I have a one month season ticket starting today and it didn't work in the barriers. So I went to the ticket office to get a replacement and was told I couldn't get a replacement on the first day of validity and I have to wait until tomorrow. Why is this?
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Faulty season ticket replacement
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You know I'm not sure that there is even such a daft rule, but it could just be that the gateline was set to reject seasons of certain types of seasons, or that it it just didn't want to work that day and will be fine the next - seems a bit silly IMO to throw the baby out with the bath water so to speak just because it didn't work at the first opportunity..
I have also sometimes encountered difficulties in getting seasons replaced when they have faded or stopped working the barriers.
I don't recall any such rule about the first day of validity from my days in the ticket office, but I do recall that it was a real pain in those days to replace a season, particularly if it was issued at a different station. The process used tog ernerate a fair bit of paperwork, but I would hope that there would be less of it now!
I suspect that the clerk did not want the bother, and hoped that the ticket would work later on today, and that if it didn't they would be on a rest day tomorrow anyway!
I don't recall any such rule about the first day of validity from my days in the ticket office, but I do recall that it was a real pain in those days to replace a season, particularly if it was issued at a different station. The process used tog ernerate a fair bit of paperwork, but I would hope that there would be less of it now!
I suspect that the clerk did not want the bother, and hoped that the ticket would work later on today, and that if it didn't they would be on a rest day tomorrow anyway!
thelongestroad
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Very strange thing to say.
In my eyes, if the customer wants an exchange then they can have it- regardless of when it was purchased.
In my eyes, if the customer wants an exchange then they can have it- regardless of when it was purchased.
If you go into a shop and buy physical goods most retailers will exchange most items as a matter of good will there is no legal obligation to do so.
Likewise here there is no obligation for an exchange only to allow the passenger use of the tickets validity, which can be done whether or nor the mag strip works.
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Yes, you do get fobbed off for some strange reasons. Particularly at stations in the London area, I find. They hope you will just go elsewhere or not bother. Clearly, this is due to poor management and a lack of 'mystery shopping' to keep them on their toes, along with an assumption that people won't bother to complain (which is right most of the time). While odd, I am not surprised in the slightest, I'm sorry to say!
I don't see anything changing in the foreseeable future as there is no effective Regulator and there is no truly independent, knowledgeable and effective passenger watchdog either!
hairyhandedfool
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Correct me if I am wrong, but the legal obligation is for the purchased item, as I understand it, and the purchased item is not the ticket (that remains property of the railway), but travel from A to B.
Exactly, the medium is irrelevant (i.e. previous Oyster issues) the product (conveyance from A-B) is what matters rather than the 'box' or other 'packaging' it comes in.
However if despite a few attempts it isn't going to work and the gatelines are not set to reject it then a replacement should be issued without argument.
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I don't think I was 'fobbed off' as the clerk went away for with my ticket for some time. The lady went away behind a barrier so I couldn't see what was going on. I assume she was conferring with other staff. (This was at a major London terminal so I guess there was likely to be a lot of staff around). When she returned, she informed me that someone else had had the same problem this morning.
You may have been fobbed off indirectly by the person who was consulted. Or you may have been fobbed off directly if the clerk just went to the back and didn't consult anyone. Equally, someone may have been consulted who didn't know what they were talking about.
Any of these are just as likely as any other, in my view!
Yes, I would do the same thing. A different member of staff on a later shift may even do it at the same place that wouldn't this morning.
I went somewhere else this evening and the three people in the queue ahead of me were also replacing their faulty season tickets. The clerk said she had replace many tickets today. However, she couldn't do mine as I didn't buy it there, unless I wanted to pay a fee.
Tosh, there is no fee if the ticket is faulty, however she might have been correct in that you should go to the office where you bought it.
NRE
I would write in and ask the TOC if they do charge such a fee and state that you were surprised to asked to pay one and want to clarify if this was correct.
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LondonJohn
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My annual season ticket is purchased through a corporate arm of a ticket retailer but then I register it with SWT to qualfy for their free Gold Card tickets. Last year I went from January to October on one ticket before it gave up the ghost and I got a replacement from the ticket office. Ironically I had 3 other tickets stop working the barriers between 18 October and the end of December where the ticket expired.
Other colleagues that have the same problem have to either contact our corporate retailer to get an email to present to the ticket office of the TOC asking for a replacement OR depending on the TOC, buy a weekly ticket, send the damaged ticket back to the corporate retailer where it will be replaced and when the ticket is replaced send the purchased ticket back for a full refund. The latter is a bit of a nightmare so at least I don't have that hassle.
Also loving SWT new way of refunding the void days, scan of the barcode, receipt in triplicate printed off, you sign one bit and the cash given to you with a receipt detailing the days and the incidents.
Other colleagues that have the same problem have to either contact our corporate retailer to get an email to present to the ticket office of the TOC asking for a replacement OR depending on the TOC, buy a weekly ticket, send the damaged ticket back to the corporate retailer where it will be replaced and when the ticket is replaced send the purchased ticket back for a full refund. The latter is a bit of a nightmare so at least I don't have that hassle.
Also loving SWT new way of refunding the void days, scan of the barcode, receipt in triplicate printed off, you sign one bit and the cash given to you with a receipt detailing the days and the incidents.
You should have asked how much is the fee and where is it publicised!
I am sure I changed many season tickets that were issued at Pangbourne, Tilehurst etc rather than Reading. I meesed most of them up though, which was another reason why I didn't particularly like doing them!
This is rubbish as far as I'm concerned. There is no fee for a replacement which is required due to a faded/damaged/faulty ticket. The same as the 1st day of validity "rule", rubbish.
I'm not sure about certain TOC specific policies on this, but my TOC will replace any season ticket regardless of where or who issued it, provided that the issuing location/company are made aware of its replacement.
The only cases we cannot/usually will not do this is if it is issued by a 3rd party online retailer (Trainline etc...) and will direct the customer to the website.
I'm not sure about certain TOC specific policies on this, but my TOC will replace any season ticket regardless of where or who issued it, provided that the issuing location/company are made aware of its replacement.
The only cases we cannot/usually will not do this is if it is issued by a 3rd party online retailer (Trainline etc...) and will direct the customer to the website.
The policy stated in the NRCoC is that the original issuing office should issue a replacement in such circumstances. The Manual broadens this to any National Rail ticket office on the line of route or within the area of validity for a zonal ticket.
Where this is not the original retailer, there's a duplicate form that should be completed and sent to the original retailer so they can update the customer's season ticket record.
Where this is not the original retailer, there's a duplicate form that should be completed and sent to the original retailer so they can update the customer's season ticket record.
thelongestroad
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We will often get letters presented from TTL asking us to "help their customer" and we just add them as missing tickets.
A question for other ticket office staff - does your TOC replace weeklies that have failed?
A question for other ticket office staff - does your TOC replace weeklies that have failed?
So I tried to get my ticket replaced again this morning. The clerk seemed quite happy to do it, but the computer system didn't allow it. He got the manager, and they went away for several minutes. The manager finally came back to me saying that there was a technical problem meaning that the ticket couldn't be changed. Apparently, the ticket was issued wrongly in the first place. He hoped it would be fixed within an hour. So I'll try again at lunchtime.
Incidentally, the person at the next window was also trying to get her ticket replaced. How come there are so many replacements being done?
Incidentally, the person at the next window was also trying to get her ticket replaced. How come there are so many replacements being done?
If they've been issued by one of our stations or Revenue Protection staff, then yes.
hairyhandedfool
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Don't have many ticket barriers round this way so I've not done one for...must be getting on for seven years now, anyway, back when I worked in London, we did a few here and there (can't recall exact details though).
Can't say for certain, but tickets are produced by contractor, contractors usually cut corners to save money, I'm pretty sure you can work out the rest of what I think.
Finally got my replacement. It seems the only way to fix it was to give me a completely new season ticket, with new photocard and new photocard number.
He didn't write my name on the photocard, although he typed the name into the computer system and it is printed on my ticket. Does that matter?
He didn't write my name on the photocard, although he typed the name into the computer system and it is printed on my ticket. Does that matter?
Same problem today and same excuse. However the ticket actually started yesterday but the clerk said that Sunday doesn't count.
The clerk at London Victoria (where the previous incident also occurred) showed me his monitor where the replacements are normally done, when trying to demonstrate that it couldn't be done.
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Managed to get my replacement this morning, but there were technical problems and he had to get the manager to call head office to fix it. Didn't need my photocard replacing this time.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Managed to get my replacement this morning, but there were technical problems and he had to get the manager to call head office to fix it. Didn't need my photocard replacing this time.
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