New format for buying tickets on-line - misleading statement

[whole diary]

[Wolvercote Wanderer]

Is anyone else having trouble booking tickets on-line since the website format changed?  I keep accidentally increasing the number of adults travelling using the roller on my mouse!!  I wondered why my trip from Oxford to Exeter was ^256 off-peak return!

Anyway, I've also received the following misleading message when booking a ticket:

"First Great Western may send you useful product and service information relevant to your booking, including offers and discounts for future bookings through us. We will however NOT provide your details to any third party, except in accordance with our terms and conditions, other than the train company you travel with. If you do not wish to receive this information simply untick the box.

[   ] Yes please  [   ]  No thanks "

Now, call me picky, but the possible double negative at the end is misleading!  And neither box was ticked as default!

[devon_metro]

Fgwtickets.co.uk has the old style.

[Btline]

Switch to the Mixing Deck. You'll save yourself both time and money.

[inspector_blakey]

Sorry Btline, but that's a misleading and factually incorrect statement right there. If you're buying FGW^▸ (First Great Western) advance purchase tickets then that will not save you any money but will actually cost you more, given that the 10% discount is only available from the FGW website.

The mixing deck (as used by NXEC^▸ (National Express East Coast) on their website and subsequently other companies) certainly has its advantages but I think it's potentially much more confusing for novice users than the "trainline" format. I've picked up more knowledge about rail ticketing than is probably good for my health over the years, but it took me some time to figure out the "mixing deck" format.

[devon_metro]

Sorry Btline, but that's a misleading and factually incorrect statement right there. If you're buying FGW^▸ (First Great Western) advance purchase tickets then that will not save you any money but will actually cost you more, given that the 10% discount is only available from the FGW website.

The mixing deck (as used by NXEC^▸ (National Express East Coast) on their website and subsequently other companies) certainly has its advantages but I think it's potentially much more confusing for novice users than the "trainline" format. I've picked up more knowledge about rail ticketing than is probably good for my health over the years, but it took me some time to figure out the "mixing deck" format.

Quite agree, mixing deck isn't the best thing ever made, for starters, the atrocious NXEC site takes a few attempts to load!!

Thetrainline design lays it out all in front of you, very simple as far as I'm concerned.

[JayMac]

Mixing Deck for me everytime.

Main reason: Solo debit accepted. I'd rather another retailer didn't get 10% of my FGW^▸ (First Great Western) fares, but until FGW accept Solo, I have little choice.

Other reasons: Advance and walk up (single and return) products on one page. Far greater list of trains with the ability to load up all the trains from one day on a scrolling panel rather than constantly having to click 'earlier' or 'later' and reload pages. On board facilities and important information listed in a pop-up. Highlight a train and all unavailable fares are greyed out. Highlight a fare and all unavailable trains are greyed out.

I do miss out on the 10% FGW discount for advance tickets, but that won't last.

[Btline]

OK, I forgot about the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) 10% scam. In TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) specific cases, it may be cheaper to use a Trainline system. But taking it out of the eqn...

But the mixing deck is still far quicker, as you don't have to re-load the page about one hundred times to find the fares.

Mixing Deck shows all the fares at once, not just singles or returns. It also shows ALL trains, not just 5 different ones (and to get more times you have to - wait for it - reload the page!) Novice users could end up buying two Anytime Singles instead of a return. Or buy a Off Peak return instead of two advance singles. This is impossible on the Mixing Deck as all fares are shown.

If a fare is unavailable for a certain route or time etc, it is still shown on MD, but greyed out. Hit a few check boxes, or scroll down the list of times and you'll unlock them. On a Trainline system it is just not shown, making people buy a more expensive fare.

The Mixing Deck also allows you to buy a "walk up" ticket quickly, without reserving a seat. This also helps to reduce the amount of phantom reservations onboard trains, allowing more people to sit down.

They also have a cheapest fares finder, making it even quicker to find the times of day where it is chesper. Again, on the TL, it would take several re-loads and a good memory to get such info.

So the MD is a far superior system. As such, 4 TOCs have switched. No doubt more will follow as websites are upgraded.

[JayMac]

So the MD is a far superior system. As such, 4 TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) have switched. No doubt more will follow as websites are upgraded.

Or will they? The cynic in me says why would they want punters to be able to easily buy the cheapest fare (excepting split-ticketing) when they can continue to catch the unwary out on the trainline based system. That'll reduce revenue.....

[Btline]

To be honest, I would not be surprised if FGW^▸ (First Great Western) kept the Trainline system in order to milk yet more money off passengers.

[devon_metro]

To be honest, I would not be surprised if FGW^▸ (First Great Western) kept the Trainline system in order to milk yet more money off passengers.

Change the record, please.

Besides, if you are overcharged as a result of not checking the system properly then you've only got yourself to blame for.

[JayMac]

To be honest, I would not be surprised if FGW^▸ (First Great Western) kept the Trainline system in order to milk yet more money off passengers.

It's not just FGW. You can be caught out with Virgin's site if you don't select 'open return'. As an example, if you just select 'return' for a fare from Euston to Douglas (IOM) the only option you get is 2x Anytime singles at ^77 each. Punter thinks "We'll I'm coming back, so I need a return" enters their travel dates and potentially be over charged by ^82 versus the 'open return' price of ^72.

And what is an 'open return'? Didn't they get binned when we had 'fares simplification'?

[Btline]

Change the record, please.

Why should I? I think FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s recent actions have been despicable.

[JayMac]

Change the record, please.

Why should I? I think FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s recent actions have been despicable.

Don't bite folks. Trolling again......

[vacman]

in what way btline is the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) 10% a scam? the fares would have gone up 10% anyway regardless of the "scam"

[devon_metro]

Just your every day "Daily Mail"-esque reporting from Btline...