Penalty fare - got train a month too early

[jwizz]

So I’ve just received a penalty fare at Manchester Victoria after travelling on an advance ticket from Newcastle that was mistakenly booked for 27 July (rather than today). Obviously I didn’t realise this but it wasn’t picked up during the onboard ticket inspection either.

Is there any likelihood of success if I appeal this, as I had a ticket but just for the wrong day?

 

[AlterEgo]

In short, no.

If you post a copy of the notice, members can instead look for a technical line of appeal relating to how the notice is formed or completed, but the issuance of the penalty fare for a wrongly dated - and therefore invalid - ticket would not be grounds for appeal.

 

[CharlieSpotted]

I'm glad I'm not the only one to do this kind of thing... I once turned up at a budget hotel in London to be told I didn't have a reservation... because I had booked it for the previous month.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'm glad I'm not the only one to do this kind of thing... I once turned up at a budget hotel in London to be told I didn't have a reservation... because I had booked it for the previous month.

I got let through the gateline at Exeter Central having done something like this because even the member of staff there couldn't see why the gate wasn't accepting my ticket! Confirmation bias I guess. I realised shortly afterwards that was what had happened and bought one for the correct day before going near any exit gateline.

 

[jfollows]

A Penalty Fare is probably the best outcome here, it’s not a “fine”, nor is it any kind of “offence”, whereas travelling without a valid ticket could be prosecuted as a criminal offence.
So, although it’s probably little consolation, probably best to live with this.
If you want to post the paperwork, we might be able to look for any technical errors which might enable you to appeal successfully.

 

[WesternLancer]

If the penalty fare issued included the price for a new ticket is there perhaps an ability to refund the ticket actually valid for a month ahead?

 

[island]

If the penalty fare issued included the price for a new ticket is there perhaps an ability to refund the ticket actually valid for a month ahead?

Not if, as the OP states, it is an advance ticket. That ticket will of course remain valid for use on the booked date and can be changed if desired.

 

[lnerazuma]

A bit off topic but if you use cross-country app to book such ticket you could do a free excess from the advance ticket to the cheapest flexible ticket today, only paying the difference of the fare, given that you discover this mistake before boarding the train

 

[Bletchleyite]

Not if, as the OP states, it is an advance ticket. That ticket will of course remain valid for use on the booked date and can be changed if desired.

Though depending on the retailer if it was scanned at any point it may be necessary to go via customer services to make any such change. I can't see it being refused if provided evidence of the Penalty Fare though (as that covers the cost of travelling on the day when travel actually took place so the misbooked Advance is de-facto unused).