A student excited about a low-cost train ticket to Berlin faced unexpected fines when her ticket, purchased under the ‘Super Sparpreis Young’ fare, required a Bahncard 25 she no longer possessed. The app’s unclear communication regarding the discount led to confusion, resulting in an additional €326.10 charge after her journey. Deutsche Bahn advised travelers to manage their settings and suggested a customer dialogue portal for resolving such issues, while the student is currently appealing the charges.
Student’s Ticket Trouble: The Hidden Costs of the Bahn App
At the beginning of October, a student was thrilled to secure a ticket to Berlin for just 47.19 euros, thanks to the enticing ‘Super Sparpreis Young’ fare. However, her excitement quickly turned to dismay during a train inspection when she discovered her ticket was only valid if she possessed a Bahncard 25. Unfortunately, the train conductor informed her that he had not held a Bahncard since July, a detail that was not clearly communicated during the ticket purchasing process. Now, she faces hefty fines due to a lack of transparency in the Bahn app.
Hidden Bahncard Conditions in the App
Between July 2023 and July 2024, the student had used a physical Bahncard 25. In previous bookings, she had selected the Bahncard discount within the Navigator app, which retains the discount in the user profile for future use. However, when purchasing a Bahncard through the Navigator app, it is stored digitally with a clear validity date, while the plastic card’s discount lacks an automatic expiration indicator.
During the ticket ordering process, the information regarding the Bahncard discount was not prominently displayed. To find out that she was purchasing a ticket with a Bahncard discount, the student had to navigate through several steps in her user profile. Although there was a vague note in the order summary stating ‘1 person, 1 discount,’ it could easily be confused with the Super Sparpreis Young fare. Consequently, the train conductor did not double-check the order details. The crucial Bahncard notice only appeared on the final ticket in line seven, following the fare description.
When the conductor asked her for the Bahncard shortly before reaching Ingolstadt, the student was caught off guard and couldn’t provide it. The conductor suggested she purchase a temporary Bahncard online during the trip to validate her ticket from Nuremberg, warning her that she might receive a letter from Bahn later, asking for a back payment of around 20 euros.
The anticipated letter arrived shortly after, stating that due to ‘system technical reasons,’ a fare adjustment could not be processed at the time of travel. As a result, the student was billed an additional 326.10 euros for her journey from Munich to Nuremberg, plus the standard fare for the Nuremberg to Berlin segment. Fortunately, she had a valid ticket after acquiring the trial Bahncard.
In response to the situation, Deutsche Bahn took to social media to clarify that it’s the traveler’s responsibility to adjust their search settings. Additionally, they recommended using the customer dialogue portal to resolve such issues. We have reached out to the consumer center to verify whether the ticket purchasing process in the Navigator app aligns with proper sales practices. The appeal process is currently underway.
Stay informed about the latest in transportation and automotive news by subscribing to the WhatsApp channel ‘Your Car Channel’ to never miss crucial updates on traffic developments and automotive trends.