Great Western Coffee Shop

I struggled with a title for this thread so here is my story.

I have been working up in Hereford this week and there have been breaks between my days so that (for example) I am returning home tonight to go to London tomorrow (Wednesday) and then back up to Hereford Wednesday evening.

Because I am not allowed to claim for travel from home into London tomorrow I will be purchasing a one day travelcard at the Thatcham ticket office or TVM

Online last night I bought an off peak single from Reading to Hereford and got a booking code. My understanding was that - despite the web site saying otherwise - I could pick this up from any machine run by any TOC.

So when I arrived at Hereford to come home tonight and had some time to kill I tried to get my ticket out of the TVM there using the booking code and the card I used to pay for the ticket. Like the person in front of me trying to do the same thing it said "there was no such booking reference" or some similar message.

So in all innocence I asked the Arriva staff in the ticket office why this was. Her answer, which in my opinion was an example in how not to do customer service was " we  are not here to deal with problems like this".

Ignoring any tone on her part I may have inferred was she within her rights to say this?

I guess we are spoilt in Thatcham by our usual station master who will go out of his way to help his customers.

I think they are there to help...it's Arriva's TVM....suggest you email Arriva Wales with this story & ask tge sane question. I foresee staff trsining tsking place!

Did you select Hereford as the collection point. I know you can (or meant to be able to!) collect from any TVM attached to tge ticketing system, but by selecting Hereford would tell you if it indeed is attached. Theyvonly list stations that have TVMs attached.

I had specified Thatcham as the collection point (even though it was a ticket from Reading to Hereford). I was led to believe by the ticket office master at Thatcham that they could be picked up from anywhere within reason.

They are....but it msy be that Hereford isn't connected. I'd be surprised, but as you didn't check, it remains a possibility I suppose. Probably an error though, so the ticket office ought to have helped

The other thing that puzzled me (but not enough to question it) was the assistant said "I can't look this up on the system because our terminals are about to go off". I think this was 6pm but can't be sure

The specified station is not applicable any more- I often pick up from different TVMs - sometimes with a different card.
Father in law often buys on line for my wife to go down to see him. We know it can be picked up from TVM with a different card as well. FIL bought tickets with his card last week to be collected at Liskeard. As I was passing Truro TVM I collected the tickets using the booking reference and my bank card without problem.

I seem to remember the issue of "different cards" being discussed here before but can't remember the conclusion. Anyway I got my tickets in the end but a bit disappointed with the level of customer service.

Some TOCs do require booking card to be used, and do say so in their email confirmation. Chiltern for example

I've had a similar experience at Hereford, I'm afraid, after being mis-sold a ticket by the TVM. The staff member (possibly the same one) was perfectly civil but refused to help and told me to write to Arriva.

GWR say it in their email, but in reality isn't the case.

On that basis, my suggestion would be that you do indeed write to Arriva's customer services department, setting out exactly what happened, and asking for their comments.  :-X