Off Peak Day Returns more expensive than Devon Day Ranger/Ride Cornwall

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

I've just noticed that, following the January 2016 fare rise, many Off Peak Day Returns in Devon or Cornwall are now priced at ^10.10 whilst the Devon Day Ranger or Ride Cornwall Ranger are ^10.00.

Much more validity for a lesser price. With the Ride Cornwall you can use many buses too.

I wonder what would be sold at a staffed station if I asked for a return from Tiverton Parkway to Plymouth, Paignton to Barnstaple, or Liskeard to St Ives coming back the same day.

Passengers using TVMs^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) won't even have the option of getting the cheapest fare for their journey.

 

[LiskeardRich]

Guess what idiot paid and didn't notice the price I was paying, for a off peak day return Redruth to Plymouth.

Should staff be offering the cheapest ticket?

Had I bought a Ride Cornwall I would of taken the train to Plymouth then try the bus part way back.

[LiskeardRich]

Just had a Twitter dialogue with GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), not required to offer rangers nor split ticketing when cheaper than a point to point return

https://mobile.twitter.com/richwarwicker/status/712041908407836678

[JayMac]

I would suggest that twitter responder is wrong. The industry's own code of practice (CoP), and Consumer Protection Regulations (CPRs) consider price to be "material information". Omitting important information, in this case the fact that there is a cheaper product available that allows the same journey, could be seen as both a breach of the CoP and CPRs.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/static/documents/content/RetailInformationForRailTicketsCoP.PDF

And then there's The Ticketing and Settlement Agreement, adherence to which is a franchise requirement, which says:

6-30 THE IMPARTIALITY OBLIGATION

(2) Specific requirements

(a) If more than one Fare is available that meets the requirements specified by a potential Purchaser and he does not specify which of the Fares he requires, the Operator must seek any additional information from him that is necessary to enable it to recommend (in an impartial manner) which of them is suitable for him.

(b) Where an Operator is asked to recommend a suitable Fare or paragraph (a) above applies, it must request sufficient additional information to enable it to make the recommendation. This may (for example) include any of the following:-

(i) the departure and/or arrival time required;
(ii) how important it is to the person requesting the Fare to minimise the journey time involved;
(iii) the importance to him of the price of the Fare;
(iv) whether he minds changing trains;
(v) (if a return journey is to be made) the extent to which he needs flexibility in his choice of trains for that journey;
(vi) whether he wants the flexibility of an Inter-available Fare; and
(vii) any special requirements that he has.

(c) If more than one Fare is suitable, the Operator must explain the main features of the alternatives in an impartial manner.

So if, for example, you are at Redruth ticket office after 0900 and say, "I want to go to Plymouth, coming back later today", you must, at the very least, be offered the Ride Cornwall Ranger.

I'd go further and suggest that if you ask for a day return you should also be offered the Ranger. If a specific product is asked for then that can be sold without further interaction. However, "day return" is not a specific product.

[IndustryInsider]

6-30 THE IMPARTIALITY OBLIGATION

(2) Specific requirements

(a) If more than one Fare is available that meets the requirements specified by a potential Purchaser and he does not specify which of the Fares he requires, the Operator must seek any additional information from him that is necessary to enable it to recommend (in an impartial manner) which of them is suitable for him.

(b) Where an Operator is asked to recommend a suitable Fare or paragraph (a) above applies, it must request sufficient additional information to enable it to make the recommendation. This may (for example) include any of the following:-

(i) the departure and/or arrival time required;
(ii) how important it is to the person requesting the Fare to minimise the journey time involved;
(iii) the importance to him of the price of the Fare;
(iv) whether he minds changing trains;
(v) (if a return journey is to be made) the extent to which he needs flexibility in his choice of trains for that journey;
(vi) whether he wants the flexibility of an Inter-available Fare; and
(vii) any special requirements that he has.

(c) If more than one Fare is suitable, the Operator must explain the main features of the alternatives in an impartial manner.

Do similar obligations apply if you happen to be female?   

[LiskeardRich]

They've provided a document that has the wording that they have to only offer 'through' tickets.

However To me a Ride Cornwall is a through ticket as it covers the full through journey from Redruth to Plymouth. They've gone off at a tangent that they don't have to offer split ticketing, there is no split ticketing involved.

Until the most recent fare rise prices were capped 10p under the Rover tickets covering the same journey,

[ChrisB]

A rover/ranger isn't a 'fare' though, in rail industry parlance, which generally sees those as point-to-point.

[Tim]

Do similar obligations apply if you happen to be female?   

As my old boss used to say - "the male embraces the female"

[JayMac]

A rover/ranger isn't a 'fare' though, in rail industry parlance, which generally sees those as point-to-point.

Citation or source? National Rail Enquiries (definitive source for the public) certainly thinks a Ride Cornwall is a fare. Showing it as the cheapest option when inputting relevant stations. Yes, I'm aware NRE^▸ (National Rail Enquiries) doesn't retail tickets and when redirected to purchase you will be overcharged. Advertising one price and selling at another. Naughty, And just the sort of thing the more robust Consumer Protection legislation is meant to stamp out.

Now, if NRE can be programmed to offer the cheapest fare, why can't booking clerks?

[ChrisB]

Fair (fare?) comment - I didn't realise NRE^▸ (National Rail Enquiries) were showing these....so I agree. Transport Focus needs to sort with ATOC^» (Association of Train Operating Companies See - here) then.

[TaplowGreen]

The root cause of course is the ridiculously complex fare structure - simplify that, and the problem is resolved.

Making sure ATOC^» (Association of Train Operating Companies See - here) info is consistent with NRE^▸ (National Rail Enquiries) is of course important in the immediate term but it's treating symptoms rather than cause.

[ChrisB]

Simplification could easily result in the removal of these local rovers/ranger tickets of course. Be careful what you wish for.

[readytostart]

When I was living in the Midlands, the booking office at Stourbridge town would always sell me a one day Centrocard when I asked for a return to Solihull.

[marky7890]

From Truro the XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) 09:04 service isn't off peak, so costs ^14.20 to get to Plymouth (anytime fare), however a Ride Cornwall is just ^10 or ^8.30 with a railcard which is valid as the Ranger starts from 09:00.

[FarWestJohn]

0904 only^4.20 with an advance single or ^3.20 on the 1015.