Train ticket refunds possible?

[billiardsmike]

Girlfriend's work issues have caused a hold on our trip to Qingdao. Is it possible to return train tickets for a refund? If not, anyone want a couple of seats for the evening of the 18th?

[dotherighthing]

Go to the railway station ( not the retailing sites ) and they have a window particularly for ticket refund, they will charge you soome penalty, in shanghai, it is 20% of ticket nominal price.

[gougou]

It is possible to return them. They will charge you a couple of kuai, but it is a fraction of the ticket price.

[roddy]

Yes, but you generally need to go to the station, you can't do it via the agent you bought it from. However, I'd try the agent first, just in case - might save yourself a trip.

[roddy]

Damn but we're fast . . .

[Lu]

The ticket refund window gives you back something like 80% of the price, but if you're lucky while standing in line someone will come up to you and buy it off you for the original price. Happened to me once, don't know if this is normal though.

[billiardsmike]

Slow night folks? I truly appreciate it, but I'm not sure I've ever seen this kind of quick response. Thanks.

[dotherighthing]

Yes we are express couriers, hehe

[gougou]

In case you didn't get it yet, maybe we should specify who the 20% go to...

[dotherighthing]

That is a problem (sh)

[billiardsmike]

Went to Beijing West station ticket office (2nd sublevel) and was done in no time. There were a dozen people hovering, looking to buy tickets from those returning theirs, some of them not too bright. One guy just couldn't understand why I wouldn't sell him my tickets for 170 kuai when the refund was 190.

[roddy]

Glad you got it sorted. Isn't Beijing West a charming place, and easy to navigate to boot . . .

[billiardsmike]

Quite so. What a lovely place, and such cultured people! :roll:

[limaygolf]

I have done it. I decided to spend longer in Shanghai than i originally had planed and so went to the train staton to return my ticket. Luckily while i was standing in line some chinese guy came up to me and bought the ticket of me for the original price. Otherwise I would have lost 20%.

[gougou]

Luckily while i was standing in line some chinese guy came up to me and bought the ticket of me for the original price.

Did anybody try to sell them for more than face value yet? The reason that those people come to the return counter is that the train is booked out, so according to the laws of supply and demand, you should be able to mark-up prices significantly

[billiardsmike]

Now that I think about it, the guy trying to buy my tickets may have been a scalper looking to resell them later. I saw him negotiate with several people and I'm reasonably sure that not all of them were returning tickets for a much later train to Qingdao.