Ticket agency sales commission rates

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Following an interesting Facebook thread

Stunned by the Wolmar revelation in Private Eye that Trainline ticket website will be offered 4.5% commission on ticket sales after nationalisation. Effectively this means that the competing BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) website will be deliberately weakened in order to prop them up, a bit like the limits on BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) news. It's an absolute betrayal of course, Trainline could do their thing on 1%

One of the follow up points us to the rail industry commission rate tables and I have mirrored a copy for members at https://www.firstgreatwestern.info/mirror/ticket_commission_rates.pdf in our archive

[eightonedee]

I would suggest that anyone feeling "shocked" at that rate who also arranges their insurance through a broker looks to see what the broker earns!

[infoman]

At Ledbury the guy running the ticket office, up to a few years ago was is a one man band,

so no issue, in my opinion, with him selling tickets.

[grahame]

At Ledbury the guy running the ticket office, up to a few years ago was is a one man band,

so no issue, in my opinion, with him selling tickets.

There are / have been a number of agencies - Chester-le-track, Llandrindod, Looe.  Business tickets sales at the Trowbridge TIC^▸ (Tourist Information Centre).  Something I have had an eye on over the years / when buying your ticket before boarding the train, and getting the right fare from the baffling array of options, has been sufficient of a hurdle to put a number of passengers off.  There is or have been significant overheads involved - it's not as easy as just putting someone behind the counter as a shop assistant.

[infoman]

If I recall correctly where not a college of some sort near Wem where the students ran the ticket office with the commission going to the college?

[grahame]

If I recall correctly where not a college of some sort near Wem where the students ran the ticket office with the commission going to the college?

I don't recall that one ... but ticket sales are something I have had one eye on for years ... with a percentage commission system there, does it lead the ticket seller into something of. conflict of interest between maximising revenue and giving the passenger the best possible deal?

[TaplowGreen]

If I recall correctly where not a college of some sort near Wem where the students ran the ticket office with the commission going to the college?

I don't recall that one ... but ticket sales are something I have had one eye on for years ... with a percentage commission system there, does it lead the ticket seller into something of. conflict of interest between maximising revenue and giving the passenger the best possible deal?

Given the complications of the fare system and the inconsistencies of numerous channels from which purchases can be made, getting the "best possible deal" is something of a lottery irrespective of where the ticket is purchased.