French Train Booking @ Voyages-SNCF: repeated Credit Card rejection

[Cynicor]

Maybe just another different card, yet again, on a different computer, with someone else trying? I've used it with one of my cards with no issues. Being 2013 it would have been the 28 degrees.

 

[legroom]

Maybe just another different card, yet again, on a different computer, with someone else trying? I've used it with one of my cards with no issues. Being 2013 it would have been the 28 degrees.

The last time I used SNCF site with no issue was in Dec 2014 while staying in Paris and yes, 28 degrees was used then (and now).

This time I had even VPN to France to see if I could recapture that success but it still failed !

Yet to try on another PC even though I had killed all cookies on multiple occasions already. May ask son to try for me. Good idea !

 

[ricco]

Similar experience with sncf voyages las night. Using a Citibank Visa signature card, tried to book a few tickets from hendaye to Brussels in May. I got an email alert earlier last night indicating the tickets for this journey were on sale. So, twice you go right through the ordering process and bingo, you get the Cancel notice. The cancel notice was related to the second leg of the journey - paris to Brussels on the Thalys TGV.
There was no reference to the first leg Hendaye - Paris. The cost of Paris- Brussels was 130 eur for two.

So I checked with Citibank to see whether they were declining or whether it was Sncf. Citibank said it was Sncf and get this, while I had my tickets cancelled, SNCF had still charged my card twice for a total of 260 eur. There was no reference by SNCF to re-crediting my credit card. Citibank tells me I have to contact SNCF and talk reversing the charge. When I check my SNCF account, there are no bookings, no record of any cancellations only the emails from SNCF stating the tickets have been cancelled.

So, time to hit the phone and see what happens.

So, if you tried booking several times and failed, check with your credit card provider to see what SNCF has done.

 

[legroom]

I see no charges to my CCs.

All CC providers stated that they see no attempt at any transaction.

******

I give up as my son & his girlfriend both failed on their PCs using their own CCs.

*****

Capitain Train did not work.

Loco2 didn't either.

Similar experience with sncf voyages las night. Using a Citibank Visa signature card, tried to book a few tickets from hendaye to Brussels in May. I got an email alert earlier last night indicating the tickets for this journey were on sale. So, twice you go right through the ordering process and bingo, you get the Cancel notice. The cancel notice was related to the second leg of the journey - paris to Brussels on the Thalys TGV.
There was no reference to the first leg Hendaye - Paris. The cost of Paris- Brussels was 130 eur for two.

So I checked with Citibank to see whether they were declining or whether it was Sncf. Citibank said it was Sncf and get this, while I had my tickets cancelled, SNCF had still charged my card twice for a total of 260 eur. There was no reference by SNCF to re-crediting my credit card. Citibank tells me I have to contact SNCF and talk reversing the charge. When I check my SNCF account, there are no bookings, no record of any cancellations only the emails from SNCF stating the tickets have been cancelled.

So, time to hit the phone and see what happens.

So, if you tried booking several times and failed, check with your credit card provider to see what SNCF has done.

 

[ricco]

Thanks for posting. I was just about to do Captain Train. A few things have happened:
1. SNCF got back to me with an automated message saying they will respond but it will take longer because of the terrorist attacks in Paris. I imagine many people would be reviewing their trips to Paris and seeking a refund.
2. I emailed Mark Smith who runs the excellent Man in Seat 61 website. He tells me that SNCF used to be fine but have got fussy recently with credit cards. What that really means I don't know. He suggests avoid dealing with SNCF voyages and use Captain Train instead. I'm going to email Captain Train and find out what is happening before I do any kind of booking with them.
3. Checked with Citibank again and got a different advisor. He tells me that the two charges for 130 euros are "pending" i.e. it takes between 3-5 days for the charge to be finalised against my card because it is an international transaction. He said it was common for the charge to "drop off" if there was a problem with the merchant. How will I find out if the charges are dropped off? I'll have to call Citibank again.

So I'll wait a few more days and see what SNCF does - either respond to me or charge/not charge my card.
It almost makes you want to fly around Europe!

 

[legroom]

Thanks for posting. I was just about to do Captain Train. A few things have happened:
1. SNCF got back to me with an automated message saying they will respond but it will take longer because of the terrorist attacks in Paris. I imagine many people would be reviewing their trips to Paris and seeking a refund.
2. I emailed Mark Smith who runs the excellent Man in Seat 61 website. He tells me that SNCF used to be fine but have got fussy recently with credit cards. What that really means I don't know. He suggests avoid dealing with SNCF voyages and use Captain Train instead. I'm going to email Captain Train and find out what is happening before I do any kind of booking with them.
3. Checked with Citibank again and got a different advisor. He tells me that the two charges for 130 euros are "pending" i.e. it takes between 3-5 days for the charge to be finalised against my card because it is an international transaction. He said it was common for the charge to "drop off" if there was a problem with the merchant. How will I find out if the charges are dropped off? I'll have to call Citibank again.

So I'll wait a few more days and see what SNCF does - either respond to me or charge/not charge my card.
It almost makes you want to fly around Europe!

This was what I met - repeatedly - when I tried Captain Train:



I tried to call SNCF but couldn't understand 1/2 a word what they were saying.

Best of luck !

 

[opusman]

Have you tried booking a non-iDTGV train as suggested?

 

[legroom]

Have you tried booking a non-iDTGV train as suggested?

Thanks

All options generated by SNCF were for IDTGV !

 

[opusman]

Thanks

All options generated by SNCF were for IDTGV !

That seems very odd. I just put some random dates in for Avignon - Paris, and got lots of non-iDTGV options:

 

[legroom]

That seems very odd. I just put some random dates in for Avignon - Paris, and got lots of non-iDTGV options:

View attachment 60104

??? Could it be that I am booking at the very edge of eligibility (in April) ?

No, I could see no noniDTGV option for April.

 

[opusman]

View attachment 60105

??? Could it be that I am booking at the very edge of eligibility (in April) ?

No, I could see no noniDTGV option for April.

That might be it, the limit for European train bookings is normally 3 months out in my experience.

 

[Pushka]

I couldn't book for July until March on Capitaine.

 

[TheRealTMA]

That might be it, the limit for European train bookings is normally 3 months out in my experience.

Yes in my experience one can only book online up to 90 days in advance.

 

[legroom]

Yes in my experience one can only book online up to 90 days in advance.

Hopefully it will be bookable within 3 months.

My working assumption is that once they appear online as "selectable", it should be bookable (i.e. pay for the tickets) but alas, it is not so - apparently.

I am aiming to book for the 1st week of April.

 

[opusman]

My working assumption is that once they appear online as "selectable", it should be bookable (i.e. pay for the tickets) but alas, it is not so - apparently

You don't need to panic about booking trains early in Europe, there are lots of trains a day. Wait until three months before and then give it another try.

 

[legroom]

You don't need to panic about booking trains early in Europe, there are lots of trains a day. Wait until three months before and then give it another try.

Just after the cheap fares !!!

 

[ricco]

I made contact by email with IDTGV in France and explained the problem with credit card authorization. On the IDTGV website, in their terms of purchase, they indicate that the only cards they accept are cards - the major ones - that are issued in France or Europe. I ask them to authorize my card and they did. They were very quick to respond by email. They advised that if it's a IDTGV train that is required, then use the IDTGV website alone to complete the transaction.

As I understand it, IDTGV sell tickets 6 months in advance where the normal booking window for SNCF TGV trains is 3 months. So, for us, on the day we want to travel, the IDTGV train is the most convenient but 3 months out, the regular TGV trains will appear on the timetable for booking. The IDTGV thing I think is a branding exercise by SNCF. It just a regular TGV with a different name. I think.

I'm going to wait to see what happens with the original two charges against my card - to see if they "drop off" or not before I do another booking. The IDTGV advisor did mention in her email the last 4 numbers of my credit card - so the original bookings/cancellation is certainly there somewhere in its system.
Hope this helps.

 

[legroom]

Best piece of advice so far !!

I made contact by email with IDTGV in France and explained the problem with credit card authorization. On the IDTGV website, in their terms of purchase, they indicate that the only cards they accept are cards - the major ones - that are issued in France or Europe. I ask them to authorize my card and they did. They were very quick to respond by email. They advised that if it's a IDTGV train that is required, then use the IDTGV website alone to complete the transaction.

As I understand it, IDTGV sell tickets 6 months in advance where the normal booking window for SNCF TGV trains is 3 months. So, for us, on the day we want to travel, the IDTGV train is the most convenient but 3 months out, the regular TGV trains will appear on the timetable for booking. The IDTGV thing I think is a branding exercise by SNCF. It just a regular TGV with a different name. I think.

I'm going to wait to see what happens with the original two charges against my card - to see if they "drop off" or not before I do another booking. The IDTGV advisor did mention in her email the last 4 numbers of my credit card - so the original bookings/cancellation is certainly there somewhere in its system.
Hope this helps.

 

[opusman]

Best piece of advice so far !!

That advice had already been given to you by the payment system itself (as shown in post #20), it was your choice to ignore it

 

[legroom]

That advice had already been given to you by the payment system itself (as shown in post #20), it was your choice to ignore it

I did not.

I did call them up but they all spoke in French ! See post #26.

You were factually in error, sorry.