Lost ticket, then found it again

[shaveta2929]

I too am in similar situation.I am new to this forum and dont know how to star a new post

I had made a perchase of a return train ticket from sandhurst to Reading and back yesterday on 22 jan 2014

On my way back I boarded the train from wokingham and realized i had misplaced the ticket.I was in the last carriage of the train and tried knocking the door of the gaurd. no one answered so i started looking for him by walking towards the front of the train I am sure there will be CCTV to sustantiate what i say.I was stopped by the revenue inspector and i told him of my situation. he however did not listen and took all my details.I did not understand his language properly and he made me sign on some papers It was dark so i did could not read what he wrote.He did not give me time to look for my ticket in the bag.I found my ticket after he took all the details in my bag.I am attaching a copy of the ticket and also a receipt of the another ticket I had already bought from blackwater to reading.
I was in a horrible state of panic and did not know what he was asking.I provided him with my correct address and phone number.
I apologise for my running into panic but had he given me enough time i could have found my ticket in my bag.

 

[yorkie]

I too am in similar situation.I am new to this forum and dont know how to star a new post

I had made a perchase of a return train ticket from sandhurst to Reading and back yesterday on 22 jan 2014

On my way back I boarded the train from wokingham and realized i had misplaced the ticket.I was in the last carriage of the train and tried knocking the door of the gaurd. no one answered so i started looking for him by walking towards the front of the train I am sure there will be CCTV to sustantiate what i say. I was stopped by the revenue inspector and i told him of my situation. he however did not listen

What makes you think he did not listen?

and took all my details.

That would be correct.

I did not understand his language properly

Why not?

and he made me sign on some papers It was dark so i did could not read what he wrote.

Was there a light failure in the carriage you were in? If so I am surprised the conversation didn't take place in another carriage of the train.

He did not give me time to look for my ticket in the bag.I found my ticket after he took all the details in my bag.I am attaching a copy of the ticket and also a receipt of the another ticket I had already bought from blackwater to reading.
I was in a horrible state of panic and did not know what he was asking.I provided him with my correct address and phone number.
I apologise for my running into panic but had he given me enough time i could have found my ticket in my bag.

In that case presumably the matter is resolved?

Unless there's more to it, e.g. if the Company suspected you did not purchase the ticket.

But given that you will be able to say where & when you bought it, what payment method you used etc then I can't envisage a problem with that?

 

[shaveta2929]

Thankyou Yorke for reverting Back to me on this . So he started th conversation in the train. And made notes when we got down at sandhurst . It was not very bright I would say.i did not know what is happening was he fining me for £20 or it was just a warning . After I read this fourm I could think how serious the matter is . He has not seen my tickit . Should I send it over to them if so which address ?

 

[bb21]

Did you not go find her when you found your ticket? Had she left the train by then?

Is English not your first language? Is that the reason why you found her hard to understand?

 

[yorkie]

Thankyou Yorke for reverting Back to me on this . So he started th conversation in the train. And made notes when we got down at sandhurst . It was not very bright I would say.i did not know what is happening was he fining me for £20 or it was just a warning

Perhaps you've not yet had the chance to read the content on the link I sent you, but £20 is the minimum cost of a Penalty Fare, not a fine. If you had been issued with a Penalty Fare, you would know about it.

After I read this fourm I could think how serious the matter is

Potentially very serious, but if you can prove you held a ticket then I don't see why the matter would not simply end there?

He has not seen my tickit . Should I send it over to them if so which address ?

Sandhurst to Reading would be FGW:

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/about-us/customer-services/contact-us

I suspect they may write to you but it would be prudent to write to them first with details of the ticket.

If you send the original ticket, I would advise sending it by Royal Mail Signed For, and before enclosing it I would advise scanning the ticket.

They may need to ask you questions to ensure that it was your ticket, but I take it that shouldn't be a problem?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Is English not your first language?

Just to expand on this, if it isn't, then inspectors are supposed to make allowances for that (but we cannot judge whether or not that happened).

Also if it isn't, is there a friend of family member who can assist you in dealing with this matter?

 

[shaveta2929]

I had paid by cash . How can I prove it's mine ?

 

[shaveta2929]

I just had a word with my solicitor and he says just don't do anything but wait for the summons to arrive !! Should I not go in for out of court settlement ??

 

[maniacmartin]

When did you find the ticket?
The requirement under the Railway Byelaws is to produce a ticket when requested, not at some time afterwards.

If it was only afterwards that you found the ticket, what is to stop you from getting a friend or other passenger to hand over their ticket after they have travelled and been checked with it?

In future, I suggest you keep your ticket in a ticket wallet directly in your pocket with other valued possessions such as wallet, phone or keys, not buried in your bag. It sounds like an odd place to keep a ticket to me.

 

[shaveta2929]

He got papers signed from me at sandhurst station .after tht at is found it . Should I just keep quite ? As they might say its ur friends ??

 

[DelayRepay]

Did he give you any paperwork? Can you remember exactly what you signed?

 

[shaveta2929]

He gave me an excess fare small tickit , he recorded all statements , where I boarded my train. I had boarded at reading but in panic I said Wokingham. I am really very perturbed and yes English is not my 1st language .

 

[GadgetMan]

He did not give me time to look for my ticket in the bag.I found my ticket after he took all the details in my bag.

If you were sure the ticket was in your bag and you just needed more time then why did you not stay in the end carriage and hunt your ticket out of the bag while the Inspector made his way through the train? Instead you approached the Revenue Inspector doing yourself out of time.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

I just had a word with my solicitor and he says just don't do anything but wait for the summons to arrive !!

I understand this advice, which is based on an estimation of probabilities.
It is (when averaged out over many criminal prosecutions brought by companies against individuals and where very small sums are involved) statistically likely that a professional advocate (a criminal defence solicitor) will manage to avert the prosecution against their client for one reason or another.
I can't argue against that premiss. But it's a balance between costs and probabilites, which may be to the client's benefit on average, but the cost of failuer must be understood before proceeding

There are some cynics on here (and its a view that cynics have held for centuries), who would suspect that a solicitor's motive for delaying any correspondence until a Summons is served is to maximise the opportunities for solicitors to be instructed to do more work for their client.

My view is that there are many routine railway ticketing matters in which the passenger can quite adequately present their own evidence and bring the matter to a resolution, perhaps just by way of an explanation, or perhaps by an admission of error and offer of recompense. In this case, I think that shaveta2929 does need some assistance in presenting the facts to the company and that these facts might be adequate to bring the investigation to a close. But if that attempt is unsuccessful, then any solicitor trying to help, will be severly handicapped by whatever was said in that failed attempt.

Now that shaveta2929 has taken professional advice, my assessment is that she should continue to follow that professional's advice not to respond further at present. When the Company does issue a summons to appear in Court to face a Criminal prosecution, I do hope that shaveta2929 will ensure that her solicitor will be willing to spend a few minutes discussing the legal background with a specialist (to avoid the risks of confusing a railway ticketing offence with other familiar consumer or transport, statutory or byelaw, offences).

 

[shaveta2929]

So do u think I should apologise and try to close the matter . I was given a penelty fare of £20 in the month on 10 July 2013 . Will that lead to prosecution. Or out of court settlement ?

Also , at this stage I cannot substantiate that it was my own ticket . I had a weekly ticket to Wokingham and reading .
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
How many days will it take to receive the letter from them ? I'm ver worried and nervous . I will never ever do this

 

[DaveNewcastle]

The Penalty Fare from July 2013 will not be relevant.

I realise that you cannot substantiate that the ticket you have found is yours, but if it is a matter of fact that it is the ticket which you couldn't find and then did find, then of course you should say so.

But now I'm confused, you say the Inspector gave you an "excess fare ticket". Surely you were given something else?
Was it an Unpaid Fare Notice? (If so, you can just pay and that will close the matter, or you could pay and also appeal against it by sending the ticket you have now found)?
Was it a witness statement? (If so, you will receive a letter asking you for more information but that may not arrive for several weeks).

 

[shaveta2929]

I really don't know what the situation is !i did offer to pay excess fare but he said u will receive a phone call and letter ! Will they know about my July fine . Is it not in their records !

 

[DaveNewcastle]

Will they know about my July fine . Is it not in their records !

No.

The Penalty Fare from July 2013 will not be relevant.

He gave me an excess fare small tickit , . . .

If it was NOT an excess fare ticket, and if you don't know what you were given, let me ask you this:

Were you given any thing to take away? (Any paper, ticket, note, coupon?)

 

[cjp]

Perhaps it is just me but if the OP has consulted his solicitor should he not follow their advice rather than try to second guess it here - learned though many of the advisors here are?

To my mind to seek legal advice and then to ignore it is perverse.

 

[shaveta2929]

I think it was a witness statement . He noted down what ever I said and made me sign and said this can be used in the court . I also offered to pay him the penelty and he refused. He said there is nothing I can do . I really don't know what situation I am in . Also I will b travelling to India and no one will b home . Can I inform them ? Or may be provide my realive address so that when the papers arrive they can tell me ? Also I do not want my partner to know about it .

So can I wait for the letter to arrive , give my apologies and offer them out of court sett element ? I really don't want the matter to b taken to court . How much should I offer as sett element money ?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

No.

If it was NOT an excess fare ticket, and if you don't know what you were given, let me ask you this:

Were you given any thing to take away? (Any paper, ticket, note, coupon?)

he just gave me an excess fare paper with his name , travelling from and to

 

[Fare-Cop]

No.

If it was NOT an excess fare ticket, and if you don't know what you were given, let me ask you this:

Were you given any thing to take away? (Any paper, ticket, note, coupon?)

I may be wrong in this particular case, but if the traveller had not completed the journey at the time of interview, it is a good practice and used by many staff of my acquaintance across the network, to issue a 'Zero Fare Excess Ticket'.

This is in order to show that the traveller has already been dealt with and may complete their journey without the inconvenience of further questioning.

It isn't a 'free' ticket, merely something to show staff at any subsequent check and will be referred to as such in the inspector's report.

I think it is likely that this is what happened though obviously cannot be certain.