Can any Southwest Water customer legally be issued a debt demand and then be taken straight to Court for a CCJ with no defence ? Southwest Water debt letters and their CCJs again, they seem to be the bane of people's lives. Hi, to save starting a new thread I'll use this for Southwest Water "debt", which looks to be a Southwest Water Christmas [problem] . An elderly member of my family lives in a retirement complex, and received a demand for a Southwest Water debt, with a County Court claim (leading to a CCJ) just before Christmas 2017 (dirty trick really, there was no time to defend it). She's usually very good but she's somehow upset these 'people'. It seems she received a Southwest Water demand letter for over £200 which apparently was for the year. I know she's always paid her bill at the Post Office, so the SWW demand and the resultant CCJ are a mystery. Today the Court letter came and she's now got a CCJ for six years; obviously she admitted the "debt" either to save herself trouble or out of some sense of duty. The same trick was played on a neighbour last year, just before Christmas. My conclusion is to beware.

Hi, perhaps someone here might have some good advice. Southwest Water has just sent us a demand for advance payment for water supplies (probably estimated) , payable in two instalments. Up til now we've always paid weekly or monthly, but we've never trusted direct debits to anyone , and with good reason. Now suddenly Southwest Water want to take nearly my entire pension for two months. What do these people think folk are supposed to live on? I would like to ask if they can demand the whole amount like this, and what can we do? To be absolutely honest they have always been difficult and a right pain, for many years. We're also now aware they've been the "second worst for complaints" in the past. No surprises there. Two questions if we may: 1) Should we set up a standing order (SO) for a corresponding monthly amount amount from our bank to our Southwest Water account. Or b) There is no way they are getting my pension for two months, so what can Southwest Water do about our choosing to pay monthly by standing order? Thanks and kind regards.

Hi all, today i received a court summons and would greatly appreciate some advice/help from some one with similar experience or knowledge. I am 19, i was 18 at the time. I have just received a magistrates summon, stating that i was questioned at Guildford and failed to show a valid ticket. in the statement written by the ticket officer its references that i had appropriate change, (so intent to pay) and that my reasoning was due to the ticket machine not taking my change. I received several documents but am a bit lost on what is my best option, I personally think that pleading guilty would be the best options. However i am unsure if being present at court would benefit me? Or whether i should sign guilty and provide a cover letter? I'm also would like to know what kind of result this will have eg criminal record, as well as general thoughts on the matter. any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hi all I have my monthly season ticket from norwood junction to fleet NOT via london. other week i heard someone saying on train that one of the barriers at london waterloo accepts tickets not via london. I used them and i was observed by a RPA of southwest trains walking all through platform 1 till plat form 19 and using barriers there. He confronted me and gave me a receipt which says i will be hearing form SOUTH WEST TRAINS . I have never come across any situation like this before and i literally stood shaking when he was asking me questions I ended up signing the receipt which explains that i walked all the way form platform 1 to platform 19 to use my ticket which is not via london.Receipt also says i tried to skip payment of 1.60 pounds. i was so tensed and i was shaking when he was confrnting,when he asked me to fill in details,i did by mistake enter wrong DOB.I am even worried about that. I was told i will be receiving letter from SW trains within 3 weeks. I am so getting worried and tensed , seeing all these posts. Please someone explain to me about the process. My application for passport is under consideration I dont want get into criminal records.I know i did a mistake stupidly. IS there any way to avoid it to settle out of the court?etc? I am so embarrassed about myself & deeply feeling guilty about what i did for sake of just 1.60 pounds . ONE IMPORTANT THING is why should any barriers accept tickets which are not via london?ITS FAULT in the system. should i meet any solicitor regarding this or should i wait for letter from SW. how much time it will take them to write to me? Please some one HELP... I am SCARED.... I AM REALLY SORRY for wat i DID.... i dont knw what to do now

Hi all. I got into financial difficulties over a year ago. I'm on JSA and have no other income like pension etc. I got behind with my water payments and the debt currently stands at around £1000 - my local water company is one of the most expensive in the country I believe. I went to CAB a few months ago and filled out the relevant paperwork and showed proof of incoming money etc. I was then told the water company would send me payment slips to pay £13 a month for a few months then it would be under review. However, just before christmas the water co sent my some payment slips of £260 each, payable each month for the next 4 months. I contacted the guy at cab about this and he said he wasn't aware of any of that and maybe the water co are still processing my 'claim' under this 'water care' scheme that have for people on a low income. I left it until I then received the same sort of thing again from the water company, 4 payment slips for this £260 a month for 4 months. I waited until now thinking they were sorting out this other scheme of £13 a month but they've now written to me saying it will go to court. I will contact them tomorrow anyway, but I just wondered is there any way I can make a realistic 'offer' of some amount to avoid court? A bit like a token payment to a credit card company? In all honesty, I'm financially stretched as it is so it would be a tenner at the most and that would be a struggle to be honest. I'd appreciate any advice here before I contact them if possible as I don't want to feel they have me over a barrel so to speak and I have to abide by their terms or it's court. I want to pay, but I also want to be realistic in what I can afford at the moment. Thanks for any advice, appreciated as always.

Hi everyone, firstly thanks in advance for any advice or experience you're able to draw on About 8 months ago my friend started catching a train to and from outside zone 6 by 1 stop. He has been travelling using an oyster card on a zone 1-2, and because he has not needed to swipe in or out at his local station, it's never caused him any issues. He has therefore also been paying £112 a month. This morning he was caught by southwesttrains inspectors (he assumes thats what they were) who took him off the train and cautioned him, then asked him a lot of questions (in quite a forceful manner), without showing him a badge or ID, and always remaining adamant that he should answer, even when asked if he could remain silent. They took various details and essentially tricked him into admitting guilt or fair evasion because he hasn't paid the full amount for over a month. They took his home address details, phone number, oyster card number. Through stupidity and ignorance (which apparently never go down well) he was genuinely unaware he needed a larger zone oyster because he actually only swipes in and out within zone 1 and 2. After the caution he was told it would be given to prosecutions dept and he would receive a letter asking him to come in for questioning, likely followed by a court summons. We sat together just now and worked out that in total (again through accident) he has evaded about 650 pounds (the difference between a zone 1-6 monthly and a zone 1-2 monthly, multiplied by the amount of months he has been living at that address. They apparently made it sound very serious, throwing words like 'fraud evasion' round and also suggesting they may have to go through CCTV to get records of him not paying. I know it's taken on a case by case basis, but has anyone had any experience of anything like this? He technically is guilty I guess, but being young (22), ignorant, and with a career ahead of him, is there no way of avoiding a criminal record? The most we could find online was 'penalty fair of up to £1000 and criminal record'- I'm fairly sure he'd gladly take out a loan to avoid criminal record because it would destroy his career. How bleak is this situation for him? (Please don't just reply saying he was an ignorant idiot because even though Ive now told him that, he could be in real trouble here and is freaking out a little! Many thanks

Does anybody know the email addresses of any of the big cheeses at Southwest Trains? I sent an email to customer services a few weeks ago regarding my mobile phone going walkabouts from lost property but have not even had the courtesy of a reply and I would now like to take my complaint higher. The story so far is that my phone dropped out of my pocket while I was running between connections at Clapham Junction station last month. The first I knew about the loss was when my wife told me that a member of the Southwest trains platform staff phoned home from my mobile to report that a member of the public had found my phone and handed it to the staff member. Initially, he asked my wife for our address to post the phone back to us. When my wife refused to provide our address on identity security reasons, he informed her that the phone could be picked from lost property at Waterloo. The trouble is that the phone never arrived at Waterloo! Despite a visit to the lost property office, several calls to the office, and conversations with disinterested platform staff at Clapham Junction, my phone has disappeared without trace. Interestingly, one member of the lost property staff told me that several people had recently also reported lost phones going missing between Clapham Junction and Waterloo and another informed me that the correct procedure when a lost phone is handed in to a staff member is for the phone to be switched off and then sent directly to Waterloo lost property. So it seems that I may not be alone in my predicament and some Southwest trains platform staff may not be strictly playing ball when it comes to lost property. Any help in taking this further would be much appreciated. Thanks Brett

Good morning all, I hope you can help me, I made a stupid, naive but honest error yesterday and I'm now extremely worried about what consequences could follow, worst case scenario being a criminal record for not having a ticket at the end my journey. (I'm so stressed I've not been able to sleep because of this) Here's what happened. I live in London and yesterday I was running late to catch the 14.50 train from Waterloo to Wokingham, the final destination being Crowthorne. I left work and arrived at waterloo station at 14.48, had no time to purchase ticket or check the board for platforms, so I quickly asked a member of staff for the platform for 14.50 train to Wokingham and if I can buy ticket on train. They said Platform 4 and yes regarding ticket purchase… I made the train. Once on the train I ended up in Esher and learned that I was heading for Woking not Wokingham. I got off the train and went to seek advice from staff. I enquired about getting a cab, was told I was so far away from m final destination, my best bet is to get the 15.22 back to Waterloo or Clapham Junction. I got off at Clapham Junction at about 15.48 and headed to the barriers to seek advise, I touched out with my Osyster to get more guidance about heading to Wokingham, as I was keen to make sure I ended up on the right train this time. I found out the next train was at 15.58 platform 5, desperate to make this train, I ran back in with every intention of still paying for a ticket on the train as previously advised. I got my train and was relieved …. on train I expected to see a ticket inspector as was usually the case but i didn't see one and I didn't really know what to do. I got off the train, debating whether I should stay on platform for train to Crowthorne or get a cab. I decided to exit at Wokingham for a cab, I made this decision while watching several Gateline staff checking for tickets, I really was not under the impression I'd done anything wrong, so I walked up to one gentleman to explain I couldn't buy a ticket onboard and asked if I could please buy one now. The man literally laughed at me and said why didn't you look for a ticket inspector while on the train. I explained I didn't know I had to look for one and had assumed they would come to do their usual checks. I explained I have the fare money on me, I'm new to this train service and reiterated I'd made an honest mistake. He asked for my ID without explaining what was happening, at that point I was still hoping to buy a ticket. I gave hime all my details including my Oyster which I'd used to get in at Waterloo. He then said he needed me to explain my story as he needed to make notes. I started by explaining I was training to catch the 14.50 train to Wokingham from Waterloo. He implied that I was lying. Very upset by his accusatory manner, I asked him to explain why and how he'd reached that conclusion. He said, according to your Oyster you got on at Clapham not at Waterloo. I then explained my disaster journey and that i'd gone to Woking by mistake so ended up in clapham to seek journey advice. I then asked him what was happening, what this process was and why he was interrogating me. He refused to explain and said all I can tell you is that your story doesn't add up and I believe you were trying to dodge the fare and you will be going to court to explain yourself. By now i was crying because I felt unfairly treated and that he was twisting my story for his own purpose. I apologised for being naive and continued to admit I made an error in not seeking a ticket inspector to buy one from onboard the train.. I signed the statement without reading, because I was so traumatised by the whole experience and wanted it over and done with. I accept and will pay any financial penalty that comes my way. I have learned a valuable lesson from this but what I am scared about is having a criminal record. Could this really happen to me? What is the next step and how can stop it from going to court? Please help me with some advise. I apologies for the lengthy post Thanking you in advance