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Renewing Senior Railcard Online

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ashworth

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My Senior Railcard expired at the end of November. As I was not intending to make any journeys of any length during December and January I have not renewed it yet. I can’t see the point of paying for at least 2 months when I will not be using it for anything except the occasional low cost local journey. I already have an online account from when I purchased my first Senior Railcard last year. I probably won’t renew it much before Easter and just wondered if I left it that long will all my details still be there, including age verification etc for when I eventually log in to renew.
 
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MikeWh

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I don't know about specifics relating to the senior railcard, but I've renewed a family and friends railcard online after a break of about a month with no issues.
 

hounddog

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I've had great fun renewing my Network Railcard online.

I received the renewal e-mail about four weeks before expiry, so clicked on the 'renew now' link, only to receive a new card with an expiry date three and a bit weeks earlier than on the exisiting card. When I queried this I was told the only way they could deal with it was by returning it to be cancelled receiving a refund and then renewing again. So I did this and have now received a new railcard with an expiry date a week *after* that on the current card.

How difficult is it to check the expiry date of the current card (which was shown on the input screen when I renewed both times) and simply add twelve months? Shouldn't it be an automated process anyway? As it happens I'm not intending any travel in the 'blank' week but that doesn't excuse such incompetence in the system.
 

Bletchleyite

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Because if you want to cut costs on an IT project the first thing that goes is testing.

The London Ambulance failure of the 1990s should be compulsory reading for anyone in IT - it amazes me how many in the industry have not read it. (Basically, people died as a result of an issue whose root cause was inadequate testing).
 

infobleep

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Because if you want to cut costs on an IT project the first thing that goes is testing.

The London Ambulance failure of the 1990s should be compulsory reading for anyone in IT - it amazes me how many in the industry have not read it. (Basically, people died as a result of an issue whose root cause was inadequate testing).
They probably are too busy trying to meet a deadline so won't have time to read that report!
 

Harpers Tate

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Indeed. My time in (or more accurately near) IT in a major organisation saw vast amounts of resource dedicated to gannt charts to plan projects and conjure up (my terminology) an estimated completion date. In every case, that estimated completion date became the one and only thing about the project that was immovable. Quality, scope, testing, all became secondary to The Date. We delivered on time and in budget, but nobody was ever quantified on the quality of the product. This gave rise to the maxim "Never enough time to do it right; always enough time to do it twice".
 

ashworth

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For anyone else wanting to know, to follow up my question at the beginning of this thread. I rang the Railcard helpline and asked about how long online accounts were kept open and was told no need to worry, my account will remain active, and all my details valid, up to 2 years or more after the expiry date. Therefore unless I hear of any upcoming price rise on the £70 3 Year Senior Railcard I will not renew until around Easter.
 

MikeWh

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... and have now received a new railcard with an expiry date a week *after* that on the current card.

That's the usual behaviour when ordering railcards online. It allows for delays in the post.
 

hounddog

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That's the usual behaviour when ordering railcards online. It allows for delays in the post.

If I'm renewing a card that expires on December 17 I expect the new card to start from December 18. Not November 24 (first attempt) or December 25 (second attempt). If the system isn't doing that it should tell me so. It didn't.
 

John @ home

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Unless something has changed in the last 4 months, Railcards bought online don't have start dates. For example, I purchased my first one-year Senior Railcard online early in the morning of my 60th birthday. It arrived by post the next day. It was valid immediately upon receipt, but did not expire until I was 61 years 6 days old.
 

roversfan2001

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If I'm renewing a card that expires on December 17 I expect the new card to start from December 18. Not November 24 (first attempt) or December 25 (second attempt). If the system isn't doing that it should tell me so. It didn't.
If there is no start date printed on the card then it doesn't have a 'start date', it is valid as soon as you receive it.
 

Clip

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Unless something has changed in the last 4 months, Railcards bought online don't have start dates. For example, I purchased my first one-year Senior Railcard online early in the morning of my 60th birthday. It arrived by post the next day. It was valid immediately upon receipt, but did not expire until I was 61 years 6 days old.

Again isn't that due to there possibly being issues with the post and as such the little bit extra validity is a good thing?
 

Harpers Tate

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If there is no start date printed on the card then it doesn't have a 'start date', it is valid as soon as you receive it.
Indeed. It is my recollection that the expiry date of my replacement "Old Gits' " card coincided exactly with the anniversary of the expiry of the old one, and that I could use it right away.
 
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