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LNER site blocking other TOC Adv Fares?

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donald2007

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4 Sep 2013
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Because I like the flow of the website I have been using the LNER to site to purchase journeys on TPE and VTWC. The fares were all the same as you would expect to find on any TOC website. Indeed, I always thought that each TOC site should have the full suite of fares available as each other despite obvious incentives to sell their own tickets using their own sales flows.

I have since found today that when I search on LNER for a journey from Whitehaven to Glasgow it is now only showing fully flexible tickets, despite a full array of fares available on that day.

Is this allowed? A glitch-perhaps on my terminal?

Compare the screenshot of LNER compared to TPE showing both TPE and VTWC services.

As I wrote, this worked fine last week and I was able to purchase VT and TPE advance fares on the LNER website for the same route and others.
 

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alistairlees

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29 Dec 2016
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It looks like they are not showing advance fares that are set by virgin trains. But are showing advance fares set by others.

For example:
- Chester to London, no advance fares on either the direct Avanti trains, or on the journeys that are tfw to Chester, then an Avanti from there
- Coventry to London, advance fares on LNWR/WMT, but not on Avanti
- Manchester to London, no advance fares at all

These are all for 10th, 11th and 12th December.

I bet it’s somehow caused by the franchise change on Sunday.
 

donald2007

Member
Joined
4 Sep 2013
Messages
108
When I contacted LNER on the web chat the "agent" just left without answering. Phone calls and Twitter messages/Tweets have been totally ignored. Are they breaking any rules that forbids them from blocking other TOC's selection of fares on all platforms?
 

Wallsendmag

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11 Dec 2014
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5,132
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Wallsend or somewhere in GB
When I contacted LNER on the web chat the "agent" just left without answering. Phone calls and Twitter messages/Tweets have been totally ignored. Are they breaking any rules that forbids them from blocking other TOC's selection of fares on all platforms?
All Platforms ? Our Station TIS is working.
 

Bletchleyite

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Joined
20 Oct 2014
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97,524
Location
"Marston Vale mafia"
When I contacted LNER on the web chat the "agent" just left without answering. Phone calls and Twitter messages/Tweets have been totally ignored. Are they breaking any rules that forbids them from blocking other TOC's selection of fares on all platforms?

I would suggest they are probably breaking the impartial retailing rules, yes. Though do they apply to Web ticketing or just ticket offices?
 

thedbdiboy

Member
Joined
10 Sep 2011
Messages
955
I would suggest they are probably breaking the impartial retailing rules, yes. Though do they apply to Web ticketing or just ticket offices?
Mandatory impartial retailing rules only apply to staffed ticket offices as set out in schedule 17 of the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement. There is no requirement for an internet site or ticket machine to be impartial, however rights to commission are based on such locations choosing to comply with impartial retailing rules. Normal trading standards/consumer law rules apply though so a site should not mislead over what products and whose services they offer.
 

ForTheLoveOf

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Joined
7 Oct 2017
Messages
6,416
Looks like it's working now.
I trust all customers who booked journeys where Avanti Advances are available, but who were not shown these when booking, will be contacted to tell them they may have paid more than they needed?!

Oh wait, this is the rail industry we're talking about. Breaches of consumer law don't really matter because who's going to bother enforcing the law?!
 
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