• Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Unable to appeal Penalty Fare due to missing verification email

monim

Member
Joined
21 Jun 2026
Messages
12
Location
Greater London
Hi everyone,

I received a Penalty Fare today and I am looking for some advice regarding my appeal.

The reason I received the Penalty Fare was because I was unable to show proof of my payment when I was inspected. I had paid for my journey using contactless on my phone, but unfortunately my phone had completely run out of battery at the time, meaning I could not access my payment or show evidence that I had paid.

I am now trying to appeal the Penalty Fare and provide proof of the payment, but I am having another issue with the appeals system. When I try to start the appeal, it asks me to verify my email address first. The website says the verification email should arrive within a few minutes, but I have still not received it after over an hour.

I have checked both my inbox and spam/junk folders, and I have confirmed that my email address was entered correctly, but the verification email has not arrived.

Has anyone else experienced this issue with the verification email not being sent? Is there another way to submit an appeal or contact the appeals team, as I do not want to miss the appeal deadline?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

WesternLancer

Veteran Member
Joined
12 Apr 2019
Messages
15,216
Hi everyone,

I received a Penalty Fare today and I am looking for some advice regarding my appeal.

The reason I received the Penalty Fare was because I was unable to show proof of my payment when I was inspected. I had paid for my journey using contactless on my phone, but unfortunately my phone had completely run out of battery at the time, meaning I could not access my payment or show evidence that I had paid.

I am now trying to appeal the Penalty Fare and provide proof of the payment, but I am having another issue with the appeals system. When I try to start the appeal, it asks me to verify my email address first. The website says the verification email should arrive within a few minutes, but I have still not received it after over an hour.

I have checked both my inbox and spam/junk folders, and I have confirmed that my email address was entered correctly, but the verification email has not arrived.

Has anyone else experienced this issue with the verification email not being sent? Is there another way to submit an appeal or contact the appeals team, as I do not want to miss the appeal deadline?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
Who issued the Penalty Fare (train operator wise) - assume it says on your Penalty Fare slip

Might be worth unloading a redacted copy of that slip in case there are any other reasons why an appeal would be successful that you could also include - Penalty Fare experts here will check it for you, and also know if a flat phone battery is string enough grounds for an Appeal to succeed of its own (staff often tell people they can Appeal to 'move them along' bwe find - does not always mean an Appeal is going to be upheld....

might also be (probably is) an old skool paper and post method to submit an appeal which you could look into and prepare for if the info in post #2 does not come good in next day or so.
Make a clear diary date of your appeal deadline date - esp if you have to revert to post in worst case scenario
 

monim

Member
Joined
21 Jun 2026
Messages
12
Location
Greater London
Who issued the Penalty Fare (train operator wise) - assume it says on your Penalty Fare slip

Might be worth unloading a redacted copy of that slip in case there are any other reasons why an appeal would be successful that you could also include - Penalty Fare experts here will check it for you, and also know if a flat phone battery is string enough grounds for an Appeal to succeed of its own (staff often tell people they can Appeal to 'move them along' bwe find - does not always mean an Appeal is going to be upheld....

might also be (probably is) an old skool paper and post method to submit an appeal which you could look into and prepare for if the info in post #2 does not come good in next day or so.
Make a clear diary date of your appeal deadline date - esp if you have to revert to post in worst case scenario
Happened on the bus

Also is there any reason that my appeal would be unsuccessful? I have all the proof needed that I paid for the bus is just when the inspector came i couldn't demonstrate as my phone battery run out and told me just to appeal it.

Also I rather do it online than post
 

MikeWh

Established Member
Associate Staff
Senior Fares Advisor
Joined
15 Jun 2010
Messages
8,577
Location
Crayford
What sort of phone do you have? If it is Apple, were you using Express Pay?
 

WesternLancer

Veteran Member
Joined
12 Apr 2019
Messages
15,216
Happened on the bus
So Transport for London?
Also is there any reason that my appeal would be unsuccessful?

Because I had it in mind that the issue is to not be able to show a valid ticket (maybe - but I might be wrong) - you couldn't show one when asked even though you had paid.
I have all the proof needed that I paid for the bus is just when the inspector came i couldn't demonstrate as my phone battery run out and told me just to appeal it.
Hopefully that will all be ok - but staff do say things to stop people kicking off when given a Penalty Fare...
someone here will know the rule for certain so apols if I'm being unduly worrying.

Also I rather do it online than post
Of course. Hopefully this will be achievable soon as suggested.
 

monim

Member
Joined
21 Jun 2026
Messages
12
Location
Greater London
So Transport for London?


Because I had it in mind that the issue is to not be able to show a valid ticket (maybe - but I might be wrong) - you couldn't show one when asked even though you had paid.

Hopefully that will all be ok - but staff do say things to stop people kicking off when given a Penalty Fare...
someone here will know the rule for certain so apols if I'm being unduly worrying.


Of course. Hopefully this will be achievable soon as suggested.
Happened transport london

When i entered the bus i had just about enough charge to pay for the bus. Then my phone died inside the bus and when the inspector came I couldn't show that I paid for the bus. The device that scans wheather I paid for the bus or not couldn't scan my phone obviously as its dead.

I gave all my information and got the receipt to pay the fine of £50 and got told to appeal it as I did pay for the fare is just that my phone is dead
 

WesternLancer

Veteran Member
Joined
12 Apr 2019
Messages
15,216
Happened transport london

When i entered the bus i had just about enough charge to pay for the bus. Then my phone died inside the bus and when the inspector came I couldn't show that I paid for the bus. The device that scans wheather I paid for the bus or not couldn't scan my phone obviously as its dead.

I gave all my information and got through receipt to pay the fine of £50 and got told to appeal it as I did pay for the fare is just that my phoen died.
Thanks yes, I can imagine the scenario and what happened.
 

furlong

Established Member
Joined
28 Mar 2013
Messages
5,314
Location
Reading
Are you over 18?

This is a TfL appeal, so you need to log onto the TfL Website and pull up the history of your contactless card to show the payment you made on the bus, confirming when and where you boarded. Write a polite appeal with the focus on the fact you had paid and there is a chance they'll accept it. They should be able to see that your card number touched in on the bus and was not scanned by any inspection device on the bus, consistent with your story.
 

WesternLancer

Veteran Member
Joined
12 Apr 2019
Messages
15,216
So what will the outcome of this situation be in your opinion? Do I have to pay the £50 just because I couldn't demonstrate the ticket to the inspector even though I paid?
I don't know, sorry - but the clear advice in post #12 is the thing to follow I would think.
 

AlterEgo

Verified Rep - Wingin' It! Paul Lucas
Joined
30 Dec 2008
Messages
29,497
Location
LBK
Are you over 18?

This is a TfL appeal, so you need to log onto the TfL Website and pull up the history of your contactless card to show the payment you made on the bus, confirming when and where you boarded. Write a polite appeal with the focus on the fact you had paid and there is a chance they'll accept it. They should be able to see that your card number touched in on the bus and was not scanned by any inspection device on the bus, consistent with your story.
The OP is 19, as per their other thread about misuse of their brother's 11-15 Oyster.
 

SECR 65

Member
Joined
2 Apr 2026
Messages
713
Location
East Sussex
I see signs on GTR trains telling me all the time that it's a requirement to be able to show a valid ticket at all times - and those displays explicitly mention phone dying not being an excuse. I assume TfL buses are the same policy, but they might not have the same signage.

You need to be really careful from now on - if this is your second time dealing with TfL I feel next time it is almost certain that you end up in court.
 

monim

Member
Joined
21 Jun 2026
Messages
12
Location
Greater London
I see signs on GTR trains telling me all the time that it's a requirement to be able to show a valid ticket at all times - and those displays explicitly mention phone dying not being an excuse. I assume TfL buses are the same policy, but they might not have the same signage.

You need to be really careful from now on - if this is your second time dealing with TfL I feel next time it is almost certain that you end up in court.
I completely understand. But cmon at the end of the day i did pay for it
 

Top