway stations a lot more often than some others do.

But probably not more than the OP.

 

[Cowley]

I think we’re probably in danger of drifting off topic in regards to the original question by @gray1404 here.

 

[gray1404]

Very bad experience thus far with LNER.

Submitted refund request through my online account and received email saying the team will get back to me within 10 days.

I noticed the status of my refunded changed to "waiting for tickets" yet I received no email. I attempted live chat with LNER. This took 6 attempts as the chat times out if you're in the que longer then 20 minutes.

Once connected I was advised the team were awaiting my tickets and I was directed to https://lner-refunds.fastrailticketing.com/ and told I would need to cut my tickets in half and send a photo. The chat then timed out.

When I went to the above form when asked to enter my booking reference (8 characters) a message appeared to say this must be 10 characters. So I entered the refund request reference number generated on my online account as this is 10 characters.

I submitted this form so we'll now have to see what happens.

 

[Starmill]

I don't fully grasp why LNER have a refund button in their my account section and also have the separate refund form on the fastrailticketing link as above. I did notice this question myself when I sent a ticket in for a cancelled train recently. The app directed me to that fastrailticketing link.

The form also starts with the phrase "change of plans" which was historically viewed as meaning a refund claimed at the customer's discretion, but the form is also obviously available for use in situations where the refund is not at the customer's own choice, such as a cancellation.

 

[robbeech]

I suppose so, but then again if you're travelling from a station that only has one TVM (as I normally do) you are taking a bit of a risk if you don't collect the tickets until immediately before travel.

A bit of a risk is an understatement, if the railway lets you down by cancelling services you have to jump through hoops and often pay money and wait weeks for them to refund you. If the railway lets you down by not providing a working ticket machine you are at risk of an argument and an attempt of prosecution.

Where do you draw the line? Trains can be cancelled at the very last minute after all the passengers are waiting on the platform, or indeed it isn’t unheard of for a train to be cancelled for whatever reason after the passengers have already boarded and are waiting for it to depart.

Or it may be terminated short or a connecting train cancelled after you’ve started your journey forcing you to return to your origin before claiming a refund.

My only paper ticket refund with LNER was a few years ago, I had collected, I had started a journey and abandoned it after an hour or so due to weather related problems making it impossible (and pointless) carrying on.

I applied for a refund by email and included a photo of the tickets (4 of, both portions of super off peak returns for 2 people). The tickets were whole, not marked in any way. They refunded in full within a couple of weeks or so.

It’s possible that they were focussing on getting through a lot of claims due to the major disruption so not getting hung up on technicalities.