Accidentally bought my partner a child’s ticket

[carnibunny]

Hi everyone,

So I recently booked mine and my boyfriend’s flights and trains when on our way back to the UK to visit our families.

Seeing as we weren’t going to be together I gave him my monzo card, and I made him a trainline account and booked his train and flights on that card.

We currently don’t live in the UK, and we were both on our way to stansted to go back home when He called me to tell me that I had bought him a child’s ticket and he was being read his rights.

I 100% know that I did not buy him a child’s ticket, on my mothers and brothers lives I will swear this. The only thing I will say was I set his trainline account up and bought his ticket around 3am when I was exhausted having just come back from a show.

However I know even in my tired state it would be impossible to choose a child’s ticket, because when you click child’s ticket you have to then select the age. And I 100% know I didn’t do this.

In my entire life, when I go to buy a ticket on trainline the default is always set to adult. And I don’t remember doing anything different than how i usually do it.

I feel absolutely awful because it was my fault and not his. I know he tried to explain to the officer that is was a mistake. But the officer was not very understanding.

He was read his rights and they said they would send a letter and then I just had to pay the fine. But we were given no other information outside of that.

But the more I read I am terrified he won’t be given a fine and is going to be prosecuted and have a criminal record.

I bought his ticket through trainline. The only possible reason I can think of is that when I created a new account for him, it set the default to child? I honestly am at my wits end from worry.

Can anyone give me some insight into the following questions:

1. how is it possible for this mistake to happen considering you have to physically choose the age of a child to get a ticket. has anyone ever heard of this?

1. What does this mean for my partner? Will he get a fine or be prosecuted?

1. Does anyone know who I contact in trainline to figure out when his letter will arrive? No one gave him a notice or anything so I’m a bit concerned we don’t have any information. So I need someone to contact in order to make sure they have his address correct. I’m panicking it won’t get there for some reason.

1. Does anyone know how long it takes for the letter to arrive to you, and how long you have after that to reply to it?

1. In his reply to the letter what should he say? I have a strong inkling they won’t believe his story as i’m sure that get lots of sob stories.

1. If anyone should be given a criminal record it’s me, not him. Is it possible for them move the offense from him to me? It’s not fair for him to have this on his shoulders when it’s my fault.

Thank you so much for your help. He is understandably feeling absolutely

 

[Gloster]

Was he given any paperwork? If he was, please post it on this thread, but obscure all names, addresses and any reference numbers before doing so. The experts will need at least that information in order to give accurate advice.

 

[carnibunny]

Was he given any paperwork? If he was, please post it on this thread, but obscure all names, addresses and any reference numbers before doing so. The experts will need at least that information in order to give accurate advice.

no we were given nothing whatsoever, we were just told to wait for the letter

 

[notmyrealname]

Hi.

Are you using your real name? If you are, the normal advice is to contact the moderators and get it changed.

 

[carnibunny]

Hi.

Are you using your real name? If you are, the normal advice is to contact the moderators and get it changed.

yes I am is that a problem?

 

[Haywain]

Does anyone know who I contact in trainline to figure out when his letter will arrive?

It won't be Trainline who will be sending the letter, it will be the train operating company. I'm guessing that as this was on the way to Stansted Airport the company will be Greater Anglia.

be impossible to choose a child’s ticket, because when you click child’s ticket you have to then select the age.

You don't select the child's age, just the child option. You would also have to deselect the adult option.

they won’t believe his story as i’m sure that get lots of sob stories.

They do get a lot of sob stories. They have no reason to care about them as an offence has been committed.

If anyone should be given a criminal record it’s me, not him. Is it possible for them move the offense from him to me?

You bought the ticket, which is not an offence. He used it, which is an offence. Therefore the offence will not be transferred to you.

It is highly likely that this can be settled without court action, but it will cost the correct full fare and the costs of the train company (usually around £150).

 

[carnibunny]

It won't be Trainline who will be sending the letter, it will be the train operating company. I'm guessing that as this was on the way to Stansted Airport the company will be Greater Anglia.


You don't select the child's age, just the child option. You would also have to deselect the adult option.

okay thank you very much. I will contact them.

when i go into trainline now to choose a child ticket I have to click on adult, then click child, then choose the age.

I may have accidentally changed adult to child from a simple click, however it asks for the age and I know if that had come up I would have realised my mistake and gone back to adult

It won't be Trainline who will be sending the letter, it will be the train operating company. I'm guessing that as this was on the way to Stansted Airport the company will be Greater Anglia.


You don't select the child's age, just the child option. You would also have to deselect the adult option.


They do get a lot of sob stories. They have no reason to care about them as an offence has been committed.

You bought the ticket, which is not an offence. He used it, which is an offence. Therefore the offence will not be transferred to you.

It is highly likely that this can be settled without court action, but it will cost the correct full fare and the costs of the train company (usually around £150).

thank you so much. so when he replies to the letter should he not mention what happened and just apologise, say it was an honest mistake, it will never happen again and that he will pay whatever is needed for the admin and prosecution time? which of course we want to do

 

[SteveM70]

okay thank you very much. I will contact them.

when i go into trainline now to choose a child ticket I have to click on adult, then click child, then choose the age.

I may have accidentally changed adult to child from a simple click, however it asks for the age and I know if that had come up I would have realised my mistake and gone back to adult


thank you so much. so when he replies to the letter should he not mention what happened and just apologise, say it was an honest mistake, it will never happen again and that he will pay whatever is needed for the admin and prosecution time? which of course we want to do

Could you post a screenshot of the ticket you bought, and perhaps also the confirmation email? You'd need to obscure any reference numbers

 

[Haywain]

I may have accidentally changed adult to child from a simple click, however it asks for the age and I know if that had come up I would have realised my mistake and gone back to adult

It defaults to age 5-15, so that you don't have to select anything further.

when he replies to the letter should he not mention what happened and just apologise, say it was an honest mistake,

I would say he can mention that it was an accidental purchase by you, but there’s little point in going into detail.

 

[carnibunny]

in the trainline

It defaults to age 5-15, so that you don't have to select anything further.


I would say he can mention that it was an accidental purchase by you, but there’s little point in going into detail.

It defaults to age 5-15, so that you don't have to select anything further.


I would say he can mention that it was an accidental purchase by you, but there’s little point in going into detail.

oh really, then that makes much more sense that it was possible for me to have made that mistake due to being tired. okay amazing thank you.

Could you post a screenshot of the ticket you bought, and perhaps also the confirmation email? You'd need to obscure any reference numbers

this was to my partners email address so when I get home i’ll ask him

 

[island]

You bought the ticket, which is not an offence. He used it, which is an offence. Therefore the offence will not be transferred to you.

This is potentially incorrect. It is very, very difficult to accidentally buy a child ticket. It is possible they both committed offences. The OP under byelaw 22 and the person using the ticket under byelaw 18. However, it's unlikely that they will bother to prosecute the OP.

 

[carnibunny]

do you have any idea of how is it possible. the only possible explanation would be if it was super easy to accidentally click child. But I know it’s not easy at all. and I know I didn’t do anything different than I usually do. What I really want to know is what are the reasons that they don’t go with. fine and go with a court prosecution instead?

 

[Deafdoggie]

It defaults to age 5-15, so that you don't have to select anything further.

This isn't true.

 

[Haywain]

This isn't true.

It is true of the website.