Cannot ToD

[Mattuk]

Hi all,

Recently I have to travel from HAT to OXF and I nearly couldn’t collect my tickets I bought using the forum’s favourite retailer.

After buying the tickets, I travelled to the station and tried to collect my tickets but using my debit card form a high street bank and a debit card from a non-UK branch of a high street bank (which I paid my ticket for using Apple Pay) would both result in the verifone card reader on separate machines to show transaction cancelled immediately after insertion.

A gate line staff saw me struggling with the machines and when I showed them the problem said that the machine I was using was supposed to be the good one and then tried to allow me to travel by informing the gate line at KGX.

Luckily, the ticket office is open at 0730am on Saturday and I was able to collect the tickets by telling them my reservation number. However by the time it is sorted, 2 trains to London already left resulting in an illegal connection at PAD.

I have experienced similar problems before though not to the extent that all machines available are not working.

I am so glad that the ticket office is staffed and the helpful staff at the station. Has anyone experienced the same problems before and how did you manage to fix it?

 

[Vexed]

I had a similar experience last Saturday at St Albans, also a GTR managed station.

I tried using two different cards on two different machines and neither worked. I didn't see what the card reader said but as soon as I put the card, in the main TVM screen said remove card and then let me enter the CTR (Customer Transaction Record also known as booking reference) but then gave an error. In my experience it usually only works when it takes a few seconds to think with the card in. I tried two or three times on each machine, and I know these machines have worked before. This is the first time I've had a proper issue (sometimes it does take a couple of tries).

The ticket office were happy to print them out.
If I took photos of a relevant error on the machine and a closed ticket office I'd be happy enough travelling without collecting.

 

[Wallsendmag]

If you use Apple Pay the physical card number isn't shared with the retatiler therefore if the collection flag is set to same card you're stuffed. Flowbird TVMs can use contacless for ToD collection so thats the way out in you travel from a LNER,NOrthern or Chiltern station. Otherwise don't use Apple/Google Pay or virtual cards for ToD.

 

[Haywain]

If you use Apple Pay the physical card number isn't shared with the retatiler therefore if the collection flag is set to same card you're stuffed.

If "the forum's favourite retailer" is Trainsplit, all bookings should be set to any card collection so that does suggest a TVM problem.

 

[Mike395]

It seems to be a recurring issue with the card machines fitted to (at least GTR's) S&B TVMs, particularly the newer ones. Bedford also has only 2/4 machines working for ticket collection as of yesterday with the same problem.

I'm slightly surprised S&B haven't yet been able to release a software update facilitating contactless ticket collection, if I'm honest.

 

[Hadders]

This is quite a common problem.

At Stevenage station one of the TVMs never works for ToD, been like it for months. You can purchase tickets ok but for some reason ToD never works on it. I've told the station staff but nothing's been done about it. Thankfully all of the other TVMs work ok so I just know to avoid the offending TVM.

 

[redreni]

I've had problems with TOD collection in the past.

On the other hand the tickets I'm collecting often include cross-London tickets and/or day travelcards and/or PlusBus so can only be issued as TOD or, in the case of travelcards and (maybe but maybe not) cross-London tickets, on smartcards.

There's another thread about some of the ridiculous and counter-intuitive limitations on smartcards, including at TfL barriers, which frankly puts me off adopting them. I just don't like the idea that if the barrier doesn't accept my smartcard ticket, the person on the barrier cannot tell by looking at my ticket whether it is valid. So I often get tickets on paper by TOD.

I'm lucky, though, in that I work in central London and each time I commute in I pass through at least three national rail stations (two with Thameslink TVMs, one with Elizabeth Line TVMs) so there are plenty of opportunities to collect before travel.

I try not to collect too early just in case my plans change, as refunds can be a little easier if the tickets haven't been printed yet, but I always collect my tickets in advance of travel. There is only one ticket machine at my local station. We are lucky enough, on Monday to Saturday mornings only, to have a ticket office as backup but I still don't risk it.

 

[paul1609]

I also experienced a "forums" ticket that I was unable to collect at Tonbridge TVMs yesterday.. Fortunately the ticket office was open early. It was for a ticket to London Underground Zones. It's the first time I've ever had a TOD issue.