Was my wife missold a ticket

[pethadine82]

My wife wanted to travel off peak from Virginia Water to Green park. She left at noon. There was an off peak travelcard priced at 16.10 but she was not sold that. She was told that she could not leave waterloo before 7pm. This is rubbish as an off peak travel card is only valid after 9.30 and you can travel in the evening peak to places such as vauxhall richmond feltham etc . She was sold a more expensive ticket at £20.10. Who is in the right? Many thanks.

 

[yorkie]

My wife wanted to travel off peak from Virginia Water to Green park. She left at noon. There was an off peak travelcard priced at 16.10 but she was not sold that. She was told that she could not leave waterloo before 7pm. This is rubbish as an off peak travel card is only valid after 9.30 and you can travel in the evening peak to places such as vauxhall richmond feltham etc . She was sold a more expensive ticket at £20.10. Who is in the right? Many thanks.

Lots of inaccuracies there!

The Off Peak Day Travelcard (ODT) is £20.10

The Super Off Peak Day Travelcard is valid out of Waterloo in the "evening peak" to the places you mention in Zones 1-6, but if travel is made beyond the Zones, say to Virginia Water, it cannot be on a train booked to depart Waterloo between 1600 and 1900.

A Virginia Water to London Zones 1-6 Super Off Peak Day Travelcard would be valid on any train departing Waterloo as far as Feltham, but would cease to be valid between Feltham and Virginia Water if the train departed Waterloo at the barred time.

 

[James H]

I have found that some TOC websites - including SWR I think - list 'Super Off Peak' fares simply as 'Off Peak' - which makes checking prices and conditions before travel more tricky than it needs to be.

 

[yorkie]

I have found that some TOC websites - including SWR I think - list 'Super Off Peak' fares simply as 'Off Peak' - which makes checking prices and conditions before travel more tricky than it needs to be.

This does sound concerning as it has the potential to cause a lot of confusion and possibly mislead people.

Do you have an example of this which we can search for, and would it be possible to provide a screenshot please?

 

[James H]

I just searched for London to Tonbridge day return on Saturday 30 September on the SWR site.

The £14.20 fare is a Super Off Peak ticket, but the description shows Off Peak Return.

Screenshot attached.

I bought one of these tickets for travel yesterday (with a railcard discount).

The booking confirmation email does mention "SUPR OFFPK DY R" but the blurb below that says

Journey: 1 London Terminals to Tonbridge
Ticket type: Off Peak Day Return Valid on selected off-peak services by the route and Train Operator shown. Return journey must be made the same day.
Route: NOT VALID ON HS1

I have just tried searching for the journey made by the OP's wife for a date this week, and the SWR site correctly differentiates between Off Peak and Super Off Peak on this SWR-priced ticket.

 

[sushiuk]

Lots of inaccuracies there!

The Off Peak Day Travelcard (ODT) is £20.10

The Super Off Peak Day Travelcard is valid out of Waterloo in the "evening peak" to the places you mention in Zones 1-6, but if travel is made beyond the Zones, say to Virginia Water, it cannot be on a train booked to depart Waterloo between 1600 and 1900.

A Virginia Water to London Zones 1-6 Super Off Peak Day Travelcard would be valid on any train departing Waterloo as far as Feltham, but would cease to be valid between Feltham and Virginia Water if the train departed Waterloo at the barred time.

I think the evening restrictions only apply if you are boarding at Waterloo, Vauxhall or Clapham Junction. However, if you were to travel to say Richmond on the tube and change onto SWR services for onward travel out of the zones, that IS allowed for trains that have departed Waterloo between 1600 & 1900.
Quite complicated for those who don't use these tickets regularly!

 

[yorkie]

I think the evening restrictions only apply if you are boarding at Waterloo, Vauxhall or Clapham Junction. However, if you were to travel to say Richmond on the tube and change onto SWR services for onward travel out of the zones, that IS allowed for trains that have departed Waterloo between 1600 & 1900.
Quite complicated for those who don't use these tickets regularly!

The Super Off Peak Day Travelcard includes the following wording:

...Not valid on trains timed to depart: London Terminals....

So in this case (other cases, such as Glasgow to Edinburgh, are rather different!) the restriction is based on what time the train departed from the named stations, however in practice...

 

[sushiuk]

The Super Off Peak Day Travelcard includes the following wording:



So in this case (other cases, such as Glasgow to Edinburgh, are rather different!) the restriction is based on what time the train departed from the named stations, however in practice...

Oh hang on... I usually buy my super off peak travelcard for weekend travel and these appear to have different conditions:

• Weekend Super Off-Peak tickets are not valid if you board a train departing London Waterloo between 04:30 and 10:59 or 16:00 and 18:30; Vauxhall between 04:30 and 11:05 or 16:03 and 18:35; Clapham Junction between 04:30 and 11:05 or 16:09 and 18:40.

 

[yorkie]

Yes, that's right, it's fine at the weekend.

The train companies describe this as "simple" ticketing; imagine what it would be like if things were complicated!