Going South
Member
- Joined
- 22 Aug 2009
- Messages
- 56
I normally buy my tickets online, including for my better half who has Y/P Railcard. Never a problem.
Last week I found myself with some vouchers to spend as a result of a very late train, so on my way though Paddington I stopped at the ticket office to buy her a ticket for a future journey. The ticket office refused to sell me a Y/P priced ticket as I didn't have a Y/P card to show. I explained that I was buying for someone else and that it would/should be checked on the train but he wasn't prepared to sell it to me, alleging that I would use it myself and claim that I'd shown a Y/P card on buying it.
Now it seems to me that there are two standards being played out here; either you need to show the Railcard to buy, in which case you have to use the ticket office, (or they come up with a system to enter your railcard number when you buy online - which wuld be sensible); or you shouldn't need to show it on purchase, only when travelling.
As an aside, I remember a few years ago when I had a Y/P card losing it in transit and having to fork out for a new ticket. Ouch. So I wouldn't imagine the story outlined by the ticket office cutting much ice these days.
Thoughts?
Last week I found myself with some vouchers to spend as a result of a very late train, so on my way though Paddington I stopped at the ticket office to buy her a ticket for a future journey. The ticket office refused to sell me a Y/P priced ticket as I didn't have a Y/P card to show. I explained that I was buying for someone else and that it would/should be checked on the train but he wasn't prepared to sell it to me, alleging that I would use it myself and claim that I'd shown a Y/P card on buying it.
Now it seems to me that there are two standards being played out here; either you need to show the Railcard to buy, in which case you have to use the ticket office, (or they come up with a system to enter your railcard number when you buy online - which wuld be sensible); or you shouldn't need to show it on purchase, only when travelling.
As an aside, I remember a few years ago when I had a Y/P card losing it in transit and having to fork out for a new ticket. Ouch. So I wouldn't imagine the story outlined by the ticket office cutting much ice these days.
Thoughts?