Northern rail tvm/website

[CHESHIRECAT]

Anyone able to explain why the TVMs' don't offer the evening return within Gtr Manchester whereas the website does ?

Went to the sparkly new machine at Stockport last night @ 1845 for Evening Return to Bramhall.. only offered the normal Off Peak.. the Virgin machine next to it offers them ( had to use credit card though!)

 

[island]

Because they're badly-programmed.

 

[Chapeltom]

Buy on the train if you can't get the ticket you want, no-one can penalise you because a machine won't offer you something that should be available.

 

[First class]

Buy on the train if you can't get the ticket you want, no-one can penalise you because a machine won't offer you something that should be available.

They can if the machine next to it is working properly and a staffed ticket office option is available!

 

[323235]

Anyone able to explain why the TVMs' don't offer the evening return within Gtr Manchester whereas the website does ?

Went to the sparkly new machine at Stockport last night @ 1845 for Evening Return to Bramhall.. only offered the normal Off Peak.. the Virgin machine next to it offers them ( had to use credit card though!)

It's always been like that, I complained about the previous machine not offering tickets to Manchester Central Zone and it got rectified fairly quickly and a sticker attached telling people to buy to Manchester Central Zone if travelling to Manchester.

I may follow this up myself in due course.....

 

[island]

Buy on the train if you can't get the ticket you want, no-one can penalise you because a machine won't offer you something that should be available.

That's not quite true. If a TVM is operating and you are unable to get the ticket you want for it, you must buy some sort of ticket to allow you to commence your journey and part-exchange it for the right ticket on the train. Otherwise you might get charged an anytime fare.

 

[323235]

so your saying the OP should buy a Off Peak Day Return which is double the price of an Evening Return and part exchange for the cheaper ticket because a guard is really going to issue a refund? Ain't gonna happen. Have you ever tried this outside a Penalty Fare Zone? I have and it didn't work.

 

[Chapeltom]

I'd simply not do that either.

 

[yorkie]

They can if the machine next to it is working properly and a staffed ticket office option is available!

It sounds like the OP may have wanted to pay by cash but the machine only accepted card. Cash is a valid payment method and if you wish to use it, and the machines won't take it, they can't stop you buying on board, as I understand it. It is not entirely clear from the original post that this was the case, though it is implied.

 

[CHESHIRECAT]

I did want to pay cash but had card and knew the score ( there was queue at Ticket Office) so used the Virgin manchine so no problem... for those not in the know they would just pay full Off Peak Return

 

[island]

As there was an open booking office in this case there would not have been an opportunity to buy the discounted ticket on board.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

so your saying

My saying?

the OP should buy a Off Peak Day Return which is double the price of an Evening Return and part exchange for the cheaper ticket because a guard is really going to issue a refund? Ain't gonna happen. Have you ever tried this outside a Penalty Fare Zone? I have and it didn't work.

A single to your destination, or to the first or second stop of the train, is or should be sufficient.

I am telling you what the NRCoC say, well aware that there are deviations from this in practice.