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Inability to collect Pre-paid ticket (ticket on departure)

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Intercity Guy

Member
Joined
3 Oct 2015
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5
Location
Dagenham
Hi Forum members.

I would appreciate some advice on what to do in a situation I almost found myself in on Friday night.

I booked a ticket through the GWR website on Friday afternoon to travel that evening on the 23:45 sleeper to Exeter St Davids. I received my booking confirmation with my reference number and expected to just be able to collect my ticket from the ticket machines at Paddington like I have done countless times before with no issue. I arrived at Paddington at 23:10 and attempted to collect my tickets but the 3 different machines I tried said my reference number could not be found, the ticket office was closed and I didn't know what else to do. I then approached a member of gateline staff who directed me to the excess fares window and the person I spoke to managed to print off my tickets with the reference number with no problem.

My question is what would I do if I hadn't been able to collect my tickets?, machines not working, no ticket office, would I have still been able to travel and explain to the train manager upon ticket inspection the cirumstances.

Sorry for the length of post
Many Thanks
 
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ForTheLoveOf

Established Member
Joined
7 Oct 2017
Messages
6,416
Hi Forum members.

I would appreciate some advice on what to do in a situation I almost found myself in on Friday night.

I booked a ticket through the GWR website on Friday afternoon to travel that evening on the 23:45 sleeper to Exeter St Davids. I received my booking confirmation with my reference number and expected to just be able to collect my ticket from the ticket machines at Paddington like I have done countless times before with no issue. I arrived at Paddington at 23:10 and attempted to collect my tickets but the 3 different machines I tried said my reference number could not be found, the ticket office was closed and I didn't know what else to do. I then approached a member of gateline staff who directed me to the excess fares window and the person I spoke to managed to print off my tickets with the reference number with no problem.

My question is what would I do if I hadn't been able to collect my tickets?, machines not working, no ticket office, would I have still been able to travel and explain to the train manager upon ticket inspection the cirumstances.

Sorry for the length of post
Many Thanks
If there were working ticket facilities then you would have had to have used these to buy a new ticket. You would then claim back the cost of this additional ticket from the retailer, in this case GWR.

In practice, often staff will waive this requirement but there is no strict entitlement to travel without your ticket being printed, as well as without buying a new one.
 

northken

Member
Joined
23 Apr 2016
Messages
106
If there were working ticket facilities then you would have had to have used these to buy a new ticket. You would then claim back the cost of this additional ticket from the retailer, in this case GWR.

In practice, often staff will waive this requirement but there is no strict entitlement to travel without your ticket being printed, as well as without buying a new one.

If there is no opportunity to collect at origin GWR on Twitter (no clue about other companies) often say to board the train, present the collection reference during any ticket inspections and collect the tickets at the first opportunity. That sounds very much like authority to travel.
 

yorkie

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Administrator
Joined
6 Jun 2005
Messages
67,433
Location
Yorkshire
My question is what would I do if I hadn't been able to collect my tickets?, machines not working, no ticket office, would I have still been able to travel and explain to the train manager upon ticket inspection the cirumstances.
Yes, you would.

Anything else would be a clear breach of contract.
 

firespire

Member
Joined
7 Jul 2011
Messages
96
If anyone using the GWR site please be careful because the new booking engine has lots of default pre selected options with an pre engaged continue button.

One of the pre selected defaults is mobile app ticket, if you accept this by accident without realising you get a number which looks like a station collection number (might have an extra digit).

They can't change you over to collect your ticket at station but in our case were happy to refund when a replacement ticket was purchased.
 

Joe Paxton

Established Member
Joined
12 Jan 2017
Messages
2,453
I see what you mean firespire, after selecting your ticket you are definitely pushed towards choosing the GWR app e-ticket (which I inderstand isn't really a proper 'e-ticket', but rather is an 'm-ticket')...

GWR_delivery.png
 

_toommm_

Established Member
Joined
8 Jul 2017
Messages
5,844
Location
Yorkshire
I see what you mean firespire, after selecting your ticket you are definitely pushed towards choosing the GWR app e-ticket (which I inderstand isn't really a proper 'e-ticket', but rather is an 'm-ticket')...

View attachment 63073

Its the same with a lot of TOCs nowadays. The Northern app doesn't even offer TOD, and First's TOE do the same thing with e tickets, except they're unbelievably unreliable.
 
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