Chiltern Railways m-ticket purchased, phone stolen

[shinkansen1966]

getting TOCs to set up their own systems is a terrible idea and will only result in more TOC-specific fares, confusion and inconsistent ticketing systems.

Agreed. My own experience of m-tickets is a good example.

Paper tickets are portable and universal. M-tickets are only as a good as the phone and are TOC specific.

The paper ticket is dead.... long live the paper ticket.

 

[jon0844]

I think that the next real step will be downloading a ticket to be stored on your NFC chip on the phone, which can be scanned by a reader held by rail staff (like an Oyster or similar).

The advantage here is that, while you need the phone on and with signal to download the code, once stored on the chip - the reader provides the power to communicate with it. The phone could be off and it would still work.

Failing that, you could possibly have the code downloaded to your smartphone/tablet with NFC, then touch your smartcard to transfer it (which would be secure and a 'once-only' deal) to that. Then you travel as normal, so the app is merely a way of transfering code to your regular smartcard. Of course, you may also be able to just touch in at a ticket machine at ANY station to download the ticket - similar to how Oyster can do so at a chose station on the gates themselves.

The m-ticket seems like a stopgap solution where the developer hasn't thought of everything properly - or, to their credit, HAS thought about them but the TOCs have said 'ah, don't worry about that - we just want a system up and running ASAP'. I know where my money would be on that one!!

 

[Paul Kelly]

Oyster is great because it works out the best fare for your journeys as you make them. Smartcard systems being rolled out on buses and (now) trains are being marketed as a modern, clever system when in fact they are just traditional tickets stored on a new medium.

That is very well-put and sums it all up I think. Oyster is quite old technology now and even smarter systems should be possible, but no one has any imagination and management-types are risk-averse to anything that might affect revenue in any way.

 

[Mystic Force]

M tickets seem like a fare differs dream. Don't buy a ticket unless you see the conductor coming around then its instantly on your phone. Look gov I have a ticket always had it honest. How do they work with barriers?

 

[87 027]

M tickets seem like a fare differs dream. Don't buy a ticket unless you see the conductor coming around then its instantly on your phone. Look gov I have a ticket always had it honest. How do they work with barriers?

I think there is a deliberate time delay after purchase before your mobile ticket appears on your phone?

 

[bb21]

I think there is a deliberate time delay after purchase before your mobile ticket appears on your phone?

What happens then if I buy a ticket just before reaching the station, and then run to the platform to catch the train because it is already standing there? If the ticket will not show up for a good ten minutes, say, what will I show the guard if he/she comes around immediately?

 

[87 027]

What happens then If the ticket will not show up for a good ten minutes, say, what will I show the guard if he/she comes around immediately?

I use the VT branded Masabi application. Just looked in the help screens and it says the m-ticket is not available until 2 hours after purchase. Clearly not designed for last minute travel!

 

[Mystic Force]

Which arguing from the other end would make it mostly pointless as the whole convenience factor is mitigated by the delay before it becomes available. If you need a rickety in advamcw there are online discounts available.

 

[Paul Kelly]

Wasn't one of the TOCs advertising that with their smartphone app you could buy a ticket online and pick it up from a ToD machine 10 minutes later? This 2 hour delay if true seems to be a step backwards.

 

[island]

It's been known for people to buy tickets online using a smartphone whilst standing next to a ticket machine and collect them immediately from that machine.

The 2 hour thing is a maximum rather than an average.

 

[jon0844]

Sounds like a 'playing safe' disclaimer that isn't real - but it does make the service rather less appealing if you can't get to a station, see a queue, see the TVM isn't accepting cards (or broken) and whip out your phone to get a ticket from your fancy app! It's rather ironic if you actually could 99% of the time!

I've been told the same thing when using a 'collect from store' online ordering service. It says allow up to two hours as well, but when I was in a PC World (mad, I know) and saw a cheaper price on their website that in store - I reserved it there and then, and took the product to the checkout. They entered the code I had and it came up straight away.

(A clever trick by the way; always check the website price before buying anything in the shop. It can often make PC World not too much of a rip off!)

 

[richw]

(A clever trick by the way; always check the website price before buying anything in the shop. It can often make PC World not too much of a rip off!)

Halfords tend to be around 10% cheaper online, for reserve and collect items. I was once informed by a Halfords staff member when buying a car seat for my daughter that i should go online on my phone and reserve as there was a online sale with £50 off all car seats over £150. The bloke then pulled up my reservation instantly, and i had it for £50 cheaper than if the bloke hadnt told me that. Clearly he wasnt on a commision!