Ticket inspector wouldn't let me use railcard on train

[QANN93]

This happened almost a year ago, thought i would post here to ask if what the guard was saying was correct.

I was on an arriva Wales train travelling from a station without ticket facities to Cardiff. Usually when i make this journey i buy my ticket online and use my railcard. However that day my phone was dead. Of course i couldn't buy it at the station as there were no ticket machines or an office .

When the guard on the train came up to me and asked for my ticket. I asked to buy one and use my railcard for a discount. I was told that you couldn't use a railcard to buy a ticket on a train, i explained to him that since i didn't have a chance to buy a ticket esrlier, i couldn't use my discount .

Was he correct in saying i couldn't use my railcard to buy a ticket on the train?

 

[yorkie]

The Guard was totally incorrect in that situation.

 

[QANN93]

The Guard was totally incorrect in that situation.

I thought so, i couldn't show him the railcards terms and conditions as my phone was dead. However it does make you think how bad the training is if he thought he was correct.
I didn't make a huge deal out of it as it was only a couple of quid extra. more curiousity than anything.

 

[Merseysider]

The guard was wrong.

Did you raise it with ATW/TfW last year?

 

[QANN93]

The guard was wrong.

Did you raise it with ATW/TfW last year?

No, i didn't raise it as i assumed i was in the wrong, he was very insistant that you couldn't buy a ticket on the train with one.

It was only a couple of quid extra so i didn't make a fuss

 

[yorkie]

No, i didn't raise it as i assumed i was in the wrong, he was very insistant that you couldn't buy a ticket on the train with one.

It was only a couple of quid extra so i didn't make a fuss

Train companies prosecute for less than £2, so I would have.

Too late now though.

 

[Merseysider]

No, i didn't raise it as i assumed i was in the wrong, he was very insistant that you couldn't buy a ticket on the train with one.

It was only a couple of quid extra so i didn't make a fuss

For future reference, if it happens again when you travel from an unstaffed station, keep all tickets/receipts and write to (or email) customer services - they'll be in a position to refund you any extra you're wrongly made to pay.

 

[QANN93]

For future reference, if it happens again when you travel from an unstaffed station, keep all tickets/receipts and write to (or email) customer services - they'll be in a position to refund you any extra you're wrongly made to pay.

Thank you. will keep that in mind.

Also, does owning a smartphone with ticket buying capabilities, mean that that I had a chance to buy a ticket before boarding if the boarding station did not have ticket machines

 

[Merseysider]

Thank you. will keep that in mind.

Also, does owning a smartphone with ticket buying capabilities, mean that that I had a chance to buy a ticket before boarding if the boarding station did not have ticket machines

Ticket facilities at a station refer solely to ticket machines, staff & ticket offices and does not extend to any mobile phone you may or may not be carrying.

 

[gray1404]

The fact that the guard was not offering you the railcard discount when you had not previously had an opportunity to purchase a ticket meant that you still had not been offered a chance to purchase the full range of tickets with any railcard discounts upon coming into contact with him. Personally, I would have declined his offer to purchase a ticket without the railcard discount and said that I shall purchase from the next point in the journey when I am afforded my right to purchase the the full range with discounts.

Imagine if you only had the correct amount for the ticket available and could not afford the more expensive ticket.

 

[Gunemdown]

Hi there, this happened to me yesterday and the guard told me the exact same thing. Did you make a complaint?

 

[bb21]

Please start a separate thread if you want to discuss a separate incident.

 

[bb21]

I thought so, i couldn't show him the railcards terms and conditions as my phone was dead. However it does make you think how bad the training is if he thought he was correct.
I didn't make a huge deal out of it as it was only a couple of quid extra. more curiousity than anything.

Did you have a digital Railcard and were you able to show it at the time?