Penalty fare appeal

[tundea]

I am injured so can’t move fast, so ran onto the train and was going through a different station so was unfamiliar with the station. I didn’t tap my oyster and got a penalty fare at my destination, is there any grounds for appeal? Perhaps on signage?

It was crofton park station

 

[furlong]

"can't move fast so ran"

Post a copy of the complete notice (including all the text) but with personal info and reference numbers covered up so people can help you to check if it was issued correctly.

Crofton Park was the start or end of the journey? Signage matters at the station where you boarded.

At your destination - issued on the platform or at the exit rather than on the train?

 

[antharro]

Very difficult to say as there's nowhere near enough information. Please have a read of this post here which outlines the information needed for us to be able to provide you with useful advice. (https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/please-read-before-posting-in-disputes-prosecutions.77759/)

 

[Kite159]

And was the destination station barriered or unbarriered being caught by a revenue block?

 

[tundea]

Very difficult to say as there's nowhere near enough information. Please have a read of this post here which outlines the information needed for us to be able to provide you with useful advice. (https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/please-read-before-posting-in-disputes-prosecutions.77759/)

Thank you for sending this through, I appreciate it.

• We need to know all relevant facts in order to assist you, including, for example:
  • The stations* where you actually started & finished your journey - started at Crofton Park station and ended at Shortlands
  • No ticket presented
  • Valid 26-30 railcard
  • No tap in
  • There were lots of staff waiting at the bottom of the stairs when getting off at shortlands to scan peoples cards. I had mine scanned and was told to go into a room and speak to someone. The officer person was nice and said they’d write down it was an accident, as I’d never had a penalty fare from southeastern before. I was also wearing my Vacoped boot due to an injury and I told him it was my first time travelling on this route, as I normally cycle but can’t currently and he seemed sympathetic.
  • Penalty fare attached.
• We need to know what outcome(s) you would consider satisfactory - would like to not have to pay a penalty

 

[furlong]

For a signage appeal, if you go back to Crofton Park, look for two things:

If there are (yellow) Penalty Fare notices and where they are placed;
The text included on them.

Both need to conform to the regulations. Often they aren't placed everywhere they need to be to meet the regulations (i.e. there are too few of them to provide the required coverage). Usually some mandatory words are missing.

Take a look at this example of an appeal regarding another station - https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/stansted-airport-fines.253779/post-6421189
(That was a second appeal - for a first appeal it's regulation 16 not 17.)