Does The SILK arrangement still happen ?

[03_179]

Hi all,

I wondered. In my days in BR ticket offices I used to do the odd SILK arrangement ... does this still exist ?

 

[Bletchleyite]

It does indeed though I suspect plenty of people don't know about it, and if the recipient has any kind of card at all it's easier and cheaper to buy them a ticket online for TVM collection, paying by PayPal so it goes in as any card, or if they have a phone but no wallet buying an e-ticket and forwarding it to them.

 

[03_179]

Thanks.

Remember phoning up a station many moons ago and this old chap "SILK .. this is xxx Station not a bloody sweat shop". I, the chief clerk, had to explain how to do one over the phone ... lol

Good day

 

[Mag_seven]

the odd SILK arrangement

Another guess the acronym thread - what is the "SILK arrangement"?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Another guess the acronym thread - what is the "SILK arrangement"?

SILK (Stranded Individual Location Known) is a method of buying a ticket (Anytime (Day) Single only plus the standard admin fee) at one booking office to be issued to someone who is at another one but does not have a means to pay for it.

 

[03_179]

Then the payment is/was paid by Transfer order ... in triplicate on carbonised paper LOL

 

[CyrusWuff]

As far as I'm aware, Transfer Vouchers have now been withdrawn.

The preferred option for a SILK now is for the station accepting payment to set it up as a TOD for Any Card collection, give the customer the collection reference so tjey can give it to the passenger, and charge for the ticket and Admin Fee separately.

 

[03_179]

Interesting .. thanks

 

[telstarbox]

As far as I'm aware, Transfer Vouchers have now been withdrawn.

The preferred option for a SILK now is for the station accepting payment to set it up as a TOD for Any Card collection, give the customer the collection reference so tjey can give it to the passenger, and charge for the ticket and Admin Fee separately.

Does it still have to be the Anytime or Anytime Day Single, no Off-Peak tickets?

 

[Haywain]

Does it still have to be the Anytime or Anytime Day Single, no Off-Peak tickets?

Yes, and definitely no return tickets - the theory being that it's not possible to be stranded in a place you're returning to.

 

[Bletchleyite]

How does that work if, as is likely[1], the customer has no card? Does someone in the booking office hold a corporate card to collect it?

[1] As an adult with a credit card, the only use case for me wanting to use SILK is if I've been mugged and am stuck somewhere with nothing at all on me - as in the only other option would be begging or walking.

 

[Ploughman]

As far as I'm aware, Transfer Vouchers have now been withdrawn.

The preferred option for a SILK now is for the station accepting payment to set it up as a TOD for Any Card collection, give the customer the collection reference so tjey can give it to the passenger, and charge for the ticket and Admin Fee separately.

After someone queried what SILK stood for, what does TOD mean?

 

[Bletchleyite]

After someone queried what SILK stood for, what does TOD mean?

Ticket on Departure, often written as "ToD". It refers to tickets purchased for collection at ticket machines (he says, avoiding using the abbreviation for that! )

 

[janb]

How does that work if, as is likely[1], the customer has no card? Does someone in the booking office hold a corporate card to collect it?

[1] As an adult with a credit card, the only use case for me wanting to use SILK is if I've been mugged and am stuck somewhere with nothing at all on me - as in the only other option would be begging or walking.

Whilst the ToD method can I suppose negate the need for the two stations to talk to each other, the payment station could talk to the issuing station, supply the code directly, and the issuing station can override the requirement for a card. My TIS AFAIK can only create a ToD for collection by specific card rather than any card so that would need to happen anyway.