Cheapest fare not available on TVM - did I miss something?

[kristiang85]

Just a quick one - today I was just doing a one way journey from Markinch to Edinburgh at 1314, which the national rail site said was £10.30 for a super off peak return, presumably not showing a single as the return was cheaper.

The TVM only offered me £12.90 standard return (£13 for a single), so I had to get that one as the ticket office was shut.

Did I miss something on the machine to get the cheaper fare? Or was it just not able to offer me the cheapest option? Or is the national rail site wrong?

 

[Watershed]

ScotRail have limited their Super Off-Peak Day Returns to being issued solely to their own ScotRail smartcards (which, helpfully, use a different and incompatible backend to all other British TOCs) or as m-tickets. You can't get them by ToD (Ticket on Departure, i.e. collection at a ticket machine), as a bog-standard paper ticket, or as an e-ticket.

Whilst due the incompatible smartcard backend explained above, I'd certainly expect difficulties buying the Super Off-Peak Day Return from a non-ScotRail ticket machine, I would have expected a ScotRail ticket machine to be able to offer you this fare. I would therefore contact ScotRail's Customer Services to ask for a refund of the difference.

I do find it unacceptable that ScotRail have created these cheaper fares that are very difficult to buy and require their own smartcard. They should be made available in the same way as every other fare - and they should reduce the price of singles so that, even if they don't want to introduce single leg pricing, at least people don't have to buy a return to get the cheapest fare for a one-way journey.

Incidentally, having been unable to buy the ticket you wanted before boarding (and the ticket office presumably being shut?), you would have been entitled to buy your ticket onboard (or at your destination, if the conductor didn't pass through selling tickets beforehand) without paying extra. As it's Scotland, in any event there is no risk of a Penalty Fare or prosecution either.

 

[kristiang85]

ScotRail have limited their Super Off-Peak Day Returns to being issued solely to their own ScotRail smartcards (which, helpfully, use a different and incompatible backend to all other British TOCs). You can't get them by ToD (Ticket on Departure, i.e. collection at a ticket machine), as a bog-standard paper ticket, or as an e- or m-ticket.

Whilst due the incompatible smartcard backend explained above, I'd certainly expect difficulties buying the Super Off-Peak Day Return from a non-ScotRail ticket machine, I would have expected a ScotRail ticket machine to be able to offer you this fare. I would therefore contact ScotRail's Customer Services to ask for a refund of the difference.

I do find it unacceptable that ScotRail have created these cheaper fares that are very difficult to buy and require their own smartcard. They should be made available in the same way as every other fare - and they should reduce the price of singles so that, even if they don't want to introduce single leg pricing, at least people don't have to buy a return to get the cheapest fare for a one-way journey.

Incidentally, having been unable to buy the ticket you wanted before boarding (and the ticket office presumably being shut?), you would have been entitled to buy your ticket onboard (or at your destination, if the conductor didn't pass through selling tickets beforehand) without paying extra. As it's Scotland, in any event there is no risk of a Penalty Fare or prosecution either.

Thank you, this is really helpful and explains a lot. I only come up once a year but this is good to know.

I'll contact customer service to see what they say; in this day and age paying an extra £2.60 is a little galling!

 

[JV_hunter]

ScotRail Super Off-Peak tickets can also be bought on the ScotRail app, although as m-tickets.

 

[trei2k]

ScotRail Super Off-Peak tickets can also be bought on the ScotRail app, although as m-tickets.

This is correct. Super off-peak returns are available only on smartcards and as mtickets.

The OP's journey tomorrow (as an example):

 

[kristiang85]

ScotRail Super Off-Peak tickets can also be bought on the ScotRail app, although as m-tickets.

Generally one would expect a fare shown online to be available with whatever purchase method the passenger desires, surely?

(I avoid mtickets like the plague, personally)

 

[alistairlees]

Generally one would expect a fare shown online to be available with whatever purchase method the passenger desires, surely?

(I avoid mtickets like the plague, personally)

Yes, though that isn't how TOCs always see it. Anyway, expect to see change here shortly.