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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Miles Brignall

My iPhone said ‘no’ to my £70 railcard and I can’t get a refund

Senior Railcard
A reader was forced to buy a £30 paper senior railcard after the Trainline’s app would not work on their iPhone. Photograph: Peter Scholey/Alamy

I bought a three-year, £70 senior railcard from Trainline, but this has to be stored on my phone as an app, as there is now no paper option. But when I tried to download it on to my iPhone, an error message appeared saying that I couldn’t, as it needed an iOS operating system of 13.4 or above. The one on my phone is 12.5.

As I had already booked some rail tickets with a senior railcard deduction I was forced to buy a one-year £30 paper senior railcard at the local station.

Trainline initially said it would refund this, but is now refusing to on the basis that I must have used their railcard.

I explained again what had happened and that I had had to buy a paper one, and sent a copy, but still it won’t refund me my £70.
JK
, by email

I am amazed that I had to get involved in this case given that you had sent the copy of the second railcard. Trainline told me that the three-year deal is digital-only, and that its website does set out which devices are compatible.

However, it did agree to repay you. “We appreciate that JK did not feel this was made clear enough, and so we’re happy to provide him with a full refund as a gesture of goodwill, which is now on its way,” it says.

We welcome letters but cannot answer individually. Email consumer.champions@theguardian.com or write to Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Include a phone number. Letters are subject to our terms: gu.com/letters-terms

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