Sir - In response to correspondence in your pages on the purchase of advance train tickets at Oxford station, I would like to offer a warning to anyone intending to purchase tickets on-line.

Earlier this year I intended to travel within the UK and chose to purchase a return ticket from one of the online companies. As one of my journeys was on a Sunday I checked very carefully and double-checked availability of tickets and trains shown, before providing my credit card details and purchasing the ticket.

The ticket arrived three days before the date of travel, as stated, quoting the details I had requested but there, clearly printed on the ticket were the words 'Valid Monday to Friday only from 9am'.

I called the train enquiries number to check the times of trains. There was no train scheduled on Sunday at the time at which my seat was booked!

At this stage it was too late to get a replacement from the online company even assuming that I would trust them to get it right next time, so I was forced to go to the expense and inconvenience of buying another, valid, ticket on the day of travel. On my return I wrote to the online company, explaining the error and eventually, received a letter to the effect that I should have checked more carefully before purchasing the ticket. They did, however, return my payment, less £10 'cancellation' fee. My letter to them explaining that they are in contravention of the Trades Descriptions Act has yet to receive a reply!

If advance tickets will not be available from Oxford station in future, it might be safer to walk!

Karen Holt, Oxford