Southern DaySave (01/07/2023) enquiry and advice

[SparkieLover]

On Tuesday (27/06/2023) I made an online (on Southern's website) purchase of a DaySave, dated for Saturday. I'd chosen ECR as the "starting" Southern station for the purpose of getting the ticket; however I had chosen a GN station the other side of the river to collect it.

I went to the station in question; inserted the debit card used for the purchase and was prompted to enter the 7 character code on the TVM. Which I tapped in; the screen told me that the card is not valid. Do I have to wait until tomorrow for it to be issued? Do I have to raise the issue with Southern?

@yorkie What is your advice using the rover within Sussex on the GX branded services?

If I decide to do so would the forums welcome a trip report?

 

[yorkie]

GTR are not permitted to offer brand specific fares, but while the case against this is extremely clear with point-to-point fares, I am not so sure that the case for using a special offer product is going to be quite so straightforward to make a claim against, in the event that you are charged a supplement/excess/new fare.

Back when the now defunct Southern company operated GX (i.e. before GTR), it was much clearer, because GX was then a brand of Southern (rather than GX/Southern/Thameslink/Great Northern all being brands of GTR), and the ticket is called a Southern DaySaver, therefore arguably de facto valid; see: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/southern-admit-they-were-wrong-to-sell-gx-supplement.64324/

The ticket has a defined geographical area which precludes its use on the northern part of the GTR network; the ticket should be deemed valid on any trains operated by the company within the area, which clearly includes Victoria to Brighton, but if you get into an argument, you may have to spend some time arguing your case.

If GTR lose the legal case scheduled for next year, then anyone who has paid more than they could have paid would be entitled to claim back the difference, but I am not absolutely sure if this would apply to special offer DaySave tickets, or just regualar point-to-point tickets.

You are unlikely to get past the gateline at Victoria platforms 13/14 with such a ticket; the exception would be if either side gates are open (which is fairly likely, but not guaranteed, if a Southern branded train was in either of these platforms).

 

[island]

I went to the station in question; inserted the debit card used for the purchase and was prompted to enter the 7 character code on the TVM. Which I tapped in; the screen told me that the card is not valid. Do I have to wait until tomorrow for it to be issued? Do I have to raise the issue with Southern?

According to the Southern website, DaySave tickets need to be collected from a "Southern managed station".

 

[Chris Butler]

According to the Southern website, DaySave tickets need to be collected from a "Southern managed station".

The info on this is a mess, but when you buy on the site it actually allows you to collect from any station 10 minutes after booking online.
In fact, I have bought three Daysaves this year (one yesterday) and on each occasion I have collected from a non-Southern station (Taunton and Fleet) several days before the day the ticket is valid.

On Tuesday (27/06/2023) I made an online (on Southern's website) purchase of a DaySave, dated for Saturday. I'd chosen ECR as the "starting" Southern station for the purpose of getting the ticket; however I had chosen a GN station the other side of the river to collect it.

I went to the station in question; inserted the debit card used for the purchase and was prompted to enter the 7 character code on the TVM. Which I tapped in; the screen told me that the card is not valid. Do I have to wait until tomorrow for it to be issued? Do I have to raise the issue with Southern?

@yorkie What is your advice using the rover within Sussex on the GX branded services?

If I decide to do so would the forums welcome a trip report?

See my post above. I have successfully done what you are trying to do three times this year.

The one thing I notice is that the instructions say you can validate at the TVM using any CREDIT card (not necessarily the one used to purchase the ticket). I'm dubious that using a debit card makes a difference, but that is the only thing I notice.


By the way, I have no idea why the site asks you what station you are starting the day at ... it seems to make no difference.

 

[MrJeeves]

I went to the station in question; inserted the debit card used for the purchase and was prompted to enter the 7 character code on the TVM. Which I tapped in; the screen told me that the card is not valid. Do I have to wait until tomorrow for it to be issued? Do I have to raise the issue with Southern?

This seems to be an issue unrelated to the ticket. Can you try another card? Failing that, perhaps bring a form of ID and try to collect it at a ticket office.

What is your advice using the rover within Sussex on the GX branded services?

As Yorkie said above, and in another thread, you're essentially fine to use it on any part of the GTR network that Southern operate on, regardless of whether it's a Thameslink or Gatwick Express service.

 

[XAM2175]

The info on this is a mess, but when you buy on the site it actually allows you to collect from any station 10 minutes after booking online.
In fact, I have bought three Daysaves this year (one yesterday) and on each occasion I have collected from a non-Southern station (Taunton and Fleet) several days before the day the ticket is valid.

IIRC it used to be the case that the order had to be manually added to the collection system by somebody at Southern's office, so the advance-purchase and Southern-TVMs-only requirements were necessary regardless of any other reason in order to make sure the ticket would actually be available in time for use.

By the way, I have no idea why the site asks you what station you are starting the day at ... it seems to make no difference.

It's technically necessary because the ticket is configured in the fares system as a point-to-point ticket rather than a ranger, but you're correct that it makes no difference to what you actually get.

 

[SparkieLover]

DaySave Part 1

Apologies gents that it's taken me a fortnight to respond to you all.

According to the Southern website, DaySave tickets need to be collected from a "Southern managed station".

Not strictly true @island, however it may be seem to be best way to go about it.

The one thing I notice is that the instructions say you can validate at the TVM using any CREDIT card (not necessarily the one used to purchase the ticket).

I never purchased it with a credit card. I'm not fan of credit cards, because they mean debt.

Anyway:

I'm dubious that using a debit card makes a difference, but that is the only thing I notice.

It doesn't, I've purchased Advance tickets at a station TVMs using a debit card. With keying in the 8 character code the TVM spewed out the tickets with the reservations and receipt.

This seems to be an issue unrelated to the ticket. Can you try another card? Failing that, perhaps bring a form of ID and try to collect it at a ticket office.

I think real issue is what island pointed out it's the station not the card I used to purchased it with. My journeys concurred to that.

and on each occasion I have collected from a non-Southern station (Taunton and Fleet) several days before the day the ticket is valid.

I'd finally did it (on 29/06/2023). I went to the TVM at Drayton Park on that day and the two preceding days @Chris Butler and encountered problem of my OP. I went to the GN TVM at Finsbury Park and got the same thing. I went to ticket office to see if I can get it there. I asked him "If I can collect pre-ordered ticketd at this window?" He asked what is the code? I cited it and I got this as below:

IIRC it used to be the case that the order had to be manually added to the collection system by somebody at Southern's office, so the advance-purchase and Southern-TVMs-only requirements were necessary regardless of any other reason in order to make sure the ticket would actually be available in time for use.

Is this probabily why I was getting a "122" gateline code at Lewes, Hove and Redhill? With the former two I showed them the ticket and said "DaySave mate" and got waved through. The latter thought it was a Travelcard and I was going outside the zones. I showed on my mobile what it was.

It's technically necessary because the ticket is configured in the fares system as a point-to-point ticket rather than a ranger, but you're correct that it makes no difference to what you actually get.

I see why; the system treats it as it's a walk up ticket. Like an Inboundary One Day Travelcard.

 

[MrJeeves]

Is this probabily why I was getting a "122" gateline code at Lewes, Hove and Redhill? With the former two I showed them the ticket and said "DaySave mate" and got waved through.

The DaySave is rarely sold so is rarely encoded on gatelines. Even stations only served by Southern often don't have barriers set up to work with the tickets. Just a case of oversight or using the limited space to store info for more popular tickets.

 

[James H]

Shockingly inaccurate piece about the Southern DaySave from the clickbait merchants at MyLondon

£23.50 train ticket you can use to visit Brighton, Cambridge & 100s of others

The bargain ticket allows you to visit places across Southern England - but there's a catch

www.mylondon.news

You can use the ticket for a trip to the historic city of Cambridge, or opt for a day out in Brighton and other busting seaside locations. The ticket also lets you explore the South Downs, Surrey Hills and other glorious patches of English countryside near London. The rolling hills of Seven Sisters are a perfect example of this, situated near Eastbourne.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Available for journeys to Cambridge? Really?!

 

[4COR]

Adding a "The" in front of "Seven Sisters" would help differentiate the chalk cliffs from the station in North London as well! (where the DaySave is also not valid!)