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Ticket collection failure

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cookie365

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All the tickets for collection I've bought in the last few months from the southernrailway.com site have failed to upload to the ticket machines at the 'Southern' run stations I've tried to collect from.

In each case I've had to fill in a form at the ticket office so the ticket clerk can basically rebuy the same ticket for no extra charge.

What would happen if I'd bought the tickets through another TOC's website?

If the replacement ticket form only works because I bought the tickets from the same TOC (sort of) as the station, and it turns out the problem is actually the 'Southern' ticket machines, would I then end up having to chase a TOC with no local stations for a replacement?

Would the station ticket office even be able to see the ticket details on their computers?
 
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najaB

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Would the station ticket office even be able to see the ticket details on their computers?
I can't speak for SouthernRailway.com but I have collected tickets booked though TrainLine-powered websites at ticket offices run by Northern, Scotrail, Virgin Trains and Tfl Rail.
 

talldave

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Is this only since Southern replaced a perfectly functional ticketing website with an illogical pile of untested crap centred around pretty maps that just doesn't work?

If so, stick two fingers up to Southern and take your business elsewhere. First Hull Trains have a lovely website that works, gives Quidco cashback and nectar points, and looks remarkably familiar to customers of Southern's former ticket site.

You only have to monitor Southern's twitter feed to see how many people are suffering with the new site. Even the confusion caused by the fact that it unnecessarily makes you select specific trains would seem enough for someone at Southern to realise they've screwed up big time.
 

kevconnor

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I do find the online engines much of a muchness really. Own personal preference is East Midlands Trains site as it allows you to specify a via route which can be helpful in looking for cheaper tickets, example sometimes go from Manchester - London via Chesterfield as it is cheaper than on the WMCL with Virgin and more comfortable than going on LM via Crewe. But then I find TPX app to be one of the better, if only they would have fixed the fault with map view on the Iphone.
 

cookie365

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Thank you everyone, I did like the mixing desk on the old Southern site.

If I do buy through TPE and the ticket fails to upload (eg if it's the machines that are the problem) does anyone know if a Southern ticket office will able to give me a replacement or if I have to go through TPE?
 

gimmea50anyday

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Buy through the app and your ticket is uploaded onto your phone!

Once a ticket is bought online you should be able to use any ticket machine anywhere and at anytime to collect. Most (if not all) TOC specific sites will allow you to buy a ticket from anywhere to anywhere but I would stay away from any of the trainline based sites, especially trainline!
 

CyrusWuff

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It's not just the Southern site. The Thameslink and Lond Midland sites experienced the same teething troubles. It does, however, appear to have been resolved now.
 

cookie365

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It's not just the Southern site. The Thameslink and Lond Midland sites experienced the same teething troubles. It does, however, appear to have been resolved now.
It's still happening, as recently as yesterday.
 

talldave

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It's still happening, as recently as yesterday.

Unsurprising, GTR IT projects seem to be incompetently managed using incompetent subcontractors with very sloppy practices. When I was experiencing TVM errors they'd roll out a fix one week and inexplicably remove it again a week or so later with a subsequent update.

GTR management appear incapable of understanding IT issues, but remember, if they gave a toss about their customers they wouldn't have inflicted the crap ticket website on them in the first place.
 

causton

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It's not just the Southern site. The Thameslink and Lond Midland sites experienced the same teething troubles. It does, however, appear to have been resolved now.

Can confirm, to the point we have been issued new Authority to Travel guidance; no reason as to why has been given but I have had it myself from Southern websites and passengers from LM website where the tickets are not on the database! What a silly problem...
 

CyrusWuff

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It's still happening, as recently as yesterday.

Must have just been lucky at work then, as we only had one failed TOD last week, compared to about a dozen over the previous fortnight, mostly for journeys involving multiple TOCs.
 
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