Random Ticket question

[whole diary]

[Phantom]

I've had an annual ticket between Weston and Temple Meads for over 15 years now, I was talking with a friend on the train home recently (who has the same ticket as me and roughly the same time period).

He mentioned that he was off to London on the free tickets that he was sent with his last renewal, I asked what this was and he said that every year when he renews his annual ticket he gets sent four tickets (scratch the date off etc) to use anywhere on the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) network.

I had these tickets many many years ago but not recently, so fired an email off to GWR to query what this was all about, they got completely the wrong end of my question and said I wasn't entitled to any refunds on an annual ticket

But was wondering if anyone had any knowledge of what these tickets are and why one of us would get them but not another?
Obviously if there is something that I should be getting I would like to chase it up....

Thank you in advance

[Oxonhutch]

I have had an annual FC^‡(resolve) season ticket Thames Valley - Paddington since 2011.  I received a pair of free 'anywhere FGW^▸ (First Great Western)' back in 2012 then but haven't seen another one since. I was expecting FGW/GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) to pamper their loyal (and expensive) customers a bit more than they do to be frank, and while a free leather ticket wallet is a nice gesture, it doesn't match some free travel down to the West Country/Wales. Virgin on their West Coast franchise were very generous with season ticket free rides as one might expect from a company running an airline.

[Sixty3Closure]

I posted a similar question a couple of years ago but quick search and I can't find it.

I did query it with FGW^▸ (First Great Western) (as it was then) and got a very vague reply about having to opt into marketing to receive the tickets. As I was getting stuff in the post from FGW not sure it was the correct answer to my question.

My platform buddy who buys the same ticket as me in the same week had a nice weekend away in Cornwall courtesy of GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) a couple of months ago. The conclusion I came to is its a random bit of marketing (or someone is using a really old list somewhere).

[didcotdean]

Go back far enough and Virgin when they were operating Cross Country used to send me two free first class tickets valid anywhere on their services just for being on their customer panel and answering a few survey questions now and again. Usually only valid during January and February when then at least demand was at its lowest.

When the old FGW^▸ (First Great Western) 'Forward' loyalty programme was stopped a replacement of some kind was mooted which of course has never happened apart maybe from these ad hoc things. As I recall it only gave out little treats like free parking at the weekend and stuff from the buffet.