If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Options
Train fines
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
a few weeks ago i went to Newcastle for the weekend on the train with a ticket bought using my young persons railcard. On the saturday night i lost my purse out and with it (OR SO I THOUGHT) my YPRC . didn't know what to do coz had no money or anything so got on the train to go home and just fessed up to the conductor and explained the situation who fined me for travelling without it (stupid bastards never EVER ask me for the YPRC when i have the sodding thing). Then i got home and found the railcard at the bottom of a different bag i had taken so sent off everything to appeal the fine.
I got home today and there is a letter being a bit nasty and adding 15quid admin charges so phoned them and they said that they never received any appeal stuff and i still have to pay the fine before i get taken to court regardless of the fact i don't have the money. they said i have to send all the apeal stuff in again and pay the fine, they also said tough shit basically.
i don't have £82 to spare, does anyone have any advice?
I got home today and there is a letter being a bit nasty and adding 15quid admin charges so phoned them and they said that they never received any appeal stuff and i still have to pay the fine before i get taken to court regardless of the fact i don't have the money. they said i have to send all the apeal stuff in again and pay the fine, they also said tough shit basically.
i don't have £82 to spare, does anyone have any advice?
0
Comments
Hassle your MP and get them to right a letter to the train company on your behalf, that usually does the trick.
The £15 fine sounds a bit shit though
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.
If the railcard could have been produced when asked, the conductor/train manager would have not had an opportunity to even instigate and make a TI (travel/ticket irregularity form) so there is no way you could get away with it by saying 'its my word against yours'
Pretty much. Unless you had reported the railcard as stolen I doubt you would have a chance.
TOC's TI teams are quite difficult to deal with mainly because the number of scroats and idiots they have to deal with who are delibrately avoid the fare.
Were you travelling on an advance or standard ticket? I doubt you'd be able to get it all back but you might be able to come to some kind of agreement.
You're only option is to appeal, but unfortunately for you they've probably heard your story that many times before they no longer listen to it.
It's unlucky when they don't even ask to see a railcard some of the time.
If you can prove that at the point of travel you did have a valid railcard (and you can by the sound of it) I would make that point... This also happened to someone else I know and they sent a begging letter - sob story basically, saying how they were a very poor student, etc and it worked. Try that, sending it to the train company and also write to your MP, explaining the circumstances and emphasise that you can't afford to pay - say it'll cause real hardship. Good luck.