Long time lurker, first post - and in need of some advice.
On Wednesday morning I was issued an Unpaid Fare Notice on grounds of "restricted ticket".
I boarded the 08.29 departure from Crewe, arrival at Euston 10.04. My ticket was a return portion of an off peak return from London to Flint and was within the one month validity period.
My contention is that:
a) This ticket is valid for this train as the first permissable arrival into London with a Flint ticket is the 10.04 arrival at Euston.
b) As a return portion of an off peak ticket I have the right to have broken my journey or started from an intermediate station (as I did in this case).
Am I correct?
Following issue of the Unpaid Fare notice it seems I need to "dispute my liability" in writing to RPSS within 10 days. Also it states that sending this dispute does not negate my liability to pay. I think I am in the right here and therefore have no intention to pay this.
During our discussions I repeatedly and calmly asked for the guard, and then the revenue protection chap at Euston, to look up the matter in the fares manual to check my assertions but they refused (the guy at Euston spent the first 5 mins refusing to believe any off peak tickets were valid at all into Euston before 11am:roll. I was left with no option but to accept the unpaid fare notice when they radioed for the police. Again, to stress I was very polite in dealing with the matter.
Assuming I am right (?) I will be minded to complain to Virgin for the attitude of their staff too. On the train the first thing the guard did when he saw my ticket was to ask to see my driving licence to check where I lived! This then became his grounds for my "fare evasion". On my initial refusal to pay the excess that I believed was not relevant his first response was I will get the police (specifically Police) to be waiting for you at Euston! This strikes me as being well out of order. Anyway I digress somewhat and would be very grateful for advice on the facts of the ticket validity and my best course of action re letters to RPSS, and payment / non-payment at this stage.
Many thanks.
R
On Wednesday morning I was issued an Unpaid Fare Notice on grounds of "restricted ticket".
I boarded the 08.29 departure from Crewe, arrival at Euston 10.04. My ticket was a return portion of an off peak return from London to Flint and was within the one month validity period.
My contention is that:
a) This ticket is valid for this train as the first permissable arrival into London with a Flint ticket is the 10.04 arrival at Euston.
b) As a return portion of an off peak ticket I have the right to have broken my journey or started from an intermediate station (as I did in this case).
Am I correct?
Following issue of the Unpaid Fare notice it seems I need to "dispute my liability" in writing to RPSS within 10 days. Also it states that sending this dispute does not negate my liability to pay. I think I am in the right here and therefore have no intention to pay this.
During our discussions I repeatedly and calmly asked for the guard, and then the revenue protection chap at Euston, to look up the matter in the fares manual to check my assertions but they refused (the guy at Euston spent the first 5 mins refusing to believe any off peak tickets were valid at all into Euston before 11am:roll. I was left with no option but to accept the unpaid fare notice when they radioed for the police. Again, to stress I was very polite in dealing with the matter.
Assuming I am right (?) I will be minded to complain to Virgin for the attitude of their staff too. On the train the first thing the guard did when he saw my ticket was to ask to see my driving licence to check where I lived! This then became his grounds for my "fare evasion". On my initial refusal to pay the excess that I believed was not relevant his first response was I will get the police (specifically Police) to be waiting for you at Euston! This strikes me as being well out of order. Anyway I digress somewhat and would be very grateful for advice on the facts of the ticket validity and my best course of action re letters to RPSS, and payment / non-payment at this stage.
Many thanks.
R