My name on the tickets.

[Alan2603]

Hi,

I have had a quick search but cannot find the answer to this, so am hoping someone can answer this query.

I have recently bought a couple of Advance tickets with VTEC for a friend who does not have access to the internet. I paid for them with my credit card and he has paid me for the tickets (no profit or otherwise). It was done purely as my friend does not have internet access.

After booking the tickets for him, I collected them from the ticket machine at Northallerton and handed them to him. However, my friend is worried it is my name printed on the bottom of the tickets and not his name (I couldn't see anywhere where it asked for the name of the passenger when I was booking them online).

Firstly, why do they now print the buyers name on the tickets (even if it isn’t the person who is travelling)?

I cannot see anything wrong with buying the tickets for a friend who has not got internet access, or is there some rule which says I can’t?

Could the guard/ticket inspector etc get funny with him due to his name not being on the tickets?

Many thanks

Alan.

 

[Swimo]

I’m not sure why it is done but I have never known anyone to have their name checked from the tickets booked online.

 

[yorkie]

For normal tickets on orange ticket stock, the name of the purchaser may be printed on the ticket. This is nothing to worry about; you may buy tickets for someone else.

Do make sure you avoid "Print@Home" or electronic/mobile tickets though, as these have further complications.

 

[yorkie]

I’m not sure why it is done but I have never known anyone to have their name checked from the tickets booked online.

There is nothing to check!

 

[Alan2603]

Thanks Yorkie and Swimo,

That will reassure him hopefully.

I must admit I have never noticed my name printed on the bottom of the tickets before. Is this some thing relatively new?

Thanks

Alan

 

[yorkie]

Only certain ticket issuing systems do this, but it is not new.

 

[Alan2603]

Only certain ticket issuing systems do this, but it is not new.

Thanks again.

I wasn't sure if it was something to do with VTEC changing to the new website or something.

Alan

 

[Wallsendmag]

The old site did it as well


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[paddington]

Since it's not compulsory to carry ID in the UK, there is no way to check the name. Think of the outrage if TOCs said that all train passengers needed to carry ID

Is ID required for some print-at-home tickets?

I note that when booking Night Riviera berths (on GWR's site at least - not sure about other sites or how they would transmit the data to GWR) you are asked to enter the name of the passenger separately, and the staff have a list of names and will ask for your name and ticket when they come to see you at your berth - this has nothing to do with the purchaser's name that might appear on orange ticket stock which the OP is concerned about

 

[alistairlees]

I assume the name is appearing almost at the bottom (left) of the ticket, on the dark orange strip at the bottom? If so, it's most definitely intended to be the name of the purchaser (not the name of the traveller). According to the RSP standards it's optional and should only be used "if required by local practice" (or something very similar). I suspect it's intended to be used by some ticket issuing machines at some stations (though why, I don't know). It isn't anything to do with the retailer, unless they also issue (print / post) the tickets themselves. In this case you collected from a TVM (which issued the tickets), so it's the TVM that decided to add this.

In any case, it has no bearing on the issue - your friend can absolutely travel with these tickets, and no questions will be asked.

There are other circumstances where this happens with ToD tickets - most notably the corporate travel market, where one person might buy a ticket on behalf of someone else who is travelling. So it's a really common situation, and you (and your friend) have nothing to worry about at all.

There are (or have been) circumstances where passenger identity is collected and used on tickets:
- season tickets
- print at home tickets, because it needed to match the ID (such as driving licence) that was to be produced, at least for the lead passenger. I think this is no longer required (I really should know)
- sleeper trains where, for passengers travelling in a berth, it has always been compulsory to capture the name (and contact details and any special requirements) of the lead passenger, in order to deal with any issues to do with service alterations (it's not as if there's another train you can get on, generally speaking)

There's probably some others, but I can't think of any right now. These are the main ones needing a name anyway.

 

[Adlington]

There are (or have been) circumstances where passenger identity is collected and used on tickets:
[...]
- print at home tickets, because it needed to match the ID (such as driving licence) that was to be produced, at least for the lead passenger. I think this is no longer required

Oh yes, it is... See What are Print Your Own tickets?

 

[yorkie]

Oh yes, it is... See What are Print Your Own tickets?

Depends on the train company!

(Can I respond with a pantomime style: "Oh no it isn't!"? )
https://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/faq/ticketing

If a specific name is on a ‘print at home’ ticket, can another person use the ticket?

Yes, another person can use the ticket, or one person can buy multiple tickets on behalf of a group, individual passenger names do not have to be on tickets. Please note, this applies to tickets bought through Chiltern Railways, other companies policy for this may differ.

 

[Skie]

It's generally for corporate customers so when someone responsible for booking large numbers of tickets also has the facility to print those tickets locally they can very quickly sort them out by traveller name rather than the more painstaking task of tallying the destination, time and date to the original requests. Usually if you have 'guests' that aren't enrolled on the corporate booking system it will be the bookers name, otherwise the traveller gets their name applied to their ticket because the large enterprises that use these systems tend to like to attribute each ticket to an employee for accounting purposes.

In all my time travelling I've never been quizzed about the names on the tickets.

On the Pendolinos when you go via Virgins groups team you end up with your bookers name (or whatever you like if you ask nicely ) on the LCD's above the seats as well as names on the tickets.

 

[philjo]

I bought a Heart of Wales circular day ranger ticket last week. I boarded at Church Stretton, so purchased it on board the train. The ticket machine required entry of my name before it would issue the ticket - the Conductor wasn't sure why it needed a name. My name was printed on the ticket, though no-one really read it for the rest of the day!

 

[Busaholic]

I bought a Heart of Wales circular day ranger ticket last week. I boarded at Church Stretton, so purchased it on board the train. The ticket machine required entry of my name before it would issue the ticket - the Conductor wasn't sure why it needed a name. My name was printed on the ticket, though no-one really read it for the rest of the day!

Starbucks requires a name before they'll condescend to make the coffee you've just (over)paid for, but I think of the first name that comes into my head. Luckily that hasn't included Adolf and I'd probably draw the line at Donald too!

 

[MarlowDonkey]

Starbucks requires a name before they'll condescend to make the coffee you've just (over)paid for, but I think of the first name that comes into my head

Essentially they just want a reference so as to link you with the coffee prepared a minute or two later. Any name would do.

 

[iknowyeah]

I bought a Heart of Wales circular day ranger ticket last week. I boarded at Church Stretton, so purchased it on board the train. The ticket machine required entry of my name before it would issue the ticket - the Conductor wasn't sure why it needed a name. My name was printed on the ticket, though no-one really read it for the rest of the day!

For rangers on STARmobile it asks for a name to be taken, but you can just override it by clicking "No Name" on the drop down bar

 

[xotGD]

Essentially they just want a reference so as to link you with the coffee prepared a minute or two later. Any name would do.

I suggest telling them that your name is Costa

 

[A Challenge]

I assumed the reason I was asked for (two different names for passengers travelling together) was as it was a 3 Day Thames Rover, so I couldn't give it to someone else, so was it not then?

 

[yorkie]

I assumed the reason I was asked for (two different names for passengers travelling together) was as it was a 3 Day Thames Rover, so I couldn't give it to someone else, so was it not then?

That doesn't prevent you giving it to someone else (no ID is required), but it is true that this particular type of ticket isn't transferrable.

I think many multi-day Rovers (and some DayRangers) require names because they are set up in a similar way to Season tickets.

This has absolutely nothing to do with TOD (ticket on departure) tickets printing the name of the purchaser.

 

[High Dyke]

Essentially they just want a reference so as to link you with the coffee prepared a minute or two later. Any name would do.

Hmm. They look bemused if I respond with DILLIGAF. Then again i don't like their coffee.

Meanwhile back to the topic. I've noticed my name on tickets sent to me by work, but never had a problem when travelling.

 

[cactustwirly]

When I bought my Kennet day ranger at Reading last month, my name was printed on the ticket.

 

[amarshe]

Deleted, duplicate post

 

[amarshe]

Since it's not compulsory to carry ID in the UK, there is no way to check the name. Think of the outrage if TOCs said that all train passengers needed to carry ID

Is ID required for some print-at-home tickets?

I note that when booking Night Riviera berths (on GWR's site at least - not sure about other sites or how they would transmit the data to GWR) you are asked to enter the name of the passenger separately, and the staff have a list of names and will ask for your name and ticket when they come to see you at your berth - this has nothing to do with the purchaser's name that might appear on orange ticket stock which the OP is concerned about

Ditto for the Caledonian Sleeper - the host will ask for your name and ticket. When booking you give the names of the berth occupant(s) which can be different to the name of the person who booked the ticket.

Again no ID, so you can give your name as Mr and Mrs Smith.