Departure Screens at Paddington showing wrong info about ticket validity

[cactustwirly]

Just traveled through Paddington using the outward portion of a Super Off-peak return, this ticket has a restriction code of CI, which has no evening restrictions out of Paddington.
However the departure screens at Paddington gave a message that "Super Off-peak Tickets are not valid on this service"
This is obviously wrong information and could cause confusion to unsuspecting passengers.

 

[iantherev]

It’s actually more noteworthy when GWR give correct ticket information out of Paddington. My wife has an anytime single out of Paddington in 10 days time. Apparently it’s valid on booked train only

 

[Llanigraham]

You get a similar message on the screens at Euston about the same type of tickets, and on the recorded announcements at B'ham New St.
I travel from the Cambrian to Euston on an Off-Peak ticket that is allowable.

 

[Mag_seven]

Just traveled through Paddington using the outward portion of a Super Off-peak return, this ticket has a restriction code of CI, which has no evening restrictions out of Paddington.
However the departure screens at Paddington gave a message that "Super Off-peak Tickets are not valid on this service"
This is obviously wrong information and could cause confusion to unsuspecting passengers.

There are posters at the station that state that some "off-peak" tickets are valid though. We all know the problems that many have had with the Paddington gate-line in using these though.

e.g.

https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...off-peak-validity-spectacularly-wrong.110909/

 

[najaB]

However the departure screens at Paddington gave a message that "Super Off-peak Tickets are not valid on this service"
This is obviously wrong information and could cause confusion to unsuspecting passengers.

One would hope that the confused passenger would do exactly what I did on seeing that, having arrived at Paddington early one morning off the Caledonian - ask station staff and be given the answer "No, that's fine."

Doesn't always happen, but that is something that can be improved on.

 

[Harpers Tate]

It only needs to say something like "Many....." or "Most....." to be closer to accurate.

 

[4COR]

As mentioned above, the gate line staff at Paddington are not much better - My wife's Oxford to Cambridge SVR return portion got rejected there one evening peak. Gate line staff took a look and refused entry as it was "an off peak ticket".

Told her by phone to go back, try another staff member and present to them the ticket with the 4J Restrictions on her phone (no evening peak restrictions at all!). Second staff member somewhat more obliging thankfully...

 

[ThisIsSurbiton]

One would hope that the confused passenger would [ ... ] ask station staff and be given the answer "No, that's fine."

At Paddington? It's the Blackpool North of the south. Once again my valid off-peak ticket was refused there last Thursday. This time I had come prepared and was let through, a bit grudgingly, but more politely than last time. This stuff isn't hard to understand, or should I say train for, as it seems to me to be management's responsibility.

 

[najaB]

This stuff isn't hard to understand, or should I say train for, as it seems to me to be management's responsibility.

Which is why "hope" rather than "expect", sadly.

 

[cactustwirly]

At Paddington? It's the Blackpool North of the south. Once again my valid off-peak ticket was refused there last Thursday. This time I had come prepared and was let through, a bit grudgingly, but more politely than last time. This stuff isn't hard to understand, or should I say train for, as it seems to me to be management's responsibility.

What ticket were you using, and which service did you use?

 

[ThisIsSurbiton]

What ticket were you using, and which service did you use?

It was a Boundary Zone 6 - Oxford CDR, restriction W1 (M-F 0429 - 0930), used with a 1-6 Travelcard on the 1622 to Great Malvern.

 

[Tw99]

It was a Boundary Zone 6 - Oxford CDR, restriction W1 (M-F 0429 - 0930), used with a 1-6 Travelcard on the 1622 to Great Malvern.

Is that definitely valid then ? Naively I would have thought that the travelcard wouldn't be valid on that train.

 

[Hadders]

A off peak or super off peak travelcard is valid within zones 1-6 after 09:30, i.e. no evening restrictions.

 

[ThisIsSurbiton]

A off peak or super off peak travelcard is valid within zones 1-6 after 09:30

...thanks, and what I should have mentioned, but didn't, was that I have an annual.

 

[yorkie]

The screens ought to say something like "some" because there are no trains into or out of Paddington that are barred from all Off Peak tickets!

Furthermore GWR employ some odious individuals on the gateline and ticket office at Paddington and as RPIs on the Thames Valley route; they often get it wrong too.

See just two recent examples:

• https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/distressed-incorrectly-penalty-fared-by-gwr.191825/
• https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/off-peak-ticket-validity-heyford-to-paddington.194346/

I know of many, many more cases. I also have personal experience of their unpleasantness and slanderous claims against retailers.

If you've not experienced their behaviour and attitude before, it can be quite a shock.

They'll never change their ways in the foreseeable future; it's been going on for many years and there is no organisation that can do anything about it.

We actually cover conflict management and dispute resolution techniques as part of our fares workshops, so people can prepare for encounters with such individuals. It is really important not to react badly, even under provocation.

If threatened with an incorrect charge, pay it and claim a refund plus compensation and report the contract and consumer law breach to relevant organisations and hope that one day someone will do something. A good retailer should back the customer up in the event of a dispute too.

 

[farleigh]

What a shame that such a toxic culture exists.