Thetrainline.com On-line booking fee rip-off when it's cheaper to buy the ticket at the station Internet

The trainline.com is an on-line booking agent for UK train fares. Their web site boasts average savings of "up to 43%" on normal published fares if you buy in advance. What they don't tell you is that if you purchase a ticket from them at the normal published fare it can be more expensive than if you simply purchase the ticket at the station before you board the train. This is because they charge a 1 "booking fee" and a 2.50 "credit card fee" regardless of the price of the ticket. So you pay 3.50 for the privilege of collecting your ticket from a ticket machine at the station having paid for it online earlier. So where's the USP then? Basically it's a rip-off. If you don't book 12 weeks in advance (and who honestly knows if they are going to catch a train 12 weeks hence?) there is absolutely no reason to use this service. Just buy the ticket at the station and spend the 3.50 on a newspaper and a cup of coffee...before you board the train!

Rightwingreactionary
London
United Kingdom