Seatfrog are responsible for the running of the bidding platform, facilitating payments and the delivery of the upgrade barcode. If you wish to refund your upgrade due to a fault in one of these areas please contact us by emailing help@seatfrog.com from your registered email address.
Delays and Cancellations
Under the National Rail Conditions of Travel, if you have purchased a ticket and your train is cancelled or delayed, and you choose not to travel, you may return the unused ticket to the original retailer which the ticket was purchased from and you will be given a full refund with no administration fee being charged. This applies to all tickets including those which are usually non-refundable.
As per our Terms, Seatfrog facilitates the upgrade sale and the original purchase is made from the Carrier. If your service is delayed or cancelled you can contact the rail company that you are travelling with to apply for a refund. You'll need to include the upgrade receipt we sent to your email as well as your original travel ticket.
My train was delayed...
Seatfrog upgrades are refundable when your service has been impacted by delays. You can claim a refund by applying to your rail operator through their Delay-Repay scheme, you'll need to include a copy of your Seatfrog upgrade receipt as well as your original ticket.
My train was cancelled...
Ack. There's nothing more disappointing but sometimes these things can't be helped. The good news is that our agreement with our rail partners is that if your service is cancelled you may be able to use it on the next available service. You will need to confirm with the Train Manager that they're able to accommodate you.
If you're not able to use the upgrade you can apply for a refund by contacting the rail operator.
Remember to include both your original ticket as well as a copy of your Seatfrog upgrade receipt.
My train was declassified...
There may be times when the rail operator needs to declassify a train service. This is when First-Class seating is opened up to all ticket holders and the First-Class service is withdrawn. Typically this happens after earlier trains have been cancelled or seriously delayed. If you find yourself with a Seatfrog upgrade and your train is declassified, you'll need to contact the rail operator to discuss a refund.
The carriage I won an upgrade in wasn't there
One of two things has happened here. Either the rail operator has had to change the number of carriages operating on the service, or Cinderella's fairy God-Mother has been at it again! If there was a giant pumpkin on the tracks, this is a sure sign that this was the case.
Whatever the cause, you're still entitled to use your upgrade and can transfer to another First Class carriage. If you're not able to be accommodated in the existing First-Class carriages then you are able to claim a refund by contacting the rail operator, using a copy of your upgrade receipt.
Why aren't Seatfrog upgrades refundable?
By bidding for a Seatfrog upgrade you are confirming that you are willing to pay up to your bid amount for an upgrade. Once bidding has opened you are bound by your bid/purchase, should you win. This is why we ask you to confirm before placing a bid into the auction.
Seatfrog must pay the rail operator for all upgrades that have been awarded, even if you do not travel. If we were to make a refund we would still need to pay the rail operator which means we would be losing the value of the upgrade.
Bidding for an upgrade means you are bidding against all other passengers registered on that trip. Each bid made increases the cost of upgrading for other travellers and may prevent them from upgrading. In the interest of fairness to all passengers, upgrades that have been issued are not eligible to be refunded.
What if the cat did it?
If the cat ran off with your phone and made a couple of winning bids, booked the wrong date or destination, unfortunately, it is still not possible for us to issue a refund.
We recommend logging out of the app when not in use, enabling child mode on your device, and keeping 'Tigger' entertained with a laser pen and a packet of Dreamies (other feline treats are available).
There wasn't any catering available.
We know how frustrating it can be when you're on a long train journey and there isn't any catering available. That badly bruised, banana at the bottom of your bag is no substitute for a hot meal or sandwich. Unfortunately, there are instances where this complimentary service may be limited or withdrawn altogether. There's a variety of reasons why this may happen which you can check by visiting the carrier's website.
If this does occur, as this is a service-based issue, you'll need to direct your feedback to the rail company that you're travelling with.
Aliens Abducted me and used my phone to bid for an upgrade.
Those crafty aliens! As a rule, we're not able to issue refunds resulting from Alien abductions. Though you can submit your evidence to our team at help@seatfrog.com and we'll investigate. The truth is out there. In the meantime...tin foil hats?
Can’t you just transfer my upgrade to another service?
Sadly, we don't have the flexibility to do this. Upgrades are only valid for the service that you have purchased/won. We have to pay the value of any upgrade awarded to the rail operator even if it was bought in error. To transfer the value of an upgrade to another service would mean we have to purchase two upgrades; the new upgrade as well as the original that went unused.
I won an upgrade but my rail ticket isn’t valid at that time
Oh dear. We need you to make sure that your train ticket is valid for travel on the upgrade you selected as it will only be able to be used at this specific date and time. You may be able to change your rail ticket so that it is valid on your upgraded service. You’d need to speak with your rail operator who can let you know how to change your ticket.
I used Upgrade Now and bought the wrong trip, can I get a refund?
Once you have confirmed your purchase we are not able to issue a refund. Though, you may be able to change your rail ticket to match the service you have upgraded on.
My upgrade isn’t for XX days, can I get it refunded?
Regardless of the departure date, once an upgrade has been issued we are not able to offer a refund or amend an upgrade.
I found a better deal elsewhere, can I return my upgrade?
If an upgrade has been issued, unfortunately, it is not able to be returned. Once you place a bid in an auction it becomes binding and can't normally be cancelled. If you then win an upgrade, it's not able to be cancelled or refunded. Please check all details are correct before placing a bid.
I changed my travel plans
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to transfer the upgrade to another service as it’s only valid on the specified trip.
I missed my train
Once an upgrade has been issued it is the users responsibility to ensure that they arrive at the station in time. If you have been held up by a delayed train service, traffic jam, or the outbreak of a zombie apocalypse, please get in touch with us by emailing help@seatfrog.com with the details - unless it's zombies. If it's zombies... run!
If there is anything else we can help you with, or if you have any other queries, please reach out to our team by emailing help@seatfrog.com.