apf Announcement: Refunds for Duplicate Bookings on Train Trips

Agency for Passenger Rights is currently receiving an increasing number of inquiries regarding duplicate ticket purchases—such as those resulting from an interrupted transaction in the app, accidentally tapping the payment button twice, or an erroneous booking through the online ticketing system.

At first glance, such a duplicate or erroneous booking would seem to entitle the passenger to a refund. Unfortunately, however, when dealing with the railroad company, this often turns out to be a tedious and costly process.

Causes of Duplicate Bookings

There are many reasons for incorrect bookings, and they often lie outside the travelers’ control:
• Technical interruptions:
If the website or app loads slowly during the payment process or the connection is lost, travelers often purchase a ticket a second time. Sometimes, however, the first booking has already been completed, even though an error message was displayed.
•    “Forgotten” Ticket Purchases:
When tickets are booked several months in advance, it often happens that travelers purchase tickets again simply because they have forgotten that they had already bought them.

In all these cases, customers only want to use the service once—but end up paying twice.

Refund Denied and Gift Cards Instead of Cash

Based on apf’s experience, as evidenced by the records kept at arbitration procedure , it appears that ÖBB-Personenverkehr often refuses to issue a full refund. Instead, they frequently offer gift certificates for smaller amounts.
From apf’s perspective, this practice is problematic for two reasons:

1. There is no consideration provided. In the case of a duplicate booking, the service was provided only once. From a legal perspective, the overpayment was made without a valid reason—a full refund would therefore be the logical course of action.

2. Vouchers force customers to make another purchase. A refund in the form of a voucher ties the affected person back to the company and restricts their freedom of choice. In such cases, the apf takes the view that there is no entitlement to payment in cash or by bank transfer; rather, there is an entitlement to a cash refund.

The APF is calling for improvements in ticketing, the ticket-purchasing process, and a more accommodating approach to customer service

Against this backdrop, the apf is calling on the rail company to implement two specific improvements:

1. Improvements to the ticket-purchasing process—preventing duplicate bookings from the outset

A modern ticketing system should be able to detect when identical trips are booked for the same person in quick succession. Similar providers in other industries address this very issue with clear warning messages, blocking periods for identical bookings, or automatic notifications in the event of multiple bookings. The apf is convinced that ÖBB-Personenverkehr AG has the necessary technical capabilities and could implement such warning messages or blocking periods. This should prevent duplicate bookings from occurring in the first place or, if they do occur, automatically detect them immediately after booking and actively offer the customer the option to cancel the unnecessary ticket without any deductions.

2. More Goodwill – Full Refund

Should a duplicate booking occur nonetheless, a simple and customer-friendly solution must be found in the interest of rail travelers. From the apf’s perspective, this primarily involves a full refund of the overpaid amount via the same payment method used for the original transaction. The current practice of offering only half of the amount in the form of a voucher is, in the apf’s view, insufficient. In this context, goodwill does not mean generously “crediting” a partial amount—but rather returning what was overpaid without just cause.

What Those Affected Can Do

Until improvements are made to the current procedures, the apf recommends that those affected:
• Keep records: Save screenshots of bookings, bank statements, and booking confirmations.
• File a written complaint: Submit a claim for a refund directly to ÖBB-Personenverkehr AG, specifying the ticket numbers.
•    Do not accept or redeem a voucher too quickly: Accepting a voucher may be interpreted as consent to the proposed settlement.
• File a complaint with the Agency for Passenger and Travelers’ Rights(arbitration request ): If direct contact fails, those affected can contact the Agency for Passenger and Travelers’ Rights. Your cases help us document the extent of the problem and further substantiate our claims against the company.