MSE News: Rail passengers using self-service machines to get a better deal

newbie_saver

The standard advance ticket was bought over a month prior to the trip. The reason for the difference in price between walkon and the advance was apparently a higher demand for those tickets at the very moment I made the booking..makes no sense to me either. But there could have been a glitch. I might write to them requesting a refund. I only happen to discover this when I went to counter to change the time.

dzug1 wrote: »

Not sure I understand what you are saying

You can't buy a 'standard advance ticket' with FGW on the day - by definition they have to be bought in advance.


But as to why a walkon ticket should be cheaper than an advance - pass. I suspect some misunderstanding somewhere

Pincher

Promotions override any logic.


Last year, there was a "summer fare", for Waterloo to Southampton (amongst other stations). I bought two singles a week before, but it appears they were also available on the day, off peak.

tks_2

I bought single tickets from Stratford (London) to Colchester on three consecutive days this week. This is what I was given for the same journey selection:-
Tuesday 13:05hrs SUP OFFPK DAY S £14.25 [ticket machine outside on bus station side]
Wednesday 11:22hrs ANY TIME DAY S £17.25 [ticket machine inside station on bus station side]
Thursday 12:09hrs SUP OFFPK DAY S £14.25 [ticket machine outside on bus station side]


This is a mystery as the periods of travel all seemed to be within the less busy time. Do vending machines have different programmes?
I caught the first available train each time. I frequently make one-way journeys from many different UK stations and often research prices on-line beforehand. The whole ticketing set-up is quite crazy with I suspect many travellers being sold pricier tickets than they need.
I have to purchase my tickets on the day of travel and often make use of split ticketing. Has anyone else found station machines offering different fares?

tks_2

newbie_saver wrote: »

The standard advance ticket was bought over a month prior to the trip. The reason for the difference in price between walkon and the advance was apparently a higher demand for those tickets at the very moment I made the booking..makes no sense to me either. But there could have been a glitch. I might write to them requesting a refund. I only happen to discover this when I went to counter to change the time.

Pincher might be interested or, more likely, annoyed by the fact that I managed last year to travel from Waterloo to Southampton General and back the following day for £2.50 using the "MegaTrain" website. My only annoyance was to pay .50p booking charge for a £2 journey, a whopping 25%. I was tempted to complain but with 2nd class postage stamps being .53pence I decided to take the hit full on!

Mobeer

tks, try the national rail website. At the moment, looking at next Wednesday, the 11:22 only has offpeak return tickets available, not offpeak singles. This probably makes the anytime single the cheapest ticket you can buy on the day, which would make it sensible for the machine to offer such a ticket. Offpeak singles only become available after midday, which fits your experience with the ticket machine and travelling later on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Advance tickets are much cheaper in this case.

jbuchanangb

Today's challenge. 4 blokes turn up at St. Margaret's, Herts, want single to Cheshunt. 3 of them have Senior rail card.
Tap in single to Cheshunt, 4 adults. Fare offered £18. Declined to purchase.
Tap in single to Cheshunt, 3 Adults, select Railcard - Senior. Machine says "this number of tickets not permitted with this railcard"
Give up. Board train. Alight at Cheshunt. Report to booking office, pay fare of £11.80 (Groupsave)

Why didn't the machine offer groupsave as soon at it saw that 4 adults wanted to travel together.

Back to St. M's - next passenger at machine, trying to buy an Open Return to London. Tap in destination London, type of ticket Return. Various Day returns listed but not an Off-peak Open return.

No idea what she did eventually.

Looked up on AGA web site later and such a ticket is available on line.


They've got a long way to go to sort out their ticket machines

wealdroam

jbuchanangb wrote: »

Why didn't the machine offer groupsave as soon at it saw that 4 adults wanted to travel together.

How did the machine know that the four adults wanted to travel together?

A rhetorical question really, because the answer is 'it didn't'.
In such a situation the machine needs to ask that question at the time of sale.

jbuchanangb

OK. Why didn't it at least offer the option to select Groupsave?

Why will it only sell individual tickets when Senior Railcard selected?

As I said, there's a long way to go to get the ticket machines to offer up the cheapest deal, if it can't do simple things on a short 3 stop journey involving only one TOC.

yorkie2

jbuchanangb wrote: »

Today's challenge. 4 blokes turn up at St. Margaret's, Herts, want single to Cheshunt. 3 of them have Senior rail card.
Tap in single to Cheshunt, 4 adults. Fare offered £18. Declined to purchase.
Tap in single to Cheshunt, 3 Adults, select Railcard - Senior. Machine says "this number of tickets not permitted with this railcard"
Give up. Board train. Alight at Cheshunt. Report to booking office, pay fare of £11.80 (Groupsave)

Do you have it in writing that Greater Anglia do not enforce NRCOC Condition 3?


If so, can I have a copy of the letter please?

If not, I suggest you obtain confirmation before travelling in future!

jbuchanangb wrote: »

Why didn't the machine offer groupsave as soon at it saw that 4 adults wanted to travel together.

GroupSave is a farce (not offered on many journeys, has various caveats). Ticket machines are a farce (lazy programming is the norm). So combine the two and you are likely to have problems...

jbuchanangb wrote: »

Back to St. M's - next passenger at machine, trying to buy an Open Return to London. Tap in destination London, type of ticket Return. Various Day returns listed but not an Off-peak Open return.

http://www.brfares.com/#!fares?orig=SMT&dest=1072


The ticket type "Open Return" is now called "Anytime Return" (without the suffix "Day"). There is no such fare from St Margarets to London.


There is, however, an Off Peak Return (this used to be the old Saver Return) which the machine should offer, priced at £16.70

jbuchanangb wrote: »

No idea what she did eventually.

Looked up on AGA web site later and such a ticket is available on line.


They've got a long way to go to sort out their ticket machines

They will not sort their ticket machines out, because no-one is going to make them!


The Government are all huff and puff, they don't do any actual enforcement.


There is no proper ombudsman!