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Free postage of tickets

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orpine

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I'm looking to buy a ticket online for travel on Thursday for someone else. The person travelling is in a different part of the country to me and is rather inept (relatives *sigh*) so won't be buying the ticket themself, and nor can I use the free "station collect". It's a journey that crosses networks so I can't use any of the app's or home-printed ticket options either it seems.

Are there any ToC's or websites that still offer free postage of tickets? Paying a large premium for special delivery seems excessive.
 
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BlueFox

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Transpennine do free delivery, but it might be too late to buy for delivery before Thursday.
 

Master29

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I think as it`s first group it will almost certainly be too late for free postage now.
 

Tetchytyke

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Not less than five days before travel there isn't. You'll need to pay for special delivery, which is normally about six quid.

Grand Central and TPE don't charge for normal post.
 

ainsworth74

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If you buy it using an e-voucher then it should be possible to collect the tickets with any card unless that would also be beyond them!
 

ashworth

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I understand the problem!
I have to buy tickets online for an elderly relative because EMT have now installed a ticket machine at her local station on the Robin Hood Line in Nottinghamshire and she can't buy her ticket on the train using her Senior Railcard as she's always done in the past. Most of the guards on that line are very friendly and helpful and would probably sell her a ticket without any problems but now it's a penalty fares station she daren't risk encountering a guard who insisted upon strictly following the rules. She wont even use a cash machine at the bank so nothing would get her to use a complicated ticket machine. She's in her early 80's now and I fully understand. Some elderly people are very confident at using modern technology but some are very afraid of it.
 

AnkleBoots

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There must be some kind of easement that could apply in that situation? She could start to explain in a rambling way that she was unable to use the machine and hopefully the guard would get bored and just issue a Railcard-discounted ticket anyway.
 

MikeWh

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Southeastern doesn't require the same card for collection, just any payment card and the booking ref.
 

ashworth

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There must be some kind of easement that could apply in that situation? She could start to explain in a rambling way that she was unable to use the machine and hopefully the guard would get bored and just issue a Railcard-discounted ticket anyway.

As I said in my previous post most of the EMT guards on that line are really friendly and helpful and I don’t think that she would have a problem. However, there is always the chance that she could encounter one who could refuse to sell her a railcard discounted ticket.
 

Joe Paxton

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Southeastern doesn't require the same card for collection, just any payment card and the booking ref.

Are you sure that applies across the board, and not just to your account?

My impression is that some people's accounts with online booking engines end up having the 'any card collection' flag set for all transactions (possibly unintentionally?).

Paying by PayPal on a site that accepts it as a payment method should however lead to that purchase being 'any card collection'. That and I think paying by gift voucher as available on a few sites (albeit not interchangeably).
 

Busaholic

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I understand the problem!
I have to buy tickets online for an elderly relative because EMT have now installed a ticket machine at her local station on the Robin Hood Line in Nottinghamshire and she can't buy her ticket on the train using her Senior Railcard as she's always done in the past. Most of the guards on that line are very friendly and helpful and would probably sell her a ticket without any problems but now it's a penalty fares station she daren't risk encountering a guard who insisted upon strictly following the rules. She wont even use a cash machine at the bank so nothing would get her to use a complicated ticket machine. She's in her early 80's now and I fully understand. Some elderly people are very confident at using modern technology but some are very afraid of it.

Some have had bad experiences with modern technology and once bitten... Also, there are people who have mild impairments associated with age but who can manage quite successfully and even thrive if they are just left to get on with things at their own pace without being hassled. I can't imagine my grandfather, who died in 1979 just shy of his hundredth birthday, and who was independent to the end, being able to cope with some of the requirements now being put on the general public before you are allowed to do certain things.
 

Hadders

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Technology isn’t an age thing.

I know people in their 80s who will quite happily use modern technology yet I have a friend in his 40s who won’t even use a cash machine let alone purchase anything online.

Interestingly I had reason to use the ticket office at Kings Cross a couple of weeks ago, everyone in the (rather long) queue appeared to be below 30, with the oldies using the TVMs!
 

MikeWh

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Are you sure that applies across the board, and not just to your account?

My impression is that some people's accounts with online booking engines end up having the 'any card collection' flag set for all transactions (possibly unintentionally?).
Using a browser that I haven't used to buy tickets I put a sample journey in the basket without logging in. The next screen dealt with collection details and there was a "more info" link next to collect at a station. Clicking the link popped up a window explaining the need for any payment card and the booking reference.
 

highspeed990

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I'm looking to buy a ticket online for travel on Thursday for someone else. The person travelling is in a different part of the country to me and is rather inept (relatives *sigh*) so won't be buying the ticket themself, and nor can I use the free "station collect". It's a journey that crosses networks so I can't use any of the app's or home-printed ticket options either it seems.

Are there any ToC's or websites that still offer free postage of tickets? Paying a large premium for special delivery seems excessive.
first class post I sometimes have to pay for my own tickets to be delivered. Why can't this guy buy his own tickets?
 

yorkie

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first class post I sometimes have to pay for my own tickets to be delivered. Why can't this guy buy his own tickets?
This is an insensitive question. I did consider removing this (along with many of your other remarks in other threads) but I chose to challenge it instead.

There are many potential reasons. Off the top of my head, here are a few:-
  • Someone may be purchasing tickets for a group of passengers travelling together
  • Someone may be experienced at purchasing tickets and the passenger may not be
  • Someone may be purchasing tickets as a gift for someone else
  • Someone may be entitled to a discount or have vouchers on their account, which they wish to use for a purchase for someone else to travel
  • Someone may be in a position to pay now, but the person travelling may not be in a position to pay
  • Someone may be in a position to help someone who has no money on their account and/or who has lost their debit/credit card
Anyone can purchase a ticket for anyone else.

Many of the tickets I purchase are not for me. Many of the tickets I use (and indeed almost all the tickets I used on VTEC for example) were not purchased by me.
 

Deafdoggie

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Using a browser that I haven't used to buy tickets I put a sample journey in the basket without logging in. The next screen dealt with collection details and there was a "more info" link next to collect at a station. Clicking the link popped up a window explaining the need for any payment card and the booking reference.
I think it’s any card in the purchasers name. Any card at all renders it entirely pointless!
 

MikeWh

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I think it’s any card in the purchasers name. Any card at all renders it entirely pointless!
Well that's the first time I've heard that suggested. It also doesn't specify it on the screen. I'll try and use my wife's card next time I collect.
 

island

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The cardholder’s name is not consistently encoded on cards, so that probably isn’t a thing either.
 

Deafdoggie

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I work in a tele-sales office, and it is "a thing" Depends on the system, but some even allow a nectar card to be used. It is an ID check, and the banks insist on it for certain transactions, so any card in the persons name is fine, usually. For certain high-value transactions they insist on the actual card used, but I have never heard of that for train tickets, a simple ID check with any card in the same name is fine
 

DelW

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Well that's the first time I've heard that suggested. It also doesn't specify it on the screen. I'll try and use my wife's card next time I collect.
On a similar thread some time ago, a poster stated that he had used a variety of improbable cards (e.g. supermarket loyalty card) including at least one without a magnetic stripe at all.

I think as it`s first group it will almost certainly be too late for free postage now.
GWR web sales allow free first class post, and in my experience the tickets almost always arrive the day after ordering (very occasionally they have come the following day). However I think the postage option is only allowed up to five days before travel.
 

Deafdoggie

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On a similar thread some time ago, a poster stated that he had used a variety of improbable cards (e.g. supermarket loyalty card) including at least one without a magnetic stripe at all.

The card will need some facility to be "read" bear in mind that the card will also need this facility to be used in a supermarket, otherwise, if the card can't be read, there is no way to add points! So take these stories with a pinch of salt! However, anything registered with the customers name on, should work, but it needs to be on the accessible database, and not all loyalty cards are
 

JohnR

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When my employer purchases a rail ticket for me, I arrange to collect it at my local station. The advice from my employer is to use my card to identify myself to the machine. But they have been purchase by the company, not me.

I think you can use ANY card to collect tickets.
 

BlueFox

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I think you can use ANY card to collect tickets.

Just because you can do that with tickets bought by your employer doesn't mean it's the same for everyone. Business accounts are set up to allow any card to be used, personal accounts usually aren't.
 

Deafdoggie

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At work the business account has to specify a named traveller, that named traveller can then use their card to collect tickets. If ANY card at all can be used, what is the point of it?? The reference number alone would be enough. A named card is needed to provide an ID check
 

AlterEgo

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I think it’s any card in the purchasers name. Any card at all renders it entirely pointless!

That's not correct. The machines cannot read what your name is and do not reconcile it with the booking. It's either the card number matches or it doesn't.
 

AlterEgo

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At work the business account has to specify a named traveller, that named traveller can then use their card to collect tickets. If ANY card at all can be used, what is the point of it?? The reference number alone would be enough. A named card is needed to provide an ID check

An ID check is not required for large corporate clients. As previously stated, the TVM cannot read what the name on the card is (the name I have on my card is different to what's on my booking, almost every single time).

It's set to any card collection, I can assure you.
 

Deafdoggie

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An ID check is not required for large corporate clients. As previously stated, the TVM cannot read what the name on the card is (the name I have on my card is different to what's on my booking, almost every single time).

It's set to any card collection, I can assure you.

Then the rail industry is wasting hundreds of thousands of pounds enabling this system, and not using it. What a total waste of money, Also the banks will be livid as it is a compulsory ID check for them, expect the banks to start claiming all transactions back that haven't been ID checked properly by card once they find out the rail companies are not doing it correctly. Or it could be that they are. You will be amazed at the information held on on your bank card!
 
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