SWT Smartcard Gold Record Card

[horizonflame]

Hello

I decided to try out the South West Trains ITSO Smartcard for my new annual season ticket between Woking and Guildford. I enquired via telephone before purchasing and was assured a gold record card would be issued.

Attached is what I have been issued. To me it seems a fudge of the system?I have used it to get my gold card benefits but it takes some explaining each time it is actually a Gold Card and not just a Network Card. I had a 15 minute discussion last week at Holborn underground before the clerk made a phonecall and I was finally issued with £5.90 travelcard!

SWT's response via e-mail was...

"I am afraid that there are no Gold Record cards for Smartcard at this time. The only way to get a season on Gold Card marked ticket stock is to exchange the Smartcard for paper. I understand there are future plans for a Gold Record Card. But we do not know when."

Has anyone else had one of these recently?

 

[maniacmartin]

A network partner card issued to Mr xxx (gold)
What a hack that will cause no end of problems.

Why can't they just issue Gold Record Cards like SWT themselves used to do if you bought an annual travelcard on Oyster?!

This is yet another way that smartcards are worse than paper tickets!

 

[RJ]

That's not a hack at all. It's a Network Railcard. Just to get this straight - SWT are encouraging people to buy annual tickets with their smart card, but don't have any arrangements in place to allow these customers to get their discount on paper tickets or Oyster? Other than issuing an irrelevant, more restrictive railcard that is highly likely to lead to confusion and embarassment if used?

It seems daft to me - plus, no official word from SWT or ATOC to say that adding the word "gold" in the name field turns a Network Railcard into a Gold Card. People are obviously going to complain, so how has it been released without a solid plan in place for record cards? Thumbs down from me.

 

[Hadders]

This is disgraceful behaviour from SWT and rather concerning because it suggests to me that SWT are trying to remove Gold Cards by stealth.

I agree with RJ that it is likely to lead to confusion and embarrassment if used.

How hard can it be for them to get some Gold Card record stock from TfL?

 

[horizonflame]

As South West Trains are seemingly not issuing a Gold Record Card for an annual season ticket purchased in the Network Area with an origin and destination within the Network Area, can they do this unchallenged?

 

[button_boxer]

As South West Trains are seemingly not issuing a Gold Record Card for an annual season ticket purchased in the Network Area with an origin and destination within the Network Area, can they do this unchallenged?

The only time a "gold record card" is currently issued is alongside an annual Travelcard issued on Oyster. A StagecoachSmart ITSO card isn't an Oyster. Up until now there's been no need for a record card for non-Oyster tickets as the ticket itself is the gold card.

Presumably SWT haven't yet managed to get the rules changed to allow a gold record card to be issued alongside an annual ticket on a medium other than Oyster, but their response suggests they're working on it.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Has anyone tried buying an annual on The Key from Southern? Do they manage to issue a proper gold card?

 

[greatkingrat]

What do Southern do for annual seasons issued on The Key?

 

[maniacmartin]

the key's FAQ says under heading 'What tickets are currently available on the key smartcard?':

*When purchasing an annual season ticket, your gold record card will be automatically issued and posted to your registered address. New products are being rolled out over the coming months, please refer to our website for updates.

 

[smurf13]

This does seem rather odd. You have been giving a gold partner network railcard which does not give you the same benefits as a gold card.
The gold record card is there for stations that do not have an oyster/smartcard reader. As an annual season ticket holder you would be entitled to the same benefits as other season ticket holders whether it is on a smartcard or paper ticket.
I also thought that the partner network card cannot be issued to the owner of the season ticket?

 

[maniacmartin]

I suspect its a Partner Card as a lot of £1 transactions are easier for SWT to round away in their internal accounting pots than the full price.

 

[LexyBoy]

I shall be off to purchase a Partner card for my friend Mr Smith (gold) shortly. Yes, it is an unusual name, why do you ask?

 

[FOH]

Doesn't the red R in a circle enforce minimum spend restrictions that the Gold Card doesn't have?
This seems like a guaranteed way to end up in trouble with RPIs

 

[LexyBoy]

Surely the savings offered on a smartcard would more than make up for the lack of a Gold Card...

oh, wait.

 

[horizonflame]

I had a more intuitive response to a follow up e-mail...

"We issued Networks Partner's cards as temporary solution until a record card can be produced, which we hope will be soon... I will make sure all ticket
offices are reminded of this situation... we will, of course, send you a record card when they become available."

That e-mail was yesterday morning and I visited Waterloo last night to get some first class supplements. I had the same firm reply that I did not have a gold card and my smartcard was clearly an oyster card :roll: He went to consult the "Manager" and was on the phone for about 10 minutes. When he finally came back he was apologetic and said they had not been briefed on the Gold Card/Partner card.

May well encounter an FCC RPI on my journey tomorrow, I'll let you know what they say

 

[Mojo]

Surely they would need to issue a brief to ticket offices, conductors and Revenue Inspectors, of all Tocs, including London Underground, and London Buses? Somehow I cannot believe that this will happen, and be taken in, by the thousands of staff concerned.

 

[smurf13]

LUL have provided briefings regarding the Southern Key. It seems that South West trains have been rather incompetent in rolling out their ITSO card (you would think they did not want/like it). A gold record card is a basic requirement as their will be many stations for now which can't read ITSO cards, and if they can't read the card how are they going to know you have a gold card? Oh yes the record card! Oh no we have not got any mmm......

 

[jon0844]

Can't believe this hasn't been fixed still. I posted a similar thread when I (initially) got a Gold Card from SWT as a smartcard back in January! And when I had to get it changed to a paper ticket for the Gold Card they said they it was being fixed soon. Soon isn't 9 months and counting!

The upside is I ended up with a 'replacement' season ticket marked as £0 that was issued before the season ticket even began!

 

[horizonflame]

Can't believe this hasn't been fixed still. I posted a similar thread when I (initially) got a Gold Card from SWT as a smartcard back in January! And when I had to get it changed to a paper ticket for the Gold Card they said they it was being fixed soon. Soon isn't 9 months and counting!

The upside is I ended up with a 'replacement' season ticket marked as £0 that was issued before the season ticket even began!

I am sticking with mine for now. Although it has taken phone calls to the back office to get my first class supplements issued, I have not yet been refused. SWT have said on Twitter, the supplements are available from telesales and collect from TVM so I may well stick to that route for now.

Last Thursday the FCC RPI was fine with it, however the Gateline assistant at Letchworth would not let me out. In the end he relented and opened the wide gate for me and my suitcase

 

[RJ]

Very poor show from South West Trains. Those in charge of the scheme need to get their act together and get it sorted, regardless of where in the chain the failures are occurring.

 

[Be3G]

SWT have said on Twitter, the supplements are available from telesales and collect from TVM

Ooh! There're many complaints on here about the difficulty of getting a gold card first supplement, even with a ‘genuine’ gold card. I think you've just stumbled on a solution that no-one was aware of!

 

[jon0844]

Yeah, that could be worth trying out.

Sent from my XT1068 using Tapatalk

 

[RJ]

Ooh! There're many complaints on here about the difficulty of getting a gold card first supplement, even with a ‘genuine’ gold card. I think you've just stumbled on a solution that no-one was aware of!

I'm always sceptical of buying tickets requiring supporting documents from telesales. I've tried twice before and they were difficult because they claimed they were unable to verify if I was entitled to have those tickets. I didn't bother trying again. I guess it's hit and miss.

 

[jon0844]

It shouldn't matter though should it? I mean, they can sell you an invalid ticket and you're the one stuffed when caught. But it doesn't surprise me. I do think gold card first class supplements are quite a difficult thing to get. I'm amazed TOCs don't push them more as it's extra revenue.

Sent from my XT1068 using Tapatalk

 

[RJ]

It shouldn't matter though should it? I mean, they can sell you an invalid ticket and you're the one stuffed when caught. But it doesn't surprise me. I do think gold card first class supplements are quite a difficult thing to get. I'm amazed TOCs don't push them more as it's extra revenue.

Sent from my XT1068 using Tapatalk

You'd think so - but more's the pity that isn't the case. Some customers can demonstrate that they understand exactly what they're doing and just need to be issued what they've asked for!