• Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Unfair penalty? Can I appeal

Status
Not open for further replies.

najaB

Veteran Member
Joined
28 Aug 2011
Messages
33,733
Location
Scotland
When making onboard announcements that they are about to make a ticket check throughout the train, could not the train manager add on "please make sure all mobile tickets are activated or you will be liable for the full fare" when saying about having all tickets,passes and railcards ready for inspection.
No. Because mobile tickets have to be activated before boarding, not after.
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

kristiang85

Established Member
Joined
23 Jan 2018
Messages
2,745
Location-based reminders are a built-in function of current Android and iOS versions so there's no reason for app creators to reinvent the wheel.

That's my point, its an easy enough feature to add.

Unless you're saying the passenger can set it up themselves - but the point is some might not be aware of that requirement. Hence why the reminder on the app would be good for some.
 

najaB

Veteran Member
Joined
28 Aug 2011
Messages
33,733
Location
Scotland
Unless you're saying the passenger can set it up themselves - but the point is some might not be aware of that requirement. Hence why the reminder on the app would be good for some.
I think it's enough for the ticket vendor to add a note to the effect that "Mobile tickets must be activated before boarding." at some point during the purchase process so that customers can decide if they want to set a reminder or not. The reason being that the app developer/ticket vendor wouldn't want to be liable if the location service didn't work (e.g. if the customer turned off GPS).
 

najaB

Veteran Member
Joined
28 Aug 2011
Messages
33,733
Location
Scotland
It'll soon be redundant as long as everyone scans tickets, e-Tickets are replacing mobile and don't need activating.
eTickets are good for Advances, not so good for carnet-type applications or period returns.
 

anme

Established Member
Joined
8 Aug 2013
Messages
1,777
eTickets are good for Advances, not so good for carnet-type applications or period returns.

Let's remember the key advantages - not having to queue up, and allow time to queue up, at the station. And not missing your train because it took too long to buy or collect a ticket. These are big things.
 
Last edited:

najaB

Veteran Member
Joined
28 Aug 2011
Messages
33,733
Location
Scotland
Let's remember the key advantages - not having to queue up, and allow time to queue up, at the station. And not missing your train because it took too long to buy or collect a ticket. These are big things.
Oh, I'm not knocking electronic ticketing, just saying that there's a place for both eTickets and mTickets.
 

sheff1

Established Member
Joined
24 Dec 2009
Messages
6,062
Location
Sheffield
Today, on an LNER train, there was an issue with someone a couple of seats down trying to display a ticket on a phone. The guard said he would come back after he had finished the coach. When he did, the ticket could still not be displayed. The guard asked if he could use the phone. Permission was given and lengthy tapping was undertaken, at the end of which the guard said that the problem was that the Wifi was not working in that coach (it was - I was using it). By this time the train was approaching the next stop and the guard went to deal with station duties. After departure he returned and, finally, after more tapping, the ticket was displayed for inspection.

All this took upwards of 15 mins and prevented the guard from moving on to check tickets in the next coach. Prior to this kerfuffle the guard had checked and stamped my paper ticket in seconds.
 

_toommm_

Established Member
Joined
8 Jul 2017
Messages
6,306
Location
South West London
Today, on an LNER train, there was an issue with someone a couple of seats down trying to display a ticket on a phone. The guard said he would come back after he had finished the coach. When he did, the ticket could still not be displayed. The guard asked if he could use the phone. Permission was given and lengthy tapping was undertaken, at the end of which the guard said that the problem was that the Wifi was not working in that coach (it was - I was using it). By this time the train was approaching the next stop and the guard went to deal with station duties. After departure he returned and, finally, after more tapping, the ticket was displayed for inspection.

All this took upwards of 15 mins and prevented the guard from moving on to check tickets in the next coach. Prior to this kerfuffle the guard had checked and stamped my paper ticket in seconds.

To be honest, that sounds more like the passenger's fault for not downloading and activating before use. Once a ticket is downloaded, it can be activated offline as I'm sure you know. Mobile tickets are great when passengers know how to use them - one awkward bit is when people are asked for their railcard and it's a digital one, which, admittedly, is a bit clunky and does involve some degree of fumbling.
 

najaB

Veteran Member
Joined
28 Aug 2011
Messages
33,733
Location
Scotland
Permission was given and lengthy tapping was undertaken, at the end of which the guard said that the problem was that the Wifi was not working in that coach (it was - I was using it).
This is why apps should be designed so that once a ticket has been activated, no data signal is required.
 

_toommm_

Established Member
Joined
8 Jul 2017
Messages
6,306
Location
South West London
This is why apps should be designed so that once a ticket has been activated, no data signal is required.

Internet certainly isn't required for most apps once a ticket is activated - my post above yours references what will have happened.
 

sheff1

Established Member
Joined
24 Dec 2009
Messages
6,062
Location
Sheffield
I have no idea where the 'fault' lay. All I know is that the guard was happy to get involved for a lengthy period and eventually all was apparently in order.

What seemed bizarre to me is that it took much much much longer to inspect this 'new improved' ticket as opposed to an 'old fashioned' paper ticket. If this is to be the way of things going forward the chances of a guard doing a full check on busy LNER-length trains can only be reduced.
 

_toommm_

Established Member
Joined
8 Jul 2017
Messages
6,306
Location
South West London
I have no idea where the 'fault' lay. All I know is that the guard was happy to get involved for a lengthy period and eventually all was apparently in order.

What seemed bizarre to me is that it took much much much longer to inspect this 'new improved' ticket as opposed to an 'old fashioned' paper ticket. If this is to be the way of things going forward the chances of a guard doing a full check on busy LNER-length trains can only be reduced.

I suspect one they're more common people will get used to them - a well placed warning like 'you must activate mobile tickets before boarding, or risk having to buy a new ticket onboard' wouldn't go amiss
 

najaB

Veteran Member
Joined
28 Aug 2011
Messages
33,733
Location
Scotland
Internet certainly isn't required for most apps once a ticket is activated - my post above yours references what will have happened.
I know, but it's been reported (possibly in this thread) that some apps won't open without a data connection.
 

anme

Established Member
Joined
8 Aug 2013
Messages
1,777
What seemed bizarre to me is that it took much much much longer to inspect this 'new improved' ticket as opposed to an 'old fashioned' paper ticket. If this is to be the way of things going forward the chances of a guard doing a full check on busy LNER-length trains can only be reduced.

Yes but this was not a typical experience of a mobile ticket!
 

gray1404

Established Member
Joined
3 Mar 2014
Messages
7,656
Location
Merseyside
The problem with that is people might then think they only have to activate tickets once they are on the train or even when the ticket check is performed. They need to be activated before getting on the train really (or before going through to the platform at a barriered station).
 

AlterEgo

Verified Rep - Wingin' It! Paul Lucas
Joined
30 Dec 2008
Messages
29,638
Location
LBK
When making onboard announcements that they are about to make a ticket check throughout the train, could not the train manager add on "please make sure all mobile tickets are activated or you will be liable for the full fare" when saying about having all tickets,passes and railcards ready for inspection.

Because they’re supposed to be activated before you get on the train, not only activated when challenged.
 

LowLevel

Established Member
Joined
26 Oct 2013
Messages
8,927
It should be pointed out that ticket inspectors generally get absolutely no training on the functionality of the different apps and given staff tickets aren't available have no cause to use them themselves.

I've had a play to a degree but we have no interface with them so any technical hitch is basically met with a Gallic shrug and an instruction to call the web support for the app.

Being fairly tech savvy I can usually work most issues out but some have left me scratching my head as much as the passenger.
 

NoOnesFool

Member
Joined
26 Aug 2018
Messages
602
Did you activate the mobile ticket BEFORE you boarded the train.
Iirc I may be wrong you must activate the mobile ticket BEFORE you board the train.
You are not wrong, mobile tickets and carnet tickets MUST be activated before the passenger boards the train.
 

[.n]

Member
Joined
8 Apr 2016
Messages
761
I know, but it's been reported (possibly in this thread) that some apps won't open without a data connection.


Yes I have noted this before, regardless of download/activation/etc status, there is at least one app that will flat out refuse to open at all if there is no data connection available - it has caused me no end of grief in the past
 

simran

Member
Joined
20 Feb 2019
Messages
7
DAC59EDF-84B2-447E-82FE-E468016512CE.jpeg Anyone able to explain what this means. I paid for my tickets and also appealed my penalty notice, but they’re still charging me and have reduced the fare from £184 to £89.50. Any help? I’m not sure what to do I’m not too happy to pay when I paid for my ticket
 

_toommm_

Established Member
Joined
8 Jul 2017
Messages
6,306
Location
South West London
View attachment 60323 Anyone able to explain what this means. I paid for my tickets and also appealed my penalty notice, but they’re still charging me and have reduced the fare from £184 to £89.50. Any help? I’m not sure what to do I’m not too happy to pay when I paid for my ticket

So £89.50 is the anytime single fare from Leicester to St. Pancras. As mentioned toward the end of the first screenshot, the original amount was the fare plus a 'penalty aspect'.

Unfortunately I still believe you don't have any way to get out of this. You have to be able to produce the ticket on demand to the guard and to any other authorised collectors, which you failed to do. I would chalk it up to experience and pay the £89.50. As much as you may be dismayed with this, those are unfortunately the rules, and even without the penalty fare originally, you would have needed to have paid for this anyway as document of your right to travel.
 

najaB

Veteran Member
Joined
28 Aug 2011
Messages
33,733
Location
Scotland
View attachment 60323 Anyone able to explain what this means. I paid for my tickets and also appealed my penalty notice, but they’re still charging me and have reduced the fare from £184 to £89.50. Any help? I’m not sure what to do I’m not too happy to pay when I paid for my ticket
You weren't able to display your ticket so you had to pay for a new one. There's not really any way around this one.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top