caught using a child ticket

[tei]

hi, i bought my gf a childs train ticket down to come see me since we're both 17 and don't have much money. it was an avanti west coast train and she got caught by the inspectors. she gave her details and a letter got sent to her house (i don't know what it said since her parents took it, but she told me that they had to fill it out for her since she couldn't as she's a minor).
i know it's my fault but as she used the ticket then the consequences fall on her and ive been beyond nervous that it's going to go on her record.
ive maybe done this 4/5 times, but will it be different since the ticket was bought with my details not hers? i don't mind paying a fine i just really don't want to be the reason my gf gets prosecuted, plus i really don't have much money so an idea/estimate of how much i might have to pay would be appreciated a lot... any advice would help, ive been drowning in anxiety and guilt for over a week straight now. thank you.

 

[furlong]

The reality is that they are unlikely to prosecute a person they know to be 17 for this (because of all the extra bureaucracy involved). (If they are 18 within 6 months of the offence, in theory they can wait then use the adult process but I don't think the forum has seen that happen.)

Expect a warning and a request to pay the rest of the fare (which again is difficult for them to enforce immediately).

There is a 16-17 Saver railcard available which offers a 50% discount - similar to a child fare - so it's worth looking into that. It lasts a full year from the date of purchase even if you become 18. If you buy this, you can mention it as mitigation, particularly if they do notice the previous purchases and try to get money for those too, arguing that their true loss is merely the cost of this railcard that you (presumably) didn't know about.

 

[WesternLancer]

hi, i bought my gf a childs train ticket down to come see me since we're both 17 and don't have much money. it was an avanti west coast train and she got caught by the inspectors. she gave her details and a letter got sent to her house (i don't know what it said since her parents took it, but she told me that they had to fill it out for her since she couldn't as she's a minor).
i know it's my fault but as she used the ticket then the consequences fall on her and ive been beyond nervous that it's going to go on her record.
ive maybe done this 4/5 times, but will it be different since the ticket was bought with my details not hers? i don't mind paying a fine i just really don't want to be the reason my gf gets prosecuted, plus i really don't have much money so an idea/estimate of how much i might have to pay would be appreciated a lot... any advice would help, ive been drowning in anxiety and guilt for over a week straight now. thank you.

Where was the journey to and from?

Knowing that will help us give an indication of the sort of money Avanti will likely want paying to resolve this.

As you are both 17 you should be looking at getting the 16-17 saver railcard as mentioned. Then you get half fare tickets legitimately for the duration of the railcard validity.

 

[tei]

Where was the journey to and from?

Knowing that will help us give an indication of the sort of money Avanti will likely want paying to resolve this.

As you are both 17 you should be looking at getting the 16-17 saver railcard as mentioned. Then you get half fare tickets legitimately for the duration of the railcard validity.

glasgow to preston, very long and expensive trip....

 

[WesternLancer]

glasgow to preston, very long and expensive trip....

Ok. It would be good if her parents got some advice from here on how best to respond to the letter in respect of their daughter in order to help get best outcome achievable.

Any chance of you or your gf persuading them to have a look at this thread do you think?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Knowing that will help us give an indication of the sort of money Avanti will likely want paying to resolve this.

As you are both 17 you should be looking at getting the 16-17 saver railcard as mentioned. Then you get half fare tickets legitimately for the duration of the railcard validity.

glasgow to preston, very long and expensive trip....

Just what fare type might Avanti claim to be the unpaid fare for this particular journey? Maybe an Off Peak Single (route 'via Carlisle'), perhaps, if someone was actually travelling via Carlisle?

 

[WesternLancer]

Just what fare type might Avanti claim to be the unpaid fare for this particular journey? Maybe an Off Peak Single (route 'via Carlisle'), perhaps, if someone was actually travelling via Carlisle?

Do ITAL manage this enforcement for Avanti do we know?
If so it probably won’t be cheap as I’d expect them to err towards a higher fare.