On Monday morning I overheard a woman's conversation with the 'ticket sellers' who spend a couple of hours each weekday morning at the entrance to one of Mauldeth Road's platforms as what passes for arrangements to buy before you board here while there is no ticket office.
Sometimes they are both G4S staff, sometimes they are both actual Northern staff (presumably RPIs) and sometimes there is one of each, which I imagine may be a bit awkward for one or both of them!
This passenger presented her photocard and asked for a new weekly season to Manchester, but the member of staff said he couldn't do those, and her only option would have to be a single. She questioned this, saying that she'd bought tickets from them before. He was adamant that 'these machines don't do seasons'. Is this true? I'm almost certain I've seen guards and RPIs issuing seasons before, at least as renewals.
Anyway she was given the option of a single or nothing, but it was stated in no uncertain terms that 'the easiest way to do this is for me to sell you a single, because people without tickets are getting booked up at Manchester'. He went on to say that it would be easy enough to 'claim back' by taking the single to the ticket office at Piccadilly and they would reduce the cost of the new season by the value of the ticket.
I can say categorically that this woman would have been refused a part exchange if she got certain members of staff in the queue at the ticket office. Though what concerns me is that a single has been used by the time the passenger gets to the destination? I have had part exchanges refused at that ticket office on the grounds that 'it can't be done' and its my own fault for buying a single and on the grounds that the single has no more relevance because it is now used - which sounds like its within the rules, even if it is unfair.
Is there something about certain Avantixes which means they can't do seasons? Is this really the best advice for them to be giving and basically threatening people? Should the new ticket have been part exchanged, regardless of if it was?
Sometimes they are both G4S staff, sometimes they are both actual Northern staff (presumably RPIs) and sometimes there is one of each, which I imagine may be a bit awkward for one or both of them!
This passenger presented her photocard and asked for a new weekly season to Manchester, but the member of staff said he couldn't do those, and her only option would have to be a single. She questioned this, saying that she'd bought tickets from them before. He was adamant that 'these machines don't do seasons'. Is this true? I'm almost certain I've seen guards and RPIs issuing seasons before, at least as renewals.
Anyway she was given the option of a single or nothing, but it was stated in no uncertain terms that 'the easiest way to do this is for me to sell you a single, because people without tickets are getting booked up at Manchester'. He went on to say that it would be easy enough to 'claim back' by taking the single to the ticket office at Piccadilly and they would reduce the cost of the new season by the value of the ticket.
I can say categorically that this woman would have been refused a part exchange if she got certain members of staff in the queue at the ticket office. Though what concerns me is that a single has been used by the time the passenger gets to the destination? I have had part exchanges refused at that ticket office on the grounds that 'it can't be done' and its my own fault for buying a single and on the grounds that the single has no more relevance because it is now used - which sounds like its within the rules, even if it is unfair.
Is there something about certain Avantixes which means they can't do seasons? Is this really the best advice for them to be giving and basically threatening people? Should the new ticket have been part exchanged, regardless of if it was?
If someone cannot issue a weekly they should not be let loose with a machine !!!
