Please polish your eyes, the end of all ticket snatching software is "12306"

News Background:

The curtain has been opened on the 2022 Spring Festival, and as in previous years, train tickets in some popular directions are still "hard to find". When passengers buy train tickets on various third-party travel apps, they will be recommended to buy "ticket rush acceleration packages" when there is no ticket, and there is no shortage of consumers who spend prices ranging from ten yuan to tens of yuan to buy acceleration packages to grab tickets.

China Economic Network Infographic Ma Xingru /Photo

The "Acceleration Package" does not have the right of first refusal to purchase tickets

On major platforms, various "ticket-snatching acceleration" software emerges in an endless stream, claiming to be able to "give priority to ticketing" and attract consumers with slogans such as "purchase acceleration and doubling success rate". Some platforms also subdivide the "ticket rush acceleration" service into different levels, and the price gradually increases from "low speed" to "speed of light". However, many people have found that the "acceleration package" is useless after using it.

Recently, China Railway Guangzhou Bureau Group Co., Ltd. made a guest appearance on the "Guangdong People's Voice Hotline" program, giving an authoritative answer on the spot: "The 'acceleration package' designed and provided by the third-party website is not the official function of Railway 12306, and it is not guaranteed to provide tickets to users." That is to say, the railway department has not authorized other online platforms other than 12306 to sell train tickets, and consumers cannot use the "acceleration package" and cannot have the priority right to purchase tickets, no matter which ticketing software, they must eventually go to the 12306 ticketing system to "queue" to buy tickets.

Ticket snatching software also disrupts the normal ticketing order

In the case of no way to distinguish between true and false, consumers are often misled by such a "success rate", believing that adding money equals increasing the probability, and then being induced to continue to pay. Once you spend a high price but do not grab a ticket, it will be difficult to defend your rights because the ticket-snatching software has room for interpretation. Not only that, some technical means need to occupy a lot of network resources, which is undoubtedly a huge burden for the 12306 platform. To a certain extent, ticket-snatching software also disrupts the normal ticketing order.

Fundamentally, these "ticket-snatching software" are non-compliant, and they are more like "technical scalpers" who do things that violate market fairness. However, due to the shortage of popular tickets during the Spring Festival, passengers looking forward to returning home are also "panicking", which has promoted the use and promotion of "ticket-snatching software".

Be vigilant about the risks behind ticket-snatching software

Most ticket-snatching software requires passengers to provide personal identity and 12306 ticket purchase account number, password and other information, and some also require users to upload ID photos. Once the information is leaked or stolen by hackers because of the poor management of the software platform, these personal information may be used for some commercial activities without the user's knowledge, and even become a "breakthrough" in online fraud and other activities, and eventually let the user suffer greater economic losses.

The reason why the ticket snatching platform can attract many users stems from the public's thinking that "it is difficult to grab tickets during the Spring Festival". Previously, the official ticketing software of the China Railway Customer Service Center, "Railway 12306", has repeatedly stated that it has blocked a number of third-party ticket-snatching software. It is believed that in the future, under greater publicity and promotion, the public will change the inherent impression of purchasing tickets for the Spring Festival and choose official ticketing channels, which can curb the bad atmosphere of platform-induced consumption from the source of ticket purchases.

(The above comprehensive People's Daily, Xinhua Daily Telegraph, Nanfang Daily, Guangzhou Daily)

In a nutshell:

@ Strive to grow tall: The reason why all kinds of ticket-snatching software can become popular is to a large extent to take advantage of the psychology of returnees who "buy tickets even if they spend more money".

@ Early Summer Look Xinqing: The "12306" ticketing system has long been online with the "standby ticketing" function, and it has been fully promoted.

@ Big Pineapple: Inducing consumption on the grounds of ticket grabbing is really a bit of a routine.

@Residual Yang Xizhao: Some ticket-snatching software also hides the risk of personal information leakage, which may cause information and property damage to consumers.

China Economic Network Editor's Afterword:

The live-action version of the "ticket seller" is severely cracked down, and the software version of the "ticket seller" should not be ignored. The so-called "ticket snatching artifact" has long been ineffective, and the relevant departments should continue to strengthen supervision and crackdown on ticket-snatching software that disrupts the order of online ticket purchase. For passengers, looking for the official website can spend less "unjust money". Because, the end of all ticket snatching software is "12306".