Buying All Line Rovers

[furgus2]

I've bought and enjoyed using 1st Class All Line Rovers over the years and hope to have another 14 day ticket sometime in June. I have three questions which I hope someone can help me with.

1) Of the £990 it will cost, what proportion goes to the company which actually sells me the ticket?

2) If I started from a station with no ticket office, would I be able to buy such a ticket on-board the train?

3) At the top of the ticket, the words 'Issued to' are always printed. Sometimes I have been asked for my name before it is printed and so it appears on the ticket, at other times I have not. Does this affect the validity of the ticket?

 

[transportphoto]

I've bought and enjoyed using 1st Class All Line Rovers over the years and hope to have another 14 day ticket sometime in June. I have three questions which I hope someone can help me with.

1) Of the £990 it will cost, what proportion goes to the company which actually sells me the ticket?

2) If I started from a station with no ticket office, would I be able to buy such a ticket on-board the train?

3) At the top of the ticket, the words 'Issued to' are always printed. Sometimes I have been asked for my name before it is printed and so it appears on the ticket, at other times I have not. Does this affect the validity of the ticket?

1) Sorry I can't help with.

2) Yes, guards can issue these.

3) I have recently done a Anglia Plus rover - I bought it out of area and I was asked for my name - this was printed at the top, next to 'Issued to', it doesn't affect validity just helps to prevent it being transferred.

 

[Anon Mouse]

I've bought and enjoyed using 1st Class All Line Rovers over the years and hope to have another 14 day ticket sometime in June. I have three questions which I hope someone can help me with.

1) Of the £990 it will cost, what proportion goes to the company which actually sells me the ticket?

not too sure on this point

2) If I started from a station with no ticket office, would I be able to buy such a ticket on-board the train?

yes, and we will welcome to sell an ALR

3) At the top of the ticket, the words 'Issued to' are always printed. Sometimes I have been asked for my name before it is printed and so it appears on the ticket, at other times I have not. Does this affect the validity of the ticket?

I certainly wont flag it and indeed when I have had ALR's I have not added my name (but would if asked)

 

[First class]

I've bought and enjoyed using 1st Class All Line Rovers over the years and hope to have another 14 day ticket sometime in June. I have three questions which I hope someone can help me with.

1) Of the £990 it will cost, what proportion goes to the company which actually sells me the ticket?

2) If I started from a station with no ticket office, would I be able to buy such a ticket on-board the train?

3) At the top of the ticket, the words 'Issued to' are always printed. Sometimes I have been asked for my name before it is printed and so it appears on the ticket, at other times I have not. Does this affect the validity of the ticket?

1) IIRC it is 9% when sold by a TOC in person

2) Yes. The guard would probably have a heart attack when he sees the price as he will probably be getting 3-5% commission.

3) The name isn't important. It is just an optional field during the issuing process. Don't think guards get this option on Avantix though.

 

[Anon Mouse]

1) IIRC it is 9% when sold by a TOC in person

2) Yes. The guard would probably have a heart attack when he sees the price as he will probably be getting 3-5% commission.

3) The name isn't important. It is just an optional field during the issuing process. Don't think guards get this option on Avantix though.

we dont get the option, but when the ticket is printed there is a space where the name can be written....

 

[strange6]

I though only manned ticket offices could issue these tickets! Imagine paying for this in cash to a guard on a packed train! He would be a walking muggers pension scheme! haha

 

[bnm]

Certainly can buy onboard. I've done so a couple of times. Mine were 'only' 7 day 1st Class ALRs and I had a railcard discount.

First time, the guard initially said buy at your interchange, but I only had 10 minutes to change trains. I pointed out the price of the ticket and the commission the guard would be missing, so he agreed to sell. Paid in cash.

Second time I paid with a debit card and that caused a minor hassle as the price was above the floor limit so the guard had to phone for authorisation.

 

[furgus2]

Thanks to everyone for their answers. The reason I wondered how much money went to the company selling the All Line Rover is that up to now, I've nearly always bought them from my local Virgin station. However, as they are one of the companies who have introduced the morning time restriction, I think I might buy the next one from a different TOC as my own small but legitimate way of showing my displeasure with them. Yes, I know it seems petty!

As to my third question, I asked about whether or not the name of the user appearing on the ticket affected it's validity after one experience I had on day 12 of an ALR. Showing it to a Virgin TM, she took it off me, said there was a problem with it because my name wasn't on it, She asked me for ID and then wrote my name on the ticket herself.

 

[strange6]

Thanks to everyone for their answers. The reason I wondered how much money went to the company selling the All Line Rover is that up to now, I've nearly always bought them from my local Virgin station. However, as they are one of the companies who have introduced the morning time restriction, I think I might buy the next one from a different TOC as my own small but legitimate way of showing my displeasure with them. Yes, I know it seems petty!

As to my third question, I asked about whether or not the name of the user appearing on the ticket affected it's validity after one experience I had on day 12 of an ALR. Showing it to a Virgin TM, she took it off me, said there was a problem with it because my name wasn't on it, She asked me for ID and then wrote my name on the ticket herself.

The time restrictions on these rovers are a disgrace considering how much they cost

 

[CarterUSM]

Wish I was allowed to sell ALR's.

 

[All Line Rover]

Thanks to everyone for their answers. The reason I wondered how much money went to the company selling the All Line Rover is that up to now, I've nearly always bought them from my local Virgin station. However, as they are one of the companies who have introduced the morning time restriction, I think I might buy the next one from a different TOC as my own small but legitimate way of showing my displeasure with them. Yes, I know it seems petty!

As to my third question, I asked about whether or not the name of the user appearing on the ticket affected it's validity after one experience I had on day 12 of an ALR. Showing it to a Virgin TM, she took it off me, said there was a problem with it because my name wasn't on it, She asked me for ID and then wrote my name on the ticket herself.

a. Virgin Trains don't "control" these time restrictions, as ATOC have a big say in it too! All other InterCity operators (apart from FGW) have also agreed to the restrictions.

b. It's worth pointing out that the ALR is a "leisure" product, not a "business" product, and most leisure travellers aren't that bothered if they can only arrive in London after 10am - there are plenty of other places to visit!

c. Compared to VT's "Off-Peak restrictions", 10am is rather generous! It allows you to take the 07:55am service from Manchester (a very busy peak train), which get's you into London at 10:04am.

d. The Birmingham New Street restriction is pathetic, as you can join at Wolverhampton or Birmingham International and pass straight through!

 

[ainsworth74]

most leisure travellers aren't that bothered if they can only arrive in London after 10am - there are plenty of other places to visit!

I don't think arriving in London is the main problem with the new restrictions (though it certainly is annoying) the main issue is with not being able to leave London before 10am on inter-city services (excluding FGW).

 

[strange6]

I don't think arriving in London is the main problem with the new restrictions (though it certainly is annoying) the main issue is with not being able to leave London before 10am on inter-city services (excluding FGW).

Yes, and that's half the morning gone!

 

[All Line Rover]

I don't think arriving in London is the main problem with the new restrictions (though it certainly is annoying) the main issue is with not being able to leave London before 10am on inter-city services (excluding FGW).

I agree that it's annoying for people who live in London. However, to access Virgin Trains you can go to Reading and then take an XC service to Coventry or Birmingham International. To access East Coast you can take an FCC service to Peterborough. The restrictions aren't that hard to avoid!

As a side benefit, child fares have been reduced from 33% off to 50% off. The fare has gone down from £429 to £325. I'm very happy about that!

 

[island]

There is another way to use an ALR in the morning and get around the petty restriction; PM me if you're interested. Not posting on here in case the TOCs get any ideas.

 

[transportphoto]

There is another way to use an ALR in the morning and get around the petty restriction; PM me if you're interested. Not posting on here in case the TOCs get any ideas.

Now sending PM

 

[jay jay]

I purchased one last week off of a conductor as there is no ticket office at my local station. Only difference is that there is no station on the ticket where it was issued? This was the only difference I could see from my friends one?

 

[reb0118]

Wish I was allowed to sell ALR's.

Dare you to sell one!

 

[CarterUSM]

Somebody sold 2 to a known fraudster a few years ago, but they didn't get the 5% for it!

 

[reb0118]

Somebody sold 2 to a known fraudster a few years ago, but they didn't get the 5% for it!

That's why they stopped us selling them. It was a case of the fraudster buying one on a stolen credit card & then getting it refunded onto a debit card. I can understand not selling All Line Rovers on board - although I would probably do one for cash - but not lower priced regional rovers like the Central Scottish @ £33.

 

[CarterUSM]

I don't know reb, as far as I know, we haven't been able to sell them from long before. I get asked for the central Scotland one fairly regularly too.

 

[reb0118]

I don't know reb, as far as I know, we haven't been able to sell them from long before. I get asked for the central Scotland one fairly regularly too.

To be fair I don't think anyone will bat an eyelid if you sell a Central Scotland one from time to time. I really think they were trying to clamp down on the fraud with the All Line. I've never been asked for an All Line but do often get asked for rover type tickets - usually for where we don't operate any. I find it ironic that I recomend people try the north of England for the best choice of rover/rangers.

ps If you are not safeguarded and are making any trips to the north of England then in a lot of cases a rover offers better value. Valid from Lockerbie & Dumfries in the west and Berwick in the east. Full 75% on all rovers.

 

[rail-britain]

It was a case of the fraudster buying one on a stolen credit card & then getting it refunded onto a debit card

Good old cash converting

 

[CarterUSM]

I still see the fella that did that from time to time, he's that bad, we get re briefed on him regularly.

 

[rail-britain]

I still see the fella that did that from time to time, he's that bad, we get re briefed on him regularly.

This is a known issue, I've probably seen this person too and there is not much you can do when the passenger presents a valid ticket and/or offers to buy a ticket

Strangely other companies get permanent exclusion orders, but for some reason courts in Scotland will not enforce these for the railway
Scottish Citylink and National Express also ran into a similar issue, as the court order was issued to the coach company and not the ticket issuing company

In the work I do on a day-to-day basis the greatest amount of fraud still comes from employees rather than the general public...

 

[CarterUSM]

This is a known issue, I've probably seen this person too and there is not much you can do when the passenger presents a valid ticket and/or offers to buy a ticket

Strangely other companies get permanent exclusion orders, but for some reason courts in Scotland will not enforce these for the railway
Scottish Citylink and National Express also ran into a similar issue, as the court order was issued to the coach company and not the ticket issuing company

In the work I do on a day-to-day basis the greatest amount of fraud still comes from employees rather than the general public...

I don't know the respective figures, but I have seen some colleagues leave over the years, thats for sure.