Delay repay irregularity

[Steve 22]

Hi guys,

After receiving a rather disturbing letter from LNER questioning my delay repay claims of which there have been many in the past 6 months a quick Google search checking on others with this issue brought me here, having seen another thread back in July I didn’t unfortunately see an outcome. Nonetheless my situation is very similar in that I travelled on a week to week or month to month season ticket using the LNER smart card more or less every day.

My plan is to go back and ask for evidence on the matter so I can provide an answer but just wasn’t sure if others had the same experience?

Letter photo attached

 

[Snow1964]

Readers of the forum won't know what actually happened. It is thought that various computer algorithms scan the repay data, one of which is simply volume, if reach certain number of claims within a time period it flags.

Clearly they are looking for people making dodgy claims. It could be you are a regular user and service was just rubbish so delayed on multiple occasion. It might be all your journeys are same route (like commuting) or you have made various leisure journeys so have much more random selection of routes. The scanning systems are not so good at filtering these

One option (if true) is to write back saying you have only claimed where train has been late, but not compiled a history, and if they believe their trains ran on time in dates in question, could they please provide a list of disputed claims.

I am guessing you probably have a calendar, either electronic or one on your wall so can probably work out journeys if given dates

 

[SuspectUsual]

The OP must know whether they believe every claim they've made is genuine (ie they were on the specific trains concerned)

If yes, tell LNER that

If no, time to be honest I suspect

 

[John R]

I agree that the OP will know whether there is any validity in LNER’s letter, and I did note that they are noticeably vague on that point.

I guess one question is whether LNER has any firm evidence, in terms of the smart card being identified as being used for different services to the ones claimed for, or whether it is a fishing expedition based purely on the number of claims.

 

[AlterEgo]

If you have not made fraudulent claims then you should simply say so in your reply to them. If you are not quite sure if you’ve committed fraud, then this isn’t a very comfortable place to be, because people are usually very certain if they’ve conducted themselves honestly.

Only you will know what the truth is, although I do not recommend hard balling LNER about providing evidence to you. They are at liberty to open a criminal investigation and pass your details onto the police. You’re in the weaker position here I’m afraid.

 

[Hadders]

Welcome to the forum!

We could do with knowing more information.

Where are you travelling from/to?
Is there a pattern to the times or are they irregular?
Are the journeys 'simple' or do they require a change of train/train operator en-route?
Do you touch your smartcard in/out at the start or end of each journey? (there isn't a requirement to do so unless passing through closed barriers or during a ticket inspection but this data gives date to show where you were at a certain time)
Are your claims for cancelled trains or delayed trains?
Roughly what proportion of journeys have you claimed for?

LNER will have seen sonething in theor data that looks suspicious. If you are certain that your claims are genuine they you should have nothing to worry about. If, on the other hand, there is a contradiction between the journeys you've claimed for and what the data shows then that could be more problematic. Only you know the answer to this.

 

[spag23]

The purchase of a season ticket implies regular commuting, which also implies a regular pattern of journey times. If I ran a fraud-detecting algorithm (I don't!), I'd be scanning for anyone claiming for every train (at random times of day) that was recorded as delayed, despite evidence of the claimant undertaking their regular (un-delayed) commuting pattern as well.
I'm not saying that this is the case here, but I suspect some people do it.