In message , at 00:50:06 on
Tue, 2 Sep 2008, Fred remarked:
Perhaps a pertinent question. Is the vendor of the ticket an agent of the
train company or a seller in it's own right?

Probably more of an agent, because each ticket has a fare "set" by a ToC,
and so a direct sale would only be if by co-incidence you bought the
ticket from that fare-setting ToC. Meanwhile, there's something like a 9%
commission for ticket sellers, which suggests an agency agreement of some
kind.

If as you say they're an agent then surely the ticket has been effectively
purchased from the train company. How can the train company then say it's
invalid?

Poor call centre training, perhaps, or maybe they actually believe in
their own minds that they aren't liable.
--
Roland Perry