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Travelled with expired photo id and invalid season ticket

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sudnag

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23 Jun 2012
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I have two sons and they are 17 years and 14 years old. Both travel in DIFFERENT routes.

When I bought the monthly season ticket this time, I bought the season ticket for 17 years using the photo id of 14 years by mistake. I used to renew their season tickets together. Since photo id of 14 years was damaged and to be replaced, I have decided to take the ticket for 17 years first and take the new id and ticket for 14 years later as new photo was needed for that.

Since both id were at the same place, I took 14 years id for taking the ticket to 17 years. On the same day, later in the evening I have taken new id and ticket for 14 years for his regular route.

17 years didn’t realize that ticket was taken in his brother’s name as the ticket shows only the full surname with an initial and route shown in the ticket was his regular route. He used his id and ticket for the travel.
He has been enquired by the inspector last week. He told him that there is confusion, the ticket has been purchased by his dad and really he couldn’t understand what’s wrong. Inspector collected his details, taken the season ticket and copy of his photo id. He gave him a return ticket and told him that a letter will be sent asking explanation.

17 years photo id was not valid at the time of travel as it was expired in beginning of June, which we didn’t notice. If I would have taken the correct id, this would have come to light.

In summary, 17 years travelled with expired photo id and monthly season ticket purchased in brother’s name.

Really I feel very guilty and I am much worried. Though it is an unknown (no intention behind it) mistake, I am really worried how it will be viewed by the authorities.

It will be very helpful, if anyone could advise me on this.

Thanks.
 
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bb21

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Hi. Welcome. I'll start off with an obvious question.

If you purchased the season ticket with the photocard for the 14-year-old, but later gave it to the 17-year-old to use, then that would mean a mismatch between the photocard number printed on the actual ticket and the number on the 17-year-old's photocard. Is this correct?
 

sudnag

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Joined
23 Jun 2012
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Hi. Welcome. I'll start off with an obvious question.

If you purchased the season ticket with the photocard for the 14-year-old, but later gave it to the 17-year-old to use, then that would mean a mismatch between the photocard number printed on the actual ticket and the number on the 17-year-old's photocard. Is this correct?

Yes. you are right.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
He didn't notice the name.
I have purchased the ticket with 14 year photo id by mistake for the route being travelled by 17 year
photo id of 17 year was not valid on the day of travel (expired!)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
yes. you are right
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
child rate ticket purchased in his brother's name
 

GadgetMan

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9 Jan 2012
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923
Yes. you are right.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
He didn't notice the name.
I have purchased the ticket with 14 year photo id by mistake for the route being travelled by 17 year
photo id of 17 year was not valid on the day of travel (expired!)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
yes. you are right
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
child rate ticket purchased in his brother's name

What sort of photo ID card is it, I didn't think the majority of what we use on National rail have a expiry date.


The fact that the ticket was priced for a child makes this a far more serious mistake. The obvious question is how did both you and your 17 year old son not notice the Bold Child printed on the ticket?
 

telstarbox

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Child photocards do have an expiry date - the day before 16th birthday - as they have to be shown with child rate weekly season tickets.
 

GadgetMan

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Child photocards do have an expiry date - the day before 16th birthday - as they have to be shown with child rate weekly season tickets.

So if the passenger is 17, that would make the expiry date over a year ago, it can't have been the 'start of June' this year.
 

yorkie

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OK, it's a bit clearer now, I think we have established that:

  • The photocard was in the correct name with the correct photo (17 year old) but had expired.
  • The ticket was in the wrong name and was for a child discount, but was in date and was for the correct route.
Is that correct?

I would consider contacting the Company, apologising for the mistake, and presenting the evidence. If writing to the Company, you could enclose copies of the current tickets (showing that there are 2 tickets in the name of one of your sons) and also copies of previous tickets (correctly showing a ticket in the name of each of your sons).

However it does not make sense that the expiry date was the beginning of June, as adult rate Photocards do not normally expire. What type of Photocard was it?
 

bb21

Emeritus Moderator
Joined
4 Feb 2010
Messages
24,151
Yes. you are right.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
He didn't notice the name.
I have purchased the ticket with 14 year photo id by mistake for the route being travelled by 17 year
photo id of 17 year was not valid on the day of travel (expired!)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
yes. you are right
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
child rate ticket purchased in his brother's name

Thanks. Am I correct in thinking that despite the photocard for the 14-year-old being damaged when you used it to purchase the ticket for your 17-year-old by mistake, the clerk issued the season ticket anyway and did not bother to change the damaged photocard?

I also wonder why the photocard for the 17-year-old expired at such a strange time (June). Is it a special card, maybe a photocard issued by the local authority for educational purposes? Do you purchase special educational season tickets for them or just normal National Rail season tickets?
 

sudnag

New Member
Joined
23 Jun 2012
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4
He is a full time student. He started travel by train recently (since Jan 2012). To issue the photo id and season ticket first time, we have been asked to produce proof for id, date of birth and school details. On verification of documents, he has been issued a photo id valid until beginning of June with child rate. We believe that it is student concession.
Child rate is paid for him all along. Fare difference is also very minimal between 17 year and 14 year (£5~10). This is one of the reasons, I couldn’t realize the mistake when I have used 14 year id for taking ticket to 17 year.
 

bb21

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Joined
4 Feb 2010
Messages
24,151
I think the best we can suggest at the moment is to wait for the letter, which might take a while. Once we know exactly what is stated in the letter, we can then recommend an appropriate course of action.

Considering the fact that your son is a minor, it should be more likely for the company to accept an out-of-court settlement compared to if he were an adult, if that is what it will come to.
 
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