Caught using my sisters railcard.

[helylol]

Today, I made a serious mistake by using my younger sister's railcard. I am fully aware that my actions were completely wrong and I deeply regret them. Upon researching the issue further, I have come to understand the severity of fare evasion and the significant financial impact it has on rail companies. Although I don't frequently travel by train, I have used my sister's railcard multiple times in the past without being caught. As a student, money is incredibly tight for me, which does not excuse my behavior but helps explain my actions. During the incident, the ticket inspector asked me how long it had been since I had my own railcard, and it has been a few years since I possessed one. My concern is whether they can track my previous journeys using the fake railcard and if that would worsen the situation.

I'm seeking advice on the appropriate next steps to take. I was informed by the ticket inspector that I would receive a letter regarding this matter, which I will need to respond to. However, I am uncertain about the potential legal consequences. I recently graduated from university this summer and will soon be applying for jobs. I am extremely worried about the possibility of receiving a criminal conviction as it would greatly diminish my chances of securing employment. It feels as though my entire future would be ruined. Can you please inform me about the likelihood of facing criminal charges in this situation?

I would greatly appreciate any guidance or advice you can provide regarding this matter. Additionally, I would like to know what steps I should take to rectify the situation and mitigate any potential consequences.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

 

[Hadders]

Welcome to the forum!

We really need to know a bit more information to give you the best advice:

- Where were you travelling between?
- Which train company are you dealing with?
- I assume your sister has a 16-25 railcard - are you young enough to qualify for one yourself or are you too old?
- When you prucase tickets are these through your own online account or through your sister's account?

I'm sure you've read some similar cases elsewhere on the forum but for completeness here's the advice I normallu give to people who seek our advice in similar circumstances to yours:

The train company or an investigation company acting on their behalf, will send you a letter which will typically take a couple of months to arrive. It could be sooner but shouldn't take longer than six months. The letter will say that they have received a report, are considering prosecuting you and asking for your version of events. It is important that you engage with and reply to this letter. You might want to include the following in your reply:

- That you are sorry for what has happened
- What you have learned from the incident
- That you are keen to settle the matter without the need for court action
- Offer to pay the outstanding fare and the train company's administrative costs in dealing with the matter

Make sure your reply is short and concise, don't give a sob story - they've heard it all before. Most train companies are usually prepared to offer an administrative settlement (commonly known as an out of court settlement) for people who engage with the process and who haven't come to their attention before. There is no guarantee of this and the train company is within their rights to prosecute you in the magistrates court should they decide to do so.

An aggravating factor in your case is that you have done this before. The train company will be able to search your purchase history and you will need to be careful how you reply to the letter. You should answer the questions they ask for truthfully but you are not required to incriminate yourself either.

If you are offered a settlement the amount varies depending on the train company and circumstances but tend to be around £100 hundred pounds plus the outstanding fare. An out of court settlement might appear to be a fine, but it isn't and you won't have a criminal record as a result of accepting one.

Feel free to post a copy of the letter once it arrives (with personal details redacted) along with your draft reply in this thread and forum members will be happy to proof read it for you.

 

[helylol]

I was travelling from Kings cross to Peterborough on a LNER train. Yes it's a 16-25 railcard and I am 22 so I qualify. I purchased the ticket through my account but I have previously bought tickets for her on my account.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Jun 2023 ==

Also not sure if this is relevant but I always book my tickets through tramline so can they see my purchase history?

 

[Hadders]

I was travelling from Kings cross to Peterborough on a LNER train. Yes it's a 16-25 railcard and I am 22 so I qualify. I purchased the ticket through my account but I have previously bought tickets for her on my account.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Jun 2023 ==

Also not sure if this is relevant but I always book my tickets through tramline so can they see my purchase history?

Thanks for confirming. LNER are normally one of the more pragmatic companies when it comes to settling out of court. LNER will be able to access your ticket purchasing history via Trainline shoudl they wish to do so.

Purchasing a ticket for someone to use is not illegal but if they do decide to have a dig into your ticket purchasing history then you will have some explaining to do. Hopefully they will just ask you about the incident where you were caught.

NB it's never cheaper to use Trainline to buy tickets (despite their fancy advertising). It's often more expensive as they add booking fees, except if you purchase a walk on ticket on the day of travel.

 

[furlong]

Please would you explain what you meant by 'fake railcard'? Did you show the inspector the railcard? Was it digital or physical? Had you altered it?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I was travelling from Kings cross to Peterborough on a LNER train. Yes it's a 16-25 railcard and I am 22 so I qualify. I purchased the ticket through my account but I have previously bought tickets for her on my account.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Jun 2023 ==

Also not sure if this is relevant but I always book my tickets through tramline so can they see my purchase history?

Welcome to the forum. Are you saying that you've previously purchased (inappropriately) discounted tickets, for your own use, but using your sister's railcard, or, indeed, a fake railcard or no railcard or similar?

 

[Hadders]

Please would you explain what you meant by 'fake railcard'? Did you show the inspector the railcard? Was it digital or physical? Had you altered it?

This is a good point. If it is a fake or altered railcard then it changes things significantly.

 

[helylol]

Please would you explain what you meant by 'fake railcard'? Did you show the inspector the railcard? Was it digital or physical? Had you altered it?

The railcard is real, it just isn't mine. Nothing was altered, me and my sister look quite alike. I showed the inspector the railcard, it was just a screenshot of it on my phone. She then wanted to see the physical railcard or it in-app which I didn't have

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Jun 2023 ==

Welcome to the forum. Are you saying that you've previously purchased (inappropriately) discounted tickets, for your own use, but using your sister's railcard, or, indeed, a fake railcard or no railcard or similar?

Yes I previously have purchased tickets via trainline saying that I have a railcard. When asked for it, I've shown my sisters without issue.

 

[Hadders]

The railcard is real, it just isn't mine. Nothing was altered, me and my sister look quite alike. I showed the inspector the railcard, it was just a screenshot of it on my phone. She then wanted to see the physical railcard or it in-app which I didn't have

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Jun 2023 ==


Yes I previously have purchased tickets via trainline saying that I have a railcard. When asked for it, I've shown my sisters without issue.

Thanks for confirming. Did the ticket inspector think the railcard was yours and just want to see the actual railcard, or did they realise (or find out) that it's your sister's.

 

[helylol]

Thanks for confirming. Did the ticket inspector think the railcard was yours and just want to see the actual railcard, or did they realise (or find out) that it's your sister's.

I guess she was just suspicious and wanted to see something that wasn't a screenshot. Once I couldn't provide that she realised it wasn't mine and took further details from me like my address, name, id. She also took pictures of my id, train ticket and sisters railcard.

 

[Hadders]

I guess she was just suspicious and wanted to see something that wasn't a screenshot. Once I couldn't provide that she realised it wasn't mine and took further details from me like my address, name, id. She also took pictures of my id, train ticket and sisters railcard.

Screenshots of railcards aren't valid to prevent them being shared, as I'm sure you now realise.

Let us know what the letter says when it arrives.

 

[30907]

To add to what Hadders has said, buying a railcard now would show evidence of your future good intentions.

 

[fandroid]

With luck, the fact that you "used" your sister's Railcard should be irrelevant. You basically were travelling with discounted tickets that you had no personal Railcard for, so the Railcard might as well have been an entirely imaginary one and the offence is travelling without a valid ticket. They might take it more seriously as you did attempt to fool the inspector into thinking that you did in fact have one although even then you didn't actually have that Railcard on you when stopped. Whatever happens they'll almost certainly check your purchasing history, and then the waters become muddied as you say you bought some tickets for your sister, as well as for yourself.

 

[WesternLancer]

Today, I made a serious mistake by using my younger sister's railcard. I am fully aware that my actions were completely wrong and I deeply regret them. Upon researching the issue further, I have come to understand the severity of fare evasion and the significant financial impact it has on rail companies. Although I don't frequently travel by train, I have used my sister's railcard multiple times in the past without being caught. As a student, money is incredibly tight for me, which does not excuse my behavior but helps explain my actions. During the incident, the ticket inspector asked me how long it had been since I had my own railcard, and it has been a few years since I possessed one. My concern is whether they can track my previous journeys using the fake railcard and if that would worsen the situation.

I'm seeking advice on the appropriate next steps to take. I was informed by the ticket inspector that I would receive a letter regarding this matter, which I will need to respond to. However, I am uncertain about the potential legal consequences. I recently graduated from university this summer and will soon be applying for jobs. I am extremely worried about the possibility of receiving a criminal conviction as it would greatly diminish my chances of securing employment. It feels as though my entire future would be ruined. Can you please inform me about the likelihood of facing criminal charges in this situation?

I would greatly appreciate any guidance or advice you can provide regarding this matter. Additionally, I would like to know what steps I should take to rectify the situation and mitigate any potential consequences.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

They are likley to assume all the tickets you bought for your sister (does she ever buy her own?) are in fact ones that you bought for yourself to use illegitimately. They may seek to charge you for those fares too. If they do that head back here for advice on how to handle it. Suffice to say she might have to proove that she did in fact use the tickets she really used as opposed to the ones you used. I would be talking to her now about how she might be able to prove that.

In fact when you hear from them in writing you would be best advised to head back here for advice on your reply so as to get the wording such that you get the best (or least worst) outcome from your reply - eg not further incriminating yourself. You can post your draft response here for people to help.

Even if you are not intending to take another train journey for 12 months i would advise you to buy yourself a valid railcard ASAP as it helps show you have learned your lesson. This is a mitigation step you can take now. Sadly the cost of preventing this going to court is going to cost you more than the cost of a Railcard but you probably relaise that now.

With advice here there is a very strong chance you can avoid a criminal record, and tho this seems bad now it won't ruin your future if you engage with them.

I assume you gave them a correct postal address, can watch out for your post over the coming weeks, and that they correctly wrote down your address so as to be sure any letters get to you. Did you use a permanent address, and not say your student address wheer you are going to stop living in the next few weeks as term ends?

 

[helylol]

Thanks all for the advice, Im planning on buying a railcard asap! Since I have used her railcard illegitimately in the past what would my best option be when mentioning that? I don't want to lie but I really don't want to increase my chances of a criminal conviction either...

I gave them the correct postal address of where I will be for the foreseeable.

 

[WesternLancer]

Thanks all for the advice, Im planning on buying a railcard asap!

good move. This allows you to say when you reply to them that you have bought one, quote its ref number, and taken action to prevent what you did happening again. It's a good practical example you can give so it has value in helping prevent this escalating to court.

Since I have used her railcard illegitimately in the past what would my best option be when mentioning that? I don't want to lie but I really don't want to increase my chances of a criminal conviction either...

The advice here usually given is do not lie but do not say anything that may incriminate yourself. In practice the start of that depends on what they say when they write to you. If they do not ask about it then u have no need to raise the matter. In realty the help you will get here on wording your reply will assist you in helping prevent the matter getting worse so head back here for that advice in due course.

I gave them the correct postal address of where I will be for the foreseeable.

Should help! You get about 14 days from the date of their letter or some such to reply, so not long at all, so long as you are now away for a couple of well earned post graduation weeks of holiday you should be OK.

Only other advice at this stage is to start saving up - if they offer you an out of court settlement you need to be in a position to pay it in full immediately to prevent court action.

 

[helylol]

good move. This allows you to say when you reply to them that you have bought one, quote its ref number, and taken action to prevent what you did happening again. It's a good practical example you can give so it has value in helping prevent this escalating to court.


The advice here usually given is do not lie but do not say anything that may incriminate yourself. In practice the start of that depends on what they say when they write to you. If they do not ask about it then u have no need to raise the matter. In realty the help you will get here on wording your reply will assist you in helping prevent the matter getting worse so head back here for that advice in due course.

Should help! You get about 14 days from the date of their letter or some such to reply, so not long at all, so long as you are now away for a couple of well earned post graduation weeks of holiday you should be OK.

Only other advice at this stage is to start saving up - if they offer you an out of court settlement you need to be in a position to pay it in full immediately to prevent court action.

Thanks so much

 

[fandroid]

Thanks all for the advice, Im planning on buying a railcard asap! Since I have used her railcard illegitimately in the past what would my best option be when mentioning that? I don't want to lie but I really don't want to increase my chances of a criminal conviction either...

I gave them the correct postal address of where I will be for the foreseeable.

As I said earlier, you may have bought tickets online in the expectation of showing your sister's Railcard if challenged, but the offence was simply one of using a discount you weren't entitled to. You didn't need any anyone else's borrowed card to do that. Don't mention your sister's card in any way concerning your ticket purchases, and I doubt that the rail company will be that interested.