Unreadable TVM tickets

[bengolding]

I collected 5 sets of First Advance tickets, each for 3 passengers, from an EMT collection machine earlier. The collection receipt for each is fairly clear, showing issuing station and TOD ref, but the actual tickets in the new design are almost faded and unreadable.

What's the best protocol for fixing this as travel is a few days away? If I take all tickets to the station ticket office, are they responsible for reprinting due to an obvious fault with the station TVM?

 

[causton]

Reprinting is generally not possible and would be very difficult for a ticket office to arrange (in my experience of being in the ticket office!) Is it absolutely unreadable whatsoever? If most of it is visible I would just take a copy of the confirmation showing the reference number which would correlate with what could be read on the tickets.

 

[bengolding]

Apart from the origin and destination, all other text is unreadable including Advance 1st, reserved trains, use of Disabled rail card etc.

 

[gray1404]

I have never heard of it being possible for tickets to be reprinted as a matter of course. I suspect the tickets will still be readable by ticket barriers though. Take a copy of the booking confirmation with you. That sounds like a must! This really should not be happening. You could also Tweet EMT and ask for their advice, given you are not at the station anymore. Show them a picture of the tickets. I am wondering if on train staff see more badly printed tickets these days then you might think.

That said, I had a ticket issued to me by a booking office last week in which the destination and route (including +) was not readable. Thankfully, the tickets were passed and also opened the barriers on LU. I did finish my journey short on the LU and I got a funny look, the same look I got from one of the train guards.

 

[Hadders]

I collected an Anytime Day Return from a TVM at Stevenage station a couple of months ago which came out completely blank (both coupons). I went to the ticket office and they printed a zero fare excess for me which said it was only valid with ticket 123456.

Thankfully I didn't have any problems travelling. The black tickets even opened the barriers at both ends so it was just a printing issue.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

I have never heard of it being possible for tickets to be reprinted as a matter of course.

It's quite common for annual season tickets to need reprinting, as daily use of ticket barriers fades or smudges the print as to make the ticket almost unreadable within a few months.

 

[rs101]

It's quite common for annual season tickets to need reprinting, as daily use of ticket barriers fades or smudges the print as to make the ticket almost unreadable within a few months.

I had a one day off peak Travelcard reprinted recently by Liverpool Street - the mag strip didn't work in the barriers.. The ticket office re-issued without any problem at all.

 

[paddington]

I had a one day off peak Travelcard reprinted recently by Liverpool Street - the mag strip didn't work in the barriers.. The ticket office re-issued without any problem at all.

But presumably the printed text was still readable, right?

 

[91103eastcoast]

I had a one day off peak Travelcard reprinted recently by Liverpool Street - the mag strip didn't work in the barriers.. The ticket office re-issued without any problem at all.

Did Liverpool Street or another Greater Anglia ticket office issue the original ticket? I ask because in similar circumstances I have been refused replacement tickets because of a mag strip issue, saying I need to go to the issuing ticket office or a ticket office of the same TOC, which is difficult when it is issued by a TPE station and you are in London.

 

[bolli]

Reprinting is generally not possible and would be very difficult for a ticket office to arrange (in my experience of being in the ticket office!) Is it absolutely unreadable whatsoever? If most of it is visible I would just take a copy of the confirmation showing the reference number which would correlate with what could be read on the tickets.

I would take it to be the same as if the TVM hadn't printed at all, a ticket re-issue (using a manual fare if required), a duplicate form filled in, signed by the customer with the old tickets being re-attached and an entry made into the shift sheet explaining the imbalance.

 

[rs101]

But presumably the printed text was still readable, right?

Not particularly readable - they checked the receipt, then re-issued

 

[rs101]

Did Liverpool Street or another Greater Anglia ticket office issue the original ticket? I ask because in similar circumstances I have been refused replacement tickets because of a mag strip issue, saying I need to go to the issuing ticket office or a ticket office of the same TOC, which is difficult when it is issued by a TPE station and you are in London.

Yep - issued by a TVM at Colchester.

 

[boxy321]

I often need to get my monthly season tickets reprinted as the mag-strip gets screwed up in the postal system by their scanners, apparently.

First time, the ticket office asked for all of my details; after this they simply enter the reference number and I get replacements in seconds. The only difference is that the value show as £00.00 as Virgin don't care how much I paid for them.