I am a frequent traveller on Southern Railway trains, which has a money back refund policy on cancellations for tickets bought online. The reason doesn’t matter, as long as the tickets are not printed.

My previous experience with refund processing had been horrendous, waiting months and usually only resolved by me finally telephoning to sort it out.

So, I was pleasantly surprised recently when, on cancelling a trip, the refund occurred automatically online. My elation was short-lived, however, when I had to cancel one-half of a return trip. This time a message stated that I had to mail-in a refund form; I sighed with resignation, but assumed all was OK.

When I went to print out my still-valid other half of the journey at the station, I received both the valid and the cancelled tickets.

I went to the ticket desk to ask if they could take the unwanted ticket back (I had already purchased another ticket separately), but was told by the clerk he could not help me.

I later phoned Southern to explain and a man took my details down, agreeing that it would be farcical if I was not refunded, considering I had already cancelled the ticket which had printed out.

However, I was indeed refused a refund. When I phoned again, I was told that the terms and conditions are clear on printing out tickets and I could not be refunded.

It went around in circles, with the clerk knowing full well their position was comical. I asked to speak to a manager who would not speak to me but fobbed me off with a National Rail voucher.

Although I may have received the value of my ticket back with the voucher, it is Southern’s refusal to acknowledge its faulty IT system and impersonal manner in hiding behind bureaucracy that frustrates me.

How many other people have lost money because of Southern’s own mistake?

EK Johnson, Hove