Invalid rail card

[rhrh]

Hello so today I was leaving the station and they asked for my rail card. I had no clue that on my train like app it was under 16-17 saver and has been for a while. I travel back and forth from uni so I’ve spent around 400-500 on tickets which should have been 1000. Will I be fined for all the tickets or just the one today. And how much will it be worst case cause it was a genuine mistake I had no clue

 

[AlterEgo]

Do you have any sort of railcard at all? How old are you?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

And how much will it be worst case cause it was a genuine mistake I had no clue

@RHDH. Welcome to the forum. You genuinely didn't realise that the tickets you were buying/using were quite so cheap / half price? Which train company are you dealing with? = GWR or SWR?

Worst case, if you engage with them appropriately, is that you get asked to pay a lump sum calculated at the undiscounted Anytime Day Single fare rate, for each and every journey you made using inappropriately discounted tickets. (A return trip = 2 singles). Plus a three figure investigation and administration fee added on top. Possibly no allowance either for whatever you've paid already.

Might not come to quite that, but IMHO it's a definite possibility.

 

[rhrh]

Hi there thank you for your response. And I know it sounds stupid but I did notice it was discounted but I assumed it was student/uni prices as I set the account up before uni started. So is what your saying is that ill have to pay all those tickets full price or just the difference that I owed plus the fee or maybe they won’t look at the other tickets and just get one today

 

[rhrh]

Do you have any sort of railcard at all? How old are you?

I used to have the 16-17 saver then didn’t use trains but I’m guessing it must of auto put it back on and never really bothered to check when I was buying tickets as I’ve never had a problem

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Friday at 20:11 ==

@RHDH. Welcome to the forum. You genuinely didn't realise that the tickets you were buying/using were quite so cheap / half price? Which train company are you dealing with? = GWR or SWR?

Worst case, if you engage with them appropriately, is that you get asked to pay a lump sum calculated at the undiscounted Anytime Day Single fare rate, for each and every journey you made using inappropriately discounted tickets. (A return trip = 2 singles). Plus a three figure investigation and administration fee added on top. Possibly no allowance either for whatever you've paid already.

Might not come to quite that, but IMHO it's a definite possibility.

And yeah gwr

 

[Trainman40083]

Hi there thank you for your response. And I know it sounds stupid but I did notice it was discounted but I assumed it was student/uni prices as I set the account up before uni started. So is what your saying is that ill have to pay all those tickets full price or just the difference that I owed plus the fee or maybe they won’t look at the other tickets and just get one today

Full price single tickets plus the admin fee, is the norm.. No reduction for anything paid for invalid tickets.

 

[eoff]

I have a feeling that your best way forward is to not reveal any further information publicly (particularly anythng that identifies the stations/journeys) and wait and see what happens.
But I'm no expert so perhaps others can comment.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

From the brief information you’ve given, it seems like they scanned a digital ticket. From that, they’ll be able to look at your purchase history. I think they’ll have trouble believing this was all accidental, I’m afraid.

 

[WesternLancer]

Full price single tickets plus the admin fee, is the norm.. No reduction for anything paid for invalid tickets.

I think GWR do give credit for sums actually paid iirc.
Lucky for the op this didn’t involve cross country trains…

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Yesterday at 08:55 ==

Hello so today I was leaving the station and they asked for my rail card. I had no clue that on my train like app it was under 16-17 saver and has been for a while. I travel back and forth from uni so I’ve spent around 400-500 on tickets which should have been 1000. Will I be fined for all the tickets or just the one today. And how much will it be worst case cause it was a genuine mistake I had no clue

You should buy a correct railcard for your age asap and add it to your ticket buying account correctly.
Do this now.
It’s something you can then tell GWR you have done to put this matter right and thus seek to persuade them not to prosecute you.

People using 16-17 railcard discounts to obtain the higher 50% discount rather than 34% discount given by other railcards is a common fare evasion tactic so this will be suspected of you I’m afraid.

And start saving up what they will calculate you owe them.

 

[rhrh]

I think GWR do give credit for sums actually paid iirc.
Lucky for the op this didn’t involve cross country trains…

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Yesterday at 08:55 ==


You should buy a correct railcard for your age asap and add it to your ticket buying account correctly.
Do this now.
It’s something you can then tell GWR you have done to put this matter right and thus seek to persuade them not to prosecute you.

People using 16-17 railcard discounts to obtain the higher 50% discount rather than 34% discount given by other railcards is a common fare evasion tactic so this will be suspected of you I’m afraid.

And start saving up what they will calculate you owe them.

Yeah it makes sense I assumed stupidly it was just cheaper for students for some reason as I’ve had ticket people multiple times scan my tickets and never say a thing if that makes sense and yeah I’m expecting the worst I just don’t want a criminal record is that likely? I made a mistake and am willing to pay for it as it’s a lesson learnt.

 

[waterpoo]

I have a feeling that your best way forward is to not reveal any further information publicly (particularly anythng that identifies the stations/journeys) and wait and see what happens.
But I'm no expert so perhaps others can comment.

why do you say not to reveal any info publicly?

 

[WesternLancer]

Yeah it makes sense I assumed stupidly it was just cheaper for students for some reason as I’ve had ticket people multiple times scan my tickets and never say a thing if that makes sense and yeah I’m expecting the worst I just don’t want a criminal record is that likely? I made a mistake and am willing to pay for it as it’s a lesson learnt.

If you read the GWR revenue protection policy pdf you will see thier approach to prosecution spelt out clearly.

With advice from this forum on how to respond when they write to you it should be possible to avoid prosecution.

They will probably contact you hard copy by post. It’s vital you receive and respond to that. Tho check e mails and spam too.

Head back here when you hear from them which could be 6 to 8 weeks or more.

 

[rhrh]

If you read the GWR revenue protection policy pdf you will see thier approach to prosecution spelt out clearly.

With advice from this forum on how to respond when they write to you it should be possible to avoid prosecution.

They will probably contact you hard copy by post. It’s vital you receive and respond to that. Tho check e mails and spam too.

Head back here when you hear from them which could be 6 to 8 weeks or more.

Is it likely ill be prosecuted or just a out of court settlement

 

[Haywain]

Is it likely ill be prosecuted or just a out of court settlement

If you take the advice you are given here you are highly unlikely to be prosecuted.

 

[WesternLancer]

Is it likely ill be prosecuted or just a out of court settlement

You need to engage and persuade them to offer you out if court settlement and then very high chance they will.

 

[Egg Centric]

You need to engage and persuade them to offer you out if court settlement and then very high chance they will.

To be clear on this, "persuasion" doesn't really requireme much more than engagement, honesty, and not being abusive. You don't have to be an expert diplomat.