Expired railcards - some good news

[nanstallon]

People have been caught out using expired railcards, sometimes having forgotten to renew. Renewal reminders were not being given. However, I have just received an e-mail from the Railcard people, reminding me to renew my Senior Railcard, nine days ahead of the due date. This is very sensible.

Still need to be careful, if you are an occasional rail traveller - if no trips planned for some time, you may not want to renew straightaway and 'waste' a few weeks/ months of vailidity. Still can't beat the good old diary entry, but even then, most people don't buy next year's diary until late in the present year.

 

[methecooldude]

I have noticed recently during my duties that the railcard app (at least on iPhones) has started to make a "can we send you notifications" permissions request pop up... the annoying thing is that a lot of people are swatting it away by pressing "No"

And then there's Trainline...

 

[JBuchananGB]

I also received an email from railcard people a short while before my Senior Railcard expired. And I managed to renew it with Tesco vouchers just before Tesco devalued their vouchers from 3x value to 2x value! But I have stuck to using the Railcard website, and requesting plastic cards. So many people nowadays seem to buy their railcards for other places such as TOCs and Trainline. And does anyone still have a real paper based diary?

 

[NeilCr]

When I go to book a ticket through the South Eastern site this message pops up when I say I have a railcard

"Please check the expiry date of your Railcard, to make sure it is still valid on your date of travel"

Which is good IMHO although I am very conscious of the expiry date of mine

 

[AdamWW]

I have noticed recently during my duties that the railcard app (at least on iPhones) has started to make a "can we send you notifications" permissions request pop up... the annoying thing is that a lot of people are swatting it away by pressing "No"

Hardly surprising - how do you know it won't try to pop up notifications of special offers for railcard orders for things you have no interest in?

 

[cocoiadrop]

I'd much rather email or postal reminders than a push notification which can as AdamWW said be used for marketing or just end up lost in the sea of notifications someone may get.

 

[SuspectUsual]

And does anyone still have a real paper based diary?

No, but I have a *lot* of reminders in my phone

 

[swt_passenger]

I think all railcard issuers need to be able to clearly separate renewal reminders from general marketing stuff. From what we see a large proportion of users need to be advised of renewal dates, it’s not helping anyone to avoid sending them out on the grounds that it’s some sort of data protection issue.

 

[John Webb]

...... And does anyone still have a real paper based diary?

Yes - doesn't need charging, rapidly available for alterations and less likely to be lost or stolen.....

 

[1D54]

Purchased my first on my 60th last year so no reminders required. Still a great idea to be notifying people by whatever method they use.

 

[John Luxton]

I bought my first railcard early 2020 having recently turned 60. It was a 3 year plastic one ordered on line.

About a month before it was due for renewal this year a reminder came through and I renewed immediately.

A rail card is a bit like a passport - you might not need it now - but you might at short notice. One of those personal documents to keep up to date. Or perhaps its just me being a bit obsessive!

 

[Snow1964]

And does anyone still have a real paper based diary?

Have one of those big planner calendars with columns for each member of family hung in the kitchen, but the days of Letts pocket diaries have long gone

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Jul 2023 ==

I have noticed recently during my duties that the railcard app (at least on iPhones) has started to make a "can we send you notifications" permissions request pop up... the annoying thing is that a lot of people are swatting it away by pressing "No"

If they asked separate question, do you want reminder just prior to expiry with default as yes then I suspect most won't choose no, but if ask they do you want to receive all sorts of marketing bumf bound to say no

 

[spag23]

Still can't beat the good old diary entry, but even then, most people don't buy next year's diary until late in the present year.

One solution is to note all future years' reminder dates on the last page of your current paper diary. And then transfer them to the right page of the new year's diary when you get it. Or to its 31st December page if it's more than a year away. Needs a little discipline though

 

[greyman42]

And does anyone still have a real paper based diary?

W H Smiths and Ryman still stock them and they appear to sell so there must still be a demand.

 

[contrex]

if no trips planned for some time, you may not want to renew straightaway and 'waste' a few weeks/ months of validity.

In March this year, I renewed my Senior railcard about a fortnight before it expired, at a ticket office (Bath Spa), as it was convenient for me to do it then. I asked if I would lose the 12 days 'difference' and the helpful lady said 'No, if you surrender your current card to me, I can extend the new one by that number of days'. I don't know how easy that would be if all the ticket offices are closing. Card was issued, and valid from, 15 March 2023, and expires 27 March 2024.

 

[greyman42]

In March this year, I renewed my Senior railcard about a fortnight before it expired, at a ticket office (Bath Spa), as it was convenient for me to do it then. I asked if I would lose the two weeks 'difference' and the helpful lady said 'No, if you surrender your current card to me, I can extend the new one by that number of days'. I don't know how easy that would be if all the ticket offices are closing.

You would hope that some thought has gone into this sort of scenario.

 

[duffield]

... And does anyone still have a real paper based diary?

The TSSA still sends me one every year, although I use it as a notebook, not a diary.

 

[1D54]

Always wondered why a ticket office won't sell a three year railcard. Don't suppose it really matters now.

 

[_toommm_]

And then there's Trainline...

Trainline used to be really good for railcards, I bought mine with 50% off to make a three-year railcard just £35. But it logs me out every time, and it now makes me worried if we’re in a tunnel, or somewhere with iffy signal such as the Settle and Carlisle, what would happen to me if I couldn’t show it in a reasonable amount of time.

 

[InkyScrolls]

I also received an email from railcard people a short while before my Senior Railcard expired. And I managed to renew it with Tesco vouchers just before Tesco devalued their vouchers from 3x value to 2x value! But I have stuck to using the Railcard website, and requesting plastic cards. So many people nowadays seem to buy their railcards for other places such as TOCs and Trainline. And does anyone still have a real paper based diary?

I do! And I am but a young whippersnapper of 26.

 

[Titfield]

I think all railcard issuers need to be able to clearly separate renewal reminders from general marketing stuff. From what we see a large proportion of users need to be advised of renewal dates, it’s not helping anyone to avoid sending them out on the grounds that it’s some sort of data protection issue.

Surely ATOC the Association of Train Operating Companies should speak to the ICO Information Commissioners Office to agree the wording and style needed so that a reminder re the expiry date of a rail card is considered to be a transactional email rather than a marketing email and thus those emails can still be sent to customers even if a marketing opt out is in place.

 

[Moonpie]

Surely ATOC the Association of Train Operating Companies should speak to the ICO Information Commissioners Office to agree the wording and style needed so that a reminder re the expiry date of a rail card is considered to be a transactional email rather than a marketing email and thus those emails can still be sent to customers even if a marketing opt out is in place.

It would likely be difficult to single out the renewal promo from other marketing emails. The renewal prompt is an invitation to purchase from the company, which puts them in marketing territor.

 

[Titfield]

It would likely be difficult to single out the renewal promo from other marketing emails. The renewal prompt is an invitation to purchase from the company, which puts them in marketing territor.

Which is precisely why I said there needs to be a discussion with the ICO to discuss whether the benefit to the customer of them being alerted to the expiry of a product (and possible inadvertent use which could result in action being taken against them) versus the disbenefit of them receiving an email which could encourage them to purchase a product.

If the ICO refused this then one action the TOC could take would be to make clear that reminders will not be sent to customers who opt out of marketing emails.

 

[Moonpie]

Wouldn't it mean that the uk GDPR would need to be re-written to achieve what that? Its not just a guidance from the ICO, it a complete change to how consent to marketing would operate and provide vast number of companies an avenue to send marketing material when it's not really wanted by the customer. I also doubt that in the majority of cases the average user would understand the difference and would either accept all or deny all. Would it not get lost in the sea of consent options that are provided when signing up to any service and lumped in with generic accept essential deny optional, it would be In the optional section which can't be pre ticked.

There's also the possibility that the consent isn't considered freely give , if not giving consent could be used against that person. If one argument was "well you opted out of being reminded to renew, therefore its your own fault" when being prosecuted.

Not saying that the reminders aren't beneficial.. just that it's likely more complicated and that's why they aren't sent now.

 

[Puffing Devil]

A simple, separate tick box opt-in for renewal reminders in the consent section is all that's needed.