Adam Williams
Established Member
I think @Wallsendmag probably does realise that industry members browse and populate the forums, yes :P
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Digital railcard not usable on expiry date
- Thread starter BigCj34
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py_megapixel
Established Member
Including, I believe, the person you've just quoted...!
SuspectUsual
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And that’s a problem in itself, and (in a different industry) has been the bane of my life for years. Sometimes the only way to get an IT fix prioritised is to remove the human workaround / safety net and let things fall over. But of course professional pride generally prevents this happening
Is it digital or physical?
Leisurefirst
Member
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I similarly bought a digital 2T railcard online last December and it had about the same amount of extra validity almost as though it were being posted to allow for delivery time?!
Digital
Quite possibly. When ordered online for postal delivery a few extra days are added to account for the time it might take to get to you. It might be seen as a quick temporary hack to do the same for digital ones so that you can't complain about the lack of the final day.
ashkeba
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It may remove the legal problem of selling a year railcard that is only 364 days, but I think it will still surprise people that their railcard is not valid to the end of its expiry day. I am surprised it is not clearly against some consumer fairness law.
I don't know about the OP but I am totally confused by that gibberish.
Likewise, I renewed my digital 26-30 yesterday and the expiry is 21/9/23.
Western Sunset
Established Member
Got a reply to the second email I sent to National Rail. Looks like there are moves afoot to rectify the discrepancy between physical and digital expiry dates. Here's their full reply:
Hi Peter
Thank you for your further email.
I sincerely apologise for any stress you’ve experienced due to my colleague’s previous response. Before I address your concerns, I would like to advise you that the customer experience is important to us; therefore, we have internally addressed the feedback you have shared with the advisor who responded to you previously.
I completely understand that you’re unhappy with the functionality of our technological system which renders Digital Railcard invalid the moment the expiry date commences. I further accept your dissatisfaction with the difference in the validity period of physical and digital Railcard.
We agree that Digital Railcards should be valid until 23:59:59 on the day of expiry, so that customers have the opportunity to make optimum use of their Railcard. You will, therefore, be pleased to know that this issue has been raised with the Railcard Technical Team and with whom we expect to expedite the rectification of this error.
Until we’re able to resolve this complaint, may I politely suggest you accept our following suggestion. If you’re planning to make any journey on the expiry date of your Railcard, then please purchase a full-fare ticket. Once you’ve completed your journey, please send us a screen capture of your purchased train ticket, so that we can reimburse you the difference in the fare.
I appreciate the time and effort you’ve taken to bring this matter to our attention, and I’m grateful that you’ve given us an opportunity to help you.
Kind regards
Georgy Oommen
Supervisor - The Railcard Help Team
Hi Peter
Thank you for your further email.
I sincerely apologise for any stress you’ve experienced due to my colleague’s previous response. Before I address your concerns, I would like to advise you that the customer experience is important to us; therefore, we have internally addressed the feedback you have shared with the advisor who responded to you previously.
I completely understand that you’re unhappy with the functionality of our technological system which renders Digital Railcard invalid the moment the expiry date commences. I further accept your dissatisfaction with the difference in the validity period of physical and digital Railcard.
We agree that Digital Railcards should be valid until 23:59:59 on the day of expiry, so that customers have the opportunity to make optimum use of their Railcard. You will, therefore, be pleased to know that this issue has been raised with the Railcard Technical Team and with whom we expect to expedite the rectification of this error.
Until we’re able to resolve this complaint, may I politely suggest you accept our following suggestion. If you’re planning to make any journey on the expiry date of your Railcard, then please purchase a full-fare ticket. Once you’ve completed your journey, please send us a screen capture of your purchased train ticket, so that we can reimburse you the difference in the fare.
I appreciate the time and effort you’ve taken to bring this matter to our attention, and I’m grateful that you’ve given us an opportunity to help you.
Kind regards
Georgy Oommen
Supervisor - The Railcard Help Team
LOL The Irony
Established Member
Technically it should be 04:29 the following day, but most guards will probably just know that anyways. Revenue staff though...
Haywain
Veteran Member
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No, it should not. The railcard is valid to buy tickets up to 23:59:59. The validity to 04:29 is validity of the ticket.
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LOL The Irony
Established Member
I understand it from that point of view, but (and I know it's highly unlikely - but never say never) revenue staff aren't well known for being the most nuanced bunch of people, so an expired railcard to them = invalid ticket. I might be sweeping with my statements, but I have first hand experience of them behaving more like drones than a human with a mind.
greatkingrat
Established Member
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Is there actually anything written down that says a railcard is valid after the expiry date? Just because a ticket for Monday can be used early Tuesday morning, doesn't automatically mean the same rule applies for Railcards.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
It's one of those things that is fairly moot, as very few trains run after midnight and even fewer of them have a ticket inspection!
Capvermell
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Loads and loads of normal commuter local trains from London arrive at their destination after midnight each day and tickets can be checked any time until the end of the journey. Also service to stops on the line to Gatwick such as Clapham Junction, East Croydon, Purley, Horley, Three Bridges and Gatwick Airport itself have trains throughout the night right up to the daily ticket validity cutoff and these are pretty well used trains for the time of day, especially on Friday and Saturday.
Ticket inspection is as you suggest on the whole much less common at this time of day but some members of train supervisor or guard staff on GWR's 2320 service from Gatwick to Reading who apparenly do not live in fear of the peril of late night drunks and rowdies (others clearly do and say stay firmly locked away in the drivers cab at the back of the train) do seem to check tickets on board that late at night and barriers at East Croydon and Brighton stations are still firmly closed and operational until well beyond midnight each day (at East Croydon they are still operational around 0030 when changing on to Southern services via the Tramlink service from Beckenham Junction) so this is in fact a real world issue although the vast majority of staff would no doubt accept the explanation re the technical failings of the digital railcard.
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