Chiltern Smartcard Issue

[VT118]

It was suggested that I re-post this thread on this sub forum (as opposed to disputes & prosecutions)

Went to use my smartcard this morning at Banbury station and it let me through the barrier no problem. What I then like to do is scan the smartcard with the 'National Rail Smartcard Manager' app to double check that it is active.

This morning my phone wouldn't allow me to scan the smartcard. When I got to Haddenham I went straight to the ticket office to resolve the issue. The member of staff was also unable to scan my smartcard. She tried a few times and it suddenly started working again. She confirmed that my pass was indeed active. All good.

I then checked to see if the card scanned on my phone through the app, and it did. It was like the chip on the smartcard had suddenly reactivated again.

I have now tried again a few hours later and it has failed. Something is clearly not right with my card.

I have sent an email to Chiltern explaining all of the above and asking for a new smartcard to be sent, but also explaining that I still have 4 more flexi journey left on my card that I don't want to lose.


Am I right in thinking that my best course of action for the journey home is to purchase a paper single back to Banbury as a back up, try and use my smartcard and if that goes well, claim a refund on the unused paper single?

Can refunds be issued straight away on a recently purchased unused paper ticket?

 

[CyrusWuff]

As far as I'm aware, Chiltern are unable to send out replacement Smartcards with the product(s) from the failed card loaded onto them.

This isn't an issue for a Monthly or longer Season Ticket, as a Chiltern Ticket Office can "Replace" the original ticket onto the new card.

It's not possible to transfer a partly used Flexi Season to the new card in this manner, however (unless @Wallsendmag knows of a workaround.) As such, you'd probably need to get a refund for the unused days on the original card and buy a new Flexi Season to load onto the new card. Given the original card is failing, I would hope Chiltern would waive the admin fee for the refund.

 

[Wallsendmag]

LNER can send out cards with the currently loaded products on but not everyone has this function. I'm not sure that anyone can replace a Flexi Season using a new card. Best bet is refund get a new Smartcard and rebook.

 

[VT118]

Thanks for the replies

Any idea why a card would stop working, start working, and then stop working again?

Maybe there is still hope for my current smartcard

 

[Wallsendmag]

Thanks for the replies

Any idea why a card would stop working, start working, and then stop working again?

Maybe there is still hope for my current smartcard

Dodgy chip I expect

 

[Vexed]

Thanks for the replies

Any idea why a card would stop working, start working, and then stop working again?

Maybe there is still hope for my current smartcard

My Thameslink smartcard did at one point, I was trying to load a Travelcard at a ticket office. Also didn't work at a ticket machine. But then a few days later I tried to tap in with keyGo and it suddenly could have products loaded onto it again!

I haven't had the stop working again phase yet. As Wallsendmag said probably a dodgy chip. These things happen, they're cheap to replace.

 

[sqwizz]

Am I right in thinking that my best course of action for the journey home is to purchase a paper single back to Banbury as a back up, try and use my smartcard and if that goes well, claim a refund on the unused paper single?

Can refunds be issued straight away on a recently purchased unused paper ticket?

Check first if you get a full refund; with LNR I was charged a £5 admin fee which was the majority of the cost in the first place

 

[VT118]

An update in case it's useful to anyone

I reported my smartcard as stolen on their website and new one was sent out next day delivery

Any unused journeys are automatically loaded onto the card, which is great


To avoid the risk of me using the smartcard at the barriers, but it not actually activating my ticket for the day, I now put my smartcard into the ticket machine and activate it before going through the barriers. It gives me piece of mind that it is indeed active and I don't have to mess around with the 'national rail smartcard' app.