Gold Card - Partner Card Sale Refused

[sparky18]

I hold a Z1-4 Annual Travelcard that is loaded onto my Oystercard and comes with a Gold Record Card.

I recently tried to buy my wife a Network Card for £1 but the ticket clerk (at a Southeastern Station) refused to sell the card to me on the basis that I hadn't bought my Annual Travelcard from Southeastern and that my Travelcard had been loaded onto my Oyster Card rather than being a paper ticket.

I had the printout from http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/46573.aspx with me which states that "Gold Card holders can also buy a Network Railcard for another adult for just £1" and makes no mention that the offer is somehow dependent how/where the Gold Card was initially purchased.

The clerk's overriding reasoning was that TfL and Southeastern are separate companies and they don't honour the offers of the other.

That page also states that "[Gold Cards] are also available on Oyster cards that are loaded with a valid Annual Travelcard. A separate printed Gold Record Card will be issued, which must be presented when buying discounted tickets." It seems to me that a Gold Card is a Gold Card regardless of where it is purchased.

I have bought a Partner Card on a number of occasions in the past (although not in the last couple of years) with no particular problem (but have learnt that it's worth having the printout as not every clerk seems to be aware of the offer) so was surprised to meet resistance this time.

Is this something that should have been allowed? Have the rules changed recently?

Thanks,
Sparky

 

[Be3G]

Unfortunately, it was a case of a Southeastern clerk (or perhaps Southeastern as a company) making up their own rules – a problem I have also encountered in the past when purchasing tickets from them. You were definitely entitled to the £1 Network Railcard.

 

[sparky18]

Relieved to hear it - thanks for the reply Be3G!

I'll write up a complaint to Southeastern... in addition to the webpage I quoted, are there any more definitive references that I could refer to?

 

[RJ]

I'm in the ticket office today. Screenshot from the Knowledgebase. Print it out and show it to the clerk if you like.

Seems like Southeastern have been missing a trick in their training with regards to encouraging staff to look things up.

 

[sparky18]

Wonderful - that's extremely helpful!

 

[paul1609]

Wonderful - that's extremely helpful!

I think that it might be Southeasterns sales system rather than an unhelpful individual. I bought one recently at a Southeastern station and the clerk had to scan the bar code of my photo card.

 

[Chrisgr31]

It does raise a question as to how they know you have not already bought the partner card.

Having said that my season ticket is bought through Abellio as its on a season ticket loan but the local Southern ticket office happily sold me the Partner card.

 

[RJ]

It does raise a question as to how they know you have not already bought the partner card.

Having said that my season ticket is bought through Abellio as its on a season ticket loan but the local Southern ticket office happily sold me the Partner card.

The ticket office clerk is supposed to endorse the reverse side of the Gold Card or Gold Record Card to indicate that one has been issued. There is some information in the screenshot I linked to earlier.

 

[Hadders]

IIRC there is a space on the back of the Gold Card (or record card if on Oyster) which should be endorsed on the back by the clerk to indicate that a Partner Card has been issued.

I remember having to have a robust conversation with a clerk at Northampton a couple of years ago in order to get a Partner Card issued (like the OP the Gold Card was issued by TfL on Oyster with a Gold Record Card - persistence paid off as I got it done in the end after I had pointed out the t&c's saying it could be issued by any station in the Network Area)

 

[Chrisgr31]

The ticket office clerk is supposed to endorse the reverse side of the Gold Card or Gold Record Card to indicate that one has been issued. There is some information in the screenshot I linked to earlier.

Ahh no endorsement on the back of my Gold Card, although to be fair it has been reissued several times since the Network Card was issued as it has failed to work barriers.

Indeed it needs replacing again, however I am waiting for my ticket to be transferred to The Key currently so not bothering.

 

[jon0844]

It does raise a question as to how they know you have not already bought the partner card.

I had it written on the back of my season. First time ever it's been done, mind so I guess I could have got loads previously. And as Chrisgr31 mentions, if you need to get a replacement then there's a good chance the endorsement won't be re-written.

As per RJ's screen shot, it's also valid for 12 months and can be purchased at any time, including the last day of validity on the season ticket. Yet I've been told before that it can only be issued to expire at the same time as my season ticket (although I never went ahead and got one when told that!).

I've also been made to fill out a network railcard application form before, but not by the person who just issued it using my season ticket details (and writing on it as mentioned). So, if you're asked to fill in a form then I'd suggest pointing out that this isn't necessary and wastes time for both parties.

There appears to be lots of confusion generally about what you can get with a Gold Card. If you want loads of fun (sarcasm) then try and get first class supplements!

 

[Haywain]

I've also been made to fill out a network railcard application form before, but not by the person who just issued it using my season ticket details (and writing on it as mentioned). So, if you're asked to fill in a form then I'd suggest pointing out that this isn't necessary and wastes time for both parties.

I'm not sure where you get the idea that you don't need to fill out the application form. There is nothing in RJ's screenshot to suggest that.

 

[Paul Kelly]

If you don't fill in the application form then surely you don't get a receipt, and thus the partner can't get a replacement for the reduced rate of £10 if they lose their partner card? I bought one this year (with my £160 Pevensey Gold Card) and got the person I was buying it for to fill in an application form, which was gladly accepted by the clerk. It never occurred to me that you might not need to fill in the application form...

 

[furlong]

It never occurred to me that you might not need to fill in the application form...

But who signs the application form? The Gold Card holder or the Partner?

 

[maniacmartin]

But who signs the application form? The Gold Card holder or the Partner?

The clerks that I have encountered don't seem to mind. I've seen Partner cards purchased when the partner wasn't even present, and I've also seen them issued with the form filled in by the partner.

 

[jon0844]

I'm not sure where you get the idea that you don't need to fill out the application form. There is nothing in RJ's screenshot to suggest that.

The person who gave me my last partner card didn't make me fill in the form, but did tap away on the computer and took down the serial number of the ticket. Perhaps he filled in the form on my behalf later (although with what details?). The serial number of the network card was also written on the back of my season ticket.

In other words, a lot of staff don't know about the process for this or many other things, such as the first class supplements I also mentioned.

I've probably filled in an application form about 50% of the times I've got partner cards over the last goodness knows how many years. As I said, the last one was the first time EVER that I had anything noted on my Gold Card.

If you don't fill in the application form then surely you don't get a receipt, and thus the partner can't get a replacement for the reduced rate of £10 if they lose their partner card? I bought one this year (with my £160 Pevensey Gold Card) and got the person I was buying it for to fill in an application form, which was gladly accepted by the clerk. It never occurred to me that you might not need to fill in the application form...

That's actually a good point. I think I got a standard receipt, but that only had the amount paid (£1) on it.

 

[Be3G]

The Network Railcard website makes it quite clear who needs to fill in what to get a partner card:

How can I buy one?

To buy a Network Railcard for £1, the Annual Gold Card holder must complete the Network Railcard application form on behalf of the nominated person and take it to a staffed ticket office at a train station within the Network Railcard area.

 

[sparky18]

I received Southeastern's reply to my complaint today.

The letter states that "it isn't possible for us to issue Oyster Partner Cards. This is because Oyster is a Transport for London product and we do not have access to the Oyster database."

Can anybody suggest where I can go from here? For one, their response is completely at odds with the National Rail website and contrary to what many have said earlier in the thread. Their reasoning doesn't make sense either - why do they need access to the Oyster database?

I guess I could try another station - does anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks again for all the replies.

 

[Mojo]

What is an "Oyster Partner Card?" Sounds like something Southeastern have made up. I absolutely hate tarring one entire company with a brush but this is absolutely typical of the kind of nonsense response that I have gotten from Southeastern Customer Relations in the past three years.

I would suggest you write back (their web form is just as good as any method) to them stating that you fear they may have misunderstood your question, and that you have a Gold Record Card and that their staff are refusing to issue the Network Partner Card in line with the current publicity.

You are absolutely correct in stating that they do not need access to the Oyster database - proof of entitlement is contained on the Gold Record Card.

You may wish to refer your complaint to London Travelwatch; they are more competent than Passenger Focus in dealing with such matters.

 

[Hadders]

Don't Southeastern operate IPFAS?

Given the nature of this work you'd expect that they would have a responsibility to be far more clued up than any other TOC on ticketing issues, processes and procedures.

Very, very poor from Southeastern.

 

[RJ]

I received Southeastern's reply to my complaint today.

The letter states that "it isn't possible for us to issue Oyster Partner Cards. This is because Oyster is a Transport for London product and we do not have access to the Oyster database."

Can anybody suggest where I can go from here? For one, their response is completely at odds with the National Rail website and contrary to what many have said earlier in the thread. Their reasoning doesn't make sense either - why do they need access to the Oyster database?

I guess I could try another station - does anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks again for all the replies.

If you'd like, I'm prepared to intervene on your behalf to get this resolved. Feel free to send me a PM if you wish.

 

[sparky18]

A (hopefully) final update here...

I raised this issue with Travelwatch who responded a couple of weeks ago to uphold my complaint and agreed with everybody here that the Partner Card should have been issued in the first place.

I'm also pleased to report that I bought a partner card with no issues at all from Marylebone NR station as I was passing through.

All's well that ends well! Thanks to everyone for your help along the way.

 

[paddington]

I'm also pleased to report that I bought a partner card with no issues at all from Marylebone NR station as I was passing through.

Yes, Marylebone, the only station where my friends and I have never had trouble getting partner network cards. Everywhere else we have tried has always taken at least some strong words...

 

[Be3G]

Perhaps surprisingly, I've never had trouble getting a partner card from suburban stations, e.g. Chingford and Waltham Cross.

 

[island]

Perhaps surprisingly, I've never had trouble getting a partner card from suburban stations, e.g. Chingford and Waltham Cross.

And I've bought them from three different Southeastern stations in the past.