Daily Mail exposes rail ticketing horror

[MarlowDonkey]

The Daily Mail has noticed that tickets from a well known website are more expensive than buying directly from a TOC.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/bi...rect-online-passengers-cough-booking-fee.html

How rail tickets on thetrainline.com are no cheaper than booking direct online – BUT passengers have to cough up extra for a booking fee

Trainline tickets are no cheaper than bought through National Rail online
Booking fees add up to £1.50 to a transaction
Booking directly through train operators does not incur a booking fee

Train passengers may think they are saving money by booking their tickets through thetrainline.com, but the website admitted today that tickets are no cheaper than when booked directly through train operators’ websites....

...Customers could even end up forking out even more for the same ticket as Trainline charges a booking fee for tickets booked in advance whereas other train company websites do not....

 

[CC 72100]

I imagine that this is one of the very rare occasions whereby the forum are in agreement/support the view held in the Daily Mail!

 

[Mojo]

There is nothing "savvy" about people that buy their tickets at theTrainline

 

[bb21]

Wow. Daily Mail journo intelligence levels only about several years behind the average person on this forum. I am impressed. I never thought they would ever realize.

Kudos on the use of the word "exposes". I can't think of a more apt word to describe the irony.

 

[swt_passenger]

Does this line in the article possibly have a missing word "only"?

"It also does not list any tickets that would only be available through National Rail or train companies direct."

Not that 'National Rail' is strictly relevant in that context anyway...

 

[MrCub]

This is the Daily Fail. I'm surprised there's no image of a family, holding their useless rail tickets to the camera, while a woman complains that her last train trip caused her pain in the boobs.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

I always previously suggested people used east coast, as they offered additional discounts and the loyalty scheme. Now i suggest redspottedhanky. Purely for the fact tesco clubcard points can be used, especially when the double up option is used.

The first thing i usually ask when people tell me they have a problem with their tickets is where were they booked. The roll of my eyes tells a lot to the punter when they say "trainline" its not just booking fees, theres the card fees, the postage (up to £6:95 when they could have downloaded the ticket to the phone) and the myriad of other tickets that they receive thats just useless padding!

 

[gray1404]

The problem with redspottedhanky though is they charge a booking fee of £1, yet this too can be avoided when booking though another providor.

I book my tickets though Hull Trains due to the fact there are no booking fees and can get cashback though Quidco.

I do hope this Daily Mail article prompts Trainline into dropping their booking fees! Here's hoping!

 

[Kite159]

IIRC Webuser magazine did something similar about The Trainline in an issue from a couple weeks ago...

...they suggested using Redspottedhanky as unlike The Trainline, RSH don't "hide" the extra booking fee :roll:

Not to mention some of the 'horror' stories you hear when things go wrong and Trainline don't want to know.

 

[Hadders]

It's about time Trainline were exposed for what they are.

Well done to the Daily Hate!

 

[johnnychips]

I teach B Tech Travel and Tourism to Sixth Formers, and we always plan itineraries using Trainline, because it is a really easy site to use. Of course, I tell them never to use it in real life and suggest the train companies' websites. However, they (and I) find them not as easy to use. Do any train companies' websites look like Trainline?

 

[jrh2254]

The problem with redspottedhanky though is they charge a booking fee of £1, yet this too can be avoided when booking though another providor.

I book my tickets though Hull Trains due to the fact there are no booking fees and can get cashback though Quidco.

I do hope this Daily Mail article prompts Trainline into dropping their booking fees! Here's hoping!

I stopped using RSH when they introduced the booking fee. Pity as I enjoyed changing my tesco clubcard vouchers into their vouchers.

 

[alex17595]

I teach B Tech Travel and Tourism to Sixth Formers, and we always plan itineraries using Trainline, because it is a really easy site to use. Of course, I tell them never to use it in real life and suggest the train companies' websites. However, they (and I) find them not as easy to use. Do any train companies' websites look like Trainline?

Crosscountry/EMT/SWT/Virgin WC

 

[gray1404]

I find East Midland Trains a good one to use as it looks like Trainline and you can also get cashback using Quidco (although some of my transactions have not tracked on their and have not been approved even following a cashback claim) although Hull Trains offeres a high amount - but uses Webtis.

 

[ffm]

They really are quick off the mark aren't they? Soon they'll have the exclusive on Britain winning the 2012 Olympics

 

[Romilly]

I always previously suggested people used east coast, as they offered additional discounts and the loyalty scheme.

The Virgin Trains East Coast website does still offer a discount (now almost invariably 2% it seems) for purchases through the site of Advances using VTEC trains. Whether 2% (plus Nectar points) is better than clubcard points depends on the rate at which you can cash in your points on your chosen rewards.

 

[Steveoh]

I see Trainline aren't banned from banner advertising on this site:cry:

 

[tsr]

It's very telling that today and yesterday I was on the same service from a commuter belt town in the South-East towards a London terminal - a busy train an hour or so after the "shoulder peak" - and heard at least two or three conversations between entirely separate groups of people discussing why they no longer used Trainline because of bad experiences, fees and so on.

The message is getting through. I'm pleased to say that all of these people had valid tickets and no significant queries about their journeys.

 

[najaB]

...they suggested using Redspottedhanky as unlike The Trainline, RSH don't "hide" the extra booking fee...

I understand there's no love for TheTrainline but at least be factual - they don't hide the booking fee it's displayed at every step of the booking process (see attached).

 

[Andrewlong]

The problem with redspottedhanky though is they charge a booking fee of £1, yet this too can be avoided when booking though another providor.

I book my tickets though Hull Trains due to the fact there are no booking fees and can get cashback though Quidco.

I do hope this Daily Mail article prompts Trainline into dropping their booking fees! Here's hoping!

If you want to book through redspottedhanky and avoid the booking fee - download the app onto your mobile phone or tablet

 

[markindurham]

They really are quick off the mark aren't they? Soon they'll have the exclusive on Britain winning the 2012 Olympics

In fairness, this 'story' is recycled regularly - if only because the average 'normal' who isn't a regular train user has the attention span of a goldfish when it comes to stuff like this,and is easily taken in by flashy advertising, which, of course, has to be paid for...

I tend to use TPE & get the Nectar points, but having read the comments here, might have to look at Quidco too

 

[trevmonk]

If you want to book through redspottedhanky and avoid the booking fee - download the app onto your mobile phone or tablet

Thanks for that. I, like many others, stopped using RSH when they introduced the bookng fee. Having now downloaded the app I was amazed how user friendly it is with a much clearer layout than any of the train companies sites or apps. The wallet function is usful too with instant access to reference codes needed to pick up tickets. Now I know I can use it fee free I'll convert those Tesco points to RSH vouchers. Shame they aren't still doing all those £10 giveaways!

 

[bb21]

Are e-vouchers now working on the app?

 

[DynamicSpirit]

I teach B Tech Travel and Tourism to Sixth Formers, and we always plan itineraries using Trainline, because it is a really easy site to use. Of course, I tell them never to use it in real life and suggest the train companies' websites. However, they (and I) find them not as easy to use. Do any train companies' websites look like Trainline?

I think that brings in another thing in TheTrainLine's defence. Setting up and running a website that is easier for some people to use than the TOC's own websites does cost money, which has to be recovered somehow.

Ideally I would have hoped that if a site is selling tickets, then that site ought to be able to keep a small share of the revenue from selling them, and therefore ought to be able to pay its way from that without needing to charge additional fees - but I have no idea whether that does actually happen. Without knowing what financial arrangements TheTrainLine has negotiated with ATOC (or whoever you need to negotiate with to sell tickets), it's impossible to tell whether the booking fees are the result of TheTrainLine being greedy or of ATOC being unreasonable, or some combination of that.

 

[crehld]

I understand there's no love for TheTrainline but at least be factual - they don't hide the booking fee it's displayed at every step of the booking process (see attached).

Is the booking fee prominently displayed on all their advertising?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I tend to use TPE & get the Nectar points, but having read the comments here, might have to look at Quidco too

Or you could use the TPE link on this website which helps this forum cover costs

 

[najaB]

Is the booking fee prominently displayed on all their advertising?

No more or less prominently than, for example, TicketMaster does for concert tickets.

 

[Howardh]

Booking fees generally are a pet hate of mine. A company wants me to spend money with them, and then charges me again for the privilege?

Just noticed with a football club that wanted to charge me extra for printing my own ticket at home. Work that one out! However when I contacted them they said it was an error and, fair play, they altered it.

Wonder how many events take place where the booking fee is more than the cost of entry??

 

[najaB]

Wonder how many events take place where the booking fee is more than the cost of entry??

I think I have seen events with free entry tickets that still attracted a booking fee.

I'm not entirely sure where I stand on booking fees. On the one hand they could just include all the costs of processing the booking and posting tickets into the ticket price, but that would mean that people who book in person would be subsidising those who do not.

 

[Howardh]

I think I have seen events with free entry tickets that still attracted a booking fee.

I'm not entirely sure where I stand on booking fees. On the one hand they could just include all the costs of processing the booking and posting tickets into the ticket price, but that would mean that people who book in person would be subsidising those who do not.

Don't get me wrong, if they need posting, especially special delivery, then that should be paid for, no probs there. But to print your own off?? That's taking the

 

[najaB]

But to print your own off?? That's taking the

Agreed! If anything you should get a few pence off for the cost of the paper and ink.