[gianni66]

It's two days that I'm trying to book some e-tickets through IRCTC website; I follow carefully (and with a lot of plesure... after months of planning!!   ) all the procedure, I give all the details of my passport and credit card, then I push the GO button... and I get a frustrating error message (red letters on white screen, without any "back" option) saying that there is a "system error" and advicing to "try later". Nothing else. I have to close the browser to go back.
I have contacted the customer service of IRCTC and they say that they my requests of booking didn't get the authorization from my bank... on the other side, my bank says that they have NEVER received any request of authorization to charge my credit card from IRCTC website.
Honestly, since I use my credit card for online transactions a lot without any previous problem), and that I have not received a "special" warning message (like "your credit card is not recognized", or similar), but just a generic "system error" message, I can guess that the problem is in the IRCTC system.
Is anyone having similar problems in this period?
I am quire in a hurry because it's less than 40 days to my India trip, and I check the availability of the trains I am trying to book and it's decreasing each day... what to do?
Hi!  Gianni

[Mercurie]

Gianni

Are you trying to use your Master Credit Card?  If yes, then I have an answer!

Mercurie

[gianni66]

Mercurie, on Jul 5 2006, 02:47 PM, said:

Gianni

Are you trying to use your Master Credit Card?  If yes, then I have an answer!

Mercurie

It's a VISA

[Mercurie]

gianni66, on Jul 5 2006, 04:53 PM, said:

It's a VISA

Thats correct - you have to use Visa card.

Ok, what payment gateway you are choosing while making payment?  I think you get a list of about 3-4 payment gateways.

[gianni66]

Mercurie, on Jul 5 2006, 02:55 PM, said:

Thats correct - you have to use Visa card.

Ok, what payment gateway you are choosing while making payment?  I think you get a list of about 3-4 payment gateways.

I choose the only gateway that I am allowed to use, i.e. ICICI Bank Payment gateway (the only one for which VISA card is indicated); the other ones are for American Express only, credit cards issued by City Bank only, and ICICI bank credit cards only, plus all the "Payment through Direct Debit facility" options (no credit cards).

[Mercurie]

Oh dear, that is really strange.  You did everything correct.  In fact, when I try to book, it comes up with 3-4 options and then I have to choose ICICI bank gateway with only VISA card accepted.

[cyberhippie]

Gianni are you using Firefox??? If so switch to IE clear your cookies and cache and try again!! The online booking doesn't like Firefox by all accounts, also make sure your firewall isn't blocking the transaction!! Failing all that, it may just be a system error!!

[gianni66]

cyberhippie, on Jul 5 2006, 03:43 PM, said:

Gianni are you using Firefox??? If so switch to IE clear your cookies and cache and try again!! The online booking doesn't like Firefox by all accounts, also make sure your firewall isn't blocking the transaction!! Failing all that, it may just be a system error!!

Good suggestion, Cyber, I will try soon!

[gianni66]

gianni66, on Jul 5 2006, 03:51 PM, said:

Good suggestion, Cyber, I will try soon!

Nothing... I have temporarly deactivated my Firewall, but I have exactly the same problem...  

It can be a system error, but it's since two days ago!!!  

What to do??

I have contacted again IRCTC, anyone else having the same problem?

[choledochus]

hi
I tried IE and it did not work...did all the things you chaps advised...did not work.

Tried Firefox and ....surprise...IT WORKED..!!!

I think they should put a new error message which reads SYSTEM UNPREDICTABLE....

[gianni66]

choledochus, on Jul 6 2006, 05:42 AM, said:

hi
I tried IE and it did not work...did all the things you chaps advised...did not work.

Tried Firefox and ....surprise...IT WORKED..!!!

I think they should put a new error message which reads SYSTEM UNPREDICTABLE....

Did you get the same error message "System error, please try after some time" that I am getting more and more? And what have you done exactly to solve the problem? I have not Firefox, I have the Norton Security firewall.

[jyotirmoy]

I haven't experienced any problem with the fire wall that comes with Xp.

[Abhijit Sur]

I have booked not less than 60 times through IRCTC portal. Sometimes problem do happen. AmEx gateway is the best I found. Next is Citi bank gateway. There are lot of options in each gateway. Read carefully. Sometimes somebody will ask for their bank card only. Some one may ask for installment scheme only. Like that. Check in internet option whether in advanced tab SSL2.0,SSL3.0 and TLS 1.0 is checked or not under security section. If you are using other 128bit SSL sites then that setting must be OK. Just check once and see. Are you trying you ticket within stipuleted time? Some trains will give 10 days in advance and some will give 60 days in advance. Don't check the option book only if two lower berths are alloted etc.Some sectors this type of preference create problems

[gianni66]

Hi Abhijit, thanks for your suggestions. My system uses SSL2.0 and SSL3.0 security options, TLS1.0 is not enabled. Do you suggest to disable these options and try again?

[gianni66]

gianni66, on Jul 6 2006, 10:51 AM, said:

Hi Abhijit, thanks for your suggestions. My system uses SSL2.0 and SSL3.0 security options, TLS1.0 is not enabled. Do you suggest to disable these options and try again?

    Frustrating... I am tryng again and again using all the possibilities, I am spending hours on the bl..dy IRCTC website digiting always the same information... nothing, always the same message!!

It's strange, last year I booked tickets without any problem!

I am also sending tons of messages to the customer service, I got just one reply to the very first one saying that my bank didn't give the authorization to charge my credit card (but my bank has not confirmed this statement), and nothing else to all the othe rmessages...    

So, I am forced to buy the tickets directly in India once there, but will I still find seats? I am quite concerned.

[Mercurie]

Gianni

If you wish, I can book tickets for you using my credit card and later on we can settle the account.  Please let me know, otherwise, you end up by not getting a confirmed seat, if you try to book whilst you are in India.  I tell you the important sectors' trains get booked just after they open (two months in advance).

Mercurie.

[jyotirmoy]

Mercurie, on Jul 6 2006, 09:39 AM, said:

Gianni

If you wish, I can book tickets for you using my credit card and later on we can settle the account.  Please let me know, otherwise, you end up by not getting a confirmed seat, if you try to book whilst you are in India.  I tell you the important sectors' trains get booked just after they open (two months in advance).

Mercurie.

If you do that remember to type in gianni's identity details  not yours

[Mercurie]

jyotirmoy, on Jul 6 2006, 03:22 PM, said:

If you do that remember to type in gianni's identity details  not yours

Jyoti Da,

Thank you.  Good to remember it.

[gianni66]

Mercurie, on Jul 6 2006, 11:39 AM, said:

Gianni

If you wish, I can book tickets for you using my credit card and later on we can settle the account.  Please let me know, otherwise, you end up by not getting a confirmed seat, if you try to book whilst you are in India.  I tell you the important sectors' trains get booked just after they open (two months in advance).

Mercurie.

Mercurie, thank you a lot for your offer of help! It's crazy, I got a response from IRCTC, they suggested to close all windows, remove cookies and internet files, cancel all the history and try again... I did it, I closed also all the firewall and antivirus, I repeated the procedure, and... SYSTEM ERROR: TRY AFTER SOME TIME"!!!!      
I can't believe that to book tickets online one has to make all these troubles!!! I booked last year with the same user login and credit card without any problem!
I have also tried to make another registration with a different username... nothing.
My bank still states that no request of authorization has been received from IRCTC website.
I think there must be a bug in IRCTC system, at this point. I have adviced them again and again, I wait for some explanation!!
I will contact you with PM later if the situation remains unsolved, so that we can agree on how to do.
Thanks again!
Gianni

[Mercurie]

gianni66, on Jul 6 2006, 03:39 PM, said:

I will contact you with PM later if the situation remains unsolved, so that we can agree on how to do.
Thanks again!
Gianni

Gianni

Dont worry, just let me know and I will do it for you.

Merc.