Raileasy Problem

[totorro]

This was my experience:

I had my purse stolen on the Thursday before Christmas and this contained all my cards, including the one I had used to book my ticket from Paddington to Llanelli.

On the Friday morning I called up Rail easy customer services (@£1 per min) to exaplain the situation. I was told the policy is not to offer refunds, but that I may be able to print one at the station. It was Christmas, I had o money and wanted to see my family so I borrowed the bus fare to Paddington from my flatmate and headed to Paddington in the hope that they could print the ticket., taking alternative ID with me.

The Great Western staff were very helpful, but explained that they could only print the ticket if Raileasy released it into the system. So I call Raileasy (fortunately using the station’s telephone) to ask them to release the ticket. What followed was like a little Britain sketch (Computer says no)

Great Western (GW) put forward a number of solutions to the problem that other booking companies like the Trainline and national rail use (so it is possible!)

GW: You just need to put a note on the booking system to say customer lost card so alternative ID required and we can print the ticket

Rail Easy (RE) : No facility to do that

GW: We can accept a fax if you want to send one to say customer lost card/alterative ID required

RE: No facility

Me: What about an email?

RE: No facility

GW: Well how long will it take to issue the refund?

RE: 2 weeks (and they charge £10)

Bearing in mind it was the Friday before Christmas and I was literally stranded with no ticket back to see my family for Christmas and not even the money to get the bus back to my place in Streatham- I was pretty desperate. But there was no season of good will from Raileasy. Luckily the staff at Great Western were a lot more sympathetic and allowed me on to the train.

 

[calc7]

This was my experience:

That's a really frustrating experience - have you written a letter of complaint?

For future reference, use www.saynoto0870.com to search for an alternative regional or freephone number to avoid the premium equivalents.

 

[maniacmartin]

This is Raileasy's policy:

I’ve opted to collect my ticket at the station (TOD) but I’ve not got my card because it’s been lost or stolen!
It is not possible to collect your tickets from a TOD machine without this card. If you are not in possession of the credit or debit card you originally booked with, you must contact Raileasy as soon as possible. Please phone 0906 2000 500 (at £1.02 per minute from BT UK landlines, costs from other networks and mobiles may vary), opening hours 0700-2000 Mon-Fri; 0800-2000 Sat/Sun. Depending on how much notice you give us, we might be able to send them by first class post or special delivery. If there isn't time, you will have to buy new tickets and we will refund you the original tickets less a £10 admin fee. Remember you can collect your tickets from the moment you book from any TOD station (not just your departure point) to avoid such problems. Please click here for a list of TOD stations. Please note that if you call outside of opening hours you may still be charged.

It's not a policy I agree with, and I would advise you to complain.

You should note however that when tickets are collected from the booking office the agent (Raileasy) is charged a higher fee than if you collect from the ticket machine.

 

[Greenback]

Was there any particular reason that you used Raileasy? It looks as though you would have had far fewer problems if you had booked with FGW.

 

[wintonian]

Kudos to FGW for perseverance I think.

A bit late now I know but in future don't use Raileasy (or thetrainline for that matter), book through a TOC website (FGW for instance) and not only do you save on fees you also have a more streamlined system for when things do go wrong.

 

[Greenback]

This is Raileasy's policy:


It's not a policy I agree with, and I would advise you to complain.

I don't agree with the policy either, which is part of the reason I don't use Raileasy.

 

[island]

Solution for future reference: Don't use Raileasy, and save money. Double win.

 

[Goatboy]

I don't understand how firms like Raileasy, charging ridiculous fees and £1 a minute on the phone, can survive in a market full of TOC's selling exactly the same product without any of that?

 

[wintonian]

I don't understand how firms like Raileasy, charging ridiculous fees and £1 a minute on the phone, can survive in a market full of TOC's selling exactly the same product without any of that?

Because people buy their tickets before they have a problem and it's not until they do have one that they go looking for a phone number. It's a bit like insurance where you get caught up in volcanic ash or something and then you look for a policy that covers it.

 

[Ediswan]

I don't understand how firms like Raileasy, charging ridiculous fees and £1 a minute on the phone, can survive in a market full of TOC's selling exactly the same product without any of that?

Their "£20 cashback" offer for making a booking through them maybe ? It looks a bit complicated, but if you pay close attention to the T&C, it may actually work.

Nobody expects to have to use the expensive helpline. http://www.saynoto0870.com/ can be handy when faced with expensive 'phone numbers. I can't say if their suggestion works here.

 

[Darandio]

Luckily the staff at Great Western were a lot more sympathetic and allowed me on to the train.

I'm just really happy to see that final line. As we often say, there is a lot of bad press out there for TOC's and it's always nice to see something like this.

 

[bb21]

I don't understand how firms like Raileasy, charging ridiculous fees and £1 a minute on the phone, can survive in a market full of TOC's selling exactly the same product without any of that?

In addition, they probably have contracts with businesses to supply tickets. This would I guess provide them with the majority of their income on this side of their business.

 

[sheff1]

I don't understand how firms like Raileasy, charging ridiculous fees and £1 a minute on the phone, can survive in a market full of TOC's selling exactly the same product without any of that?

I'm sure somebody said on here that Barry Doe recommended them when they started up. Now, for me, that would be a very good reason to avoid them (which I do) but I believe he has a bit of a fan club.

Very pleased to hear FGW got the OP home for Christmas.

 

[trentside]

The one thing I'll say for the Trainline is that they are very quick to resolve issues such as the one faced by the OP. I've had someone return to me within a couple of minutes of phoning them (they'd come to ask advice, in advance of the date of travel) and the staff at the Trainline had already changed their booking to 'Collect with ID'.

It seems ridiculous that RailEasy cannot implement such a simple system - or at least fax over a request for the release of tickets with ID. Their extortionate call charges mean that booking office staff at my TOC are not permitted to call them from our office phones.

 

[maniacmartin]

I am in no way defending Raileasy's premium rate number, but the reason they have it and also the booking fees is that ATOC has rigged the fees that independent retailers pay for access to the various data sources (fares, routeing, reservations, ToD etc) have to pay to them so that they would make a loss if they sell at the face value. ATOC set the prices in a way that benefits their members (the TOCs).

TOCs such as Southern can actually make negative commission after things like the 6% cashback has been accounted for, but they can then subsidise this with their ORCATS revenue and DfT subsidies. Raileasy and TheTrainLine cannot. That's not exactly the free market that we were promised privatisation would bring.

None of this excuses the refusal to change the ToD entry to Collect with ID though.

 

[Paul Kelly]

Nice summary there; from my basic knowledge of the system it seems a bit anti-competitive and rigged against outsiders; it would be interesting to hear what someone on the side of the TOCs has to say to defend it.

TOCs such as Southern can actually make negative commission after things like the 6% cashback has been accounted for, but they can then subsidise this with their ORCATS revenue and DfT subsidies.

To that I think I would add that they can also offset any slight loss they might occasionally make from selling tickets from the fees they collect when tickets booked online from other TOCs and third parties are picked up from their ticket vending machines or booking offices.

 

[barrykas]

It seems ridiculous that RailEasy cannot implement such a simple system - or at least fax over a request for the release of tickets with ID. Their extortionate call charges mean that booking office staff at my TOC are not permitted to call them from our office phones.

There's an 0870 "retail support" number for Raileasy in the ToD section of The Manual...No such luck for RSH though, which is less of an issue since they switched the public number to an 0800 one.

 

[yorkie]

I don't understand how firms like Raileasy, charging ridiculous fees and £1 a minute on the phone, can survive in a market full of TOC's selling exactly the same product without any of that?

Well, exactly. The market appears to be rigged in favour of the TOCs. Some people argue that the rail industry is engaging in anticompetitive practices.

The only way that websites such as Raileasy can break even is to charge fees.

If there was a fair market, and a level playing field, they would not need to do that.

The costs, such as license costs, that ATOC charges to anyone wanting to run a booking website are absolutely staggering.

 

[maniacmartin]

As to why they survive. It's due to advertising, search engine optimisation and getting their name associated with tickets in people's heads. There's a reason why so many people believe TheTrainLine is the only online ticket vendor - because they saw the advert on TV or whatever. It's good old-fashioned marketing, and it works if a customer is unaware that Advances are available elsewhere.

Regarding ToD fees, I wonder if there is money to be made in renting a tiny retail outlet outside a busy station and fitting it full of ToDler machines, to collect the ToD fees. Somehow I doubt it, but if prominently placed could possibly generate revenue at a station that has large queues. Perhaps Tesco stores and other chains could put ToDlers in their stores, and generate income too. There is no reason why TOCs should have a monopoly on TVMs. TVM owners could then negotiate deals directly with ticket vendors, and bypass ATOCs ToD fees. Obviously this would require a huge investment, beyond Raileasy, but possibly within the grasp of TheTrainLine (and pigs might fly).

 

[mrmatt]

When I lost my card I booked an advanced fare with EMT on I rang them and within 20 mins I was able to pick up my ticket from a ticket machine using any card and the original booking reference. Was very impressed!

 

[Greenback]

In the airline ticket or hotel markets, there are plenty of third party agents that will sell you 'cheap' fares or rooms/ Some are little more thana scam, many charge fees and all rely on advertising and search engine optimisation to greater or lesser degrees.

In the vast majority of cases, exactly the same rates can be found by booking directly with the airline or hotel, with the added benefit that any problems that do arise are far easier to resolve without the middleman.

I wouldn't like to see the rail industry become like the air industry. I am not against competition per se, but it needs to be regulated in some way to ensure that cowboys don't enter the market in order to rip people off and disappear, and the access charges for the data do mitigate against this sort of behaviour that is prevalent elsewhere.

 

[bnm]

I don't understand the argument that independent retailers have to charge additional fees and have expensive telephone numbers because ATOC have rigged the market. If that were the case then why haven't these retailers made legal challenges or raised the issue with the OFT?

Another bashing of ATOC, but this one is misguided. Atos Origin are seemingly happy with the arrangements in place with ATOC. Their independent retailer, redspottedhanky.com seems to manage perfectly well in the marketplace without additional fees or premium rate telephone numbers.

takethetrain.co.uk also manage to get along without additional fees.

 

[wintonian]

The thing with RSH could in part be to do with the fact that ATOS don't have to pay for the data (or not as much through some complicated formula) thus reducing their overheads.

 

[bnm]

Atos Origin and thetrainline may have reduced overheads due to their supply of backend facilities to the Train Operating Companies, but that doesn't mean that ATOC are rigging the market in favour of TOCS. That would be anti-competitive and subject to legal sanction.

I'm not aware of any complaints to the OFT from independent retailers. Those independent retailers are perfectly at liberty to bid for contracts from the TOCs to provide backend support for booking engines. Just as they are at liberty to charge what they like in fees.

But to suggest the independents have the fees because the market is rigged against them is wrong in my opinion. thetrainline have fees for booking, card payment and delivery, yet they are one of the two biggest players in the market.

 

[paulypaul]

You should be able to buy your train tickets at all sorts of places like Tescos, those Paypoint places, print at home, post offices and if they can't print proper tickets then you should be able to exchange your Tesco's receipt with the ticket details on it for a proper ticket at the booking office or use it through the gateline.

 

[dvboy]

Network West Midlands' day tickets can be purchased at Paypoint retailers, but I wonder how many actually are.

Paypoint isn't really designed for train ticket sale, with all its variables. It can cope with set products at set prices, or bills where there is a variable price but a reference number.

 

[paulypaul]

My thinking was that you'd book and pay for your tickets online through a chosen provider, but when you got to the delivery method it would offer you say 4 options, by post, collection at a TVM, print at home or collection from a Paypoint/Tescos/Post Office.

You'd then trot down to your local Paypoint or Tesco's or Post Office with your reference number, the shopkeeper would key in the number into his terminal and then out would come your ticket like a Health Lottery ticket or a receipt for a recorded delivery letter you get.

 

[Greenback]

My thinking was that you'd book and pay for your tickets online through a chosen provider, but when you got to the delivery method it would offer you say 4 options, by post, collection at a TVM, print at home or collection from a Paypoint/Tescos/Post Office.

You'd then trot down to your local Paypoint or Tesco's or Post Office with your reference number, the shopkeeper would key in the number into his terminal and then out would come your ticket like a Health Lottery ticket or a receipt for a recorded delivery letter you get.

Presumably the retailer would get some sort of recompense for providing this service?

Which begs further questions of how this would work? Would the customer pay a fee, or would it come from the supplier who sold the product in the first place?

If you bought the ticket from Tesco's website, would you only be able to collect from Tesco?

Perhaps you could flesh out your proposals with more details on how it would operate in practice?

 

[Harlesden]

If it was me I would be taken steps to determine the legality of providing a 0906 number as the sole point of contact in this situation. 0906 numbers are used primarily to raise revenue to pay for a service (such as a computer techy giving detailed instructions over the phone). This does not apply in this case.
You have made a purchase and there is a complication with the transaction. No company should be allowed to derive revenue from a customer simply seeking assistance with a recent transaction that has gone awry.

 

[All Line Rover]

If it was me I would be taken steps to determine the legality of providing a 0906 number as the sole point of contact in this situation. 0906 numbers are used primarily to raise revenue to pay for a service (such as a computer techy giving detailed instructions over the phone). This does not apply in this case.
You have made a purchase and there is a complication with the transaction. No company should be allowed to derive revenue from a customer simply seeking assistance with a recent transaction that has gone awry.

They provide a geographical address to which customers can send complaints. End of, as far as legal requirements go. Of course I agree it isn't good at all from a customer service perspective.

I would never use Raileasy and would never recommend anyone else do so. Stick with RSH (unless they introduce booking fees) and the TOC websites (except XC).