Envy123
Member
The "grey area" in terms of where Oyster can be used, is way too subtle. It would be better if it was a bit darker than it is now.
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SWT new website live
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Kite159
Veteran Member
Nothing yet, other websites when you raise a enquiry with customer services, you get pretty much an automatic response with a "your enquiry has been logged, here is a reference number" email straight away.
Hiw do you know they are using the old Web Site?
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I had the same problem with trying to upload a document using the "contact form" on the new website.
I called SWT for advice and was told it is fine to just email the claim,with whatever attachments you want, to [email protected] . I did this on Friday and had an email with my "Case reference number" this morning.
I called SWT for advice and was told it is fine to just email the claim,with whatever attachments you want, to [email protected] . I did this on Friday and had an email with my "Case reference number" this morning.
Kite159
Veteran Member
Excellent, I will do that tomorrow/Tuesday, as I have no idea if that form submitted correctly, if I haven't had a "case reference number" email by then.
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Me too thanks as well. I know they don't use their new website on the phone as when he couldn't get my ticket to come up he first said give him a sec while he selected the SWT only option and then again whilst he entered the via station. Both options removed from the new dire site.
UPDATE: Just got asked for my ticket scan so I guess the upload doesn't work at all! however that was a very quick response time so credit where credit's due!
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STEVIEBOY1
Established Member
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I have taken up the advise earlier on this forum and have started using Cross Country's website to book tickets, much easier.
Totally agree but you can't book SWT £16 day return tickets on there.
![[.n]](/data/avatars/m/34/34036.jpg?1532861033){kind=avatar}
[.n]
Member
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Yes you can, I use the CrossCountry site / app all the time to book SWT promo tickets
Added screenshot
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fairysdad
Member
Oh. My. Word.
Sorry, rant ahead.
Last week I attempted to use this monstrosity of a website to get the £16 ticket offer from Exeter to Waterloo. (Which, yes, I now realise I can get elsewhere - the similar offer back in the spring seemed to be only on SWT's website.)
I imagine that it's been built for tablets, ignoring people who use proper computers, like so many website developers do these days. But it makes it so difficult to navigate. There's no way of changing what time you want to travel (Okay, so I can't get direct if I leave at 20.45, what if I leave earlier? Oh, I have to resubmit my search again. What about if I want a later train? Nope, resubmit search.).
Okay, so I've purchased my ticket. Let's print this information off so I've got it when I collect my ticket tomorrow. Oh. I've just used all the blue ink in my printer, about five pages, none of which seem to actually have the information I want to recall. Never mind, I have a smart phone, and they've emailed me the information.
Wait a moment, why is the email telling me that my ticket is from Exeter Airport, and that's where I need to collect it from? I wanted Exeter St Davids, not Exeter Airport. You don't even get trains from there, and I'm fairly certian the bus link is not run by SWT so my £16 ticket won't be valid. It also tells me that I need to get from Exeter Airport, which, even if it showed me the correct station, is still wrong. (As it happens, I got my ticket from Barnstaple's self-service machines, where I found out that this ticket is also available from stations which the website implies are only available online...)
Bad form SWT...
Sorry, rant ahead.
Last week I attempted to use this monstrosity of a website to get the £16 ticket offer from Exeter to Waterloo. (Which, yes, I now realise I can get elsewhere - the similar offer back in the spring seemed to be only on SWT's website.)
I imagine that it's been built for tablets, ignoring people who use proper computers, like so many website developers do these days. But it makes it so difficult to navigate. There's no way of changing what time you want to travel (Okay, so I can't get direct if I leave at 20.45, what if I leave earlier? Oh, I have to resubmit my search again. What about if I want a later train? Nope, resubmit search.).
Okay, so I've purchased my ticket. Let's print this information off so I've got it when I collect my ticket tomorrow. Oh. I've just used all the blue ink in my printer, about five pages, none of which seem to actually have the information I want to recall. Never mind, I have a smart phone, and they've emailed me the information.
Wait a moment, why is the email telling me that my ticket is from Exeter Airport, and that's where I need to collect it from? I wanted Exeter St Davids, not Exeter Airport. You don't even get trains from there, and I'm fairly certian the bus link is not run by SWT so my £16 ticket won't be valid. It also tells me that I need to get from Exeter Airport, which, even if it showed me the correct station, is still wrong. (As it happens, I got my ticket from Barnstaple's self-service machines, where I found out that this ticket is also available from stations which the website implies are only available online...)
Bad form SWT...
Yes it told me that my journey is to Exeter Airport even though the itinerary below said it was to Exeter St Davids. The email subject was "Booking Confirmation for [Lastname]," where [Lastname] is my last name.
Funnily enough, quite a few Web Site developers ignore mobile and tablet users, e. g. Southern when I look up disruptions to train services.
That's not limited to TOCs only though.
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It seems the loss of the ability to speicfy a "via" point on the SWT website is now gone for good. I thought it was meant to be coming back with "phase 2" of the new website but I've now been told
It seems an odd decision to me because it now makes it impossible to book tickets for South West Trains on some routes on their own website. For example try to book Waterloo, Clapham Junction, Woking or Basingstoke to Exeter and Bristol and you'll likely be route via Paddington or Reading rather than onto SWT own services.
Is this even permitted? I thought websites were supposed to offer the cheapest tickets which is usually those on SWT rather than GWR.
I've also noticed they seem to be rolling out new ticket machines too which seem to continue this dumming down as they only seem to offer the ability to collect pre-booked tickets or buy tickets to "popular destinations" which seems to only offer about 8 different tickets, and if your destination or ticket type is not on the list you have to use one of the older machines (I hope they are not getting rid of those!)
It seems an odd decision to me because it now makes it impossible to book tickets for South West Trains on some routes on their own website. For example try to book Waterloo, Clapham Junction, Woking or Basingstoke to Exeter and Bristol and you'll likely be route via Paddington or Reading rather than onto SWT own services.
Is this even permitted? I thought websites were supposed to offer the cheapest tickets which is usually those on SWT rather than GWR.
I've also noticed they seem to be rolling out new ticket machines too which seem to continue this dumming down as they only seem to offer the ability to collect pre-booked tickets or buy tickets to "popular destinations" which seems to only offer about 8 different tickets, and if your destination or ticket type is not on the list you have to use one of the older machines (I hope they are not getting rid of those!)
It seems to have gone from nationalrail.co.uk on desktop as well. Still there on mobile
Hmm yes gone from the front page certainly. Though you can still get the desired result if you enter your start and end points and do a search and once you've got the results you can then used the "advanced search" to specify a via point.
I knew I managed it in the end. I suspect somebody has demanded they simplify the form on the front page without realising the form on the "Train Times and Tickets" page is also the front page form rather than the advanced one. Most airlines are as bad or worse.
fairysdad
Member
I've recently been finding the SWT website horrible for finding out disruption info, just because it's not intuitive and despite me realising it, I always follow the same trap. As we may all be aware, on the home page, right in the middle, there is a section reading 'Live travel updates', underwhich is listed all the lines, and their current disruption status. (Which, as of this moment, all but Island Line read 'Major disruption'.)
So, what is this disruption, and how may it affect my journey? I know, I'll click on the text reading 'major disruption'. Intuitively, this is what I should do. But no, I find myself on the page of the website where SWT show their routes.
Instead, I have to click on the 'All live travel updates' link, which takes me to a page that doesn't seem to match the data on the home page. So, for instance, at the moment there are two 'line updates', and four 'train cancellations' - neither of which seem to add up to what the home page says that all SWT routes aside from Island Line have major disruption. The six 'general updates' and sixteen 'station updates' have no relevant information on them for travel use.
Apologies for the rant by the way, just wanted to get it off my chest.
So, what is this disruption, and how may it affect my journey? I know, I'll click on the text reading 'major disruption'. Intuitively, this is what I should do. But no, I find myself on the page of the website where SWT show their routes.
Instead, I have to click on the 'All live travel updates' link, which takes me to a page that doesn't seem to match the data on the home page. So, for instance, at the moment there are two 'line updates', and four 'train cancellations' - neither of which seem to add up to what the home page says that all SWT routes aside from Island Line have major disruption. The six 'general updates' and sixteen 'station updates' have no relevant information on them for travel use.
Apologies for the rant by the way, just wanted to get it off my chest.
It's still on the desktop site by selecting "More Options". I certainly disagree with SWT removing it and indeed they said before they were looking to add this "future enhancement" (that was already there before the upgrade). It is a huge retrograde step removing it and leads to the SWT often overcharging people by only providing the route it deems best and not the lowest cost. It also prevents the sale of cheaper route specific tickets. They still have the statement
"With our journey planner, you will be offered the cheapest fares and in some instances, the fastest journey. Please be aware that other journey options are available."
This is fundamentally untrue as it doesn't find the cheapest route specific fares and , like their statement that weekend super off peaks were saving customers money, is absolutely rubbish.
It's gone from the more options section as well. If it's definitely still visible for you (I think it's only disappeared in the last couple of weeks) then they may be running a rather pointless A-B test on dropping it, but it's absent from 3 different devices on different network connections for me, so I'm guessing probably not.
EDIT: Sorry, I take it back - the option reappears if you disable ad-blockers because they've put it in a div called "adv-box". Got to love real-world testing.
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