Railcard stolen and train on Saturday - Help!

DCodd

somethingcorporate wrote: »

What makes you think you need your railcard to buy a ticket?

If you buy online you obviously cannot show your railcard, you just need to present it to travel.

It's unrealistic to expect instant replacements for anything, even if it is insured. Think about what happens for car or home insurance - there is not a van waiting outside the next day with new TVs etc just because yours get nicked.

The best option is to just buy another railcard.

So there is no identification number on the card to link the purchase with the purchaser? If not why not?

Lifeforms

cosmojohnson wrote: »

Agreed - similar situation to if you lost a passport just before a flight. You are not going to get a replacement passport or a temporary ID card just like that to allow you to travel.

Buy a new railcard at the ticket office before departure - if the full price ticket is indeed £100+ then it's worth the cost.

Poor comparison. There are offices over the UK of which you could walk upt o and get a passport in a day.
If it were lost overseas consulates can replace them quickly for a fee. That could be claimed back if holiday insurance is taken.

It's not lost just before, it's been nicked a couple of days before so if she needed a replacement passport she could've done.

As stated, they don't have to do it, but they should. They have records of who owns one, and she has id to say she is who she is, and therefore she should be able to get an acceptable document to use with the tickets. But they don't have to do it, so they wont. They'll get more money in the long run this way, than if they considered theft being a problem.

cosmojohnson

Lifeforms wrote: »

Poor comparison. There are offices over the UK of which you could walk upt o and get a passport in a day.
If it were lost overseas consulates can replace them quickly for a fee. That could be claimed back if holiday insurance is taken.

According to the passport office site, such a one day service isn't available for a lost/stolen passport.

It's not lost just before, it's been nicked a couple of days before so if she needed a replacement passport she could've done.

As stated, they don't have to do it, but they should. They have records of who owns one, and she has id to say she is who she is, and therefore she should be able to get an acceptable document to use with the tickets. But they don't have to do it, so they wont. They'll get more money in the long run this way, than if they considered theft being a problem.

In an ideal world, yes. But the terms and conditions are you have to present a valid railcard to get the discount. The railways offer to replace stolen railcards free of charge, or lost ones with a £10 admin fee, which seems reasonable. In fact, you could also replace a lost railcard at a ticket office instantly by showing the receipt and paying the £10 admin fee.

MercilessKiller

The passport office site is wrong oddly - You can indeed get a passport in one day as a friend had to do this when she realised her passport expired the day before she was going on holiday! She went to an office and paid £70 for a new one that day!

Either way, as Lifeforms said, awful comparison because travel insurance would cover this - The problem is travel insurance only covers lost or stolen tickets or passports - The railcard is classed as neither!

If we had insurance (and the excess was lower than the cost of the new railcard) then of course we'd use that. In this case, insurance doesn't cover it, and the railcard office WON'T do anything because legally they don't have to (and it means they make more money).

AKA, making money out of people who have been a victim of a crime. It's pretty tasteless in my opinion. Especially when they have the technology to be able to help...

Just another example of consumers being treated like rubbish. So much for looking after your customers.

MercilessKiller

cosmojohnson wrote: »

In fact, you could also replace a lost railcard at a ticket office instantly by showing the receipt and paying the £10 admin fee.

Unfortunately she doesn't have the receipt. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but I don't think many students would have the receipt 8 months later for this.

BUT, it's another excuse of finding ways to make money out of people. They have it on record in their system that you have purchased one as they require your passport to get one in the first place... In fact, with Kate, she doesn't have the receipt and they said they'd replace it (but just in 5 days).. so the whole "you must have the receipt for an instant replacement or wait 5 days" is just confusing...

If they can replace without a receipt, and they can replace instantly, it doesn't make sense to not be able to do it together...

[Deleted User]

I think all the comments highlight the point that crime of any sort hurts the victim, causes them stress, inconvenience & expense.

Unfortunately, until we live in a crime free society that's life! I suggest that you choose the least expensive option as suggested (another railcard) and put it down to one of life's nastier experiences.

I've seen something like this somewhere:

Grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

:A

cattie

It seems ridiculous in this day of computers & technology that something like this can happen & be told nothing can be done about it.

Surely the rail company have her details filed away on a computer somewhere as proof of her buying the railcard. I would have thought as she has a crime no. as long as she has some other form of id to prove she is who she is, that something could be done/issued to enable her to travel on a ticket she booked prior to having her stuff nicked on the tube.

What a rotten situation to be in.

wealdroam

MercilessKiller wrote: »

In fact, with Kate, she doesn't have the receipt and they said they'd replace it (but just in 5 days).. so the whole "you must have the receipt for an instant replacement or wait 5 days" is just confusing...

If they can replace without a receipt, and they can replace instantly, it doesn't make sense to not be able to do it together...

That is just silly.

If you have a receipt, they can instantly see, by looking at the receipt, that a railcard was held and it is reasonable to issue a replacement without further checks.

Without a receipt, no such instant verification can take place.

It seems perfectly reasonable to me that they need to check before issuing a replacement card, and that checking can be done on the spot if the receipt is available.
I really cannot understand why you can't see that.

MercilessKiller

wealdroam wrote: »

That is just silly.

If you have a receipt, they can instantly see, by looking at the receipt, that a railcard was held and it is reasonable to issue a replacement without further checks.

Without a receipt, no such instant verification can take place.

It seems perfectly reasonable to me that they need to check before issuing a replacement card, and that checking can be done on the spot if the receipt is available.
I really cannot understand why you can't see that.

You have COMPLETELY missed the point.

They 100% know she has a railcard as it's on their system and they WILL replace her card but it will take a week. To get an instant replacement a receipt is needed though - That's what's ridiculous.

If you buy something from a supermarket and don't have proof of purchase, tough luck, I get that. But her details, name, picture are all on their system - They've already confirmed that! But they're still saying they won't replace it in person unless she has a receipt and they'll just have to send her a new one in the post in a week.

Don't you see the conflict here?

And yes - it is a rotten situation. She's upset enough so pretty frustrating to be getting messed about now by them.

MercilessKiller

Ya know, it comes up time and time again, but MSE used to be full of people that would post to HELP people - More than 50% of these posts have been people simply being critical and they're completely wrong on their facts to add to it.

Very frustrating when I'm looking for help. Never mind.