Buying an Off Peak ticket from a TVM at 9am

[talldave]

I got to Gatwick this morning and discovered that none of the ticket machines would recognise my booking reference.

I tried to purchase another ticket, an Off Peak Travelcard, but at just after 9am, the machines would not offer the Off Peak ticket I wanted. Ironically, I was offered a Thameslink-only Off Peak Travelcard, but not a Southern-only one (from a Southern TVM!).

The staff appeared totally phased and said that it was too early. I pointed out that the train departed at 09:23 and since it was now 09:10 I didn't think it unreasonable to be able to purchase the ticket. Their other suggestion was to queue at the ticket office, which would have taken so long that the 09:23 and 09:27 departures would have gone! The staff member then took me to another machine (the fourth I'd tried) and, amazingly, the correct ticket appeared on the list.

So my question is whether there's a way to "force" the machine to offer you the ticket you want? Or do you just have to hang around and wait for nanny-state mode to allow an Off Peak purchase?

 

[maniacmartin]

You have to hang around until the machine decides it is time, or buy online from your phone and hope it arrives at the machine in time (which I would not risk if another of my booking references wasn't working, as that could indicate some ToD problem with the machines themselves)

 

[yorkie]

.... it was now 09:10 I didn't think it unreasonable to be able to purchase the ticket. Their other suggestion was to queue at the ticket office, which would have taken so long that the 09:23 and 09:27 departures would have gone!....

I suggest you ask Southern for a date by when they will comply with their Charter commitments which is to aim to serve you within 3 minutes at off-peak times and within 5 minutes at peak times. If you are unhappy with the response, contact Passenger Focus.

Also, you could ask them for a date by when they will comply with http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/46548.aspx:

Off-Peak Tickets

Buy anytime, travel off peak

Don't let them fob you off. Although some Train Companies like to treat passengers as a huge inconvenience to the running of the railway, the fact is that Train Companies exist, and are subsidised to, provide a service to customers. You can also contact the DfT and your local MP if Southern still refuse to address these concerns and if Passenger Focus are of no help.

 

[talldave]

Thanks to maniacmartin and yorkie.

It was doubly frustrating this morning, as I'd actually bought the ticket for my daughter to use. So I arranged to get there in plenty of time, to allow for ticket collection and for her to be sure of catching the 09:23.

I really don't see the issue with the machines not offering all Off Peak tickets well before their validity as you can't get through the gates until 09:13 with an Off Peak ticket anyway. And judging when to join the long queue for the machines, in order to actually be able to make a purchase in those few minutes between the machine deciding to sell it and the train leaving is not easy!

Oh well, another email complaint to Southern. Let's see what irrelevant and incompetent reply they come up with this time!!


In total contrast, I can't praise Gatwick Airport enough - two hours free parking in their Long Term car park; almost enough time to queue and fight with a Southern TVM !

 

[55003]

Southern have removed from all of their ticket options open returns to a lot of destinations from Gatwick. I wanted to buy one to Tonbridge recently and the only one available was via London which is much more expensive than buying two singles by the quicker Edenbridge route. I would have thought that they would be discouraging passengers away from London Bridge or is it all down to ripping off the unsuspecting traveler? Why also do they hide the cheaper fares on page two of the options?

The queues at the ticket machines in Gatwick are often horrendous and the machines are sited in a very limited space. Many of the passengers have suitcases and it is not an easy task to exit the ticket area and then try and fight your way back to the ticket gates. The gates nearest the machines are exit gates which see little traffic. The station hall layout need a rethink or expanding urgently.Perhaps more staff dedicated to selling tickets rather than revenue security and telling you what you cannot do would help in the interim.

 

[Abpj17]

The rail station at Gatwick is awful as 55003 says. There is, however, a quiet little travel centre not too far away that can sell tickets from memory.

http://www.gatwickairport.com/Documents/passengers/Passenger_facilities/Gatwick_South_v6.pdf onward travel centre in the arrivals hall - it's not perfect, but I've generally found it less frustrating than the array of dysfunctional ticket machines and lengthy queues.

[I thought off-peak was after 9.30 though, so the ticket wouldn't be valid for the trains leaving at 9.23 and 9.27, or am I confused?]

 

[Hadders]

I thought off-peak was after 9.30 though, so the ticket wouldn't be valid for the trains leaving at 9.23 and 9.27, or am I confused?]

Gatwick Airport-London Terminals off-peak and off-peak day returns priced by Southern have restriction code CO which is valid on any train scheduled to arrive at London terminals after 0950.

 

[talldave]

The rail station at Gatwick is awful as 55003 says. There is, however, a quiet little travel centre not too far away that can sell tickets from memory.

http://www.gatwickairport.com/Documents/passengers/Passenger_facilities/Gatwick_South_v6.pdf onward travel centre in the arrivals hall - it's not perfect, but I've generally found it less frustrating than the array of dysfunctional ticket machines and lengthy queues.

[I thought off-peak was after 9.30 though, so the ticket wouldn't be valid for the trains leaving at 9.23 and 9.27, or am I confused?]

Argghhh were you trained by Southern??? That's what most Southern staff at Gatwick think - and it does my head in!! An Off Peak ticket is even valid on the 0857 slow service, because it arrives at Victoria at 0950.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Gatwick Airport-London Terminals off-peak and off-peak day returns priced by Southern have restriction code CO which is valid on any train scheduled to arrive at London terminals after 0950.

Sorry to be pedantic but you're wrong- it's "at or after 0950". That means, for example, that an Off Peak ticket is valid on the 0920 Gatwick Express which arrives at 0950. I've been trying for four months to get Southern to fix the incorrect information about this on the Gatwick Express website. But due to their being incompetent and not understanding their own ticketing system, they've changed their information from "after 0935" to "after 0920" - but that's still wrong.

 

[Clip]

Argghhh were you trained by Southern??? That's what most Southern staff at Gatwick think - and it does my head in!!

He doesnt have to be. In the SE there is this common misconception that all Off peak tickets are only valid after 0930. Has been for years since even when I was a lad.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Back in the day, "Cheap Day" in most of NSEland was covered by one of two restriction codes:

B1 - Valid from 0930
C4 - Valid on trains arriving at London Terminals or Kensington Olympia from 1000

Gatwick, however, has always been a bit of a special case due to GatEx being run by InterCity and the remaining services falling under NSE.

For Day Travelcards, there are four different routes available:

• Any Permitted - Valid by any operator on trains scheduled to arrive at London Terminals or Kensington Olympia from 0950. First available trains:
  • 0857 Southern stopping service (0835 ex-Horsham) to Victoria
  • 0907 to Kensington Olympia (change at Clapham Junction)
  • 0920 Gatwick Express to Victoria
  • 0922 stopping service (0900 ex-Horsham) to London Bridge
  • 0927 fast Southern to Victoria (0815 ex-Littlehampton)
  • 0932 Thameslink to London Bridge (0900 ex-Brighton)
• Thameslink Only - Only valid on Thameslink services between Gatwick and the Zone 6 boundary, unrestricted inside the zones. First available train is the 0932 from Gatwick towards Bedford. (Incorrectly shown on BRFares as Great Northern only).
• Not Gatwick Express - Not intended to be valid on Southern services branded as Gatwick Express that run non-stop between Gatwick and Victoria. Other than that, valid on trains scheduled to arrive at London Terminals or Kensington Olympia from 0950. First trains per the "Any Permitted", but not intended to be valid on the 0920 Gatwick Express.
• Southern Only - Restricted to Southern services between Gatwick and the Zone 6 boundary, not intended to be valid on Southern services branded as Gatwick Express that run non-stop between Gatwick and Victoria. Other than that, valid on trains scheduled to arrive at London Terminals or Kensington Olympia from 0950. First available trains:
  • 0857 Southern stopping service (0835 ex-Horsham) to Victoria
  • 0907 to Kensington Olympia (change at Clapham Junction)
  • 0922 stopping service (0900 ex-Horsham) to London Bridge
  • 0927 fast Southern to Victoria (0815 ex-Littlehampton)

Is it any wonder that even staff who work there get confused when it comes to validity?

 

[talldave]

The "0922 stopping service (0900 ex-Horsham) to London Bridge" is actually 0923.

And you need to add "0923 fast Southern to Victoria (0818 ex-Seaford)"

And in terms of staff training, at least train them that "it varies by destination, but here's the validity list" rather than incorrectly train them, as happens at the moment, that Off Peak tickets are only valid on departures after 0930.

I'd rather a member of staff said "I don't know" than point blank insist that my ticket isn't valid when I know it is. I keep a screenshot of the Southern Mixing deck on my phone showing the departures my ticket is valid on, in order to defend my case.

 

[button_boxer]

For Day Travelcards, there are four different routes available:

• Any Permitted - Valid by any operator on trains scheduled to arrive at London Terminals or Kensington Olympia from 0950. First available trains:
  • 0907 to Kensington Olympia (change at Clapham Junction)

Are you sure about that, as even though you're not travelling to a London Terminal on that train, it's still a "train scheduled to arrive at London Terminals" before 0950?

 

[CyrusWuff]

Are you sure about that, as even though you're not travelling to a London Terminal on that train, it's still a "train scheduled to arrive at London Terminals" before 0950?

Mea culpa. It's not that easy to determine validity for Travelcards, as journey planners tend not to show train times in conjunction with same.

That should be the 0927, changing at Clapham Junction.

 

[Abpj17]

Argghhh were you trained by Southern??? That's what most Southern staff at Gatwick think - and it does my head in!! An Off Peak ticket is even valid on the 0857 slow service, because it arrives at Victoria at 0950.

lol, I don't work in the industry. I'm a long standing commuter on the northern part of Thameslink where off-peak means leaving after 9.30! (Although I suspect Thameslink have several definitions of off-peak depending on the part of the line, direction and the weather

 

[talldave]

lol, I don't work in the industry. I'm a long standing commuter on the northern part of Thameslink where off-peak means leaving after 9.30! (Although I suspect Thameslink have several definitions of off-peak depending on the part of the line, direction and the weather

Indeed, at Gatwick it's the 0932 or later going northbound on Thameslink, so effectively after 0930.

I'm looking forward to trying a Great Northern only ticket from Gatwick, just to see what happens! !!