TIR for using the ticket my partner purchased me!

[Adam Williams]

Do the T-Vals actually attempt to interpret the electronic restrictions associated with a ticket that they encounter? That would seem to me to be fraught with issues.

 

[30907]

Alternatively. perhaps trust the app, trust the restriction codes on the National Rail web site, but don't trust Northern staff?

Indeed. I buy tickets via the Northern app fairly regularly for local journeys, and it always flags up the correct ticket to buy. A complaint is called for (as I seen to have said before )

 

[fandroid]

Do the T-Vals actually attempt to interpret the electronic restrictions associated with a ticket that they encounter? That would seem to me to be fraught with issues.

According to the OP, the ticket failed to open the ticket gate at Warrington, which is understandable as it would have been set to reject offpeak tickets in order to catch those from Manchester on which restrictions do apply. The T-val then flagged the issue of purchase which got the staff all excited. Later someone twigged that was itself invalid and came up with the old Warrington mantra ",the gate is always right".

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Jul 2023 ==

It appears that restriction B1 (no evening peak restriction) applies for Offpeak tickets on journeys from stations between Warrington and Liverpool, but restriction ND applies for journeys from stations between Warrington and Manchester (evening restrictions do apply) . Hardly a difficult concept for barrier staff to absorb, but it might be too much for an automated gate.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Jul 2023 ==

 

[Kite159]

I wonder how many other passengers have wrongly been issued a penalty (either a penalty fare or a Northern letter saying "pay us £100") for using an off-peak ticket at Warrington from Liverpool where the RPIs claim it isn't valid and have simply paid up to avoid court?

Sadly the chance of Northern doing anything about the rogue RPIs at Warrington are remote unless they get negative PR from the media.

Make a complaint, maybe even copy in your local MP as they might raise it further up the food chain.

 

[Vespa]

For an extra £2.20 you can get anytime return and avoid RPI heavies getting all excited and whooping for some "action" like monkeys in a zoo.

Unfortunately as said above getting Northern staff correctly trained is between slim to none, so it's worth raising via social media and news outlets, in my experience complaint departments are designed to obfusicate, confound and ultimately bury the compliant before it goes public.

 

[Kite159]

For an extra £2.20 you can get anytime return and avoid RPI heavies getting all excited and whooping for some "action" like monkeys in a zoo.

Why would you pay extra for an anytime when the off-peak ticket is valid?

 

[Adam Williams]

Why would you pay extra for an anytime when the off-peak ticket is valid?

Because Carlisle (assuming it was them) have no idea what they're doing and it avoids hassle?

 

[Wolfie]

Because Carlisle (assuming it was them) have no idea what they're doing and it avoids hassle?

Reward Northern's deliberate incompetence. Stuff that! I would aim to make their exec's working lives bloody miserable until they fix things.

 

[Snow1964]

Because Carlisle (assuming it was them) have no idea what they're doing and it avoids hassle?

If don't know what they are doing just as likely to reject a valid peak ticket, as they did with valid off-peak ticket.

The concept that a customer should buy a more expensive option when don't need to, to allow for bad staff needs to be quashed.

 

[Adam Williams]

I agree it seems defeatist, but having seen how these disputes usually play out here I can genuinely see why someone might be inclined to do that. It's a sad state of affairs.

 

[furlong]

The concept that a customer should buy a more expensive option when don't need to, to allow for bad staff needs to be quashed.

That's the job of the ORR (enforcing the Consumer Regulations) which has the ultimate power to prosecute (if it continues after warning the company).

 

[Mcr Warrior]

For an extra £2.20 you can get anytime return and avoid RPI heavies getting all excited and whooping for some "action" like monkeys in a zoo.

Really? There must be any number of fares to/from Warrington Central where the Anytime Return fare will be considerably more than that for an (equally valid) Off Peak Return. Are you seriously suggesting stumping up more, for your ticket, than you legitimately need to pay, as "protection money"?

The concept that a customer should buy a more expensive option when don't need to, to allow for bad staff needs to be quashed.

Quite!

 

[fandroid]

Perhaps it needs a bunch of lawyers to "storm" Warrington at around 17.30 on a weekday all travelling from the Liverpool direction with Off-Peak tickets, fully armed with the all the relevant documentation.

Invite Northern's fares setter along, but only in civvies with no visible id.

 

[Vespa]

Perhaps it needs a bunch of lawyers to "storm" Warrington at around 17.30 on a weekday all travelling from the Liverpool direction with Off-Peak tickets, fully armed with the all the relevant documentation.

Invite Northern's fares setter along, but only in civvies with no visible id.

That would be a sight to see, all video recorded for future training purposes.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Jul 2023 ==

Because Carlisle (assuming it was them) have no idea what they're doing and it avoids hassle?

Pretty much my point an extra £2.20 is not a killer in the grand scheme of things and can save so much bother because when you're talking to an uncomprehending sub educated staff that find it hard to understand ticket rules, needs things explaining in simple words and pictures, a simple uncomplicated ticket won't make their two brain cells fuzz in confusion.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Perhaps it needs a bunch of lawyers to "storm" Warrington at around 17.30 on a weekday all travelling from the Liverpool direction with Off-Peak tickets, fully armed with the all the relevant documentation.

Invite Northern's fares setter along, but only in civvies with no visible id.

Why lawyers? Anyone with the rules on hand could easily make the correct fuss?

 

[Kite159]

Or even an undercover reporter from one of those TV consumer rights programs (i.e. Watchdog) to record it to show on the telly.

Although sadly, knowing Northern, they will try to make the problem 'disappear' by bringing in an evening peak restriction for tickets to Warrington from Liverpool.