Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson
Terms and conditions state quite clearly with respect to the promotion concerning the use of student ID cards issued by third parties
So you must have a valid student travelcard to avail of weekly or monthly tickets, as has been the way for several decades. As you previously obtained a student travelcard you acknowledged that fact.
You did not have a valid student travel card and therefore were correctly fined.
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Why on Earth is there any difference? Surely all they need is evidence that I am a student. This inconsistency in policy is completely illogical and bereft of reason or justice. I had no intention to evade anything or defraud anyone. With exclusively justice in mind (And not their unjust and inconsistent by-laws, terms and conditions and whatever else), being a verifiable student I was doing absolutely nothing wrong by buying a student ticket. As far as I was concerned, everything was in order and I was doing what I routinely did for the past few terms. I've been checked tens of times with nothing more than a "thank you" from inspectors being said.
I have never once heard of a business who treats their regular customers in such a manner. I understand they need to protect their revenue streams and root out people attempting to use the train fraudulently but they're not doing that here. All they're doing is completely turning off a regular customer (And source of revenue) from their company. With or without the redundant extra student card, what bloody difference will it to make to their revenue streams? Are they losing money by my missing the fact that travelcards can expire? No. What are they gaining from this utterly ridiculous position they're taking? An extra €100 fished out from their customer's wallet and what else? A disgruntled regular who will lose any loyalty they had for the company. A disgruntled customer who will at any given moment jump ship to another transport method and recommend their peers to do so too if the opportunity arises. That, to my mind, is not revenue protection. All it is to me is a blockheaded and neanderthal approach to customer relations that does nothing but harm their company. (Allow myself to note that I am not calling anyone in particular stupid! I'm calling the system they have in place stupid.)
If the so-called "Revenue Protection Unit" won't hear me out and want their pound of flesh, they may receive it. But mark my words, if they think their harsh, unjust and inconsistent policies are going to protect their revenue streams they're very much mistaken. At the first moment I find an alternative I will ensure that their company does not see another red cent from me.
I take huge and great offense at being made out to be a fraudster when my intentions were anything but. In any and all ways that are available to me, I will attempt to make my case to them. If they will not listen, the only just conclusion to this farce is for me to ensure that they do not succeed in their role and achieve the exact opposite they've been tasked to do.
Irish Rail are making huge losses. They have essentially made it out that I was attempting to defraud them and have asked me to give them an extra €100 and to repay my fare for my troubles. If they think this is how a business ought to relate with the regular customers that provide them with a regular source of revenue and that this kind of approach is going to help fix things and bring their business back to profitability, 2016 may yet be a big year for the company but unfortunately perhaps not in the positive "return to profitability" sense they're forecasting.
One final thing, are you aware of any supervisors or department heads or any one with elevated authority in Irish Rail who I can speak to about the issue? Thanks for your help and thanks for reading my (Very long, I apologise) post so far.