Please help up

[clagmonster]

Those are the answers I was hoping for. Essentially, what has been printed is a ticket which was paid for by card at the time. As the chip and pin failed, it was authorised by signature.

What will probably have happened is that your friend's card is not authorised for offline transactions, hence won't work the guard's chip and pin machine. Some guards will allow the card to be swiped then authorisation by signature, others won't. Different companies have different policies. My advice would be:
a) tell your friends to make sure that they always pay the adult fare in future - whilst discretion was shown this time they could quite easily be reported for prosecution in future
b) suggest that your friend attempt to get their bank to issue them with an online card
c) in the meantime, advise their friend that if they need to pay a fare on the train to carry the fare with them in cash to prevent issues arising.

 

[helloooo]

Those are the answers I was hoping for. Essentially, what has been printed is a ticket which was paid for by card at the time. As the chip and pin failed, it was authorised by signature.

What will probably have happened is that your friend's card is not authorised for offline transactions, hence won't work the guard's chip and pin machine. Some guards will allow the card to be swiped then authorisation by signature, others won't. Different companies have different policies. My advice would be:
a) tell your friends to make sure that they always pay the adult fare in future - whilst discretion was shown this time they could quite easily be reported for prosecution in future
b) suggest that your friend attempt to get their bank to issue them with an online card
c) in the meantime, advise their friend that if they need to pay a fare on the train to carry the fare with them in cash to prevent issues arising.

Thank you very much. I can assure you that my friend will not be doing that ever again. This has scared her enough/

Thank you to everyone who took their time to answer the question asked, it has really helped.

 

[helloooo]

Those are the answers I was hoping for. Essentially, what has been printed is a ticket which was paid for by card at the time. As the chip and pin failed, it was authorised by signature.

What will probably have happened is that your friend's card is not authorised for offline transactions, hence won't work the guard's chip and pin machine. Some guards will allow the card to be swiped then authorisation by signature, others won't. Different companies have different policies. My advice would be:
a) tell your friends to make sure that they always pay the adult fare in future - whilst discretion was shown this time they could quite easily be reported for prosecution in future
b) suggest that your friend attempt to get their bank to issue them with an online card
c) in the meantime, advise their friend that if they need to pay a fare on the train to carry the fare with them in cash to prevent issues arising.

My friends money has come out of her bank. I will assume that she will not be receiving a letter and has avoided prosecution. I will also assume that her details (name, age and address) will be disposed of or kept private indefinitely with no further action required. She will definitely never be buying a child ticket on a train ever again. Thank you to everyone that has helped us with this matter, it is greatly appreciated.

 

[island]

Yes, the fare will be billed later in the week. No, it won't be immediate when she puts money in.

 

[Statto]

To the OP you're friend can/should buy a 16-25 Railcard which gives 1/3 off most fairs. http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/46540.aspx#16-25

 

[plastictaffy]

It was with London Midland. There was no paperwork. The collector just took the details and she had to sign her name on a piece of paper that she was stupid enough not to read.

I don't wish to be the bearer of bad news, but LM's RPI's at the moment are very much on the ball, and they are issuing Penalty Fares and MG11's with some regularity. They are paying considerable amounts of cash in daily, and covering most of the bottom stretches of the West Coast Main Line regularly. I'd suggest that 'your friend' learns her lesson quickly.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

Please do implore your friend to never again attempt to travel on a Child ticket. As others have said, any future transgression could easily turn very nasty indeed, as the train company could easily draw the conclusion that she's been doing this for over two years !