A What if scenario Wrongly dated ticket.

[vrbarreto]

The story is thus.

I regularly buy a ticket on a Wednesday from a boundary zone to Luton for travel on a Thursday from the same ticket office every week.. Did so yesterday and was joking with the staff and didn't notice that the ticket was mistakenly dated for the Wednesday.

Got on the train this morning as my regular ticket is an oyster and therefore valid to allow me on the train and in practice all the way to the boundary of zone 6.

Ticket was not checked on the journey which is rare.. Once I got to Luton I put the ticket in the gate thinking that it was valid and it told me to go and seek assistance.

Spoke to the very pleasant Thameslink representative and he asked me a few questions and wrote a note on the back of my return ticket saying allow travel today and there was a pr po <number> written as well.

He then allowed me through the barrier... My question is

a) If my ticket had been checked on the train would I have more than likely have been issued a penalty fare?
b) I take it the endorsement at the back of the ticket will allow me travel back to London?

I was expecting at the least to be asked to pay for a single ticket to my destination and was pleasantly surprised...

 

[221129]

The story is thus.

I regularly buy a ticket on a Wednesday from a boundary zone to Luton for travel on a Thursday from the same ticket office every week.. Did so yesterday and was joking with the staff and didn't notice that the ticket was mistakenly dated for the Wednesday.

Got on the train this morning as my regular ticket is an oyster and therefore valid to allow me on the train and in practice all the way to the boundary of zone 6.

Ticket was not checked on the journey which is rare.. Once I got to Luton I put the ticket in the gate thinking that it was valid and it told me to go and seek assistance.

Spoke to the very pleasant Thameslink representative and he asked me a few questions and wrote a note on the back of my return ticket saying allow travel today and there was a pr po <number> written as well.

He then allowed me through the barrier... My question is

a) If my ticket had been checked on the train would I have more than likely have been issued a penalty fare?
b) I take it the endorsement at the back of the ticket will allow me travel back to London?

I was expecting at the least to be asked to pay for a single ticket to my destination and was pleasantly surprised...

A) Possibly, although no one can say for sure.

B) Sounds like it.

 

[vrbarreto]

Well that was easy.. Explained the situation to the gateline staff at Luton and they let me straight through.

One of the few times on my journey to Luton and back that my ticket has not been checked on the train as well..

Thank you Thameslink for being uber sensible

 

[bb21]

Correct decision given your circumstances, although you were probably lucky with the RPI as he could have rightly given you a Penalty Fare.

It is unfortunate but this does point out to us all the importance of checking your ticket when you buy it.

 

[blakey1152]

Also goes to show that joking with the ticket office staff may have inadvertently distracted them and in error they got the wrong day as well.

so easily done!

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Oddly happened to me only yesterday...!

Collected a ticket for the 0520 service from Hull to Sheffield which was an advance purchase and noticed that the date showed the 27th. Reported this to the guard as the booking office was not open yet, after showing her the email that confirmed travel for the 13th, she okayed me to get on

 

[bb21]

You may wish to report this to the TOC as there could have been a big bug that affects more than just you.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

You may wish to report this to the TOC as there could have been a big bug that affects more than just you.

Already done so, bb21