Salford Crescent ToD not working

[Merseysider]

Having booked tickets with Virgin Trains, I went to SLD to pick them up and tried (unsuccessfully) to collect them. The machine repeatedly said "due to a technical problem your card cannot be processed at this time" or words to that effect. I know it isn't my card because I'd bought stuff in the Spar shop with it half an hour earlier. Is this something that will 'fix itself' or should I call Northern?

 

[CyrusWuff]

How far through the collection process did you get before it gave the error?

If it was before you entered the collection reference, that's generally indicative of a card or card reader problem (ToD uses the magstripe, not the chip).

If it was after entering the reference, that would suggest a problem with the machine's link to the network.

And if it comes up with "We are unable to retrieve your booking" (or similar), that tends to be that you haven't left enough time between booking and collection, or you've chosen print@home or a mobile ticket, or kiosk collection at a (non-railway) office.

 

[Merseysider]

I tapped on 'collect prebooked tickets' on its homescreen about 4 hours after they'd been booked. (As an aside, I had no problems collecting them 20 mins later at MCO). It indicated that the card should be inserted and literally, the second I inserted it, it said 'your card has been read' or similar. Then directly after removing the card the screen changed to "due to a technical problem...".

 

[maniacmartin]

Sounds like the machine failed to read your card's magstripe for whatever reason. Had you tried again it may have worked

 

[Starmill]

Some of Northern's machines are spectacularly good at requiring 3, 4 or 5 tires at this before it will recognise your card...

 

[Merseysider]

Sounds like the machine failed to read your card's magstripe for whatever reason. Had you tried again it may have worked

Some of Northern's machines are spectacularly good at requiring 3, 4 or 5 tries at this before it will recognise your card...

I did indeed attempt 3 times but gave up. The clerk at SLD told me to try again in Manchester as he either couldn't be bothered printing them off or his machine was offline. It worked perfectly fine at Oxford Road so maybe it was the machine, not my card. Either way I'm going to need ToD again so here's to hoping it works properly by tomorrow.

 

[Starmill]

I did indeed attempt 3 times but gave up. The clerk at SLD told me to try again in Manchester as he either couldn't be bothered printing them off or his machine was offline. It worked perfectly fine at Oxford Road so maybe it was the machine, not my card. Either way I'm going to need ToD again so here's to hoping it works properly by tomorrow.

What type of machine do they have there now? Oxford Road has S + B Machines so much better.

 

[Merseysider]

I have no idea what model the TVM at SLD is but it's predominantly white, accepts cards only, is the same as the one at Mauldeth Road (if that helps) and issues tickets on round-cornered stock connected by perforated lugs.

Yes, I prefer the ones at Oxford Road, they're far more user-friendly & quicker, and you don't end up accidentally clicking twice in one spot (meaning you then need to wait for it to start again when the machine decides you want an Armed Forces discount).

 

[Starmill]

I have no idea what model the TVM at SLD is but it's predominantly white, accepts cards only, is the same as the one at Mauldeth Road (if that helps) and issues tickets on round-cornered stock connected by perforated lugs.

Yes, I prefer the ones at Oxford Road, they're far more user-friendly & quicker, and you don't end up accidentally clicking twice in one spot (meaning you then need to wait for it to start again when the machine decides you want an Armed Forces discount).

Yep. The white one is a Parkeon Galexio Machine. The blue ones are Scheidt & Bachmann Ticket XPress and very popular nationally (UNLIKE those Parkeon ones, although the Todler versions which are collection only are becoming more so). The latter are better, but I personally prefer SHERE FastTicket, such as the ones Virgin have at Piccadilly. :P

 

[Merseysider]

Yep. The white one is a Parkeon Galexio Machine. The blue ones are Scheidt & Bachmann Ticket XPress and very popular nationally (UNLIKE those Parkeon ones, although the Todler versions which are collection only are becoming more so). The latter are better, but I personally prefer SHERE FastTicket, such as the ones Virgin have at Piccadilly. :P

Yeah, I much prefer the Virgin ones. Northern TVMs sometimes have issues printing Evening Returns just before 6.30 even though the journey is to be made after 6.30. Virgin branded machines offer the ECD from around 6pm.

The advantage of TVMs is they won't argue with you over whether the ticket you want is valid :P