how likely is it that they will go through my history?

[froggie3337]

hi,
I got caught buying a child’s ticket- when i am not a child. I know it was stupid however i’ve recently lost my job- and i’ve had a family meltdown so i’ve been having to travel back and forth.
I told the train conductor that i was 16 because i thought (stupidly) that it would get me out of trouble, as i was late for a funeral planning meeting and i was stressed. I know it’s stupid, but the child’s ticket is half the price of the adults ticket and i can’t even afford to feed myself at the moment so i can’t afford it. Will they check my history? I’ve not been travelling much- and i did buy an adults and child ticket recently, but i’ve been doing it consistently for about a year due to my family and my personal situation.
I know it was stupid but i have no other option. I don’t have any family to rely on and i don’t count for any sort of financial help because im a student. Im so stressed about this. What’s the plan from here?

 

[skyhigh]

How old are you actually?

 

[Titfield]

Have you received a letter from the Train Operating Company? If so please upload with your personal details and reference numbers obscured. Advice tailored to the letter can then be given.
However I think there is a high possibility that they will investigate your history. We seem to be seeing more cases where the history is being referenced by the TOC.
EDIT
There isnt a great deal you can do until the letter arrives. However you could draw up a list of fares purchased to try and calculate how much you may owe in terms of fares. Please note many TOCS ask for the full one way fare for each fare avoided / fare not paid correctly. No allowance would be given for the fares actually paid.

 

[AlterEgo]

which train company is this?

 

[froggie3337]

How old are you actually?

20

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jan 2025 ==

which train company is this?

transpennine

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jan 2025 ==

Have you received a letter from the Train Operating Company? If so please upload with your personal details and reference numbers obscured. Advice tailored to the letter can then be given.
However I think there is a high possibility that they will investigate your history. We seem to be seeing more cases where the history is being referenced by the TOC.
EDIT
There isnt a great deal you can do until the letter arrives. However you could draw up a list of fares purchased to try and calculate how much you may owe in terms of fares. Please note many TOCS ask for the full one way fare for each fare avoided / fare not paid correctly. No allowance would be given for the fares actually paid.

The problem is i had a train card for a long time- so i can’t figure out what was railcard and what was not

 

[AlterEgo]

They might go through your history, they might not. We see times where Transpennine don’t bother, and times where they have. It’s hard to call I’m afraid.

 

[froggie3337]

They might go through your history, they might not. We see times where Transpennine don’t bother, and times where they have. It’s hard to call I’m afraid.

im just worried. i know it was bad but i didn’t have any option

 

[Titfield]

im just worried. i know it was bad but i didn’t have any option

Try and relax and wait for the letter to turn up. You will then have a better idea of the issue you face. Most issues like this are resolved by payment of the fares due (see my earlier comment) plus an admin fee of between £100 and £200.

 

[froggie3337]

Try and relax and wait for the letter to turn up. You will then have a better idea of the issue you face. Most issues like this are resolved by payment of the fares due (see my earlier comment) plus an admin fee of between £100 and £200.

It was with trannspennine, how long does the letter take as im jobless right now and dont have enough money to even buy food

 

[notmyrealname]

Does your student union have a welfare officer/service? It might be worth having a chat them.

Also you could look into getting help from a local food bank.

 

[froggie3337]

Does your student union have a welfare officer/service? It might be worth having a chat them.

im currently in touch with them bc of my family problems that im facing- i couldn’t go at all last semester bc i couldn’t afford the travel (it’s £25 per day)- and we are working on helping me but it could take months. So until then ive had to just cope. I’ll ask them what they think i should do.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jan 2025 ==

They might go through your history, they might not. We see times where Transpennine don’t bother, and times where they have. It’s hard to call I’m afraid.

Should i email them and say i lied about my age and tell them my real age

 

[WesternLancer]

Does your student union have a welfare officer/service? It might be worth having a chat them.

Also you could look into getting help from a local food bank.

As well as this good advice the op should try to get help from the university hardship fund. If not already doing so of course.

Meanwhile advice on here will help with the railway ticket incident.

OP. Try to get a railcard asap so you can legitimately save on fares.

 

[froggie3337]

As well as this good advice the op should try to get help from the university hardship fund. If not already doing so of course.

Meanwhile advice on here will help with the railway ticket incident.

OP. Try to get a railcard asap so you can legitimately save on fares.

Once i get a job i will, £30 is usually my whole weeks food + electricity budget so i cant right now- but i want one and have used one. The hardship fund is seeing me tmrow, but i can’t afford to get there, lol the irony, so it’s going to have to be rescheduled until i can get a zoom appointment

 

[froggie3337]

Try and relax and wait for the letter to turn up. You will then have a better idea of the issue you face. Most issues like this are resolved by payment of the fares due (see my earlier comment) plus an admin fee of between £100 and £200.

Do i call them tmrow and tell them my real age?

 

[AlterEgo]

Should i email them and say i lied about my age and tell them my real age

No. They already know you did. Just let them get to you in time.

 

[froggie3337]

No. They already know you did. Just let them get to you in time.

will they reach out via email, i gave them the adress of my mother (because that’s the address i always give- it’s technically still my home address) and i want to change it to my address

 

[Titfield]

Letter by post to the address you gave. You could write to them with a change of address but they may not tie this up in time.

Did they give you a Travel Irregularity Report? If so please upload with the personal derails obscured.

Please also see Transpennine's Revenue Protection Policy which explains the process they follow https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/help/revenue-protection-policy

 

[froggie3337]

Letter by post to the address you gave. You could write to them with a change of address but they may not tie this up in time.

Did they give you a Travel Irregularity Report? If so please upload with the personal derails obscured.

Please also see Transpennine's Revenue Protection Policy which explains the process they follow https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/help/revenue-protection-policy

 

[SuspectUsual]

You need to obscure the reference number right at the top

 

[froggie3337]

You need to obscure the reference number right at the top

lol im so sorry

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jan 2025 ==

Letter by post to the address you gave. You could write to them with a change of address but they may not tie this up in time.

Did they give you a Travel Irregularity Report? If so please upload with the personal derails obscured.

Please also see Transpennine's Revenue Protection Policy which explains the process they follow https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/help/revenue-protection-policy

can i call them and say i need all the corrospandance to be in email?

 

[Titfield]

can i call them and say i need all the corrospandance to be in email?

No as the message might not be received by the department dealing with the matter.

Send them a letter, quoting the reference number and clearly advising them of the correct contact address.

Send the letter by signed for delivery so you have proof of delivery.

You could ask if they would correspond by email but my understanding is they prefer to use hard copy letters by post.

 

[WesternLancer]

lol im so sorry

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jan 2025 ==


can i call them and say i need all the corrospandance to be in email?

Do not phone them. Total waste of time. You are not dealing with a customer services type environment. They are an enforcement and prosecution office. Speaking to them risks all sorts of problems (like inadvertently incriminating yourself or admitting things it’s best not to).

 

[froggie3337]

Do not phone them. Total waste of time. You are not dealing with a customer services type environment. They are an enforcement and prosecution office. Speaking to them risks all sorts of problems (like inadvertently incriminating yourself or admitting things it’s best not to).

I’m worried about missing the letter though , what if your advice? I don’t have the money to go collect the letter.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jan 2025 ==

No as the message might not be received by the department dealing with the matter.

Send them a letter, quoting the reference number and clearly advising them of the correct contact address.

Send the letter by signed for delivery so you have proof of delivery.

You could ask if they would correspond by email but my understanding is they prefer to use hard copy letters by post.

Can they sue for money from other train companies, such as if I’ve bought a northern rail ticket and that was a child’s one, can they add that to my fee?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jan 2025 ==

Do not phone them. Total waste of time. You are not dealing with a customer services type environment. They are an enforcement and prosecution office. Speaking to them risks all sorts of problems (like inadvertently incriminating yourself or admitting things it’s best not to).

can they sue me for trains that i didn’t take with their company, such as, i’ve mostly only ever travelled via Northan rail, could they sue me for that too

 

[WesternLancer]

I’m worried about missing the letter though , what if your advice? I don’t have the money to go collect the letter.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jan 2025 ==

Is there someone at the address you trust to open the letter and send you an image of it? Or post it on to you unopened?

You could write to transpennines prosecutions unit and advise them if a change of address. But this isn’t guaranteed to work. Or write and also include your email address and ask if they can contact you that way.

If you do post a draft of what you might send here before you send it so it can be checked by experts here

Can they sue for money from other train companies, such as if I’ve bought a northern rail ticket and that was a child’s one, can they add that to my fee?

Yes. R they will access all ticket records they can locate on line from any retailer and all the train operators act for each other in these sorts of cases

But they are not going to be suing you. That’s not hw it works. What they want is the money you have stolen from them by evading the correct fare. If you cooperate with them you can achieve that without being taken to the magistrates court and fined for fare evasion.

Sorry if this sounds all like bad news.

But that does not mean you can’t be helped to minimise the consequences with help from here. Nothing will happen quickly so you don’t need to urgently contact them yet anyway. You can collect your thoughts and make a plan with help from here over the next few days.

 

[froggie3337]

I’m worried about missing the letter though , what if your advice? I don’t have the money to go collect the letter.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jan 2025 ==


Can they sue for money from other train companies, such as if I’ve bought a northern rail ticket and that was a child’s one, can they add that to my fee?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jan 2025 ==


can they sue me for trains that i didn’t take with their company, such as, i’ve mostly only ever travelled via Northan rail, could they sue me for that too

Theres no one there who i can trust. I’m currently going through estrangement from them. I said it out of instinct, I would have to go collect it here is my current draft that I have through the watts app help line ‘hello, I got a fine today and I would prefer if all contacts could be through email, due to it being a danger to my safety’.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jan 2025 ==

Is there someone at the address you trust to open the letter and send you an image of it? Or post it on to you unopened?

You could write to transpennines prosecutions unit and advise them if a change of address. But this isn’t guaranteed to work. Or write and also include your email address and ask if they can contact you that way.

If you do post a draft of what you might send here before you send it so it can be checked by experts here

Yes. R they will access all ticket records they can locate on line from any retailer and all the train operators act for each other in these sorts of cases

But they are not going to be suing you. That’s not hw it works. What they want is the money you have stolen from them by evading the correct fare. If you cooperate with them you can achieve that without being taken to the magistrates court and fined for fare evasion.

Sorry if this sounds all like bad news.

But that does not mean you can’t be helped to minimise the consequences with help from here. Nothing will happen quickly so you don’t need to urgently contact them yet anyway. You can collect your thoughts and make a plan with help from here over the next few days.

I’ve gone through all my tickets for the last 3 years. I’ve only ever bought 11 Childs tickets. Some where adults and children, because I do have a 15 year old brother, and it’s only in the last month + no really expensive trains. I think the total cost must be £70

 

[WesternLancer]

hi,
I got caught buying a child’s ticket- when i am not a child. I know it was stupid however i’ve recently lost my job- and i’ve had a family meltdown so i’ve been having to travel back and forth.
I told the train conductor that i was 16 because i thought (stupidly) that it would get me out of trouble, as i was late for a funeral planning meeting and i was stressed. I know it’s stupid, but the child’s ticket is half the price of the adults ticket and i can’t even afford to feed myself at the moment so i can’t afford it. Will they check my history? I’ve not been travelling much- and i did buy an adults and child ticket recently, but i’ve been doing it consistently for about a year due to my family and my personal situation.
I know it was stupid but i have no other option. I don’t have any family to rely on and i don’t count for any sort of financial help because im a student. Im so stressed about this. What’s the plan from here?

Incidentally the notice you uploaded says you were unable to show railcard, but in your post you told us you said to the inspector you were 16. Can you clarify things. Did you travel with a ticket discounted with 16-17 saver railcard which you don’t in fact possess (not least because you are older than 17)?

 

[Cuthbert]

Theres no one there who i can trust. I’m currently going through estrangement from them. I said it out of instinct, I would have to go collect it here is my current draft that I have through the watts app help line ‘hello, I got a fine today and I would prefer if all contacts could be through email, due to it being a danger to my safety’.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jan 2025 ==


I’ve gone through all my tickets for the last 3 years. I’ve only ever bought 11 Childs tickets. Some where adults and children, because I do have a 15 year old brother, and it’s only in the last month + no really expensive trains. I think the total cost must be £70

If you don't know for each journey they will charge Standard single. So if you bought a child ticket and it was a return they will charge you 2x Standard Single. THey normally don't deduct what you have paid for already and they admin charge is around £95-£150ish

 

[WesternLancer]

Theres no one there who i can trust. I’m currently going through estrangement from them. I said it out of instinct, I would have to go collect it here is my current draft that I have through the watts app help line ‘hello, I got a fine today and I would prefer if all contacts could be through email, due to it being a danger to my safety’.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jan 2025 ==


I’ve gone through all my tickets for the last 3 years. I’ve only ever bought 11 Childs tickets. Some where adults and children, because I do have a 15 year old brother, and it’s only in the last month + no really expensive trains. I think the total cost must be £70

Don’t send that to them. It’s not even correct at the basic level since I assume you did not receive a fine on the train.

Tomorrow we can help you draft a clear request you can send them about how best to contact you. That is all you must do at this stage.

 

[froggie3337]

Incidentally the notice you uploaded says you were unable to show railcard, but in your post you told us you said to the inspector you were 16. Can you clarify things. Did you travel with a ticket discounted with 16-17 saver railcard which you don’t in fact possess (not least because you are older than 17)?

i didn’t claim to have a rail card, i hadn’t even noticed that, i just bought the ticket, with no rail card.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jan 2025 ==

If you don't know for each journey they will charge Standard single. So if you bought a child ticket and it was a return they will charge you 2x Standard Single. THey normally don't deduct what you have paid for already and they admin charge is around £95-£150ish

i can get £250 from university, most of them are singles, only like 3 returns.

 

[WesternLancer]

i didn’t claim to have a rail card, i hadn’t even noticed that, i just bought the ticket, with no rail card.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jan 2025 ==


i can get £250 from university, most of them are singles, only like 3 returns.

I know this is a very stressful situation. Just try and sleep on it now and in the morning you can weigh up the advice on the next best steps courses of action and we can help you progress them in an effective and well organised manner to ensure you get the best outcome possible from what’s happened.

Do not attempt to contact the railway company about this yet. It’s really important that you don’t fire off WhatsApp messages etc about this without getting things checked here.