Travelcards from East Coast Website

[84002]

I have been told that I cannot purchase Travelcards for collection (TOD) from the East Coast website - is this correct and, if so, does anybody know why (other than to reduce still further my Rewards points). No problem with other websites I've tried. Extract from EC Customer Relations below:

Thank you for your email dated 8th January 2012, regarding the collection of your travel card.

Unfortunately it is not possible to collect travel cards from the Self Service machines. This is a commercial decision set be Eat Coast to prevent fraud.
Thank you for contacting us.

Yours Sincerely,

Samantha Davies

East Coast Web Support

 

[Bungle73]

Fraud? Maybe someone could enlighten us?

 

[yorkie]

How strange! Just use any other website then (or use Oyster PAYG!), I've never heard of any TOC refusing to sell Travelcards.

EC have the right to not sell Travelcards on their website but that does, of course, mean that the East Coast site is not impartial. I can't see anything on their site stating that, so I suggest EC are asked to make such a statement clearly visible and if not, refer the matter to Passenger Focus.

In fact, the current claim on the EC website is misleading:

Impartial retailing

Our website offers an impartial service selling every variation of ticket available around the UK representing all Train Operating Companies. We do not currently support Ferry bookings, supplementary tickets, Motorail services or Berth bookings on Caledonian Sleeper services.

If they adhered to impartial retailing they would not be refusing to sell you a Travelcard!

 

[lyesbkz]

. . . This is a commercial decision set be Eat Coast to prevent fraud . . .

Did they spell their own company name wrong?

I've checked, and RedSpottedHanky still seem to let you collect Travelcards from TVMs.

 

[AlterEgo]

Virgin will also allow this facility.

I'm at a loss to think of any reason why collecting a Travelcard using ToD might be a door open to fraud....

 

[tony_mac]

Virgin will also allow this facility.

I'm at a loss to think of any reason why collecting a Travelcard using ToD might be a door open to fraud....

I can only think that stolen cards are used and the travel card is particularly easy to sell on.

 

[Bungle73]

I can only think that stolen cards are used and the travel card is particularly easy to sell on.

How does that affect TOD?

 

[lyesbkz]

I can only think that stolen cards are used and the travel card is particularly easy to sell on.

I'd think it would be harder to do this using a TVM. If the thief doesn't physically have the card, they could still buy and have tickets posted, but no card = no TVM collection.

I get the impression that nobody really wants to sell Travelcards online. As far as I am aware, none of the retailing websites offer an intuitive way to buy a travelcard, and I'm usually forced to enter something like Shepherd's Bush to London Zones 1-6, where I'd expect to find an option to simply 'Buy Travelcard'.

 

[Bungle73]

I'd think it would be harder to do this using a TVM. If the thief doesn't physically have the card, they could still buy and have tickets posted, but no card = no TVM collection.

I get the impression that nobody really wants to sell Travelcards online. As far as I am aware, none of the retailing websites offer an intuitive way to buy a travelcard, and I'm usually forced to enter something like Shepherd's Bush to London Zones 1-6, where I'd expect to find an option to simply 'Buy Travelcard'.

I think that may be just a quirk of the way the sites have been programmed, rather than anything deliberate. Also, bear in mind that if you intend purchase a Travelcard for use from a station outside the zones you need to state an origin point anyway. It's probably just simpler to make the method of purchase of all Travelcards the same.

 

[lyesbkz]

I think that may be just a quirk of the way the sites have been programmed, rather than anything deliberate. Also, bear in mind that if you intend purchase a Travelcard for use from a station outside the zones you need to state an origin point anyway. It's probably just simpler to make the method of purchase of all Travelcards the same.

It's true that all NR-issued Travelcards seem to have an origin on them (for example when bought at a station then said station is used as the origin) however I simply find it counter-intuitive that one cannot use one of the major London Terminals as the origin. It seems logical for me to enter the origin as St. Pancras if i'm travelling to there and require a travelcard for onward travel, and it feels like this has been specifically disabled rather than a bug (why can I buy from any other station in the zones but not the terminals?)

 

[bb21]

Has anyone actually bought a travelcard from a WebTIS site and collected TOD which printed correctly? I am aware of at least two instances where they were printed as two-part returns rather than on one coupon.

Ones that came through the post didn't seem to have this problem.

 

[Bungle73]

Has anyone actually bought a travelcard from a WebTIS site and collected TOD which printed correctly? I am aware of at least two instances where they were printed as two-part returns rather than on one coupon.

Ones that came through the post didn't seem to have this problem.

I've ordered from RSH, and had no problems.

 

[84002]

Many thanks for all your replies - and, yes, they really did spell the company name wrong in the email!

 

[IanXC]

If they adhered to impartial retailing they would not be refusing to sell you a Travelcard!

I've never found a way to buy rovers either, not sure if there is a way or if that's another impartiality problem?

 

[Lee_Again]

Fraud...

... the only thing I can think of is... Stevenage to Knebworth and then a Travel Card. Gets you though the barriers at either end and is cheaper than a Stevenage to Zones 1-6.

I find it frustrating too as I loose 8 points each time I go to London. I normally buy a Stevenage > Kings Cross return and then a zone 1-2 TC. Can't do that now. I have to buy the TC at the station.

On the fraud thing... you could make that purchase at the station so why not collect. Baffled:cry:

 

[lyesbkz]

Has anyone actually bought a travelcard from a WebTIS site and collected TOD which printed correctly? .

Printed, yes. But one of them wouldn't operate the LU gates (this is unbelievably irritating)

 

[The North Briton]

Many thanks for all your replies - and, yes, they really did spell the company name wrong in the email!

Must be preoccuppied with complaints about their catering offer!

 

[island]

Has anyone actually bought a travelcard from a WebTIS site and collected TOD which printed correctly? I am aware of at least two instances where they were printed as two-part returns rather than on one coupon.

Ones that came through the post didn't seem to have this problem.

Yes, I've had one from RSH from Penge Stations to London Zones 1-6.

Fraud...

... the only thing I can think of is... Stevenage to Knebworth and then a Travel Card. Gets you though the barriers at either end and is cheaper than a Stevenage to Zones 1-6.

I find it frustrating too as I loose 8 points each time I go to London. I normally buy a Stevenage > Kings Cross return and then a zone 1-2 TC. Can't do that now. I have to buy the TC at the station.

On the fraud thing... you could make that purchase at the station so why not collect. Baffled:cry:

Buy it from RSH instead?

 

[34D]

Buy it from RSH instead?

EC points no doubt.