Gold card query

[Amy Worrall]

I'm about to buy an annual season ticket between Coventry and London Terminals. (More accurately, I'll probably get it between Berkswell and London Terminals, since it's the same price and has the same permitted routes.)

I believe if I buy it from Euston, I can get it as a Gold Card. However, I'm currently away for Christmas. I'd like to buy it before the fares go up, so that means I'll probably buy it from Whaley Bridge or Macclesfield.

Is it possible to exchange the ticket for a Gold Card later?

Thanks,

Amy

 

[CyrusWuff]

One of the conditions of issue for Gold Cards is that the issuing station has to be in the area, so officially probably not.

Having said that, if you buy it from Macclesfield (run by Virgin if memory serves) you should be able to get it exchanged at Euston should it fail to work the barriers. Whether such a replacement would be issued on Gold Card stock I can't say, however.

 

[OwlMan]

When are you starting your season ticket. The Gold Car Area is being extended 0n 2 January and Berkswell & Coventry will both be part of it.

 

[Amy Worrall]

I don't need the ticket to start until 5th Jan. But I do need to purchase it before the fare rise (which I think is on the 2nd). Which means I'll need to buy it while I'm up north.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Be aware that the ticket has to start no later than 1st January to pay the current price. Tickets starting on 2nd January or later will be charged at the new rate.

 

[island]

I don't need the ticket to start until 5th Jan. But I do need to purchase it before the fare rise (which I think is on the 2nd). Which means I'll need to buy it while I'm up north.

The ticket must both be purchased and start on or before 01-JNR-15 to benefit from the old fares.

 

[Be3G]

According to London Midland, it will be possible to exchange a ‘normal’ annual season for a gold card after 2 January, if a passenger becomes entitled to a gold card thanks to the newly expanded area of eligibility. That would seem to provide a way around this problem.

 

[Hadders]

According to London Midland, it will be possible to exchange a ‘normal’ annual season for a gold card after 2 January, if a passenger becomes entitled to a gold card thanks to the newly expanded area of eligibility. That would seem to provide a way around this problem.

I had a discussion about this at a LM station last week and they didn't know anything about reprinting existing tickets onto Gold Card stock after 2nd January.
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You could always purchase on-line from London Midland which should make an exchange to a Gold Card slightly easier if the ticket's been purchased from LM rather than somewhere 'oop north!

 

[Amy Worrall]

The thing I don't get: ignoring anything to do with the change in rules on 2nd Jan for the time being: you can get a gold card if you go from or to a station in the gold card area. I understand that stations outside the area might not have the gold card ticket stock on hand, but I don't get why I can't just go and get the season ticket reprinted at Euston onto gold card stock later. I'd have paid an appropriate amount.

It seems a bit capricious to refuse to do that just because I couldn't get to Euston on the day I needed to buy it. Surely this happens all the time, when people buy their season ticket while at home rather than making one full fare journey to London just to buy it there?
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I probably will buy from LM online. I've found the page that says you can get them reprinted after 2nd Jan. Thanks for the heads up Be3G and Hadders!

 

[Hadders]

The thing I don't get: ignoring anything to do with the change in rules on 2nd Jan for the time being: you can get a gold card if you go from or to a station in the gold card area. I understand that stations outside the area might not have the gold card ticket stock on hand, but I don't get why I can't just go and get the season ticket reprinted at Euston onto gold card stock later. I'd have paid an appropriate amount.

In theory you should be able to do exactly that. In practice however, you might encounter staff who have been poorly briefed and will refuse to do it, directing you instead to the place where you purchased the ticket (where, on this occasion, is the one place you wouldn't be able to do it)

Far better to keep it all 'in house' with London Midland - at least there's only one company to deal with if something goes wrong.

 

[RJ]

If a customer requested a replacement in these circumstances, I'd issue it on Gold Card stock.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

If a customer requested a replacement in these circumstances, I'd issue it on Gold Card stock.

Where do you work? Well-trained and co-operative ticket office staff are harder to find than a punctual, not-short-formed Thameslink train in 2014

 

[RJ]

Where do you work? Well-trained and co-operative ticket office staff are harder to find than a punctual, not-short-formed Thameslink train in 2014

I work at several different ticket offices and typically only 5 or so hours a week

 

[Amy Worrall]

Annoyingly…*I tried to buy it online this evening, and was told "We can't offer you any delivery options for your trip. It may be too close to the train's departure time."

I guess I'll have to buy it from a non-LM station, and sort out the gold card issue later.

Amy

 

[Z12XE]

If a customer requested a replacement in these circumstances, I'd issue it on Gold Card stock.

The instructions for GA staff is that any tickets from the 2nd of Jan which then fall inside the new Gold Card Area (but didnt before) can be replaced by encode exchange, onto Gold stock no fuss.

 

[Hadders]

Annoyingly…*I tried to buy it online this evening, and was told "We can't offer you any delivery options for your trip. It may be too close to the train's departure time."

I guess I'll have to buy it from a non-LM station, and sort out the gold card issue later.

Amy

I've looked on London Midland's website and I can get as far as the payment screen (I obviously don't want to go any further!)

Make sure you select Next Day Special Delivery and set the start date to 1 January.

 

[jon0844]

What benefits do you get from LM?

I'm thinking it will just be easier to buy my season from Cheshunt tomorrow (AGA, and with sod all benefits) as it seems they'll be replacing tickets with Gold Card stock from the 2nd, so I just get the ticket tomorrow for the 1st and then swap later on. I'm away on holiday from the 31st.

There is one other question; what if someone doesn't get their ticket changed over straight away? Would you still be able to buy Gold Card discounted tickets and state to any RPI that, from the 2nd, it is now a valid Gold Card even if not printed on Gold Card ticket stock?

I ask because surely the ticket would be valid from that date onward, so why should you lose out if it takes time to change?

 

[Hadders]

The instructions for GA staff is that any tickets from the 2nd of Jan which then fall inside the new Gold Card Area (but didnt before) can be replaced by encode exchange, onto Gold stock no fuss.

The OP is away for a few days and is contemplating purchasing the ticket from a Northern station, then getting it reprinted back at an LM station next week.

In theory this is fine, in practice will the response might be 'you purchased it from Northern so they'll have to reprint it' which, of course, they won't be able to do as they're not in the Gold Card area.

 

[spasmj]

My season was printed on gold card stock on Monday at a Greater Anglia station. I had asked about coming in to get it exchanged and the staff member explained that they hadn't been given any information about that so he asked if I'd be happy with the gold card right away!

 

[Z12XE]

What benefits do you get from LM?

I'm thinking it will just be easier to buy my season from Cheshunt tomorrow (AGA, and with sod all benefits) as it seems they'll be replacing tickets with Gold Card stock from the 2nd, so I just get the ticket tomorrow for the 1st and then swap later on. I'm away on holiday from the 31st.

I'd have thought at this stage, anything you buy from an NSE/Network area station which is Gold eligable from the 2nd would be put on Gold stock straight away. I certainly would, but then I work in the Network area so its not really any different to us.

There is one other question; what if someone doesn't get their ticket changed over straight away? Would you still be able to buy Gold Card discounted tickets and state to any RPI that, from the 2nd, it is now a valid Gold Card even if not printed on Gold Card ticket stock?

I ask because surely the ticket would be valid from that date onward, so why should you lose out if it takes time to change?

Good Question, but suspect it would depend on the RPI in question, but it is the stock which shows the eligability (i.e annual PRIV or discounted seasons etc go on standard orange stock to disallow any Gold benefits. (we dont do blue stock)

My season was printed on gold card stock on Monday at a Greater Anglia station. I had asked about coming in to get it exchanged and the staff member explained that they hadn't been given any information about that so he asked if I'd be happy with the gold card right away!

Great that the clerk did that, but seems odd they'd need specific instructions to encourage them to do this. Anyone with an eligable ticket can get then swapped should they fail (magentic strip or fading) and from the 2nd they'd simply use Gold stock.

I've previously encoded Network area tickets (issued at Ipswich on blue stock) onto Gold in the past asthe ticket is eligable and same TOC.
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The OP is away for a few days and is contemplating purchasing the ticket from a Northern station, then getting it reprinted back at an LM station next week.

In theory this is fine, in practice will the response might be 'you purchased it from Northern so they'll have to reprint it' which, of course, they won't be able to do as they're not in the Gold Card area.

Of course. I'd probably do an encode and provide Northern with the details myself, but others may not wish to do that.

The other more important warning I'd give is that the original issuing TOC needs to issue any Refunds or Duplicates.

Therefore if you buy from Northern, lose it dont ask London Midland for the duplicate. That would need to go back to Northern (NRCoC F.32)

 

[jon0844]

I guess if you get a season for an area that isn't part of the scheme until the 2nd (why choose this date then?) then it's to stop you getting GC benefits on the 1st. And if you get the card from the 2nd, as they might hope you will to avoid the faff, you pay more.

Of course it's a load of work for staff to reissue tickets that ATOC might not have factored in!

 

[Z12XE]

I guess if you get a season for an area that isn't part of the scheme until the 2nd (why choose this date then?) then it's to stop you getting GC benefits on the 1st.

Issued as a new ticket, it will have a start date on it of 2nd Jan which should prevent that.

Although IMO let them have their discount if people are purchasing annual tickets at considerable sums then we should be a bit more generous to them. Doing away with the weekend pass across the area was a little unfair really.

 

[bb21]

I guess if you get a season for an area that isn't part of the scheme until the 2nd (why choose this date then?) then it's to stop you getting GC benefits on the 1st. And if you get the card from the 2nd, as they might hope you will to avoid the faff, you pay more.

Of course it's a load of work for staff to reissue tickets that ATOC might not have factored in!

Possibly. I doubt however that any TOC would be intentionally trying to stop you benefiting for the sake of a couple of weeks. The negligible cost is pocket money in the grand scheme of things.

 

[island]

Issued as a new ticket, it will have a start date on it of 2nd Jan which should prevent that.

Although IMO let them have their discount if people are purchasing annual tickets at considerable sums then we should be a bit more generous to them. Doing away with the weekend pass across the area was a little unfair really.

I think "until the 2nd" modified "isn't part of the scheme" rather than "get a season".

My gold card doesn't have a start date, by the way.

 

[jon0844]

I think "until the 2nd" modified "isn't part of the scheme" rather than "get a season".

My gold card doesn't have a start date, by the way.

They don't do they? Hence you only being able to get one a week before it starts?

I assume that once you get your season, it's valid immediately (so in effect, you can get an additional week free) although I never tried one of mine in a gate to see if it would work, but did always show it to RPIs. Of course I had my old one behind it, and continued to use that in the gates.

 

[Amy Worrall]

Thanks for your help everyone.

I bought the ticket from Macclesfield, which at least is a Virgin station rather than Northern. My usual station is Coventry, which is also Virgin, so that should help.

The ticket I bought is printed on blue stock. I'll try to get it converted next week.

I've looked on London Midland's website and I can get as far as the payment screen (I obviously don't want to go any further!)

Make sure you select Next Day Special Delivery and set the start date to 1 January.

The problem I was having was that it wasn't presenting me with any delivery options, so I couldn't get past that screen. I definitely had the start date set to 1st Jan.

I'm glad I went and bought in person in the end, since it's one more hassle out of the way with. It took half an hour as the ticket seller had to phone my bank to get authorisation —*he said he'd never sold something so expensive before! (To be fair, aside from my house, I've never bought something so expensive!)

One question, I know that if I lose it I can get a replacement (at least the first time) —*how do I do this? Do I keep the receipt? The receipt states the price paid but not what the ticket was or how long it was valid for — can they derive that from the transaction number?

Thanks for your help, all!

Amy

 

[jon0844]

I was getting errors on the LM site when selecting 1st Jan and then a year duration. Said it couldn't find anything before presenting just day tickets.

But if you then re-select the start date by changing to, say, 2nd Jan and then back to 1st Jan (duration stays as a year) then they show up!

Off to Cheshunt shortly to buy a ticket there. Will be interesting to see if they issue on Gold Card stock as the lady yesterday when I asked about any benefits seemed to be very clued up on all the changes from next year, so hopefully will fully understand what I'm trying to do.

I do hope the people at Lichfield and Lichfield Trent Valley will be looking forward to massive station upgrades once data comes in that they've just sold thousands of season tickets for next year!

Edit: Got season, and it's already on Gold Card stock. Lady didn't even understand why I thought it wouldn't be!

 

[bussnapperwm]

Will network railcards be valid/issued in the extended area?

 

[jon0844]

I don't think so. Just to add more confusion to rail staff.

What I should have done today (and others should if getting one) is get a partner card for £1 before you have to pay £10!

 

[swt_passenger]

Will network railcards be valid/issued in the extended area?

Highly unlikely, given there's been no PR at all.