Season ticket change advice

[SWT_USER]

Hi all,

Hoping somebody can advise the best/ cheapest way for me to change a season ticket.

Currently I have an annual zones 3-6 Gold Card issued at Hanwell station (paper ticket) expiring on the 1st January 2015. I've moved house since and now only really need a zone 5-6 ticket. Ideally I would like this on my oyster card but understand thus may not be possible having been told at Marylebone that I wouldn't be able to change them over as Hanwell is not an Underground station.

So, is it best to get the season ticket refunded and buy a new one? Or will I get a partial refund for dropping a zone from the ticket?

Also does this need to be done at Hanwell? Not a problem getting there but I find the ticket office is rarely open when it is supposed to be.

 

[maniacmartin]

Do not get a refund as you will almost certainly lose out.

Did you try at Marylebone Chiltern and not Marylebone LU ticket office?

 

[SWT_USER]

Do not get a refund as you will almost certainly lose out.

Did you try at Marylebone Chiltern and not Marylebone LU ticket office?

Yes tried Marylebone Chiltern ticket office.

 

[bb21]

Probably best done at Hanwell if it is not too much trouble getting there. It may however take a few days. The second choice would be another FGW ticket office such as Hayes & Harlington. Your choices would be limited if you want it on Oyster. Marylebone should be able to process it so you may just have to pop back another time and try your luck with a different clerk.

Information on Season Ticket Changeover is available in the Fares & Ticketing Guide, Section 5.12. I concur with the advice to go for a changeover than a refund, as you will almost certainly be better off that way.

 

[SWT_USER]

Thanks BB21, very helpful. How much would I get back were I to change it to a 5-6 season? Just trying to work out if it is worth the hassle of changing it?

Is it better to do the changeover and then try my luck again at Marylebone to get it on to an Oyster card?

Apologies if these are silly questions but I can't get my head round it!

 

[bb21]

How much did your current 3-6 season cost?

 

[SWT_USER]

£1208 I think! Unfortunately the price isn't on the ticket as its a replacement after I put it through the wash. I should have mentioned that actually, can it still be changed?

 

[bb21]

I see. I am surprised it was at last year's price given that price increases take place on 2nd January each year.

I won't do the exact calculation here, but the base rate for the ticket surrendered is £3.31 (£1208 ÷ 365) and the base rate for the new ticket is £2.52 (£920 ÷ 365). You are therefore due 79p for each remaining day of validity. This is on the assumption that your season ticket does not include free "void" days from last year.

If you want to have it on Oyster, I think you may as well do it at Marylebone. There are some very good clerks there.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Hate to burst your bubble folks, but it's not possible to do a change-over from a paper season to an Oyster one. Neither FasTIS nor LU's TOMs will do it directly, and they won't let you "Load" a paper change-over onto Oyster in Non-Revenue mode either.

In addition, if the original ticket was paid for by company cheque or rail warrant, you'll need to provide a letter from your employer stating whether the refund should be paid to you or to them.

 

[Deerfold]

Am I right in thinking the OP will not get a refund but will get extra time on the new season as they currently have a duplicate season ticket.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Am I right in thinking the OP will not get a refund but will get extra time on the new season as they currently have a duplicate season ticket.

If it's a Duplicate of a lost or stolen ticket, any refund due would be added as extra days (subject to the overall validity of the new ticket being no more than 12 months).

If it's an Encode Exchange (due to the print fading and/or magstripe being damaged), the refund is paid out in the normal way.