FastTicket reference number necessary

[Mama Banana]

I know, I should alow time for ticket collection.

BUT so many times I do and than still miss the train due to the ticket mashine tuch screen being funny and causing huge problems typing in the reference code.

Or there is a huge que due to other people having similar problems.


Is this FastTicket reference number really necessary? If you can only use the card you used to purchase the ticket anyway? The changes of fraud must be minimal or am I missing something? But the hassle is often bigger than expected.

Any thoughs on this?

Cheers
Banana

 

[Mike395]

I agree our system of ticket collection is not perfect, but a code is needed really - I wouldnt be happy if some idiot stole my card and then just tried it in their nearest TVM to see if there were any outstanding tickets that hadnt been collected. That said, some FastTicket machines do just that and don't ask for the reservation number if there is only one outstanding booking!

And that's the other reason really why the code is needed - there needs to be a differential between bookings made by a single person/card. For example, I wouldnt want to print my Advance ticket for 3 months time, the same time as I print a ticket for the following day.

 

[TUC]

What is really unhelpful is that usually the email confirmation received has the booking reference in bold in the title but that is not the reference needed to collect the ticket. The collection reference is usually buried halfway down the email. It would be much better to put the collection reference at the top of the email.

 

[transportphoto]

What is really unhelpful is that usually the email confirmation received has the booking reference in bold in the title but that is not the reference needed to collect the ticket. The collection reference is usually buried halfway down the email. It would be much better to put the collection reference at the top of the email.

Aren't they usually the same?

 

[Masbroughlad]

I know, I should alow time for ticket collection.

BUT so many times I do and than still miss the train due to the ticket mashine tuch screen being funny and causing huge problems typing in the reference code.

Or there is a huge que due to other people having similar problems.


Is this FastTicket reference number really necessary? If you can only use the card you used to purchase the ticket anyway? The changes of fraud must be minimal or am I missing something? But the hassle is often bigger than expected.

Any thoughs on this?

Cheers
Banana

I forget which way round it is. I've paid with Debit and Credit cards in the past and one of them just spits out the tickets without asking for the booking reference. You would have thought it should be all or nothing? Wonder how long it will before all TOCs can accept mobile or home printed tickets?

 

[allticketspls]

Home printed tickets are an even bigger pain.

The number of people who come to the barriers at Euston waving a laptop at us thinking that they can travel is amazing. The other problem with E-Tickets is the fact that the person travelling needs to show either the credit/debit card used to purchase the ticket or photographic ID at the barrier which causes queues to build up on Friday nights.

 

[causton]

The number of people who come to the barriers at Euston waving a laptop at us thinking that they can travel is amazing.

Is there anything physically wrong (i.e. as against "the rules don't allow it") with showing a laptop anyway? :P

 

[Nym]

Yeah, with PDA tickets, when does it cease to be a PDA and become a laptop?

iPad is a PDA, technically...

 

[starrymarkb]

Is there anything physically wrong (i.e. as against "the rules don't allow it") with showing a laptop anyway? :P

Can you reliably scan the barcode on the screen?

There was discussion on Airliners.net about e-passes, some airlines require A4 and will refuse to accept anything else. Germanwings accepted a 6ft pass for travel

 

[TUC]

Aren't they usually the same?

No unfortunately they're different. When I had this problem and went to the ticket office, they immiediately knew what the problem was and explained to use the other reference so clearly they had come across it before.

 

[HugePilchard]

Can you reliably scan the barcode on the screen?

Some people seem to think the answer is 'yes'. Tesco for instance have a clubcard iPhone app, where you can scan a barcode on the phone's screen instead of using a physical card. I could never get it to work, though!

As to the comment earlier about needing to put the card you paid with in, that's not always the case. I often got our admin team at work to book me tickets through the Trainline on our corporate account, for me to pick up at the station. I used to use my own card to pick them up, even though that card hadn't been involved at any point of the ordering process.

I think the card thing is more about them being able to say "The tickets were collected by Mr Pilchard", rather than "The tickets were collected by someone who happened to have the booking reference. We have no idea who".

 

[craigy68]

As to the comment earlier about needing to put the card you paid with in, that's not always the case. I often got our admin team at work to book me tickets through the Trainline on our corporate account, for me to pick up at the station. I used to use my own card to pick them up, even though that card hadn't been involved at any point of the ordering process.

I think the card thing is more about them being able to say "The tickets were collected by Mr Pilchard", rather than "The tickets were collected by someone who happened to have the booking reference. We have no idea who".

The terms of a Corporate Account are different - hence only having to show a card or other id in your name.

With regards to individual customers, we have this problem as least half a dozen times every single day of the week, and the biggest issue is people not having the card that they used to pay for the tickets !!

 

[londonbridge]

I forget which way round it is. I've paid with Debit and Credit cards in the past and one of them just spits out the tickets without asking for the booking reference. You would have thought it should be all or nothing? Wonder how long it will before all TOCs can accept mobile or home printed tickets?

Think it's debit cards that print without asking for the reference. I collected tickets on Thursday that I'd put on my credit card and had to type the reference number in. Or does it depend on the machine maybe?

 

[Invincibles]

My debit card almost always needs the code.

It can be very frustrating if I forget to write the references down, luckily last time I came to the UK I remembered in Dubai and was able to get the codes I needed for my train from Manchester Airport

 

[SS4]

Think it's debit cards that print without asking for the reference. I collected tickets on Thursday that I'd put on my credit card and had to type the reference number in. Or does it depend on the machine maybe?

It seems entirely random to me depending on what kind of morning the ticket machine is having!

I tend to write my reference number down on a separate piece of paper from the booking confirmation

FastTicket (self-service machine) reference number: XXXXXXXX)

(can't be too careful even though I've collected these tickets and the debit card is no more)

Failing that there is always email and good old Ctrl+F


edit: Seems I digressed a bit there. To answer the OP's query I do believe that a FastTicket number is necessary because it adds a layer of protection to a transaction. Plus you can have your tickets sent to any machine with a TVM that accepts collection - I always send my tickets departing from BHM (Birmingham New Street) to the TVM at ERD (Erdington) as the latter is easier to get to

 

[Mike395]

edit: Seems I digressed a bit there. To answer the OP's query I do believe that a FastTicket number is necessary because it adds a layer of protection to a transaction. Plus you can have your tickets sent to any machine with a TVM that accepts collection - I always send my tickets departing from BHM (Birmingham New Street) to the TVM at ERD (Erdington) as the latter is easier to get to

There's no need to make a point of specifying it, choosing a station from that list is to stop you going to a station without TOD facilities, nothing more - you can pick it up from any station on the list, regardless of which one is chosen