Greater Anglia Purchases

[packs101]

Hi there,

I was wondering if you can confirm what Greater Anglia ticket purchases are tracked via history? Such as third party providers, ticket machines etc.

Thanks for any help.

Thanks!

 

[AlterEgo]

We are going to need a lot more context for this one! Has something triggered your question? They can access all your online purchases if they can link them to you, and can ask third party retailers to make disclosures if they suspect you of travel irregularities.

If you are committing industrial scale fraud the police will get involved and they will have a wider scope - and can essentially pull all your non-cash purchases, even ticket offices, machines, etc.

 

[Hadders]

Purchasing tickets is not a crime but using them illegally is.

Train companies work with ticket retailers like Trainline to identify things like:

- tickets you're not entitled to use - eg child, railcard discounted if there's no evidence of you owning the railcard
- railcard discounted tickets used at an invalid time
- tickets that could indicate doughnutting
- excessive volume of refunds
- excessive/possible fraudulent delay repay claims
- Advance tickets used on the wrong train

If you can let us know more about what you've been doing then we can advise further.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

@packs101. Welcome to the forum. Greater Anglia highly unlikely to have any ticket purchase history for you for all those tickets which you've purchased using cash.

Other than that, easy for them to track your ticket purchase history if it's been done online, with the likes of Trainline. Are you potentially under active investigation?

 

[SussexMan]

They are only going to be able to track your ticket purchasing if they have some common identifier. So if Greater Anglia have your email address, then they can ask ticket retailers to provide details of tickets purchased on an account which also has that email address. If they have your 16 digit credit/debit card number, they should be able to do the same. Simply having your name is unlikely to be of any help as a name is not a unique identifier, but combined with your address, then they could link you. So if you have used a different email address and/or a different payment card that would make it harder. You may not have supplied your address to any ticket retailers so that may not help Greater Anglia.

 

[Hadders]

If they've scanned a ticket purchased online then they will be able to link this back to your account.

 

[packs101]

Thanks for your help.

I was stopped recently having accidentally booking a ticket from Shenfield although departing from the previous stop. I should’ve checked the app before purchasing but as this was a mistake as I departed from shenfield the weekend before. I disputed this with the worker for sometime in hope they would understand it was a mistake on my part.

I wasn’t keen on giving my details as I felt it was unfair and was hoping they would change their mind. They suggested my travel history will be checked however I am unsure what they mean by this.

There was several times a couple of years ago where I used a railcard when I shouldn’t have, I haven’t done this for quite some time now. I am wondering what they mean by history, will they search apps as I purchased tickets through a number of them and will they use ticket machine purchases as I occasionally buy tickets through them?

Thanks for any further help!

 

[WesternLancer]

I wasn’t keen on giving my details as I felt it was unfair and was hoping they would change their mind.

I can understand that but it's worth being aware that failing to give your details is actually also an offence in itself (a separate one to the offence of not having a valid ticket)

They suggested my travel history will be checked however I am unsure what they mean by this.

Looking at any ticket purchases they can find or link to you to see if anything looks suspicious to them

There was several times a couple of years ago where I used a railcard when I shouldn’t have, I haven’t done this for quite some time now.

So a suspicious thing might be tickets discounted by a Railcard that they think you might not be eligible to possesses, or that a database of Railcards might show you did not own if they cross reference, or they might ask you for some proof that you did own a Railcard at the time, which it sounds like you would not be able to provide.

I am wondering what they mean by history, will they search apps as I purchased tickets through a number of them

Yes, that is exactly what they do - all the ticket retailers and train companies can share this info - there is is no GDPR issues as it is 'for the prevention and detection of crime'

and will they use ticket machine purchases as I occasionally buy tickets through them?

Possibly, if they can easily link such purchases to whatever payment card you use if it is traceable back to you. If you used cash I think that would be far more difficult for them to do

Thanks for any further help!

You need to wait to hear from them with whatever they raise with you to see what they are asking of you, when they get in touch. Needless to say do not do anything like this going forwards as you are now on their radar for the one incident when you were stopped recently.

When you hear from them you can ask here for advice on what to do / how to respond

 

[AlterEgo]

Thanks for your help.

I was stopped recently having accidentally booking a ticket from Shenfield although departing from the previous stop. I should’ve checked the app before purchasing but as this was a mistake as I departed from shenfield the weekend before. I disputed this with the worker for sometime in hope they would understand it was a mistake on my part.

What was the exact journey you were making, where were you stopped, and which company stopped you?

I wasn’t keen on giving my details as I felt it was unfair and was hoping they would change their mind.

Refusing to give details is a separate offence. Did you give your details in the end?

They suggested my travel history will be checked however I am unsure what they mean by this.

It means they will look at your online purchasing accounts to find other occasions where you short fared.

There was several times a couple of years ago where I used a railcard when I shouldn’t have, I haven’t done this for quite some time now. I am wondering what they mean by history, will they search apps as I purchased tickets through a number of them

They may do this. They don't always, but they can do this if they feel so inclined.

 

[packs101]

What was the exact journey you were making, where were you stopped, and which company stopped you?

My journey was from Billericay and the company was Greater Anglia.

Refusing to give details is a separate offence. Did you give your details in the end?

I did give details once at Liverpool Street, I was hoping that they’d understand the situation differently.

It means they will look at your online purchasing accounts to find other occasions where you short fared.

I’ve never short fared before, this was my first incident.

I can understand that but it's worth being aware that failing to give your details is actually also an offence in itself (a separate one to the offence of not having a valid ticket)


Looking at any ticket purchases they can find or link to you to see if anything looks suspicious to them


So a suspicious thing might be tickets discounted by a Railcard that they think you might not be eligible to possesses, or that a database of Railcards might show you did not own if they cross reference, or they might ask you for some proof that you did own a Railcard at the time, which it sounds like you would not be able to provide.


Yes, that is exactly what they do - all the ticket retailers and train companies can share this info - there is is no GDPR issues as it is 'for the prevention and detection of crime'


Possibly, if they can easily link such purchases to whatever payment card you use if it is traceable back to you. If you used cash I think that would be far more difficult for them to do


You need to wait to hear from them with whatever they raise with you to see what they are asking of you, when they get in touch. Needless to say do not do anything like this going forwards as you are now on their radar for the one incident when you were stopped recently.

When you hear from them you can ask here for advice on what to do / how to respond

I will let you know if I receive a letter, I believe I may have saved maybe £200-300 over the time of the railcard use. I of course haven’t done this for a many months now and will not be doing this in the future. Very much regret my action.

 

[WesternLancer]

I will let you know if I receive a letter, I believe I may have saved maybe £200-300 over the time of the railcard use. I of course haven’t done this for a many months now and will not be doing this in the future. Very much regret my action.

Ok - you need to be mindful that they wont be seeking the sum avoided - most likely they will be seeking a new ticket for every occasion charged at the Anytime Single fare with no allowance made for what you paid - so you should budget for that and it may be wise to try to keep an amount in an accessible bank account for that sum, because if they ask for it as part of any out of court settlement they will seek prompt payment in full as part of any offer to settle they might make to you.
If you don't have the sort of money now you need to start saving it as a priority. I could imagine this might well be over £1,000 sort of sum.

 

[packs101]

Ok - you need to be mindful that they wont be seeking the sum avoided - most likely they will be seeking a new ticket for every occasion charged at the Anytime Single fare with no allowance made for what you paid - so you should budget for that and it may be wise to try to keep an amount in an accessible bank account for that sum, because if they ask for it as part of any out of court settlement they will seek prompt payment in full as part of any offer to settle they might make to you.
If you don't have the sort of money now you need to start saving it as a priority. I could imagine this might well be over £1,000 sort of sum.

I understand that they have the right to prosecute but if I corporate with them when the letter is received, from previous experience what’s the likelihood of this being settled outside of court?

 

[Haywain]

what’s the likelihood of this being settled outside of court?

Fairly good, as they will receive more money from you by doing so compared to prosecuting you.

 

[WesternLancer]

I understand that they have the right to prosecute but if I corporate with them when the letter is received, from previous experience what’s the likelihood of this being settled outside of court?

co-operation as you suggest is key to getting it settled outside of court, and I think you have a very good chance of that.

You can get good advice on here as and when you need it with that aim, as it should be your objective as the least worst outcome.