TPE - Travel Irregularity / Penalty Fare

[PonteThrowaway]

Morning everyone,

Beloved daughter has recently been issued with an Irregularity ticket for unwittingly buying a child ticket when she didn't realise she's no longer classed as a child on the rail network (Turned 16 in last few months). I won't put some kind of sob story here, but she's only ever taken the train with us before and this was the first journey she's taken long distance without us, but with her friend. Short story - She'd gone through the gate no issues, said friend was challenged on age, she got involved and ended up getting a ticket herself as well. I've attached the irregularity ticket and also the penalty fare letter.

Without taking up too much time, wife suggested we write a groveling response to TPE to see if the penalty will be retracted. I'm just wondering if anyone has any proven records of this being successful, or structure of how to write it?

The settlement offered doesn't seem bad, but no fee would be better.

Daughter has already been educated on the error of her ways, to get a student railcard and informed she may need to cough up.

Appreciate peoples time and assistance.

 

[signed]

Without taking up too much time, wife wants me to write a sob story / groveling response to TPE to see if the penalty will be retracted.

You have been quite lucky in the fact they only added £30 of admin fee. The usual admin fee is more £150

I would leave it to the other experts here, but my opinion would be to pay, and put it of to experience, especially as the penalty is already very much reduced from the usual we see here (maybe because she's a minor I don't know)

 

[Titfield]

I would pay up given it is a relatively small amount compared to the admin fees we usually see. TOCS get this sort of "sob story" all the time and very rarely are swayed.

 

[John R]

I’d pay up. If you argue you create more work for them in replying and so the admin fee could increase.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Moving forward, wouldn't the OP's daughter (age = 16) be now eligible for a 16-17 Saver railcard, so as to be able to make legitimate savings of 50% on future rail journeys?

 

[Idiotic]

As others have said, this is a very good settlement offer from TPE and would snap that opportunity. As mentioned the 16-17 saver is worth looking into. It’s 50% off fares making the fares equivalent to child rate.

 

[PonteThrowaway]

Thanks for the responses so far. I tend to agree that the settlement is fair enough overall and will more than likely end up getting daughter to pay it, but, happy wife.....

When an appeal is lodged I think it puts a hold on the time frame correct? Does it also place a hold on the amount?

 

[signed]

When an appeal is lodged I think it puts a hold on the time frame correct? Does it also place a hold on the amount?

There are no appeal for such Out-Of-Court Settlement, you can try contacting them (that is unlikely to cause a hold on the 21 day delay), but that's really not worth it.

It's a either you/your daughter pay in the 21 days or they send your daughter to court kind of deal.

As previously mentioned, a sobby story will not sway anything in your daughters favour, especially as they've already made a £120 gesture. They likely recieve those by the hundreds.

Just pay

 

[Hadders]

I agree that I would pay the sum requested to make the matter go away. The last thing your daughter needs is a court summons for travelling with an invalid ticket.

As others have said, this is not a Penalty Fare so there is no right to appeal it. It is an offer to settle out of court, if you want to dispute it then you'd need to do it in court where (however harsh it might seem) your daughter would lose.

 

[furlong]

The last thing your daughter needs is a court summons for travelling with an invalid ticket.

When did you last see a train company summons a 16 year old?

You have been quite lucky in the fact they only added £30 of admin fee. The usual admin fee is more £150

Lucky would be no admin fee at all. £30 seems normal when it concerns someone of that age.

One option though is to send a cheque for the fare with an apology/explanation and just ignore the admin fee and see if they then drop the matter.
Given the difficulty of pursuing it further without co-operation, they might.

Another technique is to send two cheques, with the admin fee separately, and try to persuade them not to cash it in the letter. Certainly enclose a copy of the 16/17 saver railcard which you ought now to have purchased and which does not extend beyond the 18th birthday, and gives half-fare, so if you buy it twice, you get less than 12 months' value on the second one. Or in other words, the train company receives the same total of money over the period as if you'd bought it on the 16th birthday. (If the industry was more customer focussed it would either backdate it or issue it pro rata.)

 

[PonteThrowaway]

Thank you everyone for the assistance.

I've taken some notes from here and whilst an appeal is not possible, there is an option to contact them regarding a ticket which I have done in a similar vein to furlong's suggestion about paying the fare (Happy wife). I've set a reminder within a few days of the time limit and will get it paid off should I hear nothing back in time. I'll come back with a resolution if / when I get one.

 

[PonteThrowaway]

As promised, I did not get a response within the time frame so ended up getting it paid and moving on.

Daughter has a lesson learned now, and we can carry on with our lives. Again, thanks for the advice given everyone.

 

[antharro]

Thanks for coming back to update us. Hopefully "happy wife" understands why it was necessary to pay it and how it could have been much more expensive!