TfL letter for using fake photo Oyster card

[MJ12]

Hello,

 

I am new to this forum so I’m not sure but I’ll tell what happened first and I will really appreciate any help you can give me.

 

First of all, I know it’s my mistake and I deeply regret this now.

 

I saw this intagram page about 16+ Oyster cards for anyone (I’m 20) for £40 and contacted the guy and he set up and application for me and all.

was having financial problems and I’m a student I was stupid enough to do something awfully regrettable like this.

paid him applied for the card.

got it used it for a while.

got caught by a ticket officer

got a letter from tfl asking me to write to them explaining why this incidence happened.

 

I don’t know what to do.

 

please help me out.

This is my first time getting into trouble like this and I’m very regrettable and scared that I’ll be prosecuted.

I’ll never ever do anything like this again.

Please help me out.

 

This is the letter I received from tfl.

 

Please give me any advice you have on writing a reply to them.

I have already started to draft a letter with my apologies and answering them honestly.

 

But the letter they sent does not mention anything about fake photo card so should I tell them about it or just apologise for not having a valid card and offer to pay for any loses/fines.

 

I am terrified about being prosecuted for this.

Edited November 24, 2018 by dx100uk
merge

[king12345]

I didn't understand what happened.

You paid someone to make a false application (false date of birth I suppose) using your details and picture?

Or you just bought someone else's card?

[MJ12]

Yah I paid someone to make a false application

 

I’m 21 years old and I paid someone who does 16+ Oyster cards to apply one for me the card

 

was working and I6

was using it for few months

 

when the bus inspectors got on the bus this week they checked my Oyster card and I got caught

 

they said I don’t look 16

they took my Oyster card and my details

now I got this letter

 

I don’t know what to write back to them

I don’t want to get prosecuted

 

please help me.

Edited November 23, 2018 by dx100uk
spacing

[dx100uk]

https://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?490859-Used-fake-TFL-discount-card(1-Viewing)-nbsp

[king12345]

Not the best situation to be in.

Surely you can't say that it was a lapse of judgement made on the spot as it was pre-planned.

Your only hope is to beg for forgiveness and try to convince them to settle out of court.

You should help identify the guy who helped you make the false application, so maybe they could be more linient.

Write a letter highlighting that a prosecution would severely impact on your future and offer to pay any expenditure and fee they think fit.

Beg for forgiveness and apologise profusely.

Unfortunately it's your only card to play.

[MJ12]

Thank you for your advice king12345.

I know, it is completely my fault.

I was very stupid and didn’t think things through.

Edited November 24, 2018 by dx100uk
quote/spacing

[MJ12]

I wrote the letter.

 

Can you guy please check it for me.

 

Please give me any advice you have on improving this.

 

Also, I knew it was wrong to get a fake card but I truly didn’t know it was something this serious.

Do you think I should mention that in the letter?

Edited November 24, 2018 by dx100uk
Attachment of letter- op spacing - dx

[dx100uk]

use this style.

 

 

I apologise profusely for my actions in this case. I pride myself on my integrity and honesty and I feel shameful for my moment of very poor judgement. As the sole income earner for the family (I am a part-time working student who has a family that financially depends upon me as my father is unemployed due to his disabilities and requires my earned money to be able to live.) if this matter were to escalate further into court, it would lead me to losing my job as I am required to have a clean record, thus a criminal conviction would be devastating.

 

As I am my father’s carer I genuinely thought that I could use the freedom pass to travel with. I genuinely had no knowledge that this was not allowed until one of your TFL workers informed me that it wasn’t. I am now aware that this is not the case and sincerely apologise for my naivety in this matter, it honestly was a complete shock to me.

 

I am extremely sorry for what may appear to you to have been an attempt to avoid my liability, but I must stress that this was not intentional.

 

I wish to apologise to the member of staff concerned and to TFL, I am just so sorry for my actions and the inconvenience caused to all involved. I am happy to make immediate payment of the unpaid fare and all the reasonable costs that my actions have caused and avoid a criminal record thereby allowing me to protect my good name.

 

I have never been in trouble with the law in the past and I am very sorry that my misunderstanding has lead to this situation now.d.

 

I sincerely hope that you will accept my offer. I am now fully aware of the rules relating to the TFL freedom pass and tickets and can assure you that I will always ensure to hold a valid ticket of my own on any future journeys.

 

I would appreciate your consideration and I sincerely hope that you can show some leniency in this matter.

 

………..

 

can you copy and paste yours as text here so we can edit is rather than an attachment

[king12345]

It's not a freedom pass dx, that was another thread.

[MJ12]

This is what I wrote:

 

 

Dear Sir/Madam,

 

I deeply apologise for my regretful actions. Until this point I have been a law-abiding citizen and in a moment of my own stupidity and very poor judgement I made this shameful mistake.

 

I am a student in my 2nd year of business management and I have been going through some financial difficulties which lead me to make this remorseful mistake.

 

This is the first caution or notice to prosecute that I have received in my life. I made a grave mistake and I will never do anything like this again. If I end up with a criminal record it is going to be devastating to my future employment prospects and it will show up in any of my CRB checks which will prevent me from reaching out to the opportunities available the thought if people despising me, the future I imagined collapsing right before me, and the sorrow this will cause to my family frights me t no end.

 

Despise all this I know it is my mistake. I am very sorry. I truly did not know it will be such a grave crime until I received your letter stating possible prosecution.

 

I will truly be grateful if you can give me a second chance. Please let me correct my mistake, please let me have another chance to walk toward my future without having to carry a criminal record with me. I will never ever do anything that is against the law.

 

I am more than willing to make immediate payment to cover the unpaid fare and any other damage or administration costs I have caused.

 

I truly appreciate your consideration in this matter.

[dx100uk]

last line change the to any.

 

id also start by inc the line from kings post

 

You should help identify the guy who helped you make the false application, so maybe they could be more lenient.

[MJ12]

Thank for the advice.

I’ve made the correction as you suggested.

 

Also, for helping them identify the guy who made this application for me, shall I write it as this in the last paragraph:

 

I am more than willing to make immediate payment to cover any unpaid fare and any other damage or administration costs I have caused.

I am also willing to provide you with any further information required for my case.

Edited November 24, 2018 by dx100uk
quote

[dx100uk]

source of my fake ticket?

[MJ12]

Thank you dx100uk.

 

I will amend that to “I am also willing to provide you with any information I have about the source of my ticket.”

 

If anyone has anymore advice for me before I send them my reply, I’ll really appreciate the help.

[MJ12]

Does anyone know what will happen in the worst case scenario in my situation? Will I have to go to jail? I mean I saw this one thread where the person ended up in jail for 6 months I think. I’m really worried now.

[BazzaS]

You can’t be sent to prison for breaching byelaw 17.

You can’t be sent to prison for breaching S5 Regulation Railways Act 1789 unless it is a 2nd (or later!) offence.

 

You might be sent to prison if you were convicted of a Fraud offence, but it seems unlikely:

a) this doesn’t seem to be what they are proceeding under, and

b) even if they were, it is only a MIGHT, not a GIVEN.

Edited November 24, 2018 by dx100uk
quote

[king12345]

No jail.

Worst case scenario £1000 fine plus costs and a criminal record.

But for first offence you would get a week wage fine (£400 average) plus costs and the criminal record.

However, given your young age and remorseful letter, hopefully you'll never end up in court.

[MJ12]

Thank you BazzaS and king12345 for your replies.

 

I’ll send them a letter and see what happens. I really hope they will not prosecute me.

[Anon1111]

Hi MJ12

 

What was the outcome of this?

 

Did they reply back?

[dx100uk]

you need to start your own thread please

 

start a new thread

[MJ12]

Hello, I received a summons to the court and there is a fine of around £400. Can someone recommend me a good solicitor for this please?

[BankFodder]

I haven't read this thread. I only looked at your first post and I see their that you agree that you bought a forged card and you used it to travel.

 

Now you have been summonsed to appear before the court. You say that there is a maximum fine of £400. Is this correct?

 

I don't see any point in getting a solicitor. There is no magic with a solicitor.

 

How old are you? Do you earn any money?

[MJ12]

I am 21, I did work part time but not anymore.

I am worried that getting a criminal record will affect my future badly.

The record will stay with me for the rest of my life.

 

I want to avoid getting a criminal record and settle out of court by paying just the fine.

Edited February 26, 2019 by dx100uk
quote

[BankFodder]

I think there was a recent thread on this forum about somebody who received a summons and the advice was that there was still a possibility of negotiating. Find that thread and have a look.

 

Also, I would expect that others will come onto this thread and give you advice. This is not an area that I have any experience in. However, as far as I can see that you deliberately went out and purchased a forgery and then used it. I'm afraid I think that this increases the seriousness by quite a few notches and it may be that they won't be open to any kind of negotiation in this circumstance.

 

I'm not too sure how long a conviction for the offence with which you've been charged stays on your record. I suppose this doesn't help you very much but you could easily have been charged with an offence of forgery which would have very serious implications if you are convicted.

 

Whether you end up trying to negotiate or you end up having to present yourself to the court, you certainly want to play very straight. The time for dishonesty is finished and the way to minimise the effect of anything on you is to be completely honest and also completely remorseful.

 

Are you able to help TfL with any information as to how you came by the forgery? Maybe if you help them discover the source of the forged document, this might help you in a negotiation. However, I wouldn't try making this any condition of anything – and in any event, maybe they have that side of things under control.

[dx100uk]

so as bazza predicted £400

 

no harm in writing another letter pleading to settle out of court

and making yourself a pest on the phone pleading for an OOC settlement.

 

nothing a solicitor can do.

 

whens the hearing?

whens the reply needed by.

 

IF you get a conviction its for 12mts