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  1. Hi guys, Wondering if you could offer some advice please? I received a letter today stating that I evaded a £2.50 fare last October and need to pay an £80 fine within 14 days. I'm 100% sure that this was not me - it said I traveled from Liverpool South Way to Hough Green - I don't think I've ever been to Liverpool South Way in my life. It doesn't say any times or specifics, just says it has evidence. What evidence would this be? I have never ever been stopped by a ticket inspector in my life, and I very rarely get the train. What seems strange is it was sent to my Mum's address (which I haven't lived at for over 2 years) and it even had her post code down wrong on the letter. I have checked and I was in work on that day 9-5:30 (I work nowhere near Liverpool.) Hough Green is one of my local train stations though. How would they even get my details? What can I do here? Many thanks for any advice you could offer.
  2. Hi CAG; I've been holding out on posting here since the incident as I have been checking other topics, but now I would like to ask for advice. I traveled on South West Trains on March 20th from Poole to Holton Heath (HH is unmanned and no barrier). I got to Poole train station and boarded without a ticket. I had previously purchased tickets a number of times on the actual SW train and have never been warned for doing so. Of course I have used ticket machines on platforms before, but that today was not one of those occasions. The train was quiet, so I sat down and took out my wallet to prepare to pay. The train started moving and around halfway through the journey, two people entered my carriage. The inspector came up to my seat. I had my money already out at this point. I said to him "One single to Holton Heath please" and offered the money. They both sat down and then started asking me my personal information. I was confused and nervous, but cooperated fully. They both got off at the next station. One of them was asking me the questions, the other was my replies. I remember he said to me "Where would you have purchased your ticket if we had not come?". I was in a state of shock with the money still in my hand. I said "I wouldn't have been able to, but I was not intending to fare dodge". The thought had never crossed my mind. I have always been prompted for a ticket whenever I have traveled on SWT. I used to be a railcard holder for three years, and since the incident I have paid over £100 for train tickets. They let me leave after I had signed the page and they said that I might or might not hear back from them. It has since been two weeks and no letter yet although of course the bank holiday does not count as working days. I told my parents and they have been worried. I called up SWT shortly after the incident and the man said "If this is your first offence, you will just get a warning letter, just please try and get your ticket before you board". My mother has also emailed them, but they have not replied yet. Additionally, on my last train journey I told one of the conductors on the train what had happened and asked him what will likely happen. He said "you are likely to get a fixed penalty notice in the post plus the fare, do not worry about getting a criminal record". After reading these topics, I am now much the wiser - I just wish ticket people on the train would have told me the consequences. I thought I was abiding by the rules just fine. I have since purchased tickets online and through platform ticket machines. A criminal record would be devastating to me. I am on anti-depressants and I had tried taking my life earlier this year. In an effort to turn my life around, I hope to teach English in Japan this summer and prosecution would stop me from doing so. I realise I have done wrong, on several accounts. I expect criticism and the worst case scenario, for it seems my life feeds off of misery. I will update when I receive the letter for court summons.
  3. Hi all! I feel really angry with what happens today because i ll receive an unfair penalty fare i think.. i took the "First's" train from Hayle to Penazance which is 2 stops without a ticket for the reason that there is no ticket office or automatic ticket machine in Hayle so it was impossible to buy one when i arrive to penzance, outside the train there was inspectors from the train company for ticket check. .i told them that there is nothing in hayle to buy the ticket and they told me that inside the train during the travel there was ticket officers that i could buy one. I didnt see anyone inside the train and not only me but everyone took the train from hayle..i search their rules inside their side and i found this : "What if the ticket office is closed, or the station does not have a ticket office and the automatic self-service ticket machines are out of order? At most locations there is more than one self-service ticket machine and these are regularly maintained so it would be unusual for there to be no self-service ticket machines available for you to use. At stations where there is only one self-service ticket machine there is a further automatic machine called a Permit to Travel machine. This is normally located near the station entrance / exit or beside other self-service machines. You should insert the maximum number of coins you have with you into the Permit to Travel machine, up to the value of your journey. Press the button and you will be issued with a Permit to Travel. This permit must be exchanged for a valid train ticket at your first opportunity, be that on the train or at your destination and in any case within two hours. You will be given credit for the amount you paid for the permit when you exchange it for a valid ticket. If the ticket office is closed or not available and the self-service ticket machines or the Permit to Travel machine is not working then you will not be charged a Penalty Fare." Also inside the train there no sign to warn you that you must find a ticket officer inside the train to pay a ticket.. the sign warns that you should buy the ticket before you get in the train.. so i think that all this is unfair..what you suggest to do? Wait for the letter and make a complain after or to make a complain in the company now? Thanks in advance!!
  4. Hi everyone. i'm in need of some advice. Last wednesday i had arranged to go and see some friends in london and intended to use the train to get there. at around 4pm i went to my local trainstation (Marden). The ticket office was closed so i went over to the permit machine to by a permit to travel that i could exchange on the train or when i get to london. The machine was out of order aswell. I boarded the train anyway and thought i could explain it to the train staff when i get to london and buy my ticket there. I was a bit early and decided to get off a stop early at sevenoaks. when i reached the gates there were a large group of revenue inspectors. I approached one of them and explained my situation to him. He took me over to another staff member with a ticket machine. I explained that the ticket office was closed and that the permit to travel machine was not working. He immediately said "its a penalty fare mate" I explained to him again and he just kept repeating "its a penalty fare". he would not listen. at the time i was thinking that penalty fare meant that i was gonna go to court and get prosecuted. I started to panic and tried to make a run for it but was caught by 3 big men who must have worked for revenue inspection. they took me into the corner and told me that i was going to be prosecuted. i tried explaining that their colleague was not listening. they took my details and said i would be hearing from them in the next 4-6 weeks. I know i shudnt have ran off but i didnt want to be fined for fare avading when that never was my intention. now i dont know what to do. i'm unemployed and can't receive legal aid for this kind of incident. Any advice would be much appreciated thanks.
  5. Hi, I am really worrying about this so some help or advice would be really appreciated. I was travelling with a young person today who holds an 11-15 Zip card. We topped up his card at the beginning of the journey. When we came to the tube station to make our way home, his card kept flashing up with an error. As I was in a rush I thought it would be ok for him to come through the barriers with me using my Oyster Card and just pay at the other end. The ticket inspector saw this and asked to check the young person's oyster card. She told me he had gone through on my card and so I would need to top his up to ensure he could exit. I did this and we left with nothing further happening. I have been thinking about the incident and am now worried myself or the child will be sent a letter regarding fare evasion. My details were not noted down and the child's oyster card was not taken away. Is there anyway for Tfl to find out our addresses just from it being scanned through? Am I likely to get into trouble for fare evasion. Looking back now I realise it was stupid to think he would be able to pay at the other end and wish I had not done it. Please give me any advice you have on whether there is a possibility of me getting into trouble for this. Thanks
  6. On Saturday 6th Jan 2013 I paid and parked at Upminster Station and took a train to Hersham to watch a rugby match between Esher and Loughborough Students. I have an automatic top up Oyster card with a senior railcard attached, which I rarely use. I used this card at Upminster, Waterloo Jubilee Line and Waterloo National Rail platforms 1-11. When I reached Hersham I realised that I had made a mistake as there were no Oyster card touch out machine as it is outside the Oyster scheme. As this is an unattended station there was no one for me to contact to rectify my mistake. On my return I caught the 17.49 train from Hersham. When I arrived at Waterloo, without going to the barriers I approached a senior official on the station. I explained the above, stating that I knew I needed to touch out and pay, that I had made a genuine mistake and asked how I could pay/touch out to rectify my mistake. Instead of a helpful, sympathetic response, as I had hoped, the official immediately said that I would have to pay a penalty fare of £20. I reiterated that I had made a genuine mistake, that I had not tried to avoid payment and had been honest in approaching him to do so. I told him that I had ‘‘touched in’’ at Waterloo on the outward journey and asked if he could not be more understanding. The conversation went backwards and forwards but he was intransigent. At one point he checked my oyster card and said that I had not ‘touched in’ at Waterloo. I assured him that I had, asking how otherwise could I have got through the barrier. He then insinuated that I had gone though somehow to avoid payment. I took exception to this, saying that I definitely ‘touched in’, whatever my card had shown, that I was not trying to avoid payment and if I was trying to do so, I would have just gone through the barrier using my Oyster card. When I said I wanted to take the matter further and would not except a penalty notice, he threatened me with a different sanction (I can’t remember the term) which would cost me more money and, I think he said, more time. I had no alternative and gave him my details, and took the Penalty Fare Notice. I immediately went to the station manager to voice my concerns, but was only told to appeal. I continued my return journey to Upminster using my Oyster Card. On checking my Oyster card on Sunday 7th, there is a record of me touching in at Waterloo (platform 1-11) National Rail at 14:15. The cost of a senior railcard from Upminster to Hersham is only £7.05 which I should have bought if I had realised that Hersham was outside the Oyster scheme. Not only am I disappointed that I might have to pay £20 for trying to be honest(some have said foolish) but I am also concerned that I may now also have a record. Have i got grounds to appeal and any words of advice?
  7. Over Christmas I went to see my son in Cornwall.....I purchased a return ticket online and got the tickets through a couple of days later.....I went down fine......but on my return thinking the tickets were still in my pocket....got on the train and set off home When the ticket inspector came round dug in my pocket for the ticket and it wasn't there....searched everywhere but could not find it......I told him that I had prepayed but must have lost the tickets.....so he issued me with a non payment ticket When I got home I sent a copy of this ticket and a copy of the original email that I had fron the trainline showing that I had indeed paid for the fare on the train that I was travelling on...so I appealed Got a letter back this morning saying that because I had not got a valid ticket to travel...the appeal was unsuccessful and that I had to pay £161....even though I had already paid the train company I could understand it if I had no intention of paying...but I had already paid and issued proof of that My question...is this right...should I pay or should I go to court I really don't understand why I should have to pay again...when I was on the correct train on the correct day that I had already paid for Any help would be much apprciated.....I have 14 days to pay this penalty charge
  8. Hi All I'm a bit paranoid, today I traveled with a zone 2-3 card in a zone 1 area. The ticket man caught me out and gave me a penalty notice saying if I pay the amount in 21 days...He did want to take my upstairs to pay the fee but I said I'm going to pay online so he gave me a penalty fee notice paper. I went back to my office and paid the £40 straight away. The question for tonight is, would these guys investigate me further as I might have traveled before through a zone 1 with a zone 2-3 card. The guy did not mention anything further as I said I was sorry and will pay the fee. To rectify my situation I went tonight and upgraded my ticket to be correct for travelling (I have a paper ticket, not Oyster and buy monthly). Very paranoid tonight that I might have to go to court or something. I will pay whatever penalty they want as long as I dont get a criminal record. Thanks for you advise in advance Swan
  9. Hi as you can probably tell I am new here and was wondering if anybody could provide me with some advice. I recently received a letter from Northern Rail saying that I am being investigated due to an incident of non-payment of rail fare back in October. They are now asking me to reply with a statement of my version of events. This is what happened on that day: I boarded a train at Moston station in Manchester heading to Manchester Victoria station. As Moston station has no ticket machines or offices I had no choice but to board the train without buying a ticket, normally you can buy a ticket from the conductor on board, but because the train was very busy I could not buy a ticket before arriving at Victoria. As I do not regularly travel on the train I am not familiar with the layout of Victoria station, therefore after arriving I headed towards an exit believing that I could purchase a ticket from a member of staff before or at the exit. As I approached the doors at the end of the footbridge I could see somebody checking tickets, i assumed that I would be able to buy a ticket from this person (or get directions to buy tickets). However before I reached the doors at the far end I was approached from behind by a ticket inspector who asked to see a ticket. (Which I could not produce). He then asked me to speak to the person who I saw checking tickets through the doors, who would take my details. This officer then asked me a few questions (such as where did you travel from etc.), however then final question he asked was "Had I not stopped you would you have carried on without paying?" as I was panicking a lot a this point I rather stupidly said "Yes" and he made a note of this along with my other answers. I did also tell him that I was not aware that you could not buy a ticket in this area of the station. He then asked me to sign against the points in his notebook, however I misheard him and instead ticked against them, and gave him the notebook back. He then said that he actually wanted a signature I apologized and then began to sign against the points (four in total), I began to do this but before I had signed against all of them he said "That's ok" and took the book back. (I believe I had only signed against the first two points at this point). He then let me go and I turned back and went to the other side of the station and purchased a ticket (as he had pointed out to me). To clarify if I had not been stopped I would have carried on to the exit but if I had found no ticket machines or staff there I would have returned to the station and found someone I could buy a ticket from. Would anybody be able to give me advice with this/drafting a response to Northern rail? Sorry about the long post
  10. My friend is issued a penalty fare notice on Elstree & Borehamwood station run under the First Capital Connect when he lost his ticket and was unable to show it to the RPO to cross the barriers. The Penalty fare was of 20 pounds but he paid only 5 pounds and given all the correct information on demand like name, adress, DOB etc now the question is whether he should pay the rest of penalty fare or should contest the notice? he got the following evidence to prove himself that he bought a valid ticket that day. 1) Bank Statement showing the exact amount deducted by the First capital connect that day. 2) Machine used for purchasing the ticket was right infront of CCTV and could clearly be seen. 3) Some previously bought tickets for the same destination, time & from the same machine. 4) Character certificate with clean record. how likely will he be successful if he appeal to IPFAS on the above mentioned basis.
  11. HI ALL, Hi all, This morning I was traveling on the overground to go back home (only 4 stops), my oyster card had only £1.50 when I touched in (as I saw it on the screen), when i got to my stop I was intercepted by a bunch on revenue protection officers and they asked me to show my oyster card which I did and one of them told me to wait because there was something wrong. He explained me that the minimum to travel was £1.60 and I told them I didn't know I thought I was £1.50, He didn't want to listen my explanation and He kept saying that the fares has changed for 2013, I tried to explained him lots of times that I wasn't awared of all the changes and that it was only 10p, no matter what I said they treated me like a criminal and I felt humiliated. After all that he decided to give me a penalty fare and aked me to pay £5 at that very moment which I paid, then he started asking me my details, I was very angry at that moment that I stupidly decided to give him a fake address (I thought i was a good idea) I gave him my student card where He took my name and I also gave him a fake date of birth as my frustration and anger made me do it. After reading forums and comments it seems that the most reasonable thing to do is to pay it once you get a penalty fare. I am actually going back to my country in two week, so I don't know if it is worth it to pay or not . I have plans of coming to finish my studies later this year, so i'm afraid that my visa application gets refused because of this little detail. I am willing to pay the remaining £35 and feel stupid for giving fake details reason why I am very worried of being persecuted for it and even worse getting my visa application refused. if anyone can give me some comments I would appreciate it a lot. Bayke
  12. Dear all I was issued with a penalty fare about a month ago as I had stupidly failed to notice that my railcard was out of date. I paid half the penalty fare on the spot as I was down to my last £10 cash and was already at my overdraft limit, so (I thought) it would have cost me more to go into unpaid overdraft... The ticket inspector issued me with a bit of paper which I then lost (I am the Queen of organisation....:/). Thus I did not have the PF number so waited for the reminder letter which arrived on 2 Dec dated 26 November. The internet payment option failed to recognise my penalty number notice so I sent my card details by post on about the 7th of December. Within the allotted time. I today received a letter dated 11 Dec saying they had not received payment and I now had to pay another£20 'administration costs' or they will prosecute. They could well have lost my letter or delayed the payment themselves. Should I pay yet another£20 on top (for a £10 'missing' amount!?) or should I write to them about the matter first? It is grim that they use the threat of criminal prosecution as a cosh in this way and I've vowed never to use FCC's poxy service again (I'm not a commuter on that line thank God). I also wondered if it would be worth representing myself in court to get declared not guilty as I accepted the PF and had no intention whatever to evade fares. Stupidity and ignorance are defences to an intentional fraud prosecution. There is also the strict liability element, but as I have in fact paid (and sent my card details today authorising them to take the £10 again) would this apply? And how can a strict liability offence (like a parking fine) bar you from certain careers and entering the USA etc?! This seems crazy to me (and I am a lawyer ) I've also written to FCC customer complaints about the whole sorry saga and am waiting to hear back. I'll let you know what they say :S R
  13. Dear All, I bought a ticket for a journey starting in London, travelling A-B-C (A and B are in London zones 2 & 3 respectively, C is in the country). Unfortunately my railcard had expired and when my ticket was inspected on the train I was given a Penalty Fare Notice. The penalty fare regulations set out the amount payable for a penalty fare; £20 or twice the single fare, and I was charged twice the single fare for the whole journey, A-B-C, even though my ticket was checked between A-B (and there was no possible through-train). This put me in the position that I would have been better off having no ticket at all, rather than having an invalid ticket. If the PFN was issued correctly, it should have been for £20. I appealed (twice) on the grounds the amount of the PFN was incorrect and therefore invalid but was rejected both times. I also wrote to London TravelWatch, but as the process of the appeal went as planned (even though I think the appeal was wrongly decided) they couldn't get involved. The amount I was overcharged was less than £100, and on principle I would like to pursue this to recover the money, but is the next step the small claims court?
  14. I was wondering if anyone here could shed some light on what action i can expect against myself regarding a rail fare evasion, perhaps from their own experience or knowledge within the area. I recently travelled on a single fare trip within the South West of England and misinformed the ticket conductor deliberately that my trip was shorter than the actual trip. Therefore redcuing the fare by £4.70. However, they soon clocked on to what i had done. I admitted everything and was given a caution, advised i had commited fraud, read my rights and interviewed in the station, my details were taken and i was advised i would receive a letter and have a certain time to respond in or it would be taken to court. This is the first time something like this has happened to me and it was a stupid mistake on my part. As mentioned at the start can anyone advise on what penalties/fines/actions i can expect against me.
  15. My 16 year old daughter was stopped at M/CR Victoria in July and questioned at length by a northern rail staff member regarding her ticket. She was told that her ticket was incorrect, issued with a replacement and told that she would receive a letter regarding the matter. Today a letter has arrived addressed not to my daughter but to Parent/Guardian asking for an explanation and threatening prosecution etc. I have a few queries regarding this and would appreciate any advice. The basis of the dispute is that she had a childs ticket. She purchased this in good faith as she believed, wrongly as much small print reading and internet research has since revealed, that her GMPTE IGO pass entitled her to child fare until 31/8/2012. True for metro and bus as it turns out but not for train. Not being on a direct train route she does not often travel by train and had no idea this was the case. When she bought her ticket at the station ticket booth she did not ask for a child ticket but had her pass in her hand and simply asked for a return, she did state this to the staff member when he questioned her. If Northern Rail felt it appropriate to question her at length without contacting me as a parent, why do they now see fit to write to Parent/guardian in connection with this matter and not directly to my daughter ? Can a 16 year old be summoned issued with fines/court costs etc for this and where do they think a full time student will get the funds to pay this ? What sort of criminal record are they alluding to and would this follow her after her 18th birthday ? Neither myself nor my daughter have spare money to make an offer for admin charges at the rate mentioned in other northern rail threads. The whole tone of their letter gets my back up as it looks like an attempt to play on my emotions as a protective parent to get large amounts of money to prevent my daughter getting a "criminal record ". Unfortunately it makes me want to tell them to do their worst and we'll see them in court, but is that really a good idea ?
  16. Hi there, I'm hoping someone can help me. Last month I was caught on a London Bus with my mother's discounted job seekers Bus pass. Genuine mistake, but then everyone says that and quite frankly it isn't really the point. What is however is that I am being taken to a Magistrates court by TFL on the offence. With it being a first time offense on I think this seems incredibly harsh, but I was willing to go along with pleading guilty and paying the fine... Until I noticed on one of the 'FAQ' attached forms that I'm going receive a Criminal record for it!? I was told numerous times by the inspector that I simply would have to pay a fine and be done it. Even in the attached statement of the inspector he quotes me as worrying about receiving a criminal record on the day (I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing?). Things to perhaps note: 1) I at the time had a claim for job seekers pending at the which was eventually accepted, so I could/would have been entitled to the same discount. 2) The DOB on the court papers is wrong 3) One check of the oyster card's history would show that it was only used almost entirely for the same journey y, i.e my mother picking my brother up from school. I'm not a serial fare dodger, in fact one look at my own oyster I'm "happy" to do that, but getting a criminal record actually seems like the end of the world to me and I want to do everything possible to avoid it. Any advice? Could anybody give me a minor run down on how much of an impact this is likely to have on my life? I take it I can kiss goodbye to becoming a Police officer or a teacher? Thanks
  17. Hi, I was travelling from Redditch station at midday today but arrived as the train had arrived (left packing slightly late ended up running to the station) i asked at the counter whether it was possible for me to buy a ticket on the train, was referred to the conductor as it was his decision. He was making his final announcements so i waited on the platform until he had finished and then asked him. His reply was it would cost £3-4 more than the ticket machine but I could if i couldn't wait for the next train (Every half hour from the station would have made me late for my coach). So I thanked him and got on, for him not to appear during the journey at all (I was sat money in hand waiting to purchase my ticket on the first carriage next to his compartment). As i got to Birmingham New Street I proceeded to the barriers where i told the man checking tickets upon exit I had no ticket. He called over a ticket officer who proceeded to tap on a board while giving me a lecture about it. I explained multiple times and offered to pay the cost of my ticket to get this sorted quickly as I had to leave for my coach (another 15 minute walk to the station). He proceeded to ask for my details, telling me i was receiving a penalty fare, which i gave and asked him how long it would take which he replied with 'However long it takes'. Very Useful! As he took his time slowly copying out my details onto the form I asked him to please hurry up as I could not miss this coach (To Portsmouth where i'm at uni, I had the funds for my ticket on the train no money for one back or another coach booking!). His response was that 'You should stop acting aggressive or I will call the traffic police and have you arrested!' I told him very sternly that this was ridiculous and I had offered multiple times to pay for my ticket after assurances from the conductor of the train in question, i suggested phoning/radioing through (however they communicate) to which he just replied No and threatened me that I was close to breaking ticket evasion laws and as such could be liable for a £1500 fine and 3 months imprisonment. Safe to say I asked him to hurry up once more (to another lecture of let me do my job and i can be as quick as you like, as he reads every sentence describing my details etc) I took the notice and then had to run to the coach station so I wasn't late. My question is where do I stand in terms of an appeal, there is CCTV of the Redditch platform which will show me speaking to the conductor before boarding, do I have any legal grounds to appeal this as I clearly stated that i was willing to pay yet this was waved away by the officer (He took none of the payment of the £20 penalty fare not even the cost of my single although offered) Thanks A very confused Smiley!
  18. On the DLR on my way home from work today, I got fined £40 for not having my Oyster Card on me. I travelled 3 stops. This is the first time this has happened and I'm not one to be avoiding paying fares. As it happens, I pay for a Zones 1-2 monthly travel card on my Oyster, so I never touch in or out on the DLR (within Zones 1-2), as my journeys are covered. Does the fact that I have already paid for my travel in advance (they can check their databases) give me grounds for appealing the fine? It just seems a bit silly that I have to pay a fine for a genuine mistake, when I have actually already paid for my journey.
  19. Hi, Today I was charged a Penalty Fare of £20.00 for not showing a valid ticket when travelling from Wood Street to Liverpool Street London. The reason being I forgot to renew my monthly pass which expired yesterday. When I reached the barrier at Liverpool Street station and saw the ticket I realised that it expired yesterday and so I went to the ticket officer and explained my situation, He asked me to pay a PF of £20.00 as I travelled ticket less. I have been travelling on this route for pass 9 months and I have tickets for all the pass 9 months, I didn't had any intention of travelling ticket less, but unfortunately this time it just slept out of my mind to renew the ticket (totally my mistake), we don't have any ticket barriers at Wood Street station which makes it worse. The ticket officer told me that I can appeal to IRCAS and showed me the website, I would like to know if I stand any chance of getting the PF back. I've been a genuine traveller on Greater Anglia for the past year and I've got ticket for every single day, I don't know if that would help. Can you please guide me on what I should do in this situation, I really don't want to loose my £20.00, I know its a small amount but makes a difference to me. Thanks
  20. 17/09/2012 I traveled on the train from Ipswich to Loughborough via Ely. I had both tickets and my young persons railcard with me. On the Ipswich to Ely leg of the journey I couldn't find my railcard straight away. Explaining that I had no money or cards with money on them the ticket inspector confiscated my tickets and made me sign a penalty fare (from Ipswich to Ely only) for not having a railcard. Cost £11.80 Had he gave me more time I would have located my railcard. (which I found on the 2nd leg of my journey) From Ely to Loughborough the ticket inspectors saw my penalty fare and didn't ask any questions. However when I got to the Loughborough train station they wouldn't let me out. They took my penalty fare notice off me without my consent and photocopied it. I wasn't issued a second penalty fare. When I got home I appealed against the penalty fare, however I was denied. I also received another letter from the IRCAS saying I owed them £40.80 presumably for not having any tickets in Loughborough. I don't think they can charge me for the 2nd leg as I never officially got a penalty fare. And I don't think they can charge me for the 1st leg as I had a valid ticket and a railcard (despite not being able to find it at the time). Should I refuse to pay? What are my chances in court, if it goes that far? Thanks
  21. My daughter has an annual season ticket , one day she left her ticket at home in error On arriving at destination she reported at the barrier that she had either lost her ticket or left at home She was asked to pay for a ticket and a penalty fare , she declined the penalty fare the next day she presented herself at the station with her season ticket and the station refunded the fare that she paid the previous day She was then sent a letter regarding penalty fare which she was invited to appeal , she sent all the required documentation first class. Her appeal was returned back to her denying that they had received it on time ( which they would have) the reason they gave for the delay is that the one first class post stamps was not sufficient ,one ( of the 2 applied which was OTT in any event ) had fallen off in transit and they returned her appeal to her opened ( evidencing receipt) claiming that it had not been received on time. If it was not received on time it was only due to the fact that there was a procedural delay between the appeals people and Royal Mail whilst they argued who was going to pay for the missing second stamp. She argued that was unfair , they rejected out of hand and now she has a magistrates summons . It concerns us that it is not in the appeals peoples ( funded by railways ) best interests to receive appeals on time as they would much prefer to collect the penalty and that if they can find an excuse to frustrate the appeal they will. Will the magistrates court listen to this sympathetically or not ?
  22. Hi All, This might be lengthy so I apologise. I'll start of by explaining my journey and what I've done since and hopefully see what advice there is. I'm feeling bullied and treated like a criminal for what ammounts to a mistake i rectified as soon as possible. I took an early train from London st pancras to london gatwick (airport) at around 3:30am Tapped in with oyster card at st pancras Got to the other end and asked the staff where to tap out - got taken to a inspector and told I had to pay a penalty as I was 1 stop outside the oyster zone. I explained I couldn't pay the £20 and I had a flight to catch and couldn't he just sell me a ticket from the last stop. He said that's what he was saying and I could simply pay the minimum £5 single fare and deal with the rest on appeal. Took my penalty slip, caught my flight, thought nothing more of it, got back a few days later and due to my accommodation (hostel) I managed to misplace most of my paper work, which meant re-printing flights etc but thats a seperate matter. Unfortunately I didn't have the fare letter. Fast forward to a few weeks ago and I now have a 'Final Notice' that I avoided my fare and had admin costs etc to pay. I wrote back, explaining the situation that I believed I was going to a london station, paid the remainder of my journey on arrival and had no chance to do otherwise. I'm now facing a 'Notification of Alleged Fare Evasion' and a fee to pay of £55 (£20 fare, £40 prosecution, -£5 already paid) The letter states 'I therefore contend that the intention of crystalgeek was to travel on the railway without having previously paid and intent to avoid paying' which is completely untrue - the ticket inspector checked my oyster card and saw I had tapped in. What do I do now? Will I have to go to court and if yes, what chance do I have to prove I was travelling without having payed and intending not to pay The letter quotes Section 5.3a of the Regulation of Railways Act
  23. Good afternoon all, I'm currently in search for some support regarding an un-paid penatly fare which has now been passed from the magistrates courts to Marston Baliffs. last June i made the mistake to travel without a valid ticket on a south west train. I was caught through my stupidity and had to provide address details etc as i was unable to pay the full amount at the time. Now instead of addressing the issue immediately i left the fine unpaid and was contacted by my parents in December reference to one or two notifications they had recieved through the post in reference to the outstanding amount. I did continue to ignore the reminders but did speak to the (at the time) current debt recovery team to request direct debit mandate details be sent through and also got the address changed to my previous city address in early Jan. I failed to return this information. I split with my partner at the end of Jan, left my job and moved back to the town i grew up in to a friends. I recieved a notification to this address in August reference to the outstanding amount from Marstons who basically advised that they had used certain techniques in obtaining my current address via tracings and investigations. After numerous calls yesterday afternoon as i know these things won't go away and along with maturatiy and just simply wanting to resolve this deep depressing issue i was told that it had moved via the following South West Trains > IRCAS > Salisbury Magistrates > Paul Enforcement > Marstons. I was advised that i would have recieved a court summons which upon speaking to the magistrates yesterday would have gone to my parents address. I'm surprised at this as they usually open most mail that gets delivered and i've never been aware of such a letter. When i spoke to Marstons they simply told me if i do not pay the total of 663.90 in full then there is no alternative other than to await a visit from an enforcement officer. This clearly isn't what i want and despite suggesting due to other financial obligations (i've recently moved into my own place) that i pay this in monthly sums ie £100.00pm i was told this wasn't a possibility as the court have asked for the full amount. After hearing this i was desperate not to allow the baliff's to perform a visit as at present they will be going to a friends address to which i no longer live. Equally (although im sure they can work it out again) i dont want to provide them with my new address. I then contacted the magistrate's court again to ask if they could potentially recall the debt and let me set-up payment via them. They said this could potentially be an option but i would need to either write into the courts asking for the case to be re-opened or file for statutory declaration. I guess what i'm after here is some support or suggestions through no fault but my own on what would be the best way to proceed. I do have 1 or 2 payday loans who are currently being dealt with via a debt management team but they wont touch this kind of debt as it needs to be paid immediately. I accept the debt is mine, i accept i was ignorant and i accept this needs to be sorted but what i can't accept or physically do is pay the full total off. I am unable to approach family or friends in reference to financial support to clear this either nor would i want them to share this experience with me. I got myself into this mess and i need to sort it. All help and/or suggestions is greatly appreciated. If i need to explain any more to assist please let me know. I'm afraid my knowledge on notifications, letters etc is very limited due to changes of address and mobile number. Thanks in advance, Jon
  24. Hello everyone I was wondering if someone could give me some advice. I was charged for fare evasion of which I was completely guilty. I admitted this when I was first caught and also in a letter to London Transport when they sent there intent to prosecute me. 3 weeks before my trial I sent the form to the court admitting my guilt apologising for my actions and also letting the court know that I had changed address since the offence and to please send any future correspondance to that address. 2 and a half weeks after my court case I had still not heard anything of the outcome so I rang the court. They had sent the letter to my old address of which I now have no access to. When I asked why this was when I said my change of address with my plea they told me they had never recieved my guilty plea and that I had been tried in my absense. As the guilty plea was not taken into account in court my fine is now £545. This is a first offense and I have never been in trouble before. I have written to the court explaining the circumstances and asking them to review the fine.(And have sent in special delivery this time so I can track it) Is there anything else I can do? Without the letter they sent me I don`t even know when I need to pay the fine by as they won`t tell me over the phone!
  25. Dear all, any help in choosing between two evils would be hugely appreciated. Since moving house over a year ago, I have bought a monthly / weekly ticket, which gets me legally only halfway to work. I am therefore a fully informed and conscious fare evader. I have been able to buy extensions on occasion where necessary, but have generally not had to. Sort of thing. I have justified this to myself by saying that the £2,500 a year for a legal ticket was excessive (including travelcard rights which I don't use) and difficult to pay, with an extended mortgage etc. Also, I thought that if Southern and South West Trains didn't employ enough people I would take the risk of paying the odd penalty fare and be able to support the family and pay the mortgage more comfortably.. Credit crunched, but with no history of antisocial behaviour, sort of thing. Needless to say, I ran into a SWT RPO last week, and now kind of wish I'd bought the right ticket all along. Clearly the whole thing was a bad bet, and I'm hoping that the thing now gets settled out of court, I can pay £x00 and act more responsibly. If I have to go to court, okay, but I hope not to! I realise that to have this happen again would have serious consequences, so will find the money and move on happily. I was not trying to leave that station, but changing onto another train. I had already made one change and not seen a ticket seller, but I can't pretend that I was looking for one. Does the fact that I change(d) trains from one run by Southern to one run by SWT make me doubly liable, BTW? The SWT RPO took a statement under caution. All very polite, but he didn't give me a copy of what he wrote, and he said that as his writing was illegible he would read me my "confession" - ie, from memory, that I had travelled on a South West train without a ticket, which constitutes fare evasion. He took my details including phone number and said that SWT trains would be in touch - implication, they wanted to speak to me before deciding how to proceed. So, to cut a long story shortish, three questions please and I would value your advice on my best course of action. a Will they really phone me and give me the Spanish Inquisition, do you think? Other follow-up responses seem to suggest that letters are sent out. b Do SWT have the ability to check where I work? If I say that I do freelance work near the station to which I can legally travel, are they able to check this, or are they likely to demand employment contracts etc? How about if it goes to court? A key factor in that question perhaps, is that I showed the RPO that I had a valid 7 day ticket for half of my journey. He didn't look closely at it, didn't take details, made no mention of it in what he read out as my statement and there was no question of its confiscation. I didn't push this, as I thought that saying I had a 7 day season ticket to an intermediate station might open a big can of worms related to whether I make the journey regularly, was I travelling to work perhaps etc.. So, starting from where I am now, question c is c Am I better off or worse if I say that I had a season ticket at the time which got me legally half way there? Should I - Confess I did wrong on one occasion, and hope I don't get into a conversation about whether I make the journey regularly, can you provide proof of employment etc (I used to get a ticket all the way to work before the move so they must be aware of my travel history I guess and can put two and two together from my name and address!) - Or say that the RPO ignored the fact I had a ticket halfway there, and was travelling beyond my stop on this one occasion? - risking the perhaps increased likelihood of them looking into my travel and employment history? I rather think that if I speak to someone and they ask about my regular journeys, I would be flat out lying if I said worked elsewhere, but that they may only be able to find out the truth if a court's resources are bought into force - ? I guess that could happen whether or not I bring up the valid season ticket halfway there point.. Having written all this, perhaps my best and obvious move is to be proactive, write a letter (or email? If advisable, which?) to SWT and apologise for having got on one of their trains without buying a ticket or seeking to buy one, fall upon their mercy and ignore the part about having done it before (300 times!). BTW would SWT through a court be able to seek payment for previous journeys made? I guess it would be difficult to prove exactly when I did travel, except through being able to asses my attendance at work.. I was a fare evader, and I know I done wrong. Bah. Thanks so much again for your attention and any advice you can offer.
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