Accidentally Used Ticket Booked For A Future Date

[father_jack]

This is one of the most naive posts I've ever seen.

Oh know some will (try) refund the tickets, I've seen a lot of tricks pulled over the years but I was usually cleverer than the tricksters.

 

[ricoblade]

Yeah, I've made this mistake before although I was lucky enough to spot it before travel.

I booked one day in advance by mistake from Paddington to Bristol Parkway a couple of years ago which didn't get spotted until I tried to exit Parkway. I managed to argue my way out past the barriers as they were retaining the ticket but realise it was my mistake.

 

[Snow1964]

I too am not comfortable with the outcome in this case.

Yes a ticket with wrong date was bought in error
But the error was accepted twice, with no attempt to reissue a ticket with correct date.

In my view the average person would therefore assume as they have paid for a journey, and error is being accepted, that whilst not technically correct, a consistent approach to the error is taken.

I struggle with the concept of 2 say it is ok, third (afterwards) says not and you should have a penalty. Had the not acceptable date been applied at the start then I side with the railway on this. If you went to theatre, a member of staff said ok to sit in different seat to your allocated ticket, you wouldn’t expect after the performance to be hit with a penalty because another person subsequently says you weren’t strictly in conformity with the ticket you purchased. So why railway thinks it can is beyond reasonableness.

Someone needs to explain clearly why if there are gates at start and end of journey, both rejecting the ticket, then different interpretation of rules can be applied at each. It’s not customer friendly. You shouldn’t be taking it out on the customer, but should be sorting staff training that allowed the inconsistency.

 

[philthetube]

it appears to me as if both barrier staff and the tm were giving permission to travel

 

[Mcr Warrior]

it appears to me as if both barrier staff and the tm were giving permission to travel

Maybe, but possibly they all just negligently checked the OP's ticket, perhaps they only looked at the ticket destination. Does seem a tad unfair though that if the barrier staff at London or the Train Manager whilst onboard had actually spotted the ticket discrepancy, the OP would presumably only have been facing shelling out for a £136.50 (?) Anytime Single, rather than that and the £90.00 penalty/surcharge/whatever, on top.