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Issue about not having a ticket

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newuser123

New Member
Joined
11 Dec 2019
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3
Location
WW
Hi - I normally buy a monthly or weekly train ticket (travelcard). This week (as it is my son's school Xmas show on Friday) I have been buying daily. This morning I got to my local station and walked onto the platform. I've got a terrible chest infection so my brain was in neutral.

On arriving in London I immediately realised I had forgotten to buy a ticket. I went straight to the 'Customers with fares to pay' booth and told them what had happened. I also showed my daily ticket and previous weekly tickets. They said I could not just buy the ticket for today and had to speak to the revenue officer.

I was directed to him and he he told me I would be fined (even though I said I desperately wanted to pay and never intended not to). I showed him all my previous tickets and he said he could see that I was not trying to evade my fare, and "as it's christmas" (his words) he took my details (name and address) and printed a document saying I did not need to pay a fine.

I used my bank card to pay for the tube and when I got to work checked the document he had printed. It was a "Penalty Notice for Failure to Produce Season ticket". On reading this it says my details will be checked against Season ticket records even though I never once said I had a season ticket (and in fact showed my daily/weekly tickets).

Additionally I noticed that he got my first name slightly wrong and although got the correct road/postcode put the wrong house number into the system.

I think he was trying to be kind to me but I'm now stressing out that I will be asked to provide evidence of a season ticket which I never said I had and any letter might not even come to my house.

Can someone please advise me what I should do?

Thanks.
 
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Haywain

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3 Feb 2013
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14,872
Does the document you were given have details of who to send your season ticket details to (they won't have a record of a 7-day season anyway)? If it does I would write a letter stating that there was a misunderstanding (about you having a season ticket) and that you wish to pay the fare due, and enclose a cheque for that amount. You will then have to wait and see whether that is sufficient for the train company, but at least you will show willing to pay the fare.
 

newuser123

New Member
Joined
11 Dec 2019
Messages
3
Location
WW
Thanks for the reply - no the ticket they gave me says "The details you have provided will be checked against season ticket records. Any false information given may lead to prosecution". It also says "on this occasion we do not require you to do anything or further and no payment is due".
 

Haywain

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3 Feb 2013
Messages
14,872
Thanks for the reply - no the ticket they gave me says "The details you have provided will be checked against season ticket records. Any false information given may lead to prosecution". It also says "on this occasion we do not require you to do anything or further and no payment is due".
In which case I guess all you can do is wait and see if they contact you.
 

newuser123

New Member
Joined
11 Dec 2019
Messages
3
Location
WW
The problem is they have put the wrong address on the ticket so I don't know how I will get contacted.
 

30907

Veteran Member
Joined
30 Sep 2012
Messages
17,866
Location
Airedale
You may find you have a kind neighbour or an eagle-eyed postie. Or the TOC may check against their record of monthly tickets and find your address that way.

I am afraid that without a season ticket you were liable for a penalty fare (assuming you live within a PF area, there were adequate signs and means to buy a ticket).
 

WesternLancer

Established Member
Joined
12 Apr 2019
Messages
6,996
The problem is they have put the wrong address on the ticket so I don't know how I will get contacted.

I think you should probably reply - either as Haywain said above, or reply anyway - with a letter - or maybe e-mail - to the address on the notice you were given (or if no address on it to the Train Companies address that you can find on line) and include in that a correction of the address they have for you (eg 'please note that the address recorded on the document I was given (xx street etc), is incorrectly recorded and my correct address is YYY street, please correct your records and send any further correspondence to this correct address') Do this as soon as possible because not doing it will likely result in greater problems for the reason you suspect - ie you will not get official letters ref this that you need to get and that risks the chance of escalation to prosecution (worst case scenario) which you need to avoid. If you do use a letter you may want to send recorded delivery etc so you have proof you have advised them of this for future reference.

Good luck in getting this sorted.

If you state which station you started at to go to London and which London station you arrived at, and which train company you used, people here may have experience to help tell you how they are likely to deal with this based on past practice.
 

WesternLancer

Established Member
Joined
12 Apr 2019
Messages
6,996
Hi - I normally buy a monthly or weekly train ticket (travelcard). This week (as it is my son's school Xmas show on Friday) I have been buying daily. This morning I got to my local station and walked onto the platform. I've got a terrible chest infection so my brain was in neutral.

On arriving in London I immediately realised I had forgotten to buy a ticket. I went straight to the 'Customers with fares to pay' booth and told them what had happened. I also showed my daily ticket and previous weekly tickets. They said I could not just buy the ticket for today and had to speak to the revenue officer.

I was directed to him and he he told me I would be fined (even though I said I desperately wanted to pay and never intended not to). I showed him all my previous tickets and he said he could see that I was not trying to evade my fare, and "as it's christmas" (his words) he took my details (name and address) and printed a document saying I did not need to pay a fine.

I used my bank card to pay for the tube and when I got to work checked the document he had printed. It was a "Penalty Notice for Failure to Produce Season ticket". On reading this it says my details will be checked against Season ticket records even though I never once said I had a season ticket (and in fact showed my daily/weekly tickets).

Additionally I noticed that he got my first name slightly wrong and although got the correct road/postcode put the wrong house number into the system.

I think he was trying to be kind to me but I'm now stressing out that I will be asked to provide evidence of a season ticket which I never said I had and any letter might not even come to my house.

Can someone please advise me what I should do?

Thanks.

You also want to avoid them thinking (because there must have been a mix up when you told your story) that you claimed to have a season ticket when you didn't - as that looks like you are trying to pretend you had a season which you left at home on the day in error - and are thus claiming something to 'get away with it' which when the season check fails to find you makes it look like you lied, which is not what you did and which is not your intention - you failed to pay a fare due through absent mindedness ("brain in neutral" - I like the phrase!)
 

some bloke

Established Member
Joined
12 Feb 2017
Messages
1,561
@newuser123 , you could visit that house if it exists - but it would seem much better to do what @WesternLancer says, sending all the corrections to the company as soon as possible.

If it isn't clear who to write to, you could phone a main switchboard number or ask customer services - perhaps through Twitter/direct message.
 

MotCO

Established Member
Joined
25 Aug 2014
Messages
4,085
I think you should probably reply - either as Haywain said above, or reply anyway - with a letter - or maybe e-mail - to the address on the notice you were given (or if no address on it to the Train Companies address that you can find on line) and include in that a correction of the address they have for you (eg 'please note that the address recorded on the document I was given (xx street etc), is incorrectly recorded and my correct address is YYY street, please correct your records and send any further correspondence to this correct address') Do this as soon as possible because not doing it will likely result in greater problems for the reason you suspect - ie you will not get official letters ref this that you need to get and that risks the chance of escalation to prosecution (worst case scenario) which you need to avoid. If you do use a letter you may want to send recorded delivery etc so you have proof you have advised them of this for future reference.

Good luck in getting this sorted.

If you state which station you started at to go to London and which London station you arrived at, and which train company you used, people here may have experience to help tell you how they are likely to deal with this based on past practice.

I would include in the letter the full details as you set out in your opening post. This will try to show that it was an innocent mistake, and the fact that you are advising them that they got your address wrong so that they can contact you correctly should stand you in good stead. For good measure, I would also send a cheque for the fare.

I accept that you effectively travelled without being in possession of a valid ticket and therefore are breaking the law or by-laws, but they may look kindly upon you.
 
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