New MML Advance Fares

[Tom B]

The trouble is, being one of Doncaster's Finest she probarbly wasn't the brightest. Add to that the training, which I presume spends hours on "customer satisfaction" and "using the right words to never offend anyone" and perhaps 10 minutes on tickets. I'd doubt it's something she has to do often - usually people presume you're too stupid to work out the fare structure and will buy the first ticket they try to sell you.

 

[matt]

If you buy the ticket in advance then you are committed to going. If on the day you are travelling and something happens and you cant make it you have usually lost your money. If you buy on the day you have no commitment. If the ticket seller didnt know about a ticket that Yorkie wanted then its acceptable to tell the ticket seller

 

[yorkie]

If you buy the ticket in advance then you are committed to going. If on the day you are travelling and something happens and you cant make it you have usually lost your money.

Excellent point, I forgot to mention that earlier. Although I should add that you can get a refund but you lose a £5 'admin fee' per ticket (this fee is waived in the event of delays or cancellations).

Any attempt to reduce the attractiveness of rail for walk-on purposes must be strongly opposed, as all that would do is discourage people from using rail and force more people onto the roads. Is that what any of us want? I would hope not.

 

[evil_hippo]

I once asked for a refund on a £4.50 Crewe-Penrith ticket.

This fee was the unfortunate point.

 

[Techniquest]

Let's mention my side of advance purchasing of day tickets:

Once I bought a CDR HFD to Brum New Street, with the intention of using it the next day, which I asked for. No problem there, but I could have got it the next day anyway. My plans changed at the last minute, so I got a refund, and had £3-ish left after.

Also, regarding the dumb ticket office staff, I concur they are not widespread, but you will get some that say a ticket does not exist when it does. The only similar experience I can share was buying a Swansea to Melksham SSR in January. The ticket office staff didn't know how to spell it, so I had to spell it out for them. That's as close to telling someone how to sell a ticket. I have more experiences of them not putting the right ticket stock in for a rover, which confuses the bus drivers big time. The only other time I can think of is when the staff initally refused to give me a FOR, wanting to give me a Saver First instead. This is not what I wanted, but I managed to persuade him to give it me after a bit of debate.

That's my ticketing experiences for now. Combo CDRs I've never had a problem with from here!

 

[Craig]

Well for once I think I agree with Yorkie

The whole point of CDR's is that they are walk on fares, you don't need to book in advance. If the booking clerk can't do their job then you shouldn't be penalised. I've had a similar problem with a clerk telling me you can't buy priv rate rovers, the difference in cost was quite sizable in that instance.

 

[Guinness]

£12 Child Return is the cheapest for me to get to London. Or £4 return with a Family Railcard. (Of course I need the adult traveling with me).