Stansted Express Ticket Scam?
#1
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Stansted Express Ticket Scam?
Last two trips into London on Stansted express I paid 2 pounds extra for a ticket that supposedly gives tube access. Put the ticket in at Liverpool street and...the dreaded "seek assistance" message. The one ticket counter open had a line 25 people long so I whipped out my Oyster card and used it so as not to be late to my meetings. This morning - same thing. On the way back I waited in a shorter line at St. Paul's station and the guy said "the ticket is valid and you just have to show it to the attendant who will open the gate, but it doesn't work in the machines". Why on earth would they sell me a train ticket with a magnetic strip that doesn't work twice in a row? I'm annoyed just thinking about the money I spent on my last day trip to London when I just used the Oyster all day. This can't be that hard to fix from a tech perspective? Only thing I can think of is that they sell the ticket hoping people will do like I did and not use it and not come back to complain!
#2
Moderator: UK and Ireland & Europe
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Sounds like poor encoding on the magnetic strip. It happens from time to time - there was a period of about 2 years when the cheap weekend travelcards from my station didn't operate the barriers properly - it was a major annoyance!
FWIW, you shouldn't have to go to a ticket office to be let through - every tube station has a manned barrier (or CCTV manned if it's remote) - this is an accessibility requirement.
I'd call Hanlon's razor on this one - it's just incompetence on the ticket issuer's side.
FWIW, you shouldn't have to go to a ticket office to be let through - every tube station has a manned barrier (or CCTV manned if it's remote) - this is an accessibility requirement.
I'd call Hanlon's razor on this one - it's just incompetence on the ticket issuer's side.
#3
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: London
Posts: 1,117
No scam.
I suggest you complain to Stansted Express, and be specific about where you purchased the ticket at Stansted.
I suggest you complain to Stansted Express, and be specific about where you purchased the ticket at Stansted.
#4
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Harlow, UK
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Last two trips into London on Stansted express I paid 2 pounds extra for a ticket that supposedly gives tube access. Put the ticket in at Liverpool street and...the dreaded "seek assistance" message. The one ticket counter open had a line 25 people long so I whipped out my Oyster card and used it so as not to be late to my meetings. This morning - same thing. On the way back I waited in a shorter line at St. Paul's station and the guy said "the ticket is valid and you just have to show it to the attendant who will open the gate, but it doesn't work in the machines". Why on earth would they sell me a train ticket with a magnetic strip that doesn't work twice in a row? I'm annoyed just thinking about the money I spent on my last day trip to London when I just used the Oyster all day. This can't be that hard to fix from a tech perspective? Only thing I can think of is that they sell the ticket hoping people will do like I did and not use it and not come back to complain!
The tickets they sell from those portable machines very often don't work in the barriers. No idea why. (Apart from general incompetence of course.)
#5
Join Date: Jul 2011
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Getting the correct thing written to the magnetic strip of a train ticket, so it'll work in London Underground barriers, seems to be much much harder than one would expect. Getting the various different public and private companies involved to agree with who's at fault is even tougher
I quite often buy a ticket online which includes a tube journey as part of cross-London trip. If I pick it up from some of the ticket machines in Oxford, it'll be rejected at the LU barriers for entry and exit. I complained to London Underground, who asked for the ticket, looked at it, and said that the "valid on the tube" part hadn't been written to the magnetic strip of any of the tickets I sent. Complained to the website I bought it from, they said the ticket was valid for the route, and that was the end of their part. Complained to First Great Western who operate the ticket machines in Oxford, they answered a different question.... Oxford now has one "collection only" machine which does write it properly, so I know now to either use that, or collect from Paddington on a previous journey.
So, just find the person manning the gateline (there will always be either one open gate, or someone manning one gate, or a video help point), show them the ticket, and have them let you through. Then mentally blacklist that ticket machine, and wherever possible use a different one next time...
I quite often buy a ticket online which includes a tube journey as part of cross-London trip. If I pick it up from some of the ticket machines in Oxford, it'll be rejected at the LU barriers for entry and exit. I complained to London Underground, who asked for the ticket, looked at it, and said that the "valid on the tube" part hadn't been written to the magnetic strip of any of the tickets I sent. Complained to the website I bought it from, they said the ticket was valid for the route, and that was the end of their part. Complained to First Great Western who operate the ticket machines in Oxford, they answered a different question.... Oxford now has one "collection only" machine which does write it properly, so I know now to either use that, or collect from Paddington on a previous journey.
So, just find the person manning the gateline (there will always be either one open gate, or someone manning one gate, or a video help point), show them the ticket, and have them let you through. Then mentally blacklist that ticket machine, and wherever possible use a different one next time...
#6
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: London
Posts: 1,546
"This can't be that hard to fix from a tech perspective?"
But actually, it is. Remember that this is a rail ticket, and the number of ticket options for the UK national rail system is vast.
Having said that it's complicated, that doesn't excuse the railway companies for not investing enough to (1) get it right and (2) think about simplifying the system.
But actually, it is. Remember that this is a rail ticket, and the number of ticket options for the UK national rail system is vast.
Having said that it's complicated, that doesn't excuse the railway companies for not investing enough to (1) get it right and (2) think about simplifying the system.
#7
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I bought it from the lady selling them at the top of the escalator before passport control at STN who is supposed to be a Stansted Express employee.