Problems with SNCF! Advice?
 

I tried to book a ticket using the TGV Europe site and everything went fine until the payment transaction, when I received an error message and an email saying that the payment transaction had failed. Fine. Try again. Same thing and no ticket.

Not too annoyed until I found out that both charges went through on my credit card and the TGV website had NO bookings under my name!

Has anyone had this problem before? Any advice? I'm going to try disputing the charges with my credit card company but I'm now scared to try booking my train tickets again on their site. I've never had a problem with the German railway or any other online travel purchase.

What, exactly, was the "error message"?

I suggest you email Mark Smith, the Man in Seat 61: [email protected]

http://seat61.com

Two error messages. The first one on the website saying that the transaction was not able to be completed. That message was followed by an email saying that the payment and bank transaction have failed. When I check the TGV website, it says that there were payment errors and provides no booking reference numbers.

Thanks for the suggestion to contact Mark Smith. Will try that too.

That's odd, and I don't think I've ever heard of anyone having that problem before. I never have, in any case. I am not sure I have ever gotten an email from SNCF saying a transaction has failed, though, if it fails, it just fails and you don't get a purchase (and I've always gotten an error message on the screen). I had that happen once or twice but it was because my own CC was blocking it, not SNCF. I've never had any other kind of error on SNCF.

If you were charged and have no reservation, I'd be really annoyed, also. I might call them up myself. They have phone numbers, after all.

Are the charges showing up as pending? It could be that the transaction was never completed and the charges will not appear on your bill. If this problem was very recent, that may be what happened.

An error in a store once caused double charges pending on my Visa account but only one actually showed up on the bill.

I know -- I tried searching to see if other people have had this problem as well. I finally decided to post a question myself because I couldn't find anyone else who had encountered this problem

I thought it was a pending transaction too, but my credit card company insists the transactions have gone through.

I've tried submitting an inquiry using their help forms on the TGV Europe website but haven't had a reply yet (it's been several days now).

Does anyone have a number for SNCF where I could speak to someone in English? There is no contact number on the TGV Europe website. I could try the French SNCF number, but suspect I couldn't manage fluent conversation on this topic.

I found the following on the SNCF site in English. If they can't help you maybe they can give you another number:

"sometimes you may prefer to speak to a real live person: users of the Transilien network (in the Ile-de-France - Paris- region) can also call +33 (0) 891 36 20 20 (23 cts per min incl. VAT), for information on train times, fares and help to prepare for their journeys. Available every day from 7am to 10pm."

http://tinyurl.com/794gjzy

The English-speaking line I have for them is 011 33 8 92 35 35 35, but I've never used it so can't say if it's current or not.

You can always dispute the charges with the credit card company. Print a copy of the SNCF page that says you had as booking error and the email and send them to the credit card company to dispute the charges.

If SNCF says you don't have a booking and charged you anyway, they can hardly disagree with the dispute.