MG11 ticket

[Jibbbo]

Hi everyone,

I hope you're all doing well. I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the great work being done here—kudos to everyone!

I’m reaching out for advice regarding an MG11 ticket I received yesterday. I had purchased a return ticket from Chatham to Rochester, but my actual destination was London Bridge. On my way back last night, I arrived at Chatham train station where the barcode scanner wasn’t working. Several Southeastern staff were scanning barcodes using their phones.

When it was my turn, the officer mentioned that my ticket didn’t show it was tapped at Rochester and asked where I was coming from. Initially, I lied but later admitted I was coming from Bromley South. After explaining, I was issued the MG11 ticket.

The officer advised that I could write to request an out-of-court settlement before they send a formal letter, and they might agree. I’m worried this could escalate and impact my life if it goes to court.

I’d greatly appreciate any guidance on how to handle this situation and how to write the settlement letter effectively.

 

[Elecman]

Don’t write to them until they write to you as they will do asking for your comments as this letter will have your case number on it and until then if you write without quoting that number they won’t be able to tie up your letter to your case

 

[Jibbbo]

Don’t write to them until they write to you as they will do asking for your comments as this letter will have your case number on it and until then if you write without quoting that number they won’t be able to tie up your letter to your case

The officer said i should put the ticket number. and my wife and I met a revenue who said I should write them before they write me. What do you think.

 

[Hadders]

Welcome to the forum!

Please can you upload a copy of the MG11 form you were given (do redact the case reference number and personal details before uploading). Normally the MG11 will say that you will be contacted, and my normal advice is not to contact Southeastern ahead of them contacting you.

 

[JBuchananGB]

I think you should also be clearer on what journey to took. You say your destination was London Bridge, but then you say you came from Bromley South. Where did you board the train? What ticket did you use to cross the barrier at that station?

 

[duncombec]

There seems to have been a significant uptick in revenue protection activity at Chatham in the last six months or so, both in full-scale revenue blocks, and more generally staff paying closer attention - last night, for example, the gateline staff attending the manual gate saw me buy a ticket from the machine next to him, but still checked the destination when I went through (behind a pushchair, because the single gate configured for entry was at the other end of the gateline, the wrong end for my desired platform, whereas the manual gate was at the right end!), which was rather more than usual, or checking for a flash of orange card.

Rochester to Chatham is also, in my opinion, one of those "no chance" journeys that you just wouldn't take plausibly and is going to attract further attention. It's currently twice the price of the £2 capped bus fare, which really isn't worth the few minutes' saving.

 

[Jibbbo]

I think you should also be clearer on what journey to took. You say your destination was London Bridge, but then you say you came from Bromley South. Where did you board the train? What ticket did you use to cross the barrier at that station?

I said Bromley south because I thought I wanted to give me a ticket and I believe that will be cheaper. But I was coming from the London Bridge. Thou, I usually go throgh Bromley south some time. I have composed my message I don't know if I can post it here for the house to see and read it and also tell me what to take out or add to it.

 

[WesternLancer]

I said Bromley south because I thought I wanted to give me a ticket and I believe that will be cheaper. But I was coming from the London Bridge. Thou, I usually go throgh Bromley south some time. I have composed my message I don't know if I can post it here for the house to see and read it and also tell me what to take out or add to it.

It’s important that you do ask for your reply to get checked here if you wish for that. That will help you get the wording as best as you can, in my view.

 

[Jibbbo]

It’s important that you do ask for your reply to get checked here if you wish for that. That will help you get the wording as best as you can, in my view.

Thank you I will post it here now

 

[Lewisham2221]

When it was my turn, the officer mentioned that my ticket didn’t show it was tapped at Rochester and asked where I was coming from. Initially, I lied but later admitted lied again that I was coming from Bromley South. After explaining, I was issued the MG11 ticket.

Fixed that for you.

I said Bromley south because I thought I wanted to give me a ticket and I believe that will be cheaper. But I was coming from the London Bridge. Thou, I usually go throgh Bromley south some time. I have composed my message I don't know if I can post it here for the house to see and read it and also tell me what to take out or add to it.

For the best advice and the best outcome, you need to be completely honest - with us, with yourself and with SouthEastern.

 

[Jibbbo]

Dear Sir/ Madam

My name is.…………… with Ticket No ( …………) I am writing about the incident that happened on the 26th November 2024 when I made a stupid mistake and foolishly bought a non-valid return ticket from Chatham to Rochester instead of a ticket from Chatham to Bromley South.

I acknowledge this was a silly mistake. It was a severe lapse of judgement from me and I would like to offer my sincerest apologies for any financial and administrative trouble this will cause .

This mistake has opened my eyes and has been a learning curve for me. I can ensure that I will always have a valid ticket and I will never make this mistake again. I really hope that this error on my behalf doesn’t result in criminal prosecutions. As such i want to make this right. I wondered if it would be possible to settle this matter without having to go to court. I am prepared to pay any outstanding fare and your administration costs in dealing with this matter and I hope my desire to settle will be sincerely considered.

Lastly, I would like to apologise again for any trouble my actions may have caused. I hope that from this you can see I have learnt from mistake and that I well and truely are sorry. As mentioned before I would be grateful if we could please settle this matter out of court. I would be more than happy to oblige with the process.

Yours sincerely

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 28 Nov 2024 ==

Fixed that for you.


For the best advice and the best outcome, you need to be completely honest - with us, with yourself and with SouthEastern.

I just said Broley South because I was scared. If I say London Bridge again after Bromley South has been recorded that will raise another issue. Don't you think I rather stick to Bromley South?

 

[notmyrealname]

I agree with Lewisham about being honest. TOCs are used to people saying something in a panic when they're stopped but the view here is to put that right when you reply to them.

Also, could you show us the MG11 as Hadders mentioned, please?

 

[WesternLancer]

Dear Sir/ Madam

My name is.…………… with Ticket No ( …………) I am writing about the incident that happened on the 26th November 2024 when I made a stupid mistake and foolishly bought a non-valid return ticket from Chatham to Rochester instead of a ticket from Chatham to Bromley South.

I acknowledge this was a silly mistake. It was a severe lapse of judgement from me and I would like to offer my sincerest apologies for any financial and administrative trouble this will cause .

This mistake has opened my eyes and has been a learning curve for me. I can ensure that I will always have a valid ticket and I will never make this mistake again. I really hope that this error on my behalf doesn’t result in criminal prosecutions. As such i want to make this right. I wondered if it would be possible to settle this matter without having to go to court. I am prepared to pay any outstanding fare and your administration costs in dealing with this matter and I hope my desire to settle will be sincerely considered.

Lastly, I would like to apologise again for any trouble my actions may have caused. I hope that from this you can see I have learnt from mistake and that I well and truely are sorry. As mentioned before I would be grateful if we could please settle this matter out of court. I would be more than happy to oblige with the process.

Yours sincerely

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 28 Nov 2024 ==


I just said Broley South because I was scared. If I say London Bridge again after Bromley South has been recorded that will raise another issue. Don't you think I rather stick to Bromley South?

Admit honestly to where you started your journey. People lie to them all the time so they expect that. What makes a difference is not lying further. That’s the single best way to avoid getting prosecuted in my view.

 

[alholmes]

Your draft uses the word ‘mistake’ 5 times. It wasn't a mistake - it was deliberate fare evasion. Maybe call it a lapse of judgment instead?

And don’t persist with the Bromley South story. You need to be honest in your dealings with SouthEastern.

 

[Haywain]

Maybe call it a lapse of judgment instead?

If it was a one-off.

If I say London Bridge again after Bromley South has been recorded that will raise another issue.

Is that issue that they will look at your buying history and figure out that you go to London Bridge quite frequently, and therefore ask you for more money than if you stick to the lie about Bromley South?

 

[AlterEgo]

I just said Broley South because I was scared. If I say London Bridge again after Bromley South has been recorded that will raise another issue. Don't you think I rather stick to Bromley South?

No, because it is a lie. Nobody here is going to tell you to lie.

 

[30907]

No, because it is a lie. Nobody here is going to tell you to lie.

And the train company will be used to people lying to their inspectors and then correcting their story. Leaving it uncorrected is a more serious matter.

 

[Jibbbo]

Good Morning guys, I have received the letter from southeastern. I already have my responds drafted. Can i paste it here for a review.

 

[Titfield]

Good Morning guys, I have received the letter from southeastern. I already have my responds drafted. Can i paste it here for a review.

Please post both the letter and the draft response.

 

[Jibbbo]

Here is the letter

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Dec 2024 ==

Dear Sir/ Madam



My name is.…………… with Ticket No ( …………) I am writing about the incident that happened on the 26th November 2024 when I made a stupid mistake and foolishly bought a non-valid return ticket from Chatham to Rochester instead of a ticket from Chatham to London Bridge.



I acknowledge this was a silly mistake. It was a severe lapse of judgement from me and I would like to offer my sincerest apologies for any financial and administrative trouble this will cause .



This mistake has opened my eyes and has been a learning curve for me. Ever since this happened i have been buying a weekly ticket and I can ensure that I will always have a valid ticket and I will never make this repeat this again. I really hope that this error on my behalf doesn’t result in criminal prosecutions. As such i want to make this right. I wondered if it might be possible to settle this matter without court action. I am prepared to pay any outstanding fare and your administration costs in dealing with this matter and I hope my desire to settle will be sincerely considered.



Lastly, I would like to apologise again for any trouble my actions may have caused. I hope that from this you can see I have learnt from mistake and that I well and truely are sorry. As mentioned before I would be grateful if we could please settle this matter out of court. I would be more than happy to oblige with the process.



Yours sincerely

 

[MotCO]

Here is the letter

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Dec 2024 ==

Dear Sir/ Madam



My name is.…………… with Ticket No ( …………) I am writing about the incident that happened on the 26th November 2024 when I made a stupid mistake and foolishly bought a non-valid return ticket from Chatham to Rochester instead of a ticket from Chatham to London Bridge.



I acknowledge this was a silly mistake. It was a severe lapse of judgement from me and I would like to offer my sincerest apologies for any financial and administrative trouble this will cause .



This mistake has opened my eyes and has been a learning curve for me. Ever since this happened i have been buying a weekly ticket and I can ensure that I will always have a valid ticket and I will never make this repeat this again. I really hope that this error on my behalf doesn’t result in criminal prosecutions. As such i want to make this right. I wondered if it might be possible to settle this matter without court action. I am prepared to pay any outstanding fare and your administration costs in dealing with this matter and I hope my desire to settle will be sincerely considered.



Lastly, I would like to apologise again for any trouble my actions may have caused. I hope that from this you can see I have learnt from mistake and that I well and truely are sorry. As mentioned before I would be grateful if we could please settle this matter out of court. I would be more than happy to oblige with the process.



Yours sincerely

Two small typos. i instead of I. Otherwise it seems fine.

Are you also entitled to a Railcard - this might help reduce the cost of your rail travel, and if you do buy one, you may want to mention it in your letter. What you are trying to do is convince them that you will not do this again, and your season ticket and possible Railcard will help do this. https://www.railcard.co.uk/ (But note, there are some peak time / minimum fare restrictions, and you need to remember to renew before it expires - no one else will remind you.)

 

[BazingaTribe]

Here is the letter

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Dec 2024 ==

Dear Sir/ Madam



My name is.…………… with Ticket No ( …………) I am writing about the incident that happened on the 26th November 2024 when I made a stupid mistake and foolishly bought a non-valid return ticket from Chatham to Rochester instead of a ticket from Chatham to London Bridge.



I acknowledge this was a silly mistake. It was a severe lapse of judgement from me and I would like to offer my sincerest apologies for any financial and administrative trouble this will cause .



This mistake has opened my eyes and has been a learning curve for me. Ever since this happened i have been buying a weekly ticket and I can ensure that I will always have a valid ticket and I will never make this repeat this again. I really hope that this error on my behalf doesn’t result in criminal prosecutions. As such i want to make this right. I wondered if it might be possible to settle this matter without court action. I am prepared to pay any outstanding fare and your administration costs in dealing with this matter and I hope my desire to settle will be sincerely considered.



Lastly, I would like to apologise again for any trouble my actions may have caused. I hope that from this you can see I have learnt from mistake and that I well and truely are sorry. As mentioned before I would be grateful if we could please settle this matter out of court. I would be more than happy to oblige with the process.



Yours sincerely

Your dignity is at stake here and you want the best possible resolution. While you don't want to obsess over every comma here, I think you could do better.

I think it's a bit obsequious and grovelly, but the main thing to do is admit your wrongdoing and apologise. You want a mea culpa in there, but don't waffle as excessive apologies often begin to sound insincere. (Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. Letting go of anxiety around apologising to people is important for them as well as ourselves. Contrition is good; abasing yourself isn't.)

Additionally, it's easier to be sincere in an apology if you acknowledge what you did wrong rather than continuing to label the issue a mistake. That comes first. You can't apologise if you don't admit to yourself what you did was beyond a mistake and into the realms of actually lying and then compounding the lie. It takes courage to do that, but the outcome will be worth that courage.

I know it's hard, but they don't want to hear about all the other times you paid the correct fare -- that's the basic understanding for anyone who uses the railway. While most of us have made genuine mistakes from time to time (mine generally involve lost tickets or buying the journey the wrong way round) and everyone here would totally would be on your side if it was a mistake, TOCs are wise to the issue of short-faring, which requires a conscious decision.

The best way to apologise is therefore grasp what people are saying here and understand that 'mistake' is the wrong word.

Try something like [this is only how I would write it, not something to copy wholesale, but it should give you the idea of the tone you need to strike.]

Dear ....

I received your letter of the XXXX regarding the matter of YYYY. [This is where you'd put something to the effect of 'I also admit that I said I came from Bromley South but in fact I got on the train at London Bridge']

I fully understand that I have broken the law here by buying a ticket from a station closer to my destination than the one I got on at. There was no excuse for this and I apologise for the lapse in judgement. [See @Haywain 's comment about LoJ -- I'm assuming you haven't done this before here.] I appreciate that fare evasion of this type costs the railway a lot of money every year and I am grateful for the opportunity to respond before the matter proceeds to court.

I am ready to pay the correct fare now in addition to any costs you might have incurred investigating this matter.

Once again, I apologise for my behaviour. Going forward I will always pay the correct fare when travelling on railway services.

Yours sincerely/faithfully

ZZZZ

Others will have input on the precise wording of the bit in italics, but I just put myself in the mindset of having to do this for myself and that was what came to mind. Just keep it really, really tight and focused on the substance of the matter -- and, I reiterate, do not use the word 'mistake'.

Good luck. It may not feel like it, but we're on your side.

 

[Jibbbo]

Two small typos. i instead of I. Otherwise it seems fine.

Are you also entitled to a Railcard - this might help reduce the cost of your rail travel, and if you do buy one, you may want to mention it in your letter. What you are trying to do is convince them that you will not do this again, and your season ticket and possible Railcard will help do this. https://www.railcard.co.uk/ (But note, there are some peak time / minimum fare restrictions, and you need to remember to renew before it expires - no one else will remind you.)

Thank you very much. I just requested for another rail card because the one i had got expirEd. More, i usually use E-ticket on the app.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Dec 2024 ==

Your dignity is at stake here and you want the best possible resolution. While you don't want to obsess over every comma here, I think you could do better.

I think it's a bit obsequious and grovelly, but the main thing to do is admit your wrongdoing and apologise. You want a mea culpa in there, but don't waffle as excessive apologies often begin to sound insincere. (Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. Letting go of anxiety around apologising to people is important for them as well as ourselves. Contrition is good; abasing yourself isn't.)

Additionally, it's easier to be sincere in an apology if you acknowledge what you did wrong rather than continuing to label the issue a mistake. That comes first. You can't apologise if you don't admit to yourself what you did was beyond a mistake and into the realms of actually lying and then compounding the lie. It takes courage to do that, but the outcome will be worth that courage.

I know it's hard, but they don't want to hear about all the other times you paid the correct fare -- that's the basic understanding for anyone who uses the railway. While most of us have made genuine mistakes from time to time (mine generally involve lost tickets or buying the journey the wrong way round) and everyone here would totally would be on your side if it was a mistake, TOCs are wise to the issue of short-faring, which requires a conscious decision.

The best way to apologise is therefore grasp what people are saying here and understand that 'mistake' is the wrong word.

Try something like [this is only how I would write it, not something to copy wholesale, but it should give you the idea of the tone you need to strike.]

Dear ....

I received your letter of the XXXX regarding the matter of YYYY. [This is where you'd put something to the effect of 'I also admit that I said I came from Bromley South but in fact I got on the train at London Bridge']

I fully understand that I have broken the law here by buying a ticket from a station closer to my destination than the one I got on at. There was no excuse for this and I apologise for the lapse in judgement. [See @Haywain 's comment about LoJ -- I'm assuming you haven't done this before here.] I appreciate that fare evasion of this type costs the railway a lot of money every year and I am grateful for the opportunity to respond before the matter proceeds to court.

I am ready to pay the correct fare now in addition to any costs you might have incurred investigating this matter.

Once again, I apologise for my behaviour. Going forward I will always pay the correct fare when travelling on railway services.

Yours sincerely/faithfully

ZZZZ

Others will have input on the precise wording of the bit in italics, but I just put myself in the mindset of having to do this for myself and that was what came to mind. Just keep it really, really tight and focused on the substance of the matter -- and, I reiterate, do not use the word 'mistake'.

Good luck. It may not feel like it, but we're on your side.

Dear Sir/ Madam



I received your letter of about the incident that happened on the 26th November 2024 when I foolishly bought a non-valid return ticket from Chatham to Rochester instead of a return ticket from Chatham to London Bridge. Truly, I was coming from London Bridge with the train but out of fear i told the officer Bromley South.



I acknowledge that this was a poor decision on my part. It was a significant lapse in judgment, and I deeply apologize for any financial and administrative issues this may cause."



I fully understand that I have broken the law here by buying a ticket from a station closer to my destination. There was no excuse for this and I apologise for the lapse in judgement. I understand that fare evasion of this nature results in significant financial losses for the railway each year, and I am thankful for the chance to address the issue before it escalates to a court case. I wondered if it might be possible to settle this matter without court action. I am ready to pay the correct fare in addition to any costs you might have incurred investigating this matter.



Once again, I apologise for my behaviour. Going forward I will always pay the correct fare when travelling on railway services.



Yours sincerely







is this Okay ?

 

[BazingaTribe]

Thank you very much. I just requested for another rail card because the one i had got expirEd. More, i usually use E-ticket on the app.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Dec 2024 ==


Dear Sir/ Madam



I received your letter of about the incident that happened on the 26th November 2024 when I foolishly bought the wrong return ticket from Chatham to Rochester instead of the correct return ticket for the actual journey I made instead of a return ticket from Chatham to London Bridge. In reality, I was coming from London Bridge with the train, but in a panic, i told the officer I came from Bromley South.



I acknowledge that this was a poor decision on my part. It was a significant lapse in judgment, and I deeply apologise for what I did.



I fully understand that I have broken the law here by buying a ticket from a station closer to my destination than where I got on. There was no excuse for this and I apologise for the lapse in judgement. I understand that fare evasion of this nature results in significant financial losses for the railway each year, and I am thankful for the chance to address the issue before it escalates to a court case. I wondered if it might be possible to settle this matter without court action. I am ready to pay the correct fare in addition to any costs you might have incurred investigating this matter.



Once again, I apologise for my behaviour. Going forward I will always pay the correct fare when travelling on railway services.



Yours sincerely







is this Okay ?

That looks much better. I've tidied up some of the writing, and taken out superfluous language. ('Truly' is not the right word; it's mainly used as an intensifier, e.g. 'truly, madly, deeply' rather than as a way of saying what really happened. Hence I've corrected it, as well as the z in apologise.) I know it's tempting to put as much as you can into a letter like this, but it's not necessary to repeat yourself and there are some issues of style that help you present your case better.

Nonetheless, good job. Give it another day or so for anyone else to comment, but the framework is there.

 

[notmyrealname]

If it starts Dear Sir or Madam, I would suggest putting Yours faithfully at the end. Or Yours sincerely if you've addressed it to a person.

I would add their reference number as a separate line after Dear xx.

 

[Jibbbo]

If it starts Dear Sir or Madam, I would suggest putting Yours faithfully at the end. Or Yours sincerely if you've addressed it to a person.

I would add their reference number as a separate line after Dear xx.

What do you mean by adding their reference number. I don’t understand, could you please give an example.

 

[Cuthbert]

The letter you received will have a Ref No. Best to add that so they can find your file easier.
Don't post it here just add it to the letter where notmyrealname stated.

 

[Jibbbo]

The letter you received will have a Ref No. Best to add that so they can find your file easier.
Don't post it here just add it to the letter where notmyrealname stated.

Okay.. Thank you

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Dec 2024 ==

That looks much better. I've tidied up some of the writing, and taken out superfluous language. ('Truly' is not the right word; it's mainly used as an intensifier, e.g. 'truly, madly, deeply' rather than as a way of saying what really happened. Hence I've corrected it, as well as the z in apologise.) I know it's tempting to put as much as you can into a letter like this, but it's not necessary to repeat yourself and there are some issues of style that help you present your case better.

Nonetheless, good job. Give it another day or so for anyone else to comment, but the framework is there.

Dear Sir/ Madam



I received your letter of about the incident that happened on the 26th of November 2024 when I foolishly bought the wrong ticket from Chatham to Rochester instead of the correct ticket for the actual journey I made. In reality, I was coming from London Bridge, but in a panic, i told the officer I came from Bromley South.



I acknowledge that this was a poor decision on my part. It was a significant lapse in judgment, and I deeply apologise for what I did.



I understand that I have broken the law by buying a ticket from a station closer to my destination than where I got on. I understand that fare evasion of this nature results in significant financial losses for the railway each year. I wondered if it might be possible to settle this matter without court action. I am ready to pay the correct fare and any costs you might have incurred investigating this matter.



From now on I will always pay the correct fare when travelling on railway services.



Yours Faithfully

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Dec 2024 ==

Hello guys. I have printed it out and I want you all to check it before I post it tomorrow.