Overcharged by revenue officer at station

[king12345]

What you have done is correct: ticket facilities not available,  buy a permit to travel and pay on board or destination.

Now the problem is peak or off peak.

 

From what you said they charged you a peak because they didn't ask what time you would be returning. 

So I assume they sold you z return ticket, correct?

 

If this is the case, for a return to be off peak, both journeys must be off peak.

So if you had travelled in peak time outbound,  no matter what time you were returning,  you would need to pay peak price.

 

Of course if you had travelled off peak they should have asked.

Accordingly to the answer to the above, a complaint should solve this.

 

My advice, keep it short and remember that the important matter is peak or off peak price.

Anything else confuses the situation to your disadvantage. 

[king12345]

Ok, so as you have been overcharged you now need to be pragmatic and first of all request a refund by making a complaint. 

In this first complaint do not go on about what argument you had and what conduct the inspectors were following. 

Concentrate on highlighting the fact that you must get a refund because they overcharged you. 

People looking at complaints receive thousands everyday and anything longer than a few lines is usually misunderstood. 

 

After you receive your refund, then you complain about the conduct of the inspectors,  as a completely separate matter.

I note that you were offered a refund, an argument broke out and you were escorted out of the station.

This will not play in your favour as all inspectors would have taken note of this in their notebook and possibly complete an incident report form with their version of events.

Frustrating but that's how it is, that's why I said to be pragmatic. 

[king12345]

You're right, the system would allow the refund to be processed from a different terminal.

However,  ticket office staff don't get involved with revenue "disputes" that's why the op was sent back to see the inspector at the barrier. 

Sometimes inspector sell a peak ticket to fare evaders instead of issuing a penalty fare as a less harsh punishment; the ticket office couldn't know if this was the case.

There are many other scenarios. 

[king12345]

In the real world a penalty fare and a ticket sale (fare) are used at inspector discretion to avoid reporting fare evaders.

Of course, non fare evaders, people who make genuine mistakes, get the same.

That's not defined mark, even though theoretically all fare evaders should be reported as such.

[king12345]

The advice is: make a complaint and get a refund.

Then make another complaint about the inspectors attitude if you want, but changing the world is something that it's not going to happen, surely not for an excess fare.

Inspectors are given discretion and unfortunately some of them take this as a sign of power over other people.

It's impossible to sack all people who have a little position of power and employ more, hence the complaint system. 

That's life and as .much as everyone of us want to improve it, it's an impossible task, so don't waste your time and brain on it.

Just accept that there are things you can't change. 

Get your refund, get your apology, then move on.

That's my advice.

[king12345]

On side note: I have notice that many people without the skills to argue their point, accuse others of being rude, racist, sexist, homophobic etc.

I.E. Excuse me, i don't have a receipt for this refund, but i have my bank statement,  can i get a refund?

-No, no receipt no refund

- But your policy and the law says "proof of purchase" not "receipt "

- You're rude/racist/homophobic, you must leave now or i call security. 

 

I see this happening day in day out.

Even kids do it, they're very quick at gaining a crowd's attention by shouting "racist/homophobic" so they can feel they've won the argument. 

Sad.