Ticket On Departure (TOD) not working

[21C101]

So. Buy ticket online for offspring for next week. Walk with dog to station. Insert card. Enter code.

(email didn't come through but screenshotted the code when I bought it)

Wait....
Wait.....
"cannot get TOD information seek assistance at ticket office (its closed)

Man next tp me gets the same thing and in a fluster as at risk of missing train with service ending early (last train to London leaving about now).

What a total shambles. And they want to close ticket offices?

 

[renegademaster]

So. Buy ticket online for offspring for next week. Walk with dog to station. Insert card. Enter code.

(email didn't come through but screenshotted the code when I bought it)

Wait....
Wait.....
"cannot get TOD information seek assistance at ticket office (its closed)

Man next tp me gets the same thing and in a fluster as at risk of missing train with service ending early (last train to London leaving about now).

What a total shambles. And they want to close ticket offices?

Take a photo. "Ticket machine not working" is a valid excuse to travel without a ticket as long as you attempt to buy one at the end

 

[Archvile]

So. Buy ticket online for offspring for next week. Walk with dog to station. Insert card. Enter code.

(email didn't come through but screenshotted the code when I bought it)

Wait....
Wait.....
"cannot get TOD information seek assistance at ticket office (its closed)

Man next tp me gets the same thing and in a fluster as at risk of missing train with service ending early (last train to London leaving about now).

What a total shambles. And they want to close ticket offices?

You can absolutely board a train without a ticket in this situation, so long as you either purchase one (or, in your case, obtain the one you've already paid for) at the earliest opportunity.

 

[alistairlees]

So. Buy ticket online for offspring for next week. Walk with dog to station. Insert card. Enter code.

(email didn't come through but screenshotted the code when I bought it)

Wait....
Wait.....
"cannot get TOD information seek assistance at ticket office (its closed)

Man next tp me gets the same thing and in a fluster as at risk of missing train with service ending early (last train to London leaving about now).

What a total shambles. And they want to close ticket offices?

If you didn’t get the email then I suspect that, for whatever reason, the retailer did not fulfil the ticket completely.

What retailer was it?

 

[21C101]

If you didn’t get the email then I suspect that, for whatever reason, the retailer did not fulfil the ticket completely.

What retailer was it?

The TOC. (yes I did put the correct email in, its on the payment successful pdf i got myself after buying it, and yes the money is in "pre debit" from my account.

Tried to photo it but the message vanished as fast as it came with reversion to default screen and collect tickets button faded.

Im not using it until next week so I can try again tomorrow but the chap next to me who had the same issue was pulling his hair out.

 

[Adam Williams]

Retailers really shouldn't be displaying the booking reference from LSM if the InsertCtr operation hasn't succeeded properly.

If you didn’t get the email then I suspect that, for whatever reason, the retailer did not fulfil the ticket completely.

While I agree this is technically possible, it'd be pretty poor.

 

[renegademaster]

The TOC. (yes I did put the correct email in, its on the payment successful pdf i got myself after buying it, and yes the money is in "pre debit" from my account.

Tried to photo it but the message vanished as fast as it came with reversion to default screen and collect tickets button faded.

Im not using it until next week so I can try again tomorrow but the chap next to me who had the same issue was pulling his hair out.

If other people are having the issue, sounds like the Internet is down for the building, if their was a ticket office they wouldn't be able to help either until yhe internet is fixed, but they would be able to instruct you what to do next and report the problem to TOC

 

[Adam Williams]

For what it's worth, I've seen this sort of thing happen with a ToD booking I know was fulfilled correctly - I let the operator know and they paid the customer's delay repay claim. TVMs are at mercy of whatever connectivity is available at the station, I guess. They universally seem to do a poor job of dealing with this error condition though, and explaining what's going on to the customer.

 

[alistairlees]

In this situation, without knowing what the CTR is, we can’t tell whether:
1. The retailer failed to insert the CTR into the system behind ToD (“live sales management” - LSM); or
2. The TVM (or even the whole of LSM) is not working properly

Thinking about it, it is not even certain that the customer paid (can you see a transaction on your bank account?)

 

[21C101]

In this situation, without knowing what the CTR is, we can’t tell whether:
1. The retailer failed to insert the CTR into the system behind ToD (“live sales management” - LSM); or
2. The TVM (or even the whole of LSM) is not working properly

Thinking about it, it is not even certain that the customer paid (can you see a transaction on your bank account?)

Yes. Money witheld for Thameslink and Great Northern transaction.

Booked online with same TOC as operates the station ticket machine.
Still not got the confirmation email.

Worked on second attempt this morning (first time said I cant use the card I used).

Still not got the email though (and have checked spambox).

 

[alistairlees]

Yes. Money witheld for Thameslink and Great Northern transaction.

Booked online with same TOC as operates the station ticket machine.
Still not got the confirmation email.

Worked on second attempt this morning (first time said I cant use the card I used).

Still not got the email though (and have checked spambox).

You could buy from another retailer, and get those tickets refunded. This seems like a retailer-specific problem, though we don't know which one, rather than a ToD system problem.

 

[Haywain]

Worked on second attempt this morning (first time said I cant use the card I used).

What worked - the ticket collection?

 

[21C101]

What worked - the ticket collection?

Indeed. Via the machine.

Still not got the email, just checked again.....

 

[Haywain]

Indeed. Via the machine.

Still not got the email, just checked again.....

In which case, it sounds to me like it was a problem of TVM connectivity. Have you checked your spam folders for the email?

 

[21C101]

In which case, it sounds to me like it was a problem of TVM connectivity. Have you checked your spam folders for the email?

Yes, repeatedly checked main and spam. Also double checked the email spelling on the Payment Successful .pdf.

If I hadn't got that payment successful download before closing the web page after paying I would have lost the money as no way of knowing the code to type into the machine.

If this sort of thing isn't improved, ticket office closures will cause as much upset as ULEZ.

I normally travel on a status pass so don't get any of this hassle.

Maybe at the heart of this problem is that those who decide these things also travel on status passes so don't have the first idea what it is like for ordinary folk.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Yes, repeatedly checked main and spam. Also double checked the email spelling on the Payment Successful .pdf.

If I hadn't got that payment successful download before closing the web page after paying I would have lost the money as no way of knowing the code to type into the machine.

If this sort of thing isn't improved, ticket office closures will cause as much upset as ULEZ.

I normally travel on a status pass so don't get any of this hassle.

Maybe at the heart of this problem is that those who decide these things also travel on status passes so don't have the first idea what it is like for ordinary folk.

Does the retailer not have a My Account section with details of your bookings ?

 

[Hadders]

I've very occasionally had issues with ToD:

- the email confirmation not arriving. Usually it's my email provider on a go-slow. A few months back I used my employer's corporate booking site to book some tickets but the confirmation email didn't arrive for 2 days. I made a note of the ToD reference number so was able to collect my tickets.
- ToD code not recognised. Normally happens when the ticket machine is off-line for some reason.
- Ticket type not set up correctly for the ticket machine to print. Hardly ever happens but I have had it happen to me a couple of times - last time was about 4 years ago.

 

[21C101]

Does the retailer not have a My Account section with details of your bookings ?

The "retailer" is Govia Thameslink Railway, the same TOC that operates the station, ticket machine and train service. It does have a my account section if you have an account.

 

[yorkie]

So. Buy ticket online for offspring for next week. Walk with dog to station. Insert card. Enter code.

(email didn't come through but screenshotted the code when I bought it)

Wait....
Wait.....
"cannot get TOD information seek assistance at ticket office (its closed)

Man next tp me gets the same thing and in a fluster as at risk of missing train with service ending early (last train to London leaving about now).

What a total shambles.

If the ticket cannot be collected you are entitled to board the train with the reference number.

TOD is an outdated system which is on the way out soon; the vast majority of fares are e-ticket enabled now.

And they want to close ticket offices?

Good luck getting a ticket office to assist with TOD collection issues!

For example:

TOD collection problem: return portion not printed

Yesterday a customer attempted to print a return ticket, purchased from the TPE website, at Mount Vernon station. The outward portion printed fine, but the return portion did not. The TVM stated an error had occurred. The Help Point at the station advised the customer to see ticket office staff...

www.railforums.co.uk

Maybe at the heart of this problem is that those who decide these things also travel on status passes so don't have the first idea what it is like for ordinary folk.

I think that's probably a fair point.

Anyway if you'd like some of our experts who have access to industry systems to look into this particular issue, feel free to send me the collection code via private message if you like.

 

[21C101]

Yorkie wrote:

"If the ticket cannot be collected you are entitled to board the train with the reference number."

I wonder how widely that is known. Certainly I wouldn't have been happy sending the young person the ticket was for off to first day of college with just the booking reference number. I would I think caved and bought another ticket.

Irony is, if I hadn't been honest about it not being "leisure" travel, I wouldn't have had any of this runaround!

Your kind comment about PM noted. Let me think about it for a day or two and see if the email ever turns up.

 

[Snow1964]

Man next tp me gets the same thing and in a fluster as at risk of missing train with service ending early (last train to London leaving about now).

It's one of those stupid ideas that when the TVM loses the internet it flashes up a message, rather than saying Temporarily cannot access database, printing a permit to travel instead which can be exchanged later during journey.

E tickets can be just as bad, mobile signal too poor or slow, so transaction doesn't work, and need to use fixed machine (eg TVM) instead.

Until railway sorts out connectivity issues (especially at rural locations) both problems will continue. Those that say E-tickets are brilliant inevitably live in third of UK landmass with 4g or 5g mobile

 

[21C101]

In which case, it sounds to me like it was a problem of TVM connectivity. Have you checked your spam folders for the email?

as before yes checked spam folders. Now also checked their web interface and sent an email from my gmail account to said address and it came through.

Either it didn't get sent or something in the receiving ISP flagged as malicious and autobinned it.

It's one of those stupid ideas that when the TVM loses the internet it flashes up a message, rather than saying Temporarily cannot access database, printing a permit to travel instead which can be exchanged later during journey.

E tickets can be just as bad, mobile signal too poor or slow, so transaction doesn't work, and need to use fixed machine (eg TVM) instead.

Until railway sorts out connectivity issues (especially at rural locations) both problems will continue. Those that say E-tickets are brilliant inevitably live in third of UK landmass with 4g or 5g mobile

Yes in a rational world as soon as you press the collect button a message would flash up saying there was a fault and tickets couldnt be issued and instructions as to what to do.

 

[alistairlees]

as before yes checked spam folders. Now also checked their web interface and sent an email from my gmail account to said address and it came through.

Either it didn't get sent or something in the receiving ISP flagged as malicious and autobinned it.

If you could kindly DM the ToD reference then I can get someone to see if the email was ever sent in the first place, which I think is the key issue here (as it must have been placed in the ToD database correctly if you were able to collect it).

 

[Snow1964]

If you could kindly DM the ToD reference then I can get someone to see if the email was ever sent in the first place, which I think is the key issue here (as it must have been placed in the ToD database correctly if you were able to collect it).

Another possibility is email address was mis-typed so system sent it, but didn't get delivered to Op (or went to someone random)

 

[21C101]

Another possibility is email address was mis-typed so system sent it, but didn't get delivered to Op (or went to someone random)

Email is correct. I downloaded a "Payment Successful" pdf which states the email address and I managed to spell my own name correctly

 

[21C101]

Guess what
The original email just turned up at 19.23 today!
Two weeks and three days after buying the ticket.

 

[Joe Paxton]

Guess what
The original email just turned up at 19.23 today!
Two weeks and three days after buying the ticket.

If you take a look at email's "headers" (how you do this depends on the webmail system or email program you use), you can follow a log of the path through the internet (i.e. between different email servers) taken by the email message in question - and you might be able to get an idea as to where it got held up.

 

[mangyiscute]

I've had all the ticket machines at Grantham refuse to print my ticket before, the on platform staff advised me to board and the train manager on the hull trains service was perfectly fine for me to travel on the confirmation email, didn't even need to show the picture i took of the tvm saying it cant print the tickets. They printed fine at King's Cross

I also have issues with GWR ticket machines occasionally, where I will enter my card and it will say immediately to take it out. If you then enter the code on the next screen, it'll say this card is not accepted for fulfilment, despite it being the right card, but from what I can gather since it spits it out so quickly, the issue is that it didn't even read the card. However, you can just go through the process to collect them again, and it will work properly the next time.

 

[4COR]

Guess what
The original email just turned up at 19.23 today!
Two weeks and three days after buying the ticket.

Sounds like this could be greylisting (which is an anti-spam measure requiring, usually, the same sending host to retry delivery later - spammers don't usually retry) and poor config on the receiving mail server side from not coping with multiple hosts retrying delivery of the same email. Though 2 weeks and 3 days is excessive - most outbound hosts would give up by this point... There are also some providers of old that were so "concerned" about their users' inboxes, that they outright blocked mail delivery from anyone who dared to not use a large provider - Yahoo were notorious for this before BT bought them out.