womblingfree
Member
Yesterday, 13 April 2024, I travelled from London Paddington to Oxford on GWR. I bought my ticket on the Trainline app at the station before travel. I had bought a Network Railcard on the Trainline app previously, so the railcard was stored and the discount applied to my fare automatically and I paid £22 for the return journey, discounted from £33.30.
On arrival at Oxford the barriers were teeming with Revenue Protection Officers. I showed my ticket, was asked to show my railcard. The officer showed me how to pull up the railcard on the app as I wasn't sure, and found it had expired on 5 April 2024. A week ago.
I was issued with a £100 fine plus the cost of the full fare of £33.30. I paid on the spot so the fine was halved to £50. £88.30 in total. I also renewed my railcard on the spot so I could be sure my return journey was valid.
The person issuing the fine checked my journey history on the app and could see this was the first time I had travelled since the railcard expired.
I accept my error but I plan to appeal on the grounds that the fine is disproportionate and unfair, and here are my thoughts:
- Honest mistake, no intention to deceive or evade capture
- Fine is disproportionate as it would be the same if I had deliberately tried to dodge the fare. In fact, I paid more than a deliberate fare dodger as I had already paid for a £22 ticket
- Received no alerts from Trainline that my railcard had expired; not GWR's responsibility, but Trainline's T&Cs state that they will let you know when your railcard is due so I was relying on them in good faith (goes back to the honest mistake part).
- Railcard had only been expired one week and this was the first time I'd used it since expiry; again disproportionate as the fine is the same if I'd have let it lapse for months
- GWR policy states "We want to make sure everyone who travels with GWR pays the right fare for their trip. Our Revenue Protection and Prosecutions Policy helps us protect the customers who do, and deal with the customers who don’t firmly and fairly." However, journey history on the app showed I am a customer who does except for this one error; I was not given the opportunity by them to pay the right fare; this fine does not feel fair.
What do people think? Is there a good adaptable template for such appeals? Is there anything else I should consider? Was paying the fine on the spot a stupid thing to do?
Thank you in advance.
On arrival at Oxford the barriers were teeming with Revenue Protection Officers. I showed my ticket, was asked to show my railcard. The officer showed me how to pull up the railcard on the app as I wasn't sure, and found it had expired on 5 April 2024. A week ago.
I was issued with a £100 fine plus the cost of the full fare of £33.30. I paid on the spot so the fine was halved to £50. £88.30 in total. I also renewed my railcard on the spot so I could be sure my return journey was valid.
The person issuing the fine checked my journey history on the app and could see this was the first time I had travelled since the railcard expired.
I accept my error but I plan to appeal on the grounds that the fine is disproportionate and unfair, and here are my thoughts:
- Honest mistake, no intention to deceive or evade capture
- Fine is disproportionate as it would be the same if I had deliberately tried to dodge the fare. In fact, I paid more than a deliberate fare dodger as I had already paid for a £22 ticket
- Received no alerts from Trainline that my railcard had expired; not GWR's responsibility, but Trainline's T&Cs state that they will let you know when your railcard is due so I was relying on them in good faith (goes back to the honest mistake part).
- Railcard had only been expired one week and this was the first time I'd used it since expiry; again disproportionate as the fine is the same if I'd have let it lapse for months
- GWR policy states "We want to make sure everyone who travels with GWR pays the right fare for their trip. Our Revenue Protection and Prosecutions Policy helps us protect the customers who do, and deal with the customers who don’t firmly and fairly." However, journey history on the app showed I am a customer who does except for this one error; I was not given the opportunity by them to pay the right fare; this fine does not feel fair.
What do people think? Is there a good adaptable template for such appeals? Is there anything else I should consider? Was paying the fine on the spot a stupid thing to do?
Thank you in advance.