lost ticket

[jojomonster]

Hi guys, im reading that you get this alot but would appreciate our help.

I received a letter for fare evasion as i had lost my ticket.

I was travelling from sheffield meadowhall to liverpool lime street. I bought a tram ticket (which i think i still have) to the station and then bought a single ticket with cash to liverpool. i normally use trainline account on my phone or web when booking but i didnt have enough in my bank at the time so i have no proof of purchase (gutted) and boarded the train. Whilst on the train my my ticket was inspected and i thought id placed it back in my national rail ticket wallet however at some point after that i must of lost my ticket either on my way to use the bathroom or when i left the train.

When the train stopped i headed towards the exit with my ticket wallet in hand, the ticket inspector asked for my ticket but i couldnt find it. i went back on the train and still couldnt find it and the cleaners had been on collecting rubbish.

My details were taken and i submitted my drivers licence as ID hoping i would find the ticket amongst my belongings later that day, but its not there.

i have now been asked reply to an initial contact letter and include a statement. is there anything i should add? should i try and settle?

i hope you can help. cheer

jojo
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Hi guys just to add, if i should try and settle to avoid conviction (this as never happened to me before) do i make an offer or do they? I worried a conviction will affect my job.

cheers

jojo

 

[DaveNewcastle]

Yes, add any possible fact which might substantiate your claim that you actually had a valid ticket (and therefore could not be accused of intending to avoid payment).
I asssume that you made a Statement to the Inspector (which has led to the letter you have now received). You haven't told us what you said in that Statement, but you should be clear that it is the crucial Evidence that the Company has against you, so your reply to this recent letter had better be consistent with it.

If you want to propose concluding the matter at the soonest opportunity in order to avoid incurring any further costs, then you are at liberty to say so in your reply, and to indicate your willingness to make good the actual costs which the Company will have incurred.

I advise against trying to find any loophole or argument. The facts, sadly, are against you; not having presented a valid ticket on request is a simple matter of fact which, I'll guess, you've already admitted in your Statement. So just minimise the potential for increasing the costs of Investigating the matter and offer to pay whatever costs the Company has incurred so far and apologise for the inconvenience caused.

 

[jojomonster]

hi dave, its hard to remember specific details of what i had said but i did tell them i had previously bought a ticket, basically what i have described above.

I dont want to argue with them, i just want to nip it in the bud. Im going to provide a statement of events and a covering letter offering to pay whatever costs the company has incurred and yes offering my apology. thanks for the advice

Would they be able to check to see a ticket was bought at the station if i can provide an approximate time? or would they not enter the case?

regards

jojo

 

[telstarbox]

Just to clarify - you bought the ticket at Sheffield then were asked to present it at Liverpool Lime Street?
Has the letter come from Northern or East Midlands Trains (or someone else?)

 

[jojomonster]

hi telstar box, i bought a ticket at sheffield. the letters from nothern. what does it mean?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
yorkie i used a ticket machine at sheffield and paid in cash im afraid.

cheers

 

[yorkie]

Can you remember what branding was on the ticket machine?

Sheffield has ticket machines operated by EMT (who you travelled with) and Northern (who employ the ticket inspectors at Liverpool Lime Street)

 

[jojomonster]

i cant im afraid yorkie why?

 

[telstarbox]

And was your ticket checked on the train from Sheffield to Liverpool?

 

[jojomonster]

yes the ticket was checked on the train.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
"Sheffield has ticket machines operated by EMT (who you travelled with) and Northern (who employ the ticket inspectors at Liverpool Lime Street)"

how does this affect me?

 

[yorkie]

yes the ticket was checked on the train.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
"Sheffield has ticket machines operated by EMT (who you travelled with) and Northern (who employ the ticket inspectors at Liverpool Lime Street)"

how does this affect me?

Well, you are asking if they then check the history of the machine to see if you purchased a ticket. However at present we are yet to establish who they are, but I can narrow it down to EMT / Northern.

Did you get a receipt?

 

[jojomonster]

my fine letter is from nothern yorkie.

 

[telstarbox]

By the way, if you ever need to do this journey again, buy a train ticket from Meadowhall to Liverpool Lime Street - it's quicker and cheaper than using the tram to get to Sheffield station.

 

[34D]

yes the ticket was checked on the train.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
"Sheffield has ticket machines operated by EMT (who you travelled with) and Northern (who employ the ticket inspectors at Liverpool Lime Street)"

how does this affect me?

Well because if you are telling the truth there won't be too many sheffield midland to liverpool tickets sold on that afternoon.... If they check their records and find none or find one at the approximate time then they will draw appropriate conclusions.

Potentially a copy of the supertram ticket (to give veracity to your timeline) and a detailed list of what you did in sheffield station may assist your cause.

 

[yorkie]

my fine letter is from nothern yorkie.

You've not got a fine yet (you will only get a fine if you are unable to reach a settlement with Northern, and if it goes to Court and if you are found guilty), but yes I understand the letter is from Northern and it is Northern you are dealing with, despite travelling with EMT.

 

[wintonian]

Well because if you are telling the truth there won't be too many sheffield midland to liverpool tickets sold on that afternoon.... If they check their records and find none or find one at the approximate time then they will draw appropriate conclusions.

Would that not not require the train operating company to be persuaded to check?

Please excuses my cynicism but I can't see them exhorting the effort (how much effort is this?) to hunt through their TVM data logs without some reason to be extra helpful to the OP.

 

[yorkie]

Would that not not require the train operating company to be persuaded to check?

Please excuses my cynicism but I can't see them exhorting the effort (how much effort is this?) to hunt through their TVM data logs without some reason to be extra helpful to the OP.

I'm inclined to agree, especially given that we don't even know which Company sold the ticket!

jojomonster - were you issued with a receipt? If so what happened to it? While it is not valid by itself, it could be useful now...

 

[jojomonster]

just to summarize Im going to provide a statement of events and a covering letter offering to pay whatever costs the company has incurred and yes offering my apology.

from your experiences. do the usually except?

thanks ever so much for your help guys.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

Would that not not require the train operating company to be persuaded to check?

Please excuses my cynicism but I can't see them exhorting the effort (how much effort is this?) to hunt through their TVM data logs . . . . .

Exactly!
We're trying to keep the costs as low as possible and to keep this away from the Courts. (Aren't we?)!

just to summarize Im going to provide a statement of events and a covering letter offering to pay whatever costs the company has incurred and yes offering my apology.

from your experiences. do the usually except?

That's right.

Assuming that you have no previous incidents recorded against you (either a similar Investigation by the Company or any Criminal Conviction in a Court), then yes, but it's not always quick nor is it always agreed at the first offer. None of us can predict that outcome, especially as the Statement you've already given and the Inspector's own statements are (presumably) only known to the Prosecutions personnel.

But you should have a reasonably high probablity of acceptance.

 

[jojomonster]

thanks dave.

 

[LexyBoy]

Good luck, let us know how you get on.

By the way, if you ever need to do this journey again, buy a train ticket from Meadowhall to Liverpool Lime Street - it's quicker and cheaper than using the tram to get to Sheffield station.

And never use Thetrainline, they charge booking fees. You can get the same tickets from any of the train companies' sites or any staffed station (or ticket machines if it's not an Advance ticket you want) without fees.