Faded Rail Card

[rjhglover]

A few weeks ago, the ticket seller at Stamford station implied that my railcard had faded and I should get it replaced next time I came in. I went to Peterborough station the same day and asked how I go about getting it replaced. The woman I spoke to she added that the photo needed replacing as well and she just stamped the expiry date at the back.

Asked on another occasion about getting it replaced and I was told that it hadn't that long to run and it was stamped. This week I went in to Stamford station and asked how I get my railcard replaced and the ticket seller put a lighter up to it to clarify the date. That has now faded.

My railcard has about 4 weeks to run before it expires but would I be ok with it just being stamped? Personally I'd rather get it replaced. To add I don't think I have my receipt.

Thanks
rjhglover

 

[Muzer]

I don't know if this is TOC specific, but I believe it costs £5 down here to get a replacement, for a season ticket at least, I expect it's similar for a railcard.

I've had better luck with mine, though the final one I had faded massively on just the left side (with the month and year at least still visible), I still managed to get journeys out of it - however, this intersected nicely with when I got my Natwest 16-25 railcard which is a physical card rather than paper ticket, so there's no longer any chance of fading

 

[323235]

The railcard should be fine if it is stamped and for 4 weeks it isn't worth worrying about it however you may encounter guards who arn't happy about it but as long as the stamped date is readable then you are ok.

A station issued faded railcard can be replaced free of charge at any staffed station. You don't need a receipt although it is useful. All that is required is the railcard and the expiry date either provided from the card or verbally given if no receipt is available and it cannot be read.

No station should be charging for a faded replacement, as it has been confirmed on here previously that The Manual which is used by Rail Staff documents the process and advises that a charge should not be made.

 

[Muzer]

No station should be charging for a faded replacement, as it has been confirmed on here previously that The Manual which is used by Rail Staff documents the process and advises that a charge should not be made.

Oh, that's good, clearly the people who informed me that it would be £5 were misinformed (I believe this was in the case of a season ticket where the strip had gone, the ticket gate people told me I should get it replaced for £5...) - or for some reason they have different rules for fading and the strip going!

 

[bb21]

The £5 replacement fee (now £10) is charged if the passenger lost the Railcard but can still produce the receipt. Replacements due to fading is free.

 

[VauxhallandI]

My season ticket has just about faded away again. This one was only issued in December.

I'm thinking about knocking an invoice up and sending it to GA as an admin fee when I get it replaced.

It appends twice a year on average, the system is not fit for purpose.

When I lost my ticket they charged me £20 to replace it so I think a reciprocal charge is only fair and logical.

I got my £20 refunded mind due to the shambles of a process that lasted ten days.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

....When I lost my ticket they charged me £20 to replace it so I think a reciprocal charge is only fair and logical.....

You know that little piece of card you had, the one that proved you had paid to travel, the one you lost and had to get replaced, that wasn't yours, you didn't own it, you don't even own the replacement. It is simply proof that you have paid for travel, think of it as a receipt if you like, but not one you own. The £20 charge was for you to replace someone else's property when you lost it.

When it fades or stops working in the barrier, the railway replace it for no charge so you can carry on proving that you have paid to travel. So what exactly would you charge them for? Replacing their own property?

 

[Prairie_5542]

My season ticket has just about faded away again. This one was only issued in December.

I'm thinking about knocking an invoice up and sending it to GA as an admin fee when I get it replaced.

It appends twice a year on average, the system is not fit for purpose.

When I lost my ticket they charged me £20 to replace it so I think a reciprocal charge is only fair and logical.

I got my £20 refunded mind due to the shambles of a process that lasted ten days.

A replacement for a faded Season ticket (an Encode) is done free of charge! You just need to hand in your ticket and then you will get a new one with the same date and info printed on it clearly readable!

Duplicate fee for a lost seson ticket is indeed £20 on GA.

 

[VauxhallandI]

You know that little piece of card you had, the one that proved you had paid to travel, the one you lost and had to get replaced, that wasn't yours, you didn't own it, you don't even own the replacement. It is simply proof that you have paid for travel, think of it as a receipt if you like, but not one you own. The £20 charge was for you to replace someone else's property when you lost it.

When it fades or stops working in the barrier, the railway replace it for no charge so you can carry on proving that you have paid to travel. So what exactly would you charge them for? Replacing their own property?

Thanks for the patronising tone to your response.

Whether I own it or not it is not fit for purpose and it is MY time spent getting it re-done at least thrice a year. That is what the invoice is for, my time.

If when I lose it (yes it can happen and for me once in ten years so almost as perfect as you) GA charge me £20 so it stans to reason it could work the other way around.

Who "owns" a proxy piece of paper is not really relevant?

 

[CarltonA]

My Network Rail Card faded and was replaced (free), the replacement faded after about three months. Then I renewed it at a different station (St Pancras EMT) and it is still as clear as the day it was issued and due to expire next week. Obviously there is an issue with certain printers.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Thanks for the patronising tone to your response....

You're most welcome.

Whether I own it or not it is not fit for purpose and it is MY time spent getting it re-done at least thrice a year. That is what the invoice is for, my time....

Well, good luck with that, you'll need it.

....If when I lose it (yes it can happen and for me once in ten years so almost as perfect as you) GA charge me £20 so it stans to reason it could work the other way around....

Given that their charge is in the terms and conditions of issue and yours are not, I'd say it is most unlikely to work the other way round.

....Who "owns" a proxy piece of paper is not really relevant?

In respect of what they can charge you and you charge them, I believe it is entirely relevant.

 

[185]

I still laugh at a colleague of mine who tried the lighter trick, did it a bit close and turned the entire front of some poor student's railcard black :roll:

They are rubbish to be honest. The plastic bank ones should be the industry standard, sent through the post.

 

[VauxhallandI]

You're most welcome.



Well, good luck with that, you'll need it.



Given that their charge is in the terms and conditions of issue and yours are not, I'd say it is most unlikely to work the other way round.



In respect of what they can charge you and you charge them, I believe it is entirely relevant.

Well I don't really think they are going to pay me, it's a statement of logic which is obviously lost on you.

I know fine well whose T&C's they are.

Maybe they could produce something fit for purpose but never mind just ignore it.

 

[Prairie_5542]

Thermal printed ticket stock tends to fade about 3 or 4 months after issue. I came up with a solution for people's railcards fading. I used some old photocards, the clear sticky bit that goes over the photo to seal it in. This stopped the railcards from fading.

 

[ainsworth74]

I don't know what people do to their Railcards but I've had about eight of them now and not one has suffered from fading let alone after only a few of months!

 

[VauxhallandI]

I don't know what people do to their Railcards but I've had about eight of them now and not one has suffered from fading let alone after only a few of months!

I put mine in trail way issued wallet, take it out of it twice a day and put it through a railway machine.

I imagine that's what most people do with them

 

[ainsworth74]

I put mine in trail way issued wallet, take it out of it twice a day and put it through a railway machine.

I thought we were talking about railcards not season tickets?

 

[VauxhallandI]

I thought we were talking about railcards not season tickets?

Ha, very true. That'll be my fault sorry

 

[Jonfun]

I don't know what people do to their Railcards but I've had about eight of them now and not one has suffered from fading let alone after only a few of months!

Mine just sits there in the ticket wallet. I think the record was 4 months before it faded so much conductors started to get a bit miffed at it. My local booking office's solution? When asked to replace it they just put some sellotape over the (already barely readable) date, saying it'll protect it. It didn't, but it did give the booking clerk at Nottingham some entertainment when I told her the story whilst she replaced it without fuss a month or so later.

I suspect it probably depends on the hardware used to print it - my replacement from Nottingham hasn't faded even slightly whereas my original from Stalybridge faded almost instantly!

 

[VauxhallandI]

Never had a problem with my picture card.

 

[Trog]

Never had a problem with my picture card.

My PT ID card is starting to look a little worn now, but after over quarter of a century in my trouser pocket I suppose that is only to be expected.

 

[VauxhallandI]

My PT ID card is starting to look a little worn now, but after over quarter of a century in my trouser pocket I suppose that is only to be expected.

Your trouser must be looking a wee bit tatty too!

 

[tony_mac]

I don't know what people do to their Railcards but I've had about eight of them now and not one has suffered from fading let alone after only a few of months!

We've had this mentioned a few times - it is to do with the railcards themselves, not how they are treated.

One was left in a drawer for several months yet was severely faded.
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showpost.php?p=1194601&postcount=41

I had one faded after a few months, while the previous year's was still in the same wallet and was absolutely fine.

 

[Birdbrain]

My station issued railcard used to fade so quickly all the time! I think the booking office must have been sick of me asking for replacements although they did it for free. Got bored of it and brought the online one now, much better.

 

[sheff1]

I don't know what people do to their Railcards but I've had about eight of them now and not one has suffered from fading let alone after only a few of months!

It does seem to depend on where you buy them. Someone else mentioned St Pancras ones being good. I always renew my NSE card there and it has never faded either.

 

[ainsworth74]

It does seem to depend on where you buy them. Someone else mentioned St Pancras ones being good. I always renew my NSE card there and it has never faded either.

In that case I heartily recommend Redcar Central. I've bought seven of my eight railcards from there and they've never faded. Indeed I've had one of them for nearly two years and it's still fine! Beverley also seems to be a good place for them.

 

[bb21]

The EMT ones issued at Leicester which I possess have never faded. Indeed I have one issued four years ago at Leicester and one issued at Loughborough in 2004 which are both still clearly legible.

The only one I have in my collection that has faded beyond recognition is an SWT one issued in 2006 at Farnborough Main.

 

[island]

I bought a railcard at Birmingham Intl last March and it didn't print very well. It was faded by October, but they refused to replace it saying it wasn't "faded enough" and I should travel with the receipt as well in case verification was needed (which you are explicitly told not to do).

Birmingham Moor Street cheerfully replaced it later that day, and the new one is fine but about to expire.

 

[sarahj]

Had a couple recently where the only thing that had faded was the year. Quick check, and oh, one was 2010 and the other 2011. Funny that!!!