General Discussion
First Great Western
Has anyone else had problems with First Great Western? In the school holiday I tried to renew 2 season tickets for travel to Torre and every time I went down the office was shut. When I went down on Wednesday 18th April at 4pm it was still shut so drove over to Teignmouth as I needed them for the following morning to find that they were also closed due to staff shortages.
I telephoned the 0845 telephone number to complain (@ 10p a minute) and to find out if Exeter would be open but they didn’t have a direct line to Exeter so couldn’t guarantee that if I drove over there someone could issue my tickets.
I was told if I went down early to Dawlish on the morning that they should be open. We went down at 7.40am to find it still shut so I had to purchase 2 tickets from the machine costing £10.15 (as my eldest child is 16 we have to pay adult price to get them to school!)
Adding to my frustration, I drove over to Teignmouth to find that because my youngest travels on a child’s season ticket and it was before noon the system wouldn’t allow it to be issued for the following day and I therefore had to pay from that day (paying twice for his trip to school that day).
I was given a feedback form to send off to their customer service department but wondered if anyone had a Head Office address that I could write too?
Yep I've had all that.
Dawlish ticket office isn't open enough especially for people that start early such as pupils and employees.
Also you can't buy a season too early, because you could use it before it is valid. However it takes the biscuit as the ticket office is closed, so I've been down there the day before I was due to travel to try to buy a season ticket but was not allowed.
Loads of times I've been forced to buy a day ticket for several days and then eventually get a season ticket - total rip off.
And then you have the Ticket Inspectors that will fine you at least £20 if you board a train without a valid ticket but if the office is closed and the un-user friendly rubbish ticket machine isn't working (because it has run out of change or blank tickets) you can't buy a ticket.
What about all the times I've had a valid ticket and the train was cancelled - where's my £20?
Loads of people must get these issues.
Send to :
Customer services team
First Great Western
Freepost SWB40576
Plymouth
PL4 6ZZ
http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/About-Us/Customer-services/Contact-us
I agree it should be open more and annoying its closed Sundays.
Re the £20 fine, if it is known the office is closed and the machine was not working, you cannot be forced to pay, if you were you would be refunded.
'First' is not one of the most reliable operators, South West Trains (Stagecoach) would be better, their Exeter-Salisbury-Waterloo line is very reliable and good trains.
