Quite. You have to search through multiple sources (NRCoC, Advance Terms and Conditions, TOC T&Cs, Routing Guide (incl. the extensive list of "easements"), etc.) and even then you may not find all the rules that are applied by rail staff....
Or you could ask at your local station (if you have one) or, apparently, there is a new fangled device called a 'telephone' that means you can speak to people who aren't in the same room as you (it's witchcraft I tell you!:roll
.
The conditions of the ticket must be available at the time of purchase (or you will be told where to find them). If you are happy to buy the ticket based on that information, that is your choice. I would normally advise people who are told where to find them, to find that information before buying the ticket (I know they won't).
....If you do purchase online (and you should not be penalised for doing so) there is usually no way to see the restrictions associated with a particular ticket, i.e. no way to see the complete contract you are entering into....
I've never bought tickets online, so perhaps I'm not best placed to say, but at the time of sale you should be provided with a tick box and a link to the terms and conditions. The tick box will say something like 'I agree with the terms and conditions'. If you tick it without reading the T&Cs, well, that's your problem.
The link should contain the restrictions or provide a way of getting hold of them. This is before you complete the transaction. If you are not happy with the conditions displayed (or are not happy to buy without the full list) don't buy it until you have that info!
....Since when was such vague and incomplete information acceptable? No other business keeps such important product information secret! You're entering into a contract, why is the full contract not available to view beforehand?....
It's not a secret though is it, it is available, you are either told the information or told how to get it (you may need to follow a link on websites). If you choose not to follow the instructions given or read the information, that is not the railways fault.
I think the passages you quote are quite sensible, they don't overload people with information they don't care to read, but does tell you how to get the information you need. To me that isn't keeping it a secret.
I make a point of telling people the restrictions that are applicable to the ticket and state that if they have any questions they can ask me. That isn't keeping secrets either.
....I know that if you use the National Rail website, it is possible to reveal the validity code, but only if you know where to look. It's not exactly obvious....
It could be easier to find, I'll agree on that point, but it is there. In any case, the National rail site will show if your ticket is available on a service if you put the journey into the journey planner.
....Since the railway employs people whose specific job is to catch out people who don't understand the rules (as well as those who wilfully break them, no distinction is made)....
Staff are not specifically employed to catch people out. Some are employed to ensure the correct fare has been paid (and issue penalty fares where applicable), but that is not the same. Furthermore, if people don't understand or are confused, they can ask about it.
It is often difficult to distinguish between genuine cases and those 'trying it on' (you obviously haven't had to do it) so the same rules are applied to everyone regardless of who they are. Sometimes discretion is shown, perhaps you would prefer this was removed?
.... it seems very unfair to make the rules partially secret and very hard to find/decipher/understand.
So now they are only partially secret? Most T&Cs are simple to understand, like "Valid only with reservations" and "Valid on booked train only", yet these are the ones that are frequently broken. The lesser known ones are less often broken in my experience.