Got caught with 18+ Oyster Card Of Friend

[puzdao]

Ok. This just happened literally 2 hours ago. I've been research about solutions for this matter but no hope. Please advice on these points below:

 

1. I'm a valid student, graduating in 2016

 

2. At the time of incident, the 18+ oyster card was not mine. It was my friend

 

3. I paid for the monthly travel which is 150/months MYSELF via my bank card (lucky me so that I can provide proof).

 

4. I've one expired 18+ oyster card, and one lost one. I've already report and pay 10 pounds fee to TFL since March (I think), and been phoned up multiple times to chase up but still nothing up until now. That can show I'm not trying to evade tube fare

 

5. The policy created to stop fare evasion which is reduce the TFL revenue but for my case, I've been constantly boost their revenue by 150 months. Just by different photos and names.

 

6. They said it's all about fair. What is fair if they took my only tool to travel. I have to travel all the way from Kingston to Hackney to work. If I try to be 'legal', it will take me 340 pounds/month. I'm entitled for a student discount as 150 months which is still a lot but I can live with that. I'm also have different living expenses to deal with.

 

7. If they put up a unreasonable penalty fares can I appeal???

 

8. I'm still believe I'm not deserve being fined.

 

9. I have not receive any letter yet

[rebel11]

Hi puzdao

 

Welcome to CAG

 

When did you last buy monthly card? Is it the first time you have used friend's card?

 

The lost travel card is a totally different issue and needs to be dealt separately.

 

Get all your evidence together regards purchase of travel cards as far back as you can.

 

You will have to wait for the letter to respond.

[puzdao]

The monthly ticket still valid from 12-11 to 12-12 which is a pain. I'm working as a full time intern and now I do not know

 

how am I going to go back and forth in the future. I do not want to use the card but I have no choice. I do not want to

 

pay another 10 pounds with no hope because I have to go to work. The lost card incident happened around March I

 

think, and then in June, I was away for 2months-ish. I came back in Aug with no intention to travel so no use with oyster

 

card. I started work in October so that when I started.

[puzdao]

Btw, I know I have to wait for the letter but in case they raise an unreasonable penalty fare. Can I appeal to it? Cause I believe I have not cause any offenses here. How can I be a fare evader if I have a previous oyster card and I paid 150 pounds monthly? Just seeking out advices though.

[rebel11]

When you were stopped you didn't have a valid travel card. No need to worry about appeals yet. You will have the opportunity to put your case when you receive the letter from them. Then we can look at your existing travel card.

 

Btw, I know I have to wait for the letter but in case they raise an unreasonable penalty fare. Can I appeal to it? Cause I believe I have not cause any offenses here. How can I be a fare evader if I have a previous oyster card and I paid 150 pounds monthly? Just seeking out advices though.

[puzdao]

So is it nothing I could do? How am I suppose to travel to work until I receive the letter? Should I call up the TFL to chase

 

for my long lost oyster card? Is it possible to get a refund of the monthly ticket in the oyster card? This is clearly unfair for

 

me because it put me under a very awkward condition. Thanks reb

[rebel11]

You don't have to wait until you receive the letter to chase the lost card, go into your local station, take proof of purchase, see what they say, explain that you've chased it when it was lost, but they didn't respond. Let us know what they say.

 

So is it nothing I could do? How am I suppose to travel to work until I receive the letter? Should I call up the TFL to chase

 

for my long lost oyster card? Is it possible to get a refund of the monthly ticket in the oyster card? This is clearly unfair for

 

me because it put me under a very awkward condition. Thanks reb

[puzdao]

Ok. I already phoned up the guy. One guy told me I should have received an email in somewhere around June or

 

something saying that I have to reconfirm that I have not receive my replacement. That was my old mail address and I

 

just had a look but nothing. There is just email about refund for my lost 18+ oyster card. And email in October saying

 

that I need to re-enrol to my university. There is still no evidence they have alert me about the delivery of my oyster

 

card. The guy told me to re-apply which will take me another 10 pounds. WT*? Sorry for being frustrated here.

 

I do not know how much more I have to pay to sort this out for good including my case above

[Old-CodJA]

I can see why you may be frustrated, but if you gave TfL an old address and then changed to another one, they would have no way of knowing you had changed things unless you told them.

 

Sadly, you have made things very much worse for yourself by using someone else's 18+ card and have no-one to blame but yourself for the difficulty that you now find yourself in I'm afraid.

 

As rebel has said, wait until you get a letter and then you will have the unique reference allocated to your case and will have an opportunity to try to resolve things with the company. They do not have to allow this to be settled outside Court, but may choose to do so. The decision is wholly theirs.

 

When you get the letter, come back here and tell us what it says

[puzdao]

Yeah, I've read all you guys advices on other threads. I know that is someone else's 18+ card. But as I mentioned before. Will the case be different if it was me who paid the travel fee? Some other cases like use someone else's card by accident => fare evasion of some kind. But I'm entitled for a student discount. And I'm paying my fares.

 

And please note: I've already chased up since April - May and then gave up. They said about some emails which I never receive. I do not blame them for the old email address thing. I'm willing to re-apply if that was my fault. But why did they tell me it's already on its way. And 1-2 months later, as they said, come up with some emails telling me to reconfirm that I have receive or not??? Do I expect something suppose to arrive in 1 week to be in 1 month.

[rebel11]

If they've sent it to your old address, it might be worth checking. Just because you've paid for it, doesn't mean you can travel on it, it makes no difference whatsoever.

 

They wanted confirmation from you, to state that you received it. For them it's important that you have received it so it doesn't end up in the wrong hands. Nothing suspicious about their emails.

 

Yeah, I've read all you guys advices on other threads. I know that is someone else's 18+ card. But as I mentioned before. Will the case be different if it was me who paid the travel fee? Some other cases like use someone else's card by accident => fare evasion of some kind. But I'm entitled for a student discount. And I'm paying my fares.

 

And please note: I've already chased up since April - May and then gave up. They said about some emails which I never receive. I do not blame them for the old email address thing. I'm willing to re-apply if that was my fault. But why did they tell me it's already on its way. And 1-2 months later, as they said, come up with some emails telling me to reconfirm that I have receive or not??? Do I expect something suppose to arrive in 1 week to be in 1 month.

[puzdao]

If they are looking for a fare evader which I believe a whole system here to do. They are totally wasted their time. 150 pounds per month is a huge different for me. Lol. It's not easy to live in London with rents and stuffs with that travel rates.

 

Hmm, I think it should be clear here. I called them up and confirm my address which is right on their system. They said they would email me, but they did not. I already checked. No emails whatsoever. But, I'm expecting answer within a month. But somehow, I just received 1 email from them around June which was 2 months from the day I called, which is telling about the refund. NOTHING about the replacement card.

 

I'm thinking of something to be able to defend me now. Penalty fares is fine. Bad day out for me. I won't care. But if that goes up to 100+, it would be something else.

[firstclassx]

I'm not sure you've realised yet that you won't ever get a Penalty Fare over this. The matter is far more serious than that.

 

If TfL decide to prosecute, (which to be honest is quite likely), you may have to go into a criminal Magistrates' court and, if convicted, you will find yourself with a criminal record for fare evasion.

 

The maximum fine is £1000+costs, but for a first time offender, pleading guilty, probably total around £300.

[puzdao]

Ermm. I believe you have to follow the experts. I will leave it here then. It seems so negative here. As I said, I've been followed you guys from other posts and I'm truly aware of where am I right now. However, I believe I'm guilty of paying the right fare on a different photocard which mine was already reported of lost half a year ago. This is going subjective. With all respect, I'm very grateful with all your comments

[Old-CodJA]

Ermm. I believe you have to follow the experts. I will leave it here then. It seems so negative here. As I said, I've been followed you guys from other posts and I'm truly aware of where am I right now. However, I believe I'm guilty of paying the right fare on a different photocard which mine was already reported of lost half a year ago. This is going subjective. With all respect, I'm very grateful with all your comments

 

 

 

Just as firstclassx has said, I think you have some misunderstanding here.

 

Despite the fact that you might, by age, or by having paid for a card be eligible for a discount, the terms & conditions governing the use of such tickets makes absolutely clear that you must produce a card that is valid in your own name when showing a fare ticket off which you have claimed a discount from the price. You did not show a card valid in your own name and therefore that ticket was not valid for your use.

 

You made things worse because you attempted to avoid paying the full fare that you should have paid by presenting someone else's card. Nothing that you or we say or do can alter that.

 

We are all trying to help you by asking you to remember that the foregoing is the issue for which you will have been reported and that is the matter you will have to face up to.

 

If you have any evidence concerning your claims about a problem with an earlier card issue, that might be put as mitigation, but it does not provide a defence for falsely using someone else's card.