Tickets not working

[shoulderinback]

Background

Commuting to Swindon from London for work. Basically bought a z1-6 to Reading season ticket using company subsidy and then buy super cheap advance fares 2months before for the Reading to Swindon portion using a 16-25 YPR. Works out at almost half the cost of buying a Swindon to z1-6 season ticket. Lucky in that work lets me arrive later leave later so can travel off peak.

Tickets I buy through the GWR website (collect the nectar points) and collect them from London Waterloo machines. Now everyday I arrive/depart from Swindon the advance ticket never lets me through the gates, always displays 'seek assistance.' The gate line staff tell me it could be something wrong with the magnetic strip in the ticket (I've made about 30 return trips so 60 tickets- not all of their magnetic strips could be buggered).

I'm thinking are they not opening gates because of a)gate needs you to show a 16-25 railcard that goes with it b) they were printed on southwest trains ticket machines maybe an inter-operability issue c)the tickets magnetic strips are actually all duds d)I keep all the tickets squeezed together in my wallet could that affect the magnetic strip? d)I keep my wallet next to my phone, could the phone in someway interfere with the magnetic strip (wild guess)

 

[hairyhandedfool]

A and C seem very plausible. Your second option D has been rumoured for many years, but I don't believe there is any scientific proof to back it up, that said, I doubt anyone has really looked into it.

 

[Haywain]

I am in agreement that options A and C are very plausible, and option D cannot be ruled out. Option B would not be correct, but it is possible that machines are failing to encode the tickets correctly although that would suggest that you always use the same machine, which I find unlikely.

 

[Hadders]

This isn't unusual. The barriers at Stevenage often reject Advance fares in the morning peak.

 

[swt_passenger]

Some barrier staff are probably not trained enough to give you the correct explanation.

I'd suggest trying to see if you can read the failure code on the barrier next time it happens and report back here.

Meanwhile in the absence of other details I'd go with it being intentional so that they can check you have the railcard with you.

 

[furlong]

I'm thinking are they not opening gates because of a)gate needs you to show a 16-25 railcard that goes with it b) they were printed on southwest trains ticket machines maybe an inter-operability issue c)the tickets magnetic strips are actually all duds d)I keep all the tickets squeezed together in my wallet could that affect the magnetic strip? d)I keep my wallet next to my phone, could the phone in someway interfere with the magnetic strip (wild guess)

Next time a ticket doesn't open one of the gates, look at the display on the ticket gate and it will show a number (e.g. '09'). Tell us which station and what number it shows and this will rule out some of the options.

 

[TEW]

Code 07 I expect. Ever since SWT TVMs switched to printing new style tickets all Advance tickets have not been encoded with information on the magnetic strip so won't work any gatelines.

 

[londonbridge]

I'm thinking are they not opening gates because of a)gate needs you to show a 16-25 railcard that goes with it b) they were printed on southwest trains ticket machines maybe an inter-operability issue c)the tickets magnetic strips are actually all duds d)I keep all the tickets squeezed together in my wallet could that affect the magnetic strip? d)I keep my wallet next to my phone, could the phone in someway interfere with the magnetic strip (wild guess)

Option d2 is certainly plausible. Couple of months back I stopped at a Travelodge, checked in, went out for the evening, when I got back the keycard wouldn't unlock the room door. Went to receptio, the receptionist asked if I'd had the card near my phone, when I said yes, they were in the same pocket, she said that was what had caused it as the phone had wiped the data from the card. She reprogrammed the card and I was then able to access my room.

 

[clagmonster]

Is the telephone one with a flip cover secured in place by a magnet? My understanding is that such magnets can cause issues with mag strips.