How Long Should Retailers Keep Records of Ticket Purchases For?

[Tazi Hupefi]

None of that evidence that GWR raked up from Trainline is proof of anything except ticket purchase with Railcards. Presumably a lot of tickets bought by a good customer! They need to match every one of those purchases with other facts, to provide evidence of wrongdoing, and they don't stand a snowball in hell's chance of doing that. That's what I meant previously by "fishing expedition". They are fishing for a large sum of cash from one of Trainline's better customers. Trainline ought to have a very robust view about that.

What evidence do you have that they would be unable to substantiate wrongdoing? Any at all, or are you just making a wild assumption? Have you seen all of the evidence? Can you tell me what all the different systems they use show please, as you're so sure? What are those systems called?

Perhaps you could also provide your thoughts on the fact that a witness statement, as well as questions and answers, constitute evidence itself, sometimes the only evidence, even if the answers were "no comment". Failure to respond is evidence. How much weight is attached to that is a matter for a jury or the judiciary depending on the arena.

Just to be clear, you're sure you're not making a defematory statement about an organisation based on your own very well researched and fact checked assumptions and with absolutely no knowledge gaps, based on a random stranger giving a story on a web forum?

 

[Benjwri]

While I understand that financial records have to be kept, is there any reason why they cannot be anonymised once a shorter period has elapsed? If it's mainly a tax thing, would HMRC want to know who bought what ticket?

It's very, very unlikely you could get away with this. If you get audited HMRC want all these details, they will be looking for original invoices and purchase receipts. You certainly cannot give them a list of numbers which are totally meaningless. HMRC don't necessarily want to know who, but if details are transmitted through another company, as I assume they are to actually validate the ticket, the regulation on that is far stricter and they likely do have to be kept.

It could also be argued as in the consumer's interest, as train tickets would be a claimable expense against tax if they travel for work and are self employed. This means the consumer would also have to keep the invoice for 6+ years, and having it available to them incase they need it is in their interest incase they do get audited and forgot to keep record.

 

[Hadders]

It's very, very unlikely you could get away with this. If you get audited HMRC want all these details, they will be looking for original invoices and purchase receipts. You certainly cannot give them a list of numbers which are totally meaningless. HMRC don't necessarily want to know who, but if details are transmitted through another company, as I assume they are to actually validate the ticket, the regulation on that is far stricter and they likely do have to be kept.

It could also be argued as in the consumer's interest, as train tickets would be a claimable expense against tax if they travel for work and are self employed. This means the consumer would also have to keep the invoice for 6+ years, and having it available to them incase they need it is in their interest incase they do get audited and forgot to keep record.

No personal details are given when purchasing a ticket from a ticket machine or ticket office but purchasing online means personal details being kept for years.

If it's so important for records to be kept for contractual and tax purposes why aren't TVMs and ticket offices asking for names and addresses?

 

[typefish]

where do you get the '4731' from? My client does not store it on their systems. Just ************1234. Well actually we store 2j4t78ss523x9390, which is the token. Why would we need to MII? We would never use it.

Your card provider may not display to you the first four digits of a card, but in most cases, will make available information about the card processor and optionally information about the type of card it is, such as whether or not it's a rewards card - as this will reflect processing fees.

 

[Benjwri]

No personal details are given when purchasing a ticket from a ticket machine or ticket office but purchasing online means personal details being kept for years.

If it's so important for records to be kept for contractual and tax purposes why aren't TVMs and ticket offices asking for names and addresses?

Yes but that's not necessarily Trainline's fault, the standards are different. The consumers details need to be recorded to fulfil the contract, and therefore are noted on things like invoices. Once that's done it's best practice to keep them on there. Not to mention this is then complicated by Trainline then being in a financial contract with RDG, and passing consumer information, and details from this transaction are more regulated and cannot be made anonymous. It's highly likely that whatever they do they will still have too keep some details linking you to a purchase for 6+ years.