Is the railcard site working correctly for renewals?

[gray1404]

My Railcard is due to expire on 3 September and the site is letting me click renewal from today. Is it working correctly in terms of giving the correct expiry date on renewal?

When I've renewed it once before I lost months validity as it treated it as a new application and I had to complain. The site is also listing many of my previous Railcards going back years and letting me click renew on those which is strange.

I thought I would check if other people's recent renewals had gone through smoothly as I could do without any problems over the expiry date.

Thanks.

 

[James H]

My Two Together Railcard expired on 23 July. I renewed it in late June (after receiving an email reminder IIRC) on the basis I wanted to get the admin done and not have to think about it again.

It didn't arrive. I was away from 23 to 30 July, but I hoped it might be on the doormat when I got home.

It wasn't, so I followed up this week with the Railcard people.

They said as I hadn't reported the missing railcard within 30 days of despatch they would charge a £10 admin fee for re-issuing it. Grr!

 

[Watershed]

My Two Together Railcard expired on 23 July. I renewed it in late June (after receiving an email reminder IIRC) on the basis I wanted to get the admin done and not have to think about it again.

It didn't arrive. I was away from 23 to 30 July, but I hoped it might be on the doormat when I got home.

It wasn't, so I followed up this week with the Railcard people.

They said as I hadn't reported the missing railcard within 30 days of despatch they would charge a £10 admin fee for re-issuing it. Grr!

Legally speaking they have no right to charge a £10 admin fee for reissuing it - they've not provided the goods you contracted for, so it's a straightforward breach of contract.

The problem is proving this. As they usually send Railcards through normal post, it's untracked and so they should be claiming from Royal Mail for lost post (if they so desire).

 

[gray1404]

So basically I'm wondering if they are still messing up the expiry date?

 

[James H]

I've already pushed back against the fee and asked them to reconsider.

Having had other items delayed in the post and not needing the railcard too urgently at that time, I didn't feel it necessary to clog up their inbox / call centre when there was a strong chance it would still turn up.

Very annoying to be penalised for being patient!

 

[brasseagle]

My current Senior Railcard expires on 06/08/2023. Ordered the new one on 25/07/2023 (so only a couple of weeks before expiry), arrived on 02/08/2023. New Railcard has full validity, i.e. expires 06/08/2026. Received advice that the new Railcard was on its way the day after ordering, so it looks like the biggest delay is in the shipping.

 

[kkong]

I renewed a Two Together railcard last month, about 4 weeks ahead of its expiry.

The new card arrived in 2-3 days and had the correct expiry date, i.e. 1 year from expiry of current card (not 1 year from renewal submission date).

 

[redreni]

This is why I bought, and always renew, my railcard at a ticket office. Even if the railcard website and it's associated admin is fine (which it sounds like it isn't always), the post is so hit and miss these days that I'd rather have the thing there and then.

I'll probably continue to use ticket offices for this at least in the short term, even if there are fewer of them by the time I next need to renew.

Anyone use and able to comment on digital railcards? Would you recommend them?

 

[James H]

The ability to pay with Clubcard points is my main motivation for buying online.

And the plastic railcards issued online are more durable than station-issued ones.

 

[Haywain]

This is why I bought, and always renew, my railcard at a ticket office. Even if the railcard website and it's associated admin is fine (which it sounds like it isn't always), the post is so hit and miss these days that I'd rather have the thing there and then.

I'll probably continue to use ticket offices for this at least in the short term, even if there are fewer of them by the time I next need to renew.

Anyone use and able to comment on digital railcards? Would you recommend them?

And you have that choice but the OP can't go down to the ticket office to renew their railcard.

And the plastic railcards issued online are more durable than station-issued ones.

And have 3 year options.