Why are names printed on certain rail tickets?

[bengolding]

I purchased a First Advance ticket for a family member from Virgin Trains telesales via the telephone, paid for it with my payment card and collected it from a Virgin Fast Ticket machine with my card. I usually purchase rail tickets for use by family members, and I understand this is permitted in the T & Cs.

On board the train from Kings Cross, family member had a bit of grief from the Train Manager. She told me that my name (as Mr X Y) was printed in the bottom left of the credit card sized ticket, and she was asked to explain why she was using a ticket with a Mr printed on it. Thankfully, she was let off this time, whatever that means.

I've purchased Advance tickets recently from East Midlands Trains ticket collection machines and those didn't display any name on them.

So why is the name printed on the ticket? Was the Train Manager correct in telling my family member off? I did not transfer the ticket but merely purchased it for them, which was the original intention. To avoid this in future, do other ticket collection machines print names?

 

[HSTfan!!!]

I do know that in the conditions or carriage it states a ticket must be used by the person it was purchased for - could have something to do with it, but in this case it makes no sense at all.

 

[bengolding]

I do know that in the conditions or carriage it states a ticket must be used by the person it was purchased for - could have something to do with it, but in this case it makes no sense at all.

And the ticket I purchased was solely intended for use by a family member, so I had no intention of using it even though I paid for it and therefore my name is printed.

I'm buying some more tickets soon for them to use from Kings Cross again. Any ideas on which other operators don't print names, or is that now mandatory? I'm sure that doesn't happen if you buy tickets from a rail station. The guard did tell her "I'll let you off this time", implying that she may get charged in future, so I want to avoid this happening.

 

[merlodlliw]

On board the train from Kings Cross, family member had a bit of grief from the Train Manager. She told me that my name (as Mr X Y) was printed in the bottom left of the credit card sized ticket, and she was asked to explain why she was using a ticket with a Mr printed on it. Thankfully, she was let off this time, whatever that means.

Totally against the equal ops legislation.

1. Wether you call yourself, Mr/Mrs/Miss or Muz is up to you.(Male or female)
2.It is possible to buy tickets by a Charity(I Chair one) the advance
tickets bear my charity's name, this as never been questioned.
3.So long as the ticket is valid(Day/Train etc) it is valid.
4.Parents buy tickets for Children,etc etc as do husbands/wives in advance
at ticket offices or on line, perfectly correct for Children each other
5.In this instance tm is out of order, or biased, I guess even stupid.

 

[yorkie]

I purchased a First Advance ticket for a family member from Virgin Trains telesales via the telephone, paid for it with my payment card and collected it from a Virgin Fast Ticket machine with my card. I usually purchase rail tickets for use by family members, and I understand this is permitted in the T & Cs.

It absolutely is permitted.

On board the train from Kings Cross, family member had a bit of grief from the Train Manager. She told me that my name (as Mr X Y) was printed in the bottom left of the credit card sized ticket, and she was asked to explain why she was using a ticket with a Mr printed on it. Thankfully, she was let off this time, whatever that means.

I know exactly what that means. It means the guard is admitting they are wrong. This needs to be reported.

Whenever a guard has said "I'll let you off this time" that means they realise they have lost the argument and are wrong but don't want to admit it, they are embarrassed that a customer knows more than them about T&Cs. I have experienced this perhaps a handful of times. One particular guard on Chiltern stopped checking tickets and slammed his door as he hid in his compartment after being proven wrong about 16 year olds being valid on CHFAM tickets if they were U16 when the railcard was bought, in 2005. The same guard tried to claim BOJ was not permitted on CDRs. He was embarrassed on both occasions and a complaint was made, which produced an apology from Chiltern. If he wasn't rude the complaint would not have been made. He made his choice.

What service was it? Date, time? Headcode? Also I hope you got the guard's name (if not, that's a shame but the TOC should be able to identify him/her). No need to publish it here, but write a letter with the details. Also, if you'd like help writing the letter or proof reading, I will happily do so.

I've purchased Advance tickets recently from East Midlands Trains ticket collection machines and those didn't display any name on them.

So why is the name printed on the ticket? Was the Train Manager correct in telling my family member off? I did not transfer the ticket but merely purchased it for them, which was the original intention. To avoid this in future, do other ticket collection machines print names?

The TM was absolutely incorrect and needs to be re-trained.

Was this one of the infamous East Coast guards who give the company a bad name? It's amazing how many times people say that all guards must be bad on that line, just because of a few absolute idiots. Yet the majority are, in my experience, not bad at all. But they all have a bad name because of a few high profile cases, some of which have been in the 'papers, and one of which GNER famously lost.

 

[John @ home]

It appears that this issue has already been raised with East Coast. The answer is now among the FAQs on their web site.

East Coast Main Line > Help > Tickets

Is it possible to purchase a ticket for someone else?
Train tickets can be used by anyone even though certain tickets will have the name of the traveller or person who booked the tickets printed on them.
When you are making a booking you can request that the tickets are sent to a different address.
If you do purchase tickets for someone else please note that enclosed with the tickets will be the sales receipt. This shows the last four digits of the credit card as well as the purchase price.
http://www.eastcoast.co.uk/Help/

John

 

[Surreytraveller]

It absolutely is permitted.

I know exactly what that means. It means the guard is admitting they are wrong. This needs to be reported.

Whenever a guard has said "I'll let you off this time" that means they realise they have lost the argument and are wrong but don't want to admit it, they are embarrassed that a customer knows more than them about T&Cs.

Or could be that the guard has noticed something suspicious, has initiated questioning and is satisfied by the response.

Why the name of the person is on the ticket, I don't know. There is no requirement for it to be there. If the office where the ticket is bought from insistes on it, they could just put 'Bearer' on it, or actually ask who is going to be using it rather than putting the name of the person buying it on there, or it could be stated on the ticket 'purchased by .............'.

 

[yorkie]

Or could be that the guard has noticed something suspicious, has initiated questioning and is satisfied by the response.

There is nothing suspicious about someone buying a ticket on behalf of someone else. It must happen all the time with business tickets (e.g. the bursar may purchase a ticket for someone else in the company), with families, for older people, for dependants, etc...

Why the name of the person is on the ticket, I don't know. There is no requirement for it to be there. If the office where the ticket is bought from insistes on it, they could just put 'Bearer' on it, or actually ask who is going to be using it rather than putting the name of the person buying it on there, or it could be stated on the ticket 'purchased by .............'.

It's not done by ticket offices; it's when booking online, the name of the person who booked the ticket is printed. This is not necessarily the name of the person the ticket was bought for.

 

[HORNIMANS]

I have had names added to tickets by fgw at taunton this year.

 

[tony_mac]

It's not done by ticket offices; it's when booking online, the name of the person who booked the ticket is printed. This is not necessarily the name of the person the ticket was bought for.

I've had it done on a FOSW bought at Bristol Temple Meads.
She took the name off the railcard; didn't ask me if the ticket was for me.

 

[yorkie]

Ah yes, Rovers & season tickets will ask for the name to be entered. It's not compulsory for rovers but some staff think it is.

They should really ask if the ticket is for you, but as it was with a railcard, if you said it was for someone else then a jobsworth may reply saying in that case they won't issue it unless they see that person's railcard. Such jobsworths presumably do all their own shopping and no-one ever buys them any gifts or anything, and they have no friends