Problem renewing Disabled railcard

forgoodnesssake
forgoodnesssake Online Community Member Posts: 512 Empowering
edited August 2022 in Everyday life
(Not sure if this is the right place to post this but can't see "travel" anywhere else)
I am trying to renew my son's disabled railcard but the site has been displaying this message for ages.

"500 - Oops! Something is broken.

We are experiencing technical difficulties at this time and working to correct the problem."

I gather that there have been real issues with railcard website on and off for months now but other sorts of railcard can be bought in stations...but the disabled one can't...so what on earth is going on and how can disabled people get or renew a railcard??

I have contacted them on their contact form but don't expect a response any time soon..

Scope...can you help, because yet again disabled customers are being treated very much as the poor relation...


Comments

  • Cartini
    Cartini Online Community Member Posts: 1,107 Trailblazing
    Scope...can you help, because yet again disabled customers are being treated very much as the poor relation...

    That`s quite an unfounded accusation.
    You don`t know what`s going on with the systems; systems that will be pretty complicated having to cater for several differenct sections of society, including the disabled section.

  • forgoodnesssake
    forgoodnesssake Online Community Member Posts: 512 Empowering
    edited August 2022
    Sorry @cartini but my disabled son has had a number of very discriminatory situations on trains recently as have many others ...see countless reports in the media re trains and planes.  The biggest issue is that the disabled rail card can't be bought at a station as you have to prove your disability with paperwork...
  • Cartini
    Cartini Online Community Member Posts: 1,107 Trailblazing
    Sorry @cartini but my disabled son has had a number of very discriminatory situations on trains recently as have many others ...see countless reports in the media.  So I base my accusation on facts so not unfounded
    My comment was based on the face value of your comment, so it was aimed at the software system used to provide the badges.

  • forgoodnesssake
    forgoodnesssake Online Community Member Posts: 512 Empowering
    No worries @cartini :)
  • Cartini
    Cartini Online Community Member Posts: 1,107 Trailblazing
    No worries @cartini :)

    :)
  • Alex_Alumni
    Alex_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,538 Championing
    I'm sorry to hear you're facing these frustrations @forgoodnesssake, it's annoying when it's seemingly so simple a task, but it's made so much more difficult by something we can't control

    I've checked my own account and it seems to be working fine, although I don't need to renew my card for a while. Has anything changed since you last posted?
  • forgoodnesssake
    forgoodnesssake Online Community Member Posts: 512 Empowering
    UPDATE:  Still impossible to do online...technical problem message just keeps appearing...so it's at their end.
    However, after emailing to ask what to do I was sent this phone number 0345 605 0525 (07:00-22:00, every day except for Christmas Day) which actually worked with not too long a wait, and i was able to use my Tesco clubcard voucher too.
    Still no excuse for the terrible online service, and no good for anyone who can't use the phone, but it did work.

  • Tori_Scope
    Tori_Scope Scope Posts: 12,464 Championing
    Thanks for sharing that @forgoodnesssake :) It doesn't look like an ideal solution, but I'm glad that it worked for you!