Misuse of partner's Student oyster card - +2mts use.

[jenexx]

Good day, 

I got caught using my partner's student oyster card by a tfl officer. 

I have been using the card since January this year.

Got a  verification letter from tfl which I replied to (3 different mails were sent) accepting the offence and pleading not to proceed to court.

Will like to know what to expect after this.

Thanks 

[honeybee13]

Hello, welcome to CAG.

So we can advise, could you post up a pdf of the letter from TfL please? Cover up your name, address and their refernce number.

Best, HB

[jenexx]

1st tfl letter

 

TFL.pdf

[honeybee13]

Thank you. So it's early days.

- Could you also post up what you said in the emails you sent to them please?

- And tell us how many times you think you used the card.

- Also, was the card confiscated or have you stopped using it?

HB

 

[jenexx]

Good evening, 

In response to the letter received with the , below are the information requested;

I do accept committing the said offence as I mistakenly picked up my partner's card when hurrying out of the house. I plead that you temper justice with mercy for the offence I committed on the said date.

I will be grateful if this is sorted out as soon as possible.

Thank you as I await your response.

Kind regards,

[edited - HB] 

 

Good day,

In response to the letter received with the case number; /LB, below are the information requested;

I do accept committing the said offence.. I plead that you temper justice with mercy for the offence I committed on the said date.

I will be grateful if this is sorted out as soon as possible.

Thank you as I await your response.

Kind regards,

[edited - HB]

 

Good evening, 

In response to the letter received with the case number; /LB, below are the information requested;

I do accept committing the said offence as i and my partner have been using our cards interchangeably not realising its an offence. 

I plead that you temper justice with mercy for the offence committed on the said date.

I will be grateful if this is sorted out as soon as possible and not proceed to court as it will have an adverse effect on us. 

Thank you as I await your response.

 

Kind regards,

[edited - HB]

 

These are the 3 mails i sent to them. 

I started using the card since January and I was paying for it with my bank card. 

[honeybee13]

Thank you for the information. I'm not sure why you sent three emails that all look the same?

The only question you haven't answered is how many times you used the Student card. Or if you're still using it.

HB

[jenexx]

I used it several times due to the nature of my job and it was seized so I am no longer using it.

Thanks

[honeybee13]

It's OK to tell us how many times you used the card, you're anonymous here.

TfL will be looking at the history of the card going back around two months, to look for a pattern of how many times it was used for the same journey. I expect they will write to you when they're ready but if there's a lot of work involved it could take time. They have six months.

Is there a reason why you sent them the same email three times?

I would say that you need to get a new letter ready for when they reply. Yours was short and succinct but it didn't say the things that we normally suggest. They want to see that you understand why you shouldn't have used the card, how that affects TfL and other users, that you've learned lessons from this and most importantly, that you won't do it again. We can help you with that.

HB

[jenexx]

I am a Domiciliary Care worker and my job entails me moving from house to house.

Please that is the reason I said I don't know the number of times but I started using it from January as I had some financial issues to sort out

Thanks for your response. 

I will really appreciate any help I can get and I am ready to do what is necessary to ensure it does not get to court. 

[honeybee13]

So did you use the card every day when you were working? I'm just trying to get an idea of how many times TfL will be looking at. You need to understand that they can see all of the journeys made on the card.

HB

[honeybee13]

Just now, jenexx said:

Thanks for your response.  I will really appreciate any help I can get and I am ready to do what is necessary to ensure it does not get to court. 

You can help us to work out how many times you used the card because TfL will be looking at the amount you cost them by not paying the full far.

Then you need to start working on a letter to send them when they reply to you. We can help you to refine it but we can't write it for you, we don't know the whole story the way you do.

HB

[jenexx]

Yes, I used the card everyday I was working. And I work about 5 days a week

[honeybee13]

Five days a week since January sounds like a lot more than several times. I imagine it was more than one trip per day?

HB

[honeybee13]

I've amended the thread title slightly.

HB

[jenexx]

Yes, more than one trip per day

[honeybee13]

Right. What I'm trying to explain to you is that TfL will be going through all of the journeys they think were made by you, one by one, and working out how much they think you avoided paying in fares. That's what they will base their case on, whether it goes to court or not, as I understand it.

They may write to you again asking you to confirm which journeys were made by you. Are you going to be able to do this?

TfL don't like people abusing cards with discounts and you will need to persuade them not to take this to court.To me, that means being honest about what's happened.

If they don't like your answers to their questions, they will be looking to take it to court. If they do that, they will be looking to claim all of the fares you evaded, plus TfL's costs for looking into this, plus court costs, etc.

We need to get a good letter ready to send when TfL come back to you.

HB

[jenexx]

All the journey on that card was made by me. Will really appreciate any help I can get. Thanks for your prompt response 

[honeybee13]

And are you able to check the card's history on the TfL website?

HB

[jenexx]

My partner can check it as he has access to the tfl account he used to get the card.

[honeybee13]

I would do that. However this turns out you need to work out how much the unpaid fares could come to. If you manage to reach a settlement with them they will want the whole amount straight away. 

HB

[dx100uk]

4 hours ago, jenexx said:

I do accept committing the said offence as I mistakenly picked up my partner's card when hurrying out of the house. I plead that you temper justice with mercy for the offence I committed on the said date.

you cant have picked it up by mistake multiple times. over a 2 mts period.

[jenexx]

Ok. Thanks. Will do that but have to figure out how much for  daily fare and work out for 2 months.  

My worry is i hope they don't go ahead to take the case to court as I can't afford that and the effect will be bad for me, generally.  

@dx100uk that was the reason I sent the other mails. 

[honeybee13]

We can't say if they will go to court, sadly, but they don't normally do that straight away. 

You need to co-operate with them, do a more detailed letter if they don't offer you a settlement when they write back. We can help you with that.

Be aware that it can take two or three letters back and forth to reach a settlement,  if they agree to one.

HB

 

[BazzaS]

What did you say when you were stopped (were you questioned?).

Have you told them both
a) that you and your partner "use them interchangeably" but also
b) that on the day you picked up the wrong pass by mistake   ?

That might look to TfL that you aren't being honest with them.

You don't have to answer questions they haven't  asked you, but equally,if you are hoping for leniency, you don't want to get caught in a lie, either.

Edited March 15 by BazzaS

[jenexx]

Ok. Thank you so much. What should be the content of the detailed letter I will be sending to them? 

Thanks once again for your prompt response