Prosecution notice

[maximillian99]

Hello all I was stopped at ascot station today.
And was given this notice I asked the ticket officer how much I would have to pay for not having the correct ticket and he told me it would be the cost of the ticket and admin fee. I have been doing some research into this and have found out I did not get a penalty notice but something more severe I am really worried and would appreciate any assistance

 

[AlterEgo]

It looks from the notice that you’ve been short faring. Do you buy your tickets online? What was the journey actually made, and what ticket did you hold?

 

[maximillian99]

I entered at Staines and only bought the ticket from the stop before ascot when stopped at the station

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The ticket was a digital one

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It was sunningdale to ascot but the actually journey was Staines to ascot.What can I expect to proceed this

 

[WesternLancer]

I entered at Staines and only bought the ticket from the stop before ascot when stopped at the station

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The ticket was a digital one

This is why you did not get issued with a Penalty Fare. Because you have deliberately evaded the fare / pre meditated fare evasion. Or so they presume, perhaps reinforced by something you may have said when questioned.

Have you done this on other occasions? Be aware they will check your on line ticket buying history for suspicious purchases.

However advice here will help you try and avoid being prosecuted.

 

[maximillian99]

This is my first offence and I am really scared I gave my information to the ticket inspector and do not have a frequent purchasing history to ascot I am trying to ascertain if a out of court settlement will be possible as I cannot afford to have a criminal charge I may have some suspicious ticket purchases
I told him I was went in at Staines I gave him my correct information such as address and name

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I believe I may receive some a letter regarding this incident in the near future what course of action could I take to mitigate this situation

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The officer when I questioned how much I would have to pay for this offence told me it would be the cost of the ticket plus administrative costs

 

[Hadders]

Welcome to the forum!

We see lots of cases like this. SWR will write to you in the next few weeks asking for your version of events before they decide how to proceed. The letter will use quite threatening language. It is extremely important that you reply to this letter, I suggest covering the following points in your reply:

- That you are sorry for what has happened
- What you have learned from the incident
- That you are keen to settle the matter without the need for court action
- Offer to pay the outstanding fare and the train company's administrative costs in dealing with the matter

SWR are normally prepared to offer an out of court settlement to people who co-operate with their investigation, and who haven't come to their attention before. Expect to have to pay the cost of the fare avoided at the Anytime rate with no discount given for the invalid ticket you did purchase. You will also have to pay an admin fee of around £150. Be aware that SWR will be able to research you online ticket purchase history so if this indicates you have done this before they will probably want to ask you about this, either now or at a later date.

When the letter arrives, post a copy of it in this thread (but do redactr personal details before doing so) along with your draft reply and forum members will be happy to proof read it for you.

 

[Gloster]

This is my first offence and I am really scared I gave my information to the ticket inspector and do not have a frequent purchasing history to ascot I am trying to ascertain if a out of court settlement will be possible as I cannot afford to have a criminal charge I may have some suspicious ticket purchases
I told him I was went in at Staines I gave him my correct information such as address and name

It reads to me that you have done this (or something similar) before, but this is the first time that you have been stopped. If that is so, this is NOT your first offence and you will need to be careful to avoid making any false statements as the matter proceeds.

 

[maximillian99]

to whom would I respond

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And how long till the letter arrives

 

[notmyrealname]

You would respond to the person or department at South Western that writes to you at some point.

We don't know how long a letter will take, it dspends on how busy they are. It could be weeks or a few months. Once you get the letter, you can post an anonymised copy here with your draft letter and people will help you to refine it.

 

[maximillian99]

Does anyone know how strict swr are and if they’ll look to prosecute I would be hopeful if I can pay the admin fee and ticket fee which would be around 160

 

[AlterEgo]

Does anyone know how strict swr are and if they’ll look to prosecute I would be hopeful if I can pay the admin fee and ticket fee which would be around 160

They are usually quite pragmatic and will usually settle.

If they find out you have been short faring repeatedly - you mention you "may have some suspicious purchases" - they may invite you to an interview held under the standards of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act to discover the extent of any other offences.

 

[Gloster]

IF SWR offer you an out of court settlement, and it is entirely up to them whether they do, they are likely to ask you to pay the full Anytime Single Fare for each and every journey that they reckon you made without having paid the correct fare; that is one fare for each leg of a return journey. No allowance will be made for what you did pay or for any reduction you may be entitled to. They will then add on their costs, which normally start at £150. They might ask for less, but that only happens occasionally. They will expect the whole sum to be paid in one go within a fortnight or so of them making the offer.

 

[WesternLancer]

Does anyone know how strict swr are and if they’ll look to prosecute I would be hopeful if I can pay the admin fee and ticket fee which would be around 160

What you need to do whilst you wait to hear from them is to start compiling a list (for your private use) of every journey where you may have not paid the correct fare if you can do this from your own records. Then calculate what has been evaded using info in post #12 then start saving up so you have that money to hand.

If they agree to settle it out of court you will be expected to make payment in full and in a short period (eg 10 days or less I suspect)