x404.co.uk
http://www.x404.co.uk/forum/

Couple fined for getting off train too early
http://www.x404.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=10405		 Page 1 of 4
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Mon Sep 06, 2010 10:42 am ]
Post subject:  Couple fined for getting off train too early
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... early.html

Quote:
Emma Clark and her fiancé Davyd Winter-Bates were travelling home to Southampton, Hants, from London when they decided to alight two stops early at Eastleigh.
However, they were shocked when they handed over their tickets and were told they had to pay a penalty for not staying on the train until their destination.
They were each fined £57 by the rail operator South West Trains – twice the cost of a standard fare of £28.50.
Miss Clark, a 22-year-old art student from Bishopstoke, Hants, told The Sun: “It is utter madness. I could understand being fined if I had stayed on the train two stops beyond my destination.”
The train company said the couple incurred the fines because they were using discounted tickets, which were not valid for travel to Eastleigh.
The pair had bought the single tickets for £6 online and were not aware of the conditions.

This is ridiculous.
Author:  bobbdobbs [ Mon Sep 06, 2010 11:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Couple fined for getting off train too early
Amnesia10 wrote:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-rail-transport/7983548/Couple-fined-for-getting-off-train-too-early.html

Quote:
Emma Clark and her fiancé Davyd Winter-Bates were travelling home to Southampton, Hants, from London when they decided to alight two stops early at Eastleigh.
However, they were shocked when they handed over their tickets and were told they had to pay a penalty for not staying on the train until their destination.
They were each fined £57 by the rail operator South West Trains – twice the cost of a standard fare of £28.50.
Miss Clark, a 22-year-old art student from Bishopstoke, Hants, told The Sun: “It is utter madness. I could understand being fined if I had stayed on the train two stops beyond my destination.”
The train company said the couple incurred the fines because they were using discounted tickets, which were not valid for travel to Eastleigh.
The pair had bought the single tickets for £6 online and were not aware of the conditions.

This is ridiculous.

yup, they should of read the conditions.. numpties :lol:
Author:  HeatherKay [ Mon Sep 06, 2010 11:08 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Couple fined for getting off train too early
bobbdobbs wrote:
yup, they should of read the conditions.. numpties :lol:


No, the train company should have used some common sense.

Oh, hang on. They're just means of making money, aren't they. There's no "public service" any more. :roll:
Author:  bobbdobbs [ Mon Sep 06, 2010 11:16 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Couple fined for getting off train too early
HeatherKay wrote:
bobbdobbs wrote:
yup, they should of read the conditions.. numpties :lol:


No, the train company should have used some common sense.

Oh, hang on. They're just means of making money, aren't they. There's no "public service" any more. :roll:


Quote:
It is made very clear in the terms and conditions of travel that leaving the train at an intermediate station is not permitted on these heavily discounted tickets.


They broke the terms and conditions of getting the discounted tickets and paid the penalty. It may sound daft but they agreed to the conditions when they purchased the tickets.
Author:  forquare1 [ Mon Sep 06, 2010 11:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Couple fined for getting off train too early
The rules of trains are utterly ridiculous. I bought a ticket once that allowed me to travel at a peak time (ticket was more expensive), I missed the train and got on an off-peak service (same line, same operator, just off-peak) that was dead, I was thrown off for having an invalid ticket yet my ticket cost more and the seats weren't being used, I'm at a loss to see how this mattered to the train service.

The terms and conditions are there, but one shouldn't have to wade through them to find any gotcha's, they should just reinforce some common sense. The train service is about as bad as banks...
Author:  HeatherKay [ Mon Sep 06, 2010 11:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Couple fined for getting off train too early
I'm not disagreeing.

The thing is no-one ever reads the T&Cs for stuff like that - and I doubt anyone will now even after someone having* been caught like that. Frankly, having such a condition is absurd. What would happen if I bought a discounted ticket and then failed to travel with it. Would I be fined for that?

*Or should that be ofing?
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Mon Sep 06, 2010 11:32 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Couple fined for getting off train too early
bobbdobbs wrote:
yup, they should of read the conditions.. numpties :lol:

Well the conditions are not always clear and are invariably hidden in a mass of useless definitions. The restrictions should be printed on the ticket and not hidden in an email that you might get that confirms restrictions in the small print. Far too often there are hidden clauses hidden in the small print which while technically there are so inconspicuous that no one reads them. It is not that difficult to have a javascript pop up that will pop up the restrictions on the tickets, and will not allow the user to proceed until they read each section. The ticket should be clearly marked between London and Southampton only not not for intervening stops.
Author:  paulzolo [ Mon Sep 06, 2010 11:36 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Couple fined for getting off train too early
HeatherKay wrote:
bobbdobbs wrote:
yup, they should of read the conditions.. numpties :lol:


No, the train company should have used some common sense.

Oh, hang on. They're just means of making money, aren't they. There's no "public service" any more. :roll:


Running a railway service is an occupational hazard of trying to make money from trains.

Some tickets do have restrictions printed on them - but they are in code. Apparently, you can’t use the Javelin trains into Kent without a special ticket. Non qualifying tickets have some code printed on them - but not the words “Not for travel on Javelin”.

Rail travel in this country is rapidly becoming a bureaucratic mess.
Author:  veato [ Mon Sep 06, 2010 12:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Couple fined for getting off train too early
To be honest in this instance I dont care for T&C and contracts and the rest of it. Its is utter madness that you can be fined for getting off the train early. Extending your jouney or travelling peak when you've bought off-peak then fair enough. But getting off the train EARLY??
Author:  cloaked_wolf [ Mon Sep 06, 2010 12:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Couple fined for getting off train too early
If you've bought a ticket to get from A to D, I honestly believe you should be able alight at places B and C should the train stop there. It's like riding the bus - provided you've paid adequate fare, there's nothing to stop you geting off earlier.
Author:  MrStevenRogers [ Mon Sep 06, 2010 1:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Couple fined for getting off train too early
private train services are become a collective bunch of Aholes ...
Author:  Linux_User [ Mon Sep 06, 2010 2:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Couple fined for getting off train too early
TBH I hate the ticket barriers too. Not only are they a nuisance to get through with luggage, but it means at most stations you can no longer say goodbye to loved ones on the platform.

As for alighting early, sometimes I get off at Reading when my ticket is destined for Paddington, or even get off early on the return journey - looks like I'll think twice in future.

Bring back British Rail!
Author:  Fogmeister [ Mon Sep 06, 2010 2:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Couple fined for getting off train too early
cloaked_wolf wrote:
If you've bought a ticket to get from A to D, I honestly believe you should be able alight at places B and C should the train stop there. It's like riding the bus - provided you've paid adequate fare, there's nothing to stop you geting off earlier.

+1

I've paid for the use of the train and the cost of resources for travelling 100 miles.

My ticket should therefore be fine for travelling only 80 miles.
Author:  bobbdobbs [ Mon Sep 06, 2010 2:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Couple fined for getting off train too early
Fogmeister wrote:
cloaked_wolf wrote:
If you've bought a ticket to get from A to D, I honestly believe you should be able alight at places B and C should the train stop there. It's like riding the bus - provided you've paid adequate fare, there's nothing to stop you geting off earlier.

+1

I've paid for the use of the train and the cost of resources for travelling 100 miles.

My ticket should therefore be fine for travelling only 80 miles.

Unless you have agreed that you will not alight at an intermediate stop, which this couple had done. The terms are designed to stop abuse of the system. Thats why the megatrain type tickets are so cheap.
Author:  jonbwfc [ Mon Sep 06, 2010 3:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Couple fined for getting off train too early
bobbdobbs wrote:
Unless you have agreed that you will not alight at an intermediate stop, which this couple had done. The terms are designed to stop abuse of the system. Thats why the megatrain type tickets are so cheap.

OK, it's the rules but I really don't see the logic behind this.

The train company are basically saying if you travel from point A through point B to point C that is cheaper for us so you will get this discount, but if you get off at point B that will cost us more money so your discount will be invalid and we will fine you if you do that.

On what planet does it cost the train provider more to take someone from point A to point B than it does to take them from point A through point B to point C? Do trains run on mobius strips now or something?
Page 1 of 4 All times are UTC
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
https://www.phpbb.com/