Train Tickets....Be Aware!!

PLEASE NOTE: I am not having a go at the seller of the tickets talked about below. I have NO DOUBT they were sold in good faith and in the end it all worked out ok. I am very grateful to the seller who, in the end, saved me a few bob. Thanks, mate....you know who you are

However, I thought I'd best send this message for the attention of anyone buying GROUP tickets for rail travel....

A friend and I travelled up to London on Saturday (QPR day) on train tickets purchased from another member of this site, which were originally bought as a block of four in order to save some money....

On the return journey our tickets were declined by the ticket collector and we were asked to pay the full single fare from Paddington to Cardiff....and he actually wanted us to pay the full return fare!!

The reason?? The tickets were sold as a block of four and ALL members of the party HAD to be travelling together or else the tickets were not valid....and the other two in the party weren't available to 'complete' the group!!

Luckily, armed with an e-mail confirmation that PROVED that WE were on our scheduled train and with the support of others (not City supporters) in the carriage he reluctantly backed off and that was that....

My point is that we should all be aware that tickets bought as a group purchase to save money have certain conditions attached....one of which is that all members of that group must travel together, otherwise the tickets are not valid and British Rail (or whatever we call them locally these days) are within their rights to demand FULL payment of the correct fare for that journey....

This may be of particular interest to anyone purchasing single or pairs of tickets from others....

Hope that helps, even a little....

PLEASE NOTE: I am not having a go at the seller of the tickets talked about below. I have NO DOUBT they were sold in good faith and in the end it all worked out ok. I am very grateful to the seller who, in the end, saved me a few bob. Thanks, mate....you know who you are

However, I thought I'd best send this message for the attention of anyone buying GROUP tickets for rail travel....

A friend and I travelled up to London on Saturday (QPR day) on train tickets purchased from another member of this site, which were originally bought as a block of four in order to save some money....

On the return journey our tickets were declined by the ticket collector and we were asked to pay the full single fare from Paddington to Cardiff....and he actually wanted us to pay the full return fare!!

The reason?? The tickets were sold as a block of four and ALL members of the party HAD to be travelling together or else the tickets were not valid....and the other two in the party weren't available to 'complete' the group!!

Luckily, armed with an e-mail confirmation that PROVED that WE were on our scheduled train and with the support of others (not City supporters) in the carriage he reluctantly backed off and that was that....

My point is that we should all be aware that tickets bought as a group purchase to save money have certain conditions attached....one of which is that all members of that group must travel together, otherwise the tickets are not valid and British Rail (or whatever we call them locally these days) are within their rights to demand FULL payment of the correct fare for that journey....

This may be of particular interest to anyone purchasing single or pairs of tickets from others....

Hope that helps, even a little....

WHAT? ...... a jobsworth!!!!!!!!...does it really matter that much to the dick of a ticket collector or was he hoping to get assaulted for compo reasons.

It really amazes me ...

Hi mate, it was me who sold you the two tickets. Sorry to hear you had a bit of bother, the 6 of us travelled up and the conductor didn't question us at all? Were you on the 10 o'clock train out of Paddington like we were? You should have given me a bell me and a mate would have walked up the carriage and sat by you while the conductor was about . Thanks for letting me know though because I wasn't aware that if you bought a group saver you all had to be together at all times, what if people are arrested, fall ill, need to get home early etc? Glad it worked out in the end though.

Correct my friend, due to the discount on group tickets, the whole group must make the return journey together. First Great Western & Virgin trains are particularly rigid in enforcement of this rule, & would not think twice in getting the British transport police involved when dealing with football fans.

PLEASE NOTE: I am not having a go at the seller of the tickets talked about below. I have NO DOUBT they were sold in good faith and in the end it all worked out ok. I am very grateful to the seller who, in the end, saved me a few bob. Thanks, mate....you know who you are

However, I thought I'd best send this message for the attention of anyone buying GROUP tickets for rail travel....

A friend and I travelled up to London on Saturday (QPR day) on train tickets purchased from another member of this site, which were originally bought as a block of four in order to save some money....

On the return journey our tickets were declined by the ticket collector and we were asked to pay the full single fare from Paddington to Cardiff....and he actually wanted us to pay the full return fare!!

The reason?? The tickets were sold as a block of four and ALL members of the party HAD to be travelling together or else the tickets were not valid....and the other two in the party weren't available to 'complete' the group!!

Luckily, armed with an e-mail confirmation that PROVED that WE were on our scheduled train and with the support of others (not City supporters) in the carriage he reluctantly backed off and that was that....

My point is that we should all be aware that tickets bought as a group purchase to save money have certain conditions attached....one of which is that all members of that group must travel together, otherwise the tickets are not valid and British Rail (or whatever we call them locally these days) are within their rights to demand FULL payment of the correct fare for that journey....

This may be of particular interest to anyone purchasing single or pairs of tickets from others....

Hope that helps, even a little....

WHAT? ...... a jobsworth!!!!!!!!...does it really matter that much to the dick of a ticket collector or was he hoping to get assaulted for compo reasons.

It really amazes me ...

Conductors are randomly tested on their trains and up here they use folk dressed as football fans. The t's and c's should be explained when purchased. Up here they allow 3 of a booked group of 4 or 2 of a group of 3 travel.

Thats right, FGW offer a group saver of three or four people, Arriva Trains Wales offer a group saver of beetween three & up to nine people, but this offer is suspended when there is a rugby/concert going on in the Millenium stadium, & other high profile organised events on the ATW network.

Thats right, FGW offer a group saver of three or four people, Arriva Trains Wales offer a group saver of beetween three & up to nine people, but this offer is suspended when there is a rugby/concert going on in the Millenium stadium, & other high profile organised events on the ATW network.

Pretty much the same as FSR just need to be clued up on it I suppose. No trains up here to worry about this week anyway!

Hi mate, it was me who sold you the two tickets. Sorry to hear you had a bit of bother, the 6 of us travelled up and the conductor didn't question us at all? Were you on the 10 o'clock train out of Paddington like we were? You should have given me a bell me and a mate would have walked up the carriage and sat by you while the conductor was about . Thanks for letting me know though because I wasn't aware that if you bought a group saver you all had to be together at all times, what if people are arrested, fall ill, need to get home early etc? Glad it worked out in the end though.

Yes, thanks mate. I was on the 10:00pm train and think you were outside the station when we got off at around 1:15 am

I deleted your number without saving and your message file on here appear to be on a 'blocked' setting....

No worries. It was all sorted in the end. I just wanted people to be aware, as it almost caught us all out....

No issues with you though. I know everything was done in good faith. I was well pleased with the tickets and would buy from you again....but just wanted to warn everyone on this great site to be wary if they were to find themselves in a similar position.

Thanks again and take care....