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Complaint regarding unfair website blocking of IRCTC

Saturday, 9 May, 2009 9:01 AM
From:
To:
care@irctc.co.in
Cc:
teamjagruti@gmail.com
My name is Adarsh Sharma I wanted to book 3 tatkal tickets today for 14 May 2009 from Delhi to Bngalore for 3 adult passangers (Mohan Sharma, Male, 56; Usha Sharma, Ambuj Sharma, Females, 52 yrs) sharp till 8:00 PM today. 48 tatkal tickets were available and the moment I pressed the button to book the ticket I got a message on the IRCTC website stating service unavilable. After that whatever I did the website kept showing service unavailable message infact the IRCTC website would not open for the next 10 minutes and same message would be displayed. After 10 minutes when the website opened all the tickets were sold out. We had to attend to a family death situation and we are not able to book tickets.
I fail to understand why the message popped up when I was on time to book the tickets and when tickets were available. Was the website purposefully disabled so people cannot book tickets online and some agent could book them over the counter. If that is the case then it amounts to unfair treatment to the customers using IRCTC to book tickets. What is the point of having an internet booking system if you are going to block the site at the nick of time and allow agents to book tickets in bulk over the counter.
This is very very disappointing and you cannot take away your responsibility by stating that there was a technical problem, because since 7 PM in the morning there was no technical problem on the dot at 8PM when the tatkal booking starts the problem starts - how do you explain this.
I demand and request and explanation and a solution to my problem as I am now unable to book tickets.
A copy of this complaint is also sent to Consumer Forum through Jagruti and I hope either of you will provide justice in this matter and give us an alternate solution
Adarsh Sharma
98804 72640
080 4162230
Copy to: Consumer Forum (Consumer Affairs Department), Team Jagruti (Jago Grahak Jago)

Comments

Si_Lee said…
chee .. i guess you were unlucky there .. see for tatkal online many requests go in at the same time .. now there is a limit to number of requests your server at irctc can entertain .. in a centralised system such as tht it is highly imposiible to put it on hold and give tickets to agents .. for it is one site for all trains in the country .. its not localised ..
July 1, 2009 at 11:42 PM
Unknown said…
But how come irctc is not able to handle this much of Traffic as this is not one time problem it happens at every festival season.its irctc responsibily to upgarde their network to handle this much traffic.
October 18, 2009 at 7:51 PM
Gayathri said…
The tatkal tickets were not disabled at all times.. It happens only in festive season or weekends (especially for booking on Sundays). I cannot accept that because of traffic we are able to book tickets. I hope the site is disabled at that time for ticket booking of agents.
October 23, 2009 at 9:13 AM
Unknown said…
There is something going on between agents and irctc. They just kick you out at 8 AM. I can understand that there is a lot of rush to get in for tatkal tickets but the users that already logged in won't be kicked out. If someone who is not logged in cannot get in that's another story. Something fishy. I have been trying for last two days with same exact experience.
November 21, 2009 at 8:19 AM
Unknown said…
There is something going on between agents and irctc. They just kick you out at 8 AM. I can understand that there is a lot of rush to get in for tatkal tickets but the users that already logged in won't be kicked out. If someone who is not logged in cannot get in that's another story. Something fishy. I have been trying for last two days with same exact experience.
November 21, 2009 at 8:21 AM
Unknown said…
even i had similar problems , whenever , i wanted to book tatkal, there would be net problem. there is something fishy.
dr.jagdish
January 23, 2010 at 7:03 PM
Hitesh R Awasthi said…
Good to find others here, even I faced the problem while booking a ticket at 8 am,and indeed it was a tatkal ticket.
February 5, 2010 at 1:21 AM
aabhas said…
The reservation is not done by IRCTC, it's done by PRS (passenger reservation system).
IRCTC has limited no of connection to PRS, that's why at 8:00 AM when every body is trying it gets chocked.
Though the problem of agents is there, its exaggerated, people are standing at PRS counters well before 6 AM to get the tatkal tickets, that to all over india. for your train there were 48 seats and there will at least 100 people trying for it and they may 1 or second in queue at all PRS counters.
These so called agents use another tactics, getting the various quota's on wait listed tickets by ""setting"" some employee in regional or zonal manager's office
May 8, 2010 at 11:46 PM
Unknown said…
I'm trying Tatkal Ticket since last 3-4 days and writing this note while trying...I wonder how agent getting worked for them ?
Something fishy between agent and railways...Its feel like hell experience using IRCTC website..even I logged in just before 8am and on 8am, try to do Quick Booking and it just thru me out saying that tatkal booking can be done frm 8hrs. Experience of using of this website as furstating as any thing else to do with railways or other facilities. Things Decay over period of time instead of improvement..you may take food served in Rajdhani or buying ticket experience...
May 18, 2010 at 8:44 AM
Unknown said…
even i had the similar problem..there is definitley a link between irctc and agents..
if it was'nt so,,than how these agents manage to get tickets,where as we can-not..
May 26, 2010 at 8:28 AM
Unknown said…
even i had the similar problem..there is definitley a link between irctc and agents..
if it was'nt so,,than how these agents manage to get tickets,where as we can-not..
May 26, 2010 at 8:28 AM
Unknown said…
even i had the similar problem..there is definitley a link between irctc and agents..
if it was'nt so,,than how these agents manage to get tickets,where as we can-not..
May 26, 2010 at 8:28 AM
Data Services said…
please try the website http://irctctips.blogspot.com/ for "SERVICE UNAVAILABLE" problem
June 4, 2010 at 10:49 AM
Subbu said…
Today worst experience to me also. 'Service Unavailable', while pressing the button 'book', after that I couldn't login till now. Worst service from irctc.
February 16, 2012 at 8:20 AM
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