Ticket collection

[themeone]

Is it possible to collect a ticket booked online from any station, or does it have to be from the station you chose when booking?

I ask because I made a mistake recently when booking, nominating East Dulwich rather than East Croydon as the pickup location. As it didn't seem possible to change this after booking, I simply applied for an online refund and booked again.

I seem to remember reading that you can in fact pick up anywhere, and just wanted to check if this is correct?

 

[DelayRepay]

I've never had a problem picking up tickets from different stations to the one I selected.

I do this regularly as there is a bug in our work ticket booking system which defaults your collection location to where ever your journey starts. I like to pick my tickets up the day before on my way to/from work.

 

[Hadders]

You can pick up from any station with a ticket vending machine that offers tickets on collection.

You'll have no problems collecting from East Croydon.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Is it possible to collect a ticket booked online from any station, or does it have to be from the station you chose when booking?

I ask because I made a mistake recently when booking, nominating East Dulwich rather than East Croydon as the pickup location. As it didn't seem possible to change this after booking, I simply applied for an online refund and booked again.

I seem to remember reading that you can in fact pick up anywhere, and just wanted to check if this is correct?

The list is there to make sure you can pick up the tickets before boarding a train. You can pick up from any station that is listed and some that are not.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

If I remember rightly, when booking it's worded something like 'tickets may be picked up from the following stations:, with a very pointless drop-down box.

That said, any TOD-enabled TVM will recall a booking provided it's not yet been picked up.

 

[yorkie]

Don't get a refund and rebook as that will pointlessly cost you £10!

As said above any station with TOD enabled TVMs will do!

 

[Merseysider]

Also worth mentioning is a lot of booking offices are capable of printing out online tickets too (although they prefer not to if it's busy/there's a TVM).

 

[trentside]

Also worth mentioning is a lot of booking offices are capable of printing out online tickets too (although they prefer not to if it's busy/there's a TVM).

They may also be instructed not to. I was told this was for "accountancy reasons" but never any more than that.

This doesn't apply when there is a problem or the customer is unable to use the machine, of course.

 

[button_boxer]

I almost always pick tickets up from a different location from the one I chose on the booking form, because the location I prefer to collect from - the machine in the University of Sheffield students' union building - is not on the list at all.

 

[CyrusWuff]

They may also be instructed not to. I was told this was for "accountancy reasons" but never any more than that.

At the end of the day it boils down to money, as documented in Volume 2 of the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement.

A ToD issued at a TVM costs the retailer 40p per transaction, which is deducted from their commission and paid to the issuer, whilst one issued at a Ticket Office costs 90p.

 

[tsr]

Don't get a refund and rebook as that will pointlessly cost you £10!

Unless you're using Southern's Money Back Guarantee (except for any Advances or tickets for the key)!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Is that capped at the commission rate, or does that mean a loss if a very low value ticket is sold online?

 

[Paul Kelly]

Is that capped at the commission rate, or does that mean a loss if a very low value ticket is sold online?

It can mean the retailer makes a loss - see an explanation from Raileasy here: http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=77645&page=4

 

[swt_passenger]

I almost always pick tickets up from a different location from the one I chose on the booking form, because the location I prefer to collect from - the machine in the University of Sheffield students' union building - is not on the list at all.

The list isn't ever likely to include any TVMs in private situations though, is it? Presumably the average SU or office isn't going to be too keen on Joe Public turning up for his tickets...

Surely the main purpose of the list is to help avoid someone expecting to pick up tickets at some obscure wayside halt. By forcing you to go through the motions of 'selecting' a station, they are avoiding someone complaining that they were stranded at some random godforsaken platform in the wilds of Scotland...

 

[louis97]

The list isn't ever likely to include any TVMs in private situations though, is it? Presumably the average SU or office isn't going to be too keen on Joe Public turning up for his tickets...

Loughborough Student Union is in the list on the East Midlands Trains booking engine.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

...Surely the main purpose of the list is to help avoid someone expecting to pick up tickets at some obscure wayside halt. By forcing you to go through the motions of 'selecting' a station, they are avoiding someone complaining that they were stranded at some random godforsaken platform in the wilds of Scotland...

The aim may well be to make people aware of where they can pick up their tickets, but you'd be amazed at how many people don't even look at the list and assume they can be picked up at any station (to their cost!).

 

[infobleep]

The aim may well be to make people aware of where they can pick up their tickets, but you'd be amazed at how many people don't even look at the list and assume they can be picked up at any station (to their cost!).

Why isn't the list a complete list of stations where tickets can be picked up and why isn't there a note stating you can go to any station on this list but no others. Then simply only allow stations on the list.

 

[themeone]

Thanks for all the replies. Fortunately I used Southern's money back guarantee but at least I'm now a bit wiser about where I can, and can't, pick up tickets from.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Why isn't the list a complete list of stations where tickets can be picked up....

Some stations have 'part-time' ticket offices which can facilitate TOD collection. Given the limited opening hours, listing them would cause more trouble than it is worth. It is also not worth having differently programmed ticket machines just to prevent it being done.

....and why isn't there a note stating you can go to any station on this list but no others....

I don't know, but I don't really see much need for it.

....Then simply only allow stations on the list.

No point in restricting it really.

 

[infobleep]

Some stations have 'part-time' ticket offices which can facilitate TOD collection. Given the limited opening hours, listing them would cause more trouble than it is worth. It is also not worth having differently programmed ticket machines just to prevent it being done.



I don't know, but I don't really see much need for it.



No point in restricting it really.

I disagree because you'll get passengers who forget to pick up a ticket at one station buying a ticket at another because they didn't know they could collect them anywhere.

I almost missed a sleeper train because I thought I had to pick them up at London Paddington. The lady let us on with just our names because I ran out of time trying to get the tickets.

I should have allowed more time but I got the train times wrong from Guildford. I would happily have collected my tickets from Guildford had I known I could. I think I choose Paddington originally so I would have less chance of losing them. I most likely would have changed my mind on the day had I known.

I think that's reason enough to put a note on the machines. Unless of course rail companies see it as their job not to help passengers when buying tickets. Given the things I read on here, it wouldn't surprise me.

 

[trentside]

The aim may well be to make people aware of where they can pick up their tickets, but you'd be amazed at how many people don't even look at the list and assume they can be picked up at any station (to their cost!).

I've had a significant number of people board my train on the "& Connections" part of their journey with only a confirmation email or reference number - having arrived at an unstaffed station, with no way to collect their tickets. They are usually given suitable advice for next time, but it depends on the situation.