Hypothetic- Tickets booked online for collection, machine out of service.

[Ivo]

If it's the one I think you mean (I've found a £14.90 one; is this it?), the same is true for me too - even from the Derby end!

 

[yorkie]

I am thinking of particular issues that need to be tested such as:
- 'Buy any time, travel off peak' - they don't adhere to that, that needs challenging
- Starting 'short' (but not for loophole tickets, don't want to get those fares withdrawn) e.g. if you are travelling back to somewhere later in the day
- Combination of tickets
- Buying Wayfarers at busy times (yes they told someone they were "too busy" to sell a Wayfarer)
- Possibly more issues, Max is a good person to ask.

It's not just Sheffield but they probably are the place that gets mentioned to me the most. A lot of it is via PM as people don't necessarily want to announce their woes on the forum. Many people are not confident in challenging them. We need to stand our ground (being assertive, not passive or aggressive) and not accept shoddy service.

I don't want to demand they sell fares that undercut other fares as all that will happen is they will moan to ATOC that the fares should be changed. Yes we can win the argument that they should sell them but I don't want to lose a battle in order to win another battle.

As for testing them on the RG, not with any major anomalies, no. But with relatively simple stuff that does not cause anomalies (e.g. York to Sheffield via Huddersfield, which ATOC re-instated) then yes, absolutely. It means we won't get side-tracked into arguments over loopholes and whether it 'should' be valid.

I suggest leaving it for now and anyone interested, simply PM me and I'll let you know when I can be in the area. It's going wildly off-topic but any further discussion really needs to be done elsewhere, I don't want to give too much away.

 

[talltim]

Friday mid afternoon is a good time to do it, its nice and quiet then:roll:

 

[MKB]

I'm with Moonrakerz on this. I certainly wouldn't buy another ticket and take on all the hassle of having to claim a refund when I've done nothing wrong. I don't believe there is a court in the land that would uphold any case brought against me provided I was polite and upfront with the guard about what had happened.

I'll go further. At my local station (Nuneaton), there is just a single, very slow machine. I have arrived 20 minutes before my train and only just got my pre-booked Traveller or Advance ticket in time because of the queue. When it inevitably happens at some point in the future that 20 minutes turns out not to be sufficient and I can't get my tickets in time, then I refuse to be held responsible for the fact that the station operator (LM) can't provide adequate ticketing facilities.

 

[island]

I agree with most of the people above; if the ticket can't be collected I would not be willing to pay for new tickets and would insist on a UPFN (or the train being held at a convenient calling station for me to go and use that station's TVM instead, at a push).

 

[All Line Rover]

There is a simple, easy solution to this problem - collect your tickets at least a week before your train!

It's not as if many Advance tickets are available within a week of travel anyway! And if you want an Off-Peak or Anytime ticket, buy it on the day, because if the ticket office is closed and there is no working ticket machine, you can buy it on board the train.

I live in rural Cheshire (it's a nice place!), and always take the train from Crewe, but always do food shoping in Wrexham (Wrexham station itself is terrible for direct services.) However, Wrexham station is in between Sainsbury's and Tesco, so I always stop there on a Saturday to collect all my tickets! (which can take a while!)

 

[Mike395]

There is a simple, easy solution to this problem - collect your tickets at least a week before your train!

It's not as if many Advance tickets are available within a week of travel anyway! And if you want an Off-Peak or Anytime ticket, buy it on the day, because if the ticket office is closed and there is no working ticket machine, you can buy it on board the train.

I live in rural Cheshire (it's a nice place!), and always take the train from Crewe, but always do food shoping in Wrexham (Wrexham station itself is terrible for direct services.) However, Wrexham station is in between Sainsbury's and Tesco, so I always stop there on a Saturday to collect all my tickets! (which can take a while!)

It's not always practical to do this - for example I sometimes only know I will be travelling the night before (and some advance tickets in my area are quite often still available, as theyve only recently been introduced without much publicity!). Luckily ticket collection facilities at my station are pretty good with 4 TVMs, but I'd be pretty annoyed if I turned up 20-30mins before my train to find I couldnt collect them!

 

[LexyBoy]

There is a simple, easy solution to this problem - collect your tickets at least a week before your train!

Well, fine if you're going to the station anyway, but what if the tickets are for the only trip you're making? Or indeed are booked at short notice - there are Advance tickets on many routes even the day before travel.

I'm with others that I would certainly not pay anything if I wasn't able to collect my ticket before travel due to a faulty TVM (including not being able to read my card). UPFN if necessary but I'd think that the guard could check the booking reference on the train anyway - sure we had someone confirming this is possible only a week or two back.

It's in no way acceptable to be asked to pay for a service which has already been paid for - if the TVM is out of order then it's not the concern of the customer.

 

[Ivo]

I went down to BTH to try to determine the FGW policy regarding the original question in this thread...

...unfortunately, the entire station was wedged. It seems there has been another fatality in a location served by SWT...

 

[All Line Rover]

Well, fine if you're going to the station anyway, but what if the tickets are for the only trip you're making? Or indeed are booked at short notice - there are Advance tickets on many routes even the day before travel.

I'm with others that I would certainly not pay anything if I wasn't able to collect my ticket before travel due to a faulty TVM (including not being able to read my card). UPFN if necessary but I'd think that the guard could check the booking reference on the train anyway - sure we had someone confirming this is possible only a week or two back.

It's in no way acceptable to be asked to pay for a service which has already been paid for - if the TVM is out of order then it's not the concern of the customer.

Frankly, I am the type of person who plans a lot, and would never think of going somewhere just a day before!

If you don't live near a station, you could always have the tickets sent by First Class post (which is free, but in my opinion a bit risky, and I've never done it). If you don't live near a station, though, chances are you don't use the train that often anyway.

PS. Actually I'm not sure if East Coast have started charging for First Class post. Have they? I don't check much as I never use it.

 

[LexyBoy]

Frankly, I am the type of person who plans a lot, and would never think of going somewhere just a day before!

If you don't live near a station, you could always have the tickets sent by First Class post (which is free, but in my opinion a bit risky, and I've never done it). If you don't live near a station, though, chances are you don't use the train that often anyway.

I shouldn't have to change my plans (and possibly pay extra for postage) just in case a TVM doesn't work, or something else out of my control stops me collecting my ticket. And if you don't live near a station, indeed you're not likely to travel as often - so when you do travel you're not likely to have had a chance to collect a ticket beforehand!

PS. Actually I'm not sure if East Coast have started charging for First Class post. Have they? I don't check much as I never use it.

They charge £1 if you're travelling from a station which has collection facilities; if it's not possible to collect a ticket at the station, postage is free. (Other TOCs always charge for postage though, and some don't at all).

 

[All Line Rover]

I shouldn't have to change my plans (and possibly pay extra for postage) just in case a TVM doesn't work, or something else out of my control stops me collecting my ticket. And if you don't live near a station, indeed you're not likely to travel as often - so when you do travel you're not likely to have had a chance to collect a ticket beforehand!



They charge £1 if you're travelling from a station which has collection facilities; if it's not possible to collect a ticket at the station, postage is free. (Other TOCs always charge for postage though, and some don't at all).

Hmmm... why not get a friend who is a "regular traveller" to collect it for you?

 

[SS4]

I try and collect them before travel but where that's not possible try again since I usually book well in advance.

Nowadays though I tend to "send" them to my local station's ticket machine rather than the departure station. I don't trust the postal system enough to get them sent out to me though
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Hmmm... why not get a friend who is a "regular traveller" to collect it for you?

Because you need the card it was purchased with? Needless to say my bank card never leaves my possession
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
If they cost to post I'd rather pay for the bus and collect them, especially if I have another task to do. A daysaver is £3.60 (or if I have loads to do I'd just get a NWM daytripper) which is worth it for peace of mind

 

[transportphoto]

First_Class - The whole idea of 'Tickets on Departure' is that you collect your tickets on departure

Although it is physically possible to collect your tickets in advance, there is no requirement. Also - as SS4 explains, many peoples bank cards never leave their possession so asking a friend to get them for you is not really an option for most people.

 

[All Line Rover]

First_Class - The whole idea of 'Tickets on Departure' is that you collect your tickets on departure

Alright, that's a good point!

 

[Simon11]

If the ticket machines aren't work, I'd personally get on the train and explain this to the onboard train manager. The manager should be inform that the machines aren't working, but if they haven't been informed pay for the ticket he offers.

Get in contact with the customer services and they should easily be able to find that the machines were broken as the machines haven't taken any revenue.

 

[island]

I try and collect them before travel but where that's not possible try again since I usually book well in advance.

Nowadays though I tend to "send" them to my local station's ticket machine rather than the departure station. I don't trust the postal system enough to get them sent out to me though

On a point of information, you can collect your tickets from any TOD-enabled station, irrespective of where you "send" them to (with the exception of Southern discounted tickets, which can only be collected from Southern TVMs, heaven only knows why).

 

[All Line Rover]

Because you need the card it was purchased with? Needless to say my bank card never leaves my possession

On that matter, do you actually need the debit/credit card that you used to purchase the ticket/s?

I've never given this a second thought until recently - I always used the same card. However, I made a booking with www.redspottedhanky.com a few days ago, and because I used my Tesco Clubcard vouchers I paid with an evoucher. Obviously, this meant that I didn't need to enter any debit/credit card details.

The booking confirmation e-mail said that you could use any card to collect the tickets - you just needed the confirmation number. This is did, and yes, I didn't need a specific card!

So do you actually need the original debit/credit card? Does anyone on here know?

 

[Deerfold]

So do you actually need the original debit/credit card? Does anyone on here know?

Generally yes, though it can be set to allow collection with any card (this is often done by travel agents for Business Travel).

 

[SS4]

On a point of information, you can collect your tickets from any TOD-enabled station, irrespective of where you "send" them to (with the exception of Southern discounted tickets, which can only be collected from Southern TVMs, heaven only knows why).

Interesting, so if I send them to BHM I can still collect them from Chester Road (CRD)? If it makes a difference I buy off the LM site, BHM has virgin branded machines and CRD LM ones.

 

[transportphoto]

Interesting, so if I send them to BHM I can still collect them from Chester Road (CRD)? If it makes a difference I buy off the LM site, BHM has virgin branded machines and CRD LM ones.

Absolutely no difference atall... for example - I had some tickets booked for Norwich (my local station and also the station I selected) the machines are NXEA ones - I was in Kings Lynn the day before travel and grabbed them from the FCC branded TVM's there.

 

[yorkie]

On that matter, do you actually need the debit/credit card that you used to purchase the ticket/s?

I've never given this a second thought until recently - I always used the same card. However, I made a booking with www.redspottedhanky.com a few days ago, and because I used my Tesco Clubcard vouchers I paid with an evoucher. Obviously, this meant that I didn't need to enter any debit/credit card details.

The booking confirmation e-mail said that you could use any card to collect the tickets - you just needed the confirmation number. This is did, and yes, I didn't need a specific card!

So do you actually need the original debit/credit card? Does anyone on here know?

You used to be able to use any ticket. Then they changed it (after some scam at Manchester Piccadilly, I seem to recall), which was rather annoying. Either it's been changed back again or RedSpottedHankey is the only site (that I know of) that allows you to use any card. In which case that is a benefit of using that site, as it can be a pain if you forget which card you used to book.

 

[Mike395]

You used to be able to use any ticket. Then they changed it (after some scam at Manchester Piccadilly, I seem to recall), which was rather annoying. Either it's been changed back again or RedSpottedHankey is the only site (that I know of) that allows you to use any card. In which case that is a benefit of using that site, as it can be a pain if you forget which card you used to book.

I believe you still have to use the specific card, unless paying in full with tesco vouchers, which wont fit properly in the card slot :P

 

[Mojo]

It didn't even have to be a debit/credit card. Tesco Clubcards also used to do the trick

 

[Flamingo]

Just a quick question with regards to a situation I witnessed recently, suppose you booked an advance long distance single to collect from the machine at a station. They were at the station with 15 minutes to spare but the machine was out of service and the ticket office closed. The help point on the wall has not worked for several months.

The passenger was elderly and obviously distressed and unsure of what to do. Had she got on the train would she have been able to collect her ticket? What would be the correct course of action in this situation?

We've been told issue a UPFN to the first convenient point where they can collect the tickets (if it involves a change of trains & company) or their destination, and tell them to send the collected tickets back with it to get the UPFN cancelled, so they won't have to part with money.

If the reference is a full e-mail print out, we view it a bit more sympathetically (and might forego the UPFN) than random numbers on the back of a fag packet (which I for one am deeply suspicious of).

If they refuse a UPFN, then treat as having no ticket and all the hassle that involves.

 

[stut]

If the reference is a full e-mail print out, we view it a bit more sympathetically (and might forego the UPFN) than random numbers on the back of a fag packet (which I for one am deeply suspicious of).

Out of interest, how would you treat an email confirmation on a smartphone?

(Personally, I rarely see any point in printing things off, and am constantly surprised by the number of organisations who don't trust something until it has been printed off - even if it's the same email on the same device that printed it!)

 

[Anon Mouse]

Out of interest, how would you treat an email confirmation on a smartphone?

(Personally, I rarely see any point in printing things off, and am constantly surprised by the number of organisations who don't trust something until it has been printed off - even if it's the same email on the same device that printed it!)

Not valid unless it is a specific eticket...

 

[stut]

Not valid unless it is a specific eticket...

No, but I was asking the question in the context of the post I quoted...

 

[Anon Mouse]

No, but I was asking the question in the context of the post I quoted...

same as previous points. Unless otherwise specified if its not a specific ticket its not valid and passenger should be treated as not having a ticket and to claim a refund. All these fangled etickets, print at home etc are nothing but trouble as there is so much to go wrong!

Again, common sense and discretion may come into play depending on the circumstances. Again its best if the passenger seeks help from ticket office, customer relations or failing that it might be benificial to speak to the train guard before boarding!

 

[Flamingo]

Out of interest, how would you treat an email confirmation on a smartphone?

Personally, I have accepted them - officially, I refer the honorable member to my previous answer