Our refunds process
If, during times of disruption on the lines or in or around the station, you decide not to travel with us, you’re entitled to a full refund immediately – all you need to do is head straight to any National Rail ticket office and return your ticket.
Even if the train service is running normally and you decide not to use a ticket for your own reasons, you can apply for a refund. Refunds are available on most tickets which have been purchased but not used, as well as – in most cases – unused validity on Season tickets.
Daily paper tickets can be refunded at a ticket office before the off-peak on the date of travel on the ticket. Tickets that need to be refunded after the date of travel must be sent to Customer relations. This can be done using a comments and complaints form which can be picked up from a c2c station or by sending the tickets with a short letter to FREEPOST ADM3968, Southend, SS1 1ZS. The refund will be processed as a National Rail Travel Voucher so the customer needs to include an address for the voucher to be sent to.
Daily tickets on a Smartcard – customers can email Customer relations (contact@c2crail.co.uk) or use the contact form on the website to request a refund.
Applications for tickets other than Season tickets must be received no later than 28 days after the expiry date on the ticket. The amount refunded will be based on the cost of the ticket when it was purchased, minus the cost of any travel that has since been used.
Season tickets both on paper and Smartcard must be surrendered to the ticket office for a refund.
For Season tickets that are no longer required, the amount refunded is based on the difference between the original cost of the Season ticket and the cost of a Season ticket for the period of validity up to the date the ticket is surrendered to c2c.
Since Season tickets offer significant savings for the daily traveller, you will find that if there is only a small proportion of the validity remaining, your refund will be minimal, or will not apply. Please note that, after 10 months and 12 days of validity, an Annual Season ticket has no refund value.
Season ticket holders who were ill and unable to travel can apply for a refund from the date their illness started. We will need you to supply a medical certificate or ‘fit note’ (used to be called a sick note) and a copy of your Season Ticket.
For many tickets, an administration fee (£10 as of February 2022) may be charged for refunds. You should note that certain discounted tickets are sold on the understanding that you are committed to travel and that refunds are not available.
Advance tickets are not refundable – please note that this refers to Advance tickets available with other operators, as c2c does not offer traditional Advance tickets.
