Trainline site accused of profiteering from coronavirus covid-19 crisis

Trainline site accused of profiteering from coronavirus crisis by refusing to waive its no-refund policy for advanced tickets, then charging HUNDREDS more for rebooked trips

  • Dozens have taken to Twitter to complain about the site’s refund policy
  • Many are tagging their tweet about the issue with the hashtag #boycotttrainline
  • Twitter user James M Scaife tweeted: ‘Trainline, you’re profiting off a pandemic’ 
  • Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?

Passengers have accused booking site Trainline of profiteering from the coronavirus crisis.

Dozens have taken to Twitter to complain that the site is refusing to waive its no-refund policy for advanced tickets – and then charging more for rebooked journeys. In some cases, hundreds more.

In a bid to force the company to change its stance, many are tagging their tweet about the issue with the hashtag #boycotttrainline.

Passengers have accused booking site Trainline of profiteering from the coronavirus crisis

One angry passenger, Alyson Campbell, told MailOnline Travel that she was facing the prospect of paying around £400 more to rebook tickets she can no longer use for a theatre trip to London from Manchester.

She paid £205 for three advanced first-class tickets but now has to postpone because of the coronavirus crisis and is faced with the prospect of forking out £621 for a rescheduled journey at the end of May.

Passenger Alyson Campbell's non-refundable fare

Alyson's rebooked fare - which is hundreds more

Alyson Campbell told MailOnline Travel that she was facing the prospect of paying around £400 more to rebook tickets she can no longer use for a theatre trip to London from Manchester (see above)

Trainline doesn't offer refunds on advanced tickets

Trainline doesn’t offer refunds on advanced tickets

The 45-year-old contract performance manager said: ‘I had theatre tickets for myself, my partner and our daughter. We had three first-class returns booked plus a hotel and obviously the theatre tickets. The theatre will be refunding the tickets, the hotel has waived its cancellation policy and refunded already with no fuss. But Trainline is stoic in its position.

‘Its suggestion is that customers can rebook for anytime in the next 12 weeks and then if the issues remain rebook again in the following 12 weeks. This sounds fine on the face of it. However, the cost to rebook for within 12 weeks is coming out at several hundred pounds more than the original booking. I can only assume when you then need to rebook again when the issue remains in 12 weeks it will be another few hundred pounds more.

‘Trainline is refusing to lift its policy on advance tickets and will not offer any form of refund.

‘The site is bleeding more money out of people at what is already a very worrying and uncertain time.’

To make matters worse, she alleges, the site is ‘not responding to emails, tweets or anything’.

Twitter user James M Scaife concurred, tweeting: ‘Trainline, you’re profiting off a pandemic… by inflating all future train costs.’

MailOnline Travel has contacted Trainline for a comment. For information on its refund policies, click here. 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk