Is it acceptable for GMPTE to promote the Trainline?

[radamfi]

GMPTE recommend visiting the Trainline for prices and online tickets:

http://www.gmpte.com/trains/

Would it be more acceptable for them to be recommending a service which doesn't charge fees? Unless GMPTE get paid for the recommendation - is this likely?

 

[yorkie]

I totally agree.

Perhaps GMPTE could link to the TOCs that serve their area, such as Northern, Virgin, XC and TPE and give people a choice.

Thetrainline are an awful company, and I have had bad experiences with their 'customer services' in the past. It takes ages to get anything out of them when things go wrong.

 

[Mojo]

I am always surprised by the number of passengers I see with printouts from theTrainline, and the number of people I hear talking about it, as if it's the only place you can buy tickets from. Even my sister who is an accountant and very prudent/good with money used to use this website until I told her that booking through a Toc website would save her money.

I would therefore suspect that the website was written by someone similar to the above who has made the same assumption that theTrainline is the only/best place to buy tickets; probably helped by theTrainline's clever marketing who claim they can save x%, not mentioning that you could save even more by booking the exact same ticket direct from a Toc and in the worst case avoiding booking fees, and in the best case getting additional discounts from Tocs who offer money off some of their own tickets when booked through their own website.

 

[142094]

A lot of the council's websites seem to lack updates, several I've seen promoting sustainable transport have links to defunct TOCs and in some cases just advise looking at websites such as Travelline. Quite a statement if even councils can't find out the right information, especially on ticketing. Just reinforces the idea that ticketing itself it a subject which is fare to complex.

 

[90019]

several I've seen promoting sustainable transport have links to defunct TOCs and in some cases just advise looking at websites such as Travelline.

Just gone and had a look at raileasy's list of TOCs again (having not had a look for a few months), and they're still listing defunct ones.

They've certainly improved since last time, when they were still listing ONE, Silverlink and a few others.
They're still showing GNER though, but they also have both NXEC and EC...
MML is still there as well.

 

[mrcheek]

There is no way GMPTE would be doing this unless thetrainline is paying them for it.
No harm in that I suppose, as it means a small amount of the money paid to thetrainline in fares finds its way back to the GMPTE to promote local services and facilities.

 

[142094]

I wouldn't think that they'd be getting paid for it, as that would be a step too far impartiality wise. Most probably someone has been told to update the website to include somewhere to buy train tickets and that is the only one they've put on. They should either list a few few more websites or non at all.

 

[Donny Dave]

GMPTE recommend visiting the Trainline for prices and online tickets:

http://www.gmpte.com/trains/

Would it be more acceptable for them to be recommending a service which doesn't charge fees? Unless GMPTE get paid for the recommendation - is this likely?

It could be that GMPTE are an "affiliate" of The Train Line. IE everyone who follows that link then books a ticket makes money for GMPTE through the commission.

 

[yorkie]

I don't think so as it's a bog standard hyper-link with no affiliate stuff in the URL.

 

[WatcherZero]

With more than half a dozen operators in the PTE area im sure they just decided to go with an independant non-affiliated one.

 

[Dai.]

It seems smarter to link to the train line rather than every TOC in the area - There could be some kind of deal between the organisations as well.

 

[222007]

Thetrainline are an awful company

Absolutely 100% agree with that

The problem i find is that they have no idea when ticket office's are open or what facilities are availible for collecting tickets. Anyone i see who has had issues with thetrainline i direct to my own TOS's website and point out theres no booking fee.