advice please - northern rail

[aks]

please can anyone assist - northern rail - son stupidly gave wrong station when buying a ticket at destination - got on at non manned station and when asked gave a nearer to destination one. Officer watched him buy the ticket at destination then Q him once he had bought it - as station name given ( that he had said he travelled from) had a barrier - offence admitted and offer to buy correct ticket - refused and his details taken - now received letter - alleged railway contravention asking for statement. He is young, stupid and at present no income and threatening legal action - dont want this to effect the rest of his life - monthly pass bought the next couple of days as he had tried on line which couldn't be done ( but had full time work exp and hadn't had time to get photo id) - looking to reply to letter - obviously already admitted - any help really appreciated .

 

[DarloRich]

Answer the letter with a truthful statement of events, offer meaningful contrition, beg forgiveness, say it wont happen again, point out it is a first offense and a moment of madness, offer to pay a helpful administration fee and hope for the best.

Sorry I cant suggest anything more - Bang to rights sadly.

 

[aks]

I was thinking of writing to say matter fully admitted at the time, offered to pay full fare at the time -realise the offence and the impact on other passengers. apologise and ask for matter to be resolved at earliest opportunity. bought monthly pass at next available opportunity as i loaned him the amount (inc a copy) . was 1st week of travel for new job that didn't last - had paid correct fare on previous one / two days - then got pass ( had tried prior to starting new role but didn't realise couldn't do it online!) - which is all how it was! such a stupid error and consequences following 3 long yrs uni and never having a previous offence / or rail issue.
many thanks

thanks!

 

[DarloRich]

Wait until someone more experienced comes along to set out how and what to put in the letter as you don't want to make it worse by saying too much or too little.

 

[najaB]

Any help really appreciated .

Calm down. There's nothing to be gained by panicking.

The correspondence you've received is pretty much a standard form letter. It mentions a possible criminal record because that's the worst that can happen, not because it's the most likely outcome.

Northern Rail are one of the less-likely to prosecute TOCs so there's every chance you son will come out of this with nothing worse than a slightly lighter wallet - think around the £100 mark.

Write a reply that makes three things clear: that he admits that he was in the wrong and knows that it was the wrong thing to do, that it was a one-off, never to be repeated event and that he wants to resolve the matter as soon as possible to avoid wasting more of their time and money dealing with his error.

It is highly probable that they will settle the matter without involving the court - provided that this is, in fact, the first time he has become known to their prosecutions team.

One other piece of advice: I don't often comment on poster's writing style, but please use proper sentences in your reply to Northern. A letter that is easy to read has as greater probability of eliciting a sympathetic result from the person whose desk it lands on.

 

[aks]

many thanks - comments noted re style!

 

[island]

How old is he?

 

[najaB]

How old is he?

Old enough to have completed three years of uni, so I'm guessing at least 19?

 

[Fare-Cop]

najaB has got it spot on, letters that are concise and to the point with a genuine feeling of remorse and acceptance of liability will usually get a sympathetic response:

The three key points are

a) offer an apology for your uncharacteristic foolishness in attempting to save money in this way,

b) give an undertaking never to repeat the offence nor to travel without a valid ticket in future

and

c) offer to pay the outstanding fare and any costs reasonably incurred by the TOC in dealing with this matter in full and promptly.

Finally, the letter should come from your son, bearing his signature and should not appear to be written by a third party.

 

[aks]

21 - done as you have all suggested - will let you know how he gets on,
appreciate the advice and valuable lesson learnt.
many thanks

 

[Paul1]

21 - done as you have all suggested - will let you know how he gets on,
appreciate the advice and valuable lesson learnt.
many thanks

Hi, can I just ask how long did it take for the letter to arrive?