Railcard travel incident report

[0119rr]

Hi

I bought a ticket that was discount with a rail card but I didn’t have one
The ticket guy gave me
Travel incident report

He said they will either email me but they don’t have my email or send mail which I gave them my address
It was only one stop the ticket was around 2.3 and originally I think 3 something
What should I expect and when?
I don’t know the procedure

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Jan 2025 ==

. I have renewed my rail card already today.

 

[Bungle158]

In the short term, sit down, take a breath and wait for the expert advice you will get. Perhaps get pen & paper, then try to map out a clearer image of what happened. The specialists will want as much info as possible in order to help most effectively.

 

[0119rr]

In the short term, sit down, take a breath and wait for the expert advice you will get. Perhaps get pen & paper, then try to map out a clearer image of what happened. The specialists will want as much info as possible in order to help most effectively.

I bought in a hurry not noticing my rail card was added as I usually buy from the station, I told him I don’t have it when the guy asked me for it but I renewed it today. Do you think I will get a fine?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Jan 2025 ==

I bought in a hurry not noticing my rail card was added as I usually buy from the station, I told him I don’t have it when the guy asked me for it but I renewed it today. Do you think I will get a fine?

I used Trainline, which automatically put rail card as i used to have one . But I forgot to remove. Not all the tickets I buy are mine. I had rail card before but I just renewed mine.

 

[notmyrealname]

Hi.

Could you tell us how long ago your railcard expired please and whether you think you've bought other tickets with the same discount when the railcard had expired? It's very likely that the rail company will go back over your ticket buying history now they have your details?

 

[0119rr]

I would say a year or less not sure, I forgot to remove the rail card

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Jan 2025 ==

Hi.

Could you tell us how long ago your railcard expired please and whether you think you've bought other tickets with the same discount when the railcard had expired? It's very likely that the rail company will go back over your ticket buying history now they have your details?

Will they check back on tickets made on my app? Some of them were not used by me?

 

[Titfield]

I would say a year or less not sure, I forgot to remove the rail card

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Jan 2025 ==


Will they check back on tickets made on my app? Some of them were not used by me?

In many investigations train operating companies look at the passengers previous bookings for evidence of wrong doing (eg applying a railcard when wasnt held).

 

[0119rr]

They

In many investigations train operating companies look at the passengers previous bookings for evidence of wrong doing (eg applying a railcard when wasnt held).

they weren’t all mine. How can I fix this I don’t want to get prosecuted I don’t my visa to be affected I’m a student

 

[Titfield]

When you receive the letter from them please upload here obscuring your name, address and any reference numbers.

Members of the forum can then give you advice specific to what the train operating company are saying / asking.

If you have not come to the train operating companies attention before, and you apologise and are contrite, they will usually offer you an out of court settlement, asking for the fares avoided plus an administration fee of between £100 and £200. Paying the out of court settlement will conclude the matter.

You may have a problem persuading them that not all the bookings on your account were for you. If these bookings are of relatively low value you may be better off settling with the train operating company than risking going to court where the penalty (if found guilty) will be much higher.

 

[0119rr]

When you receive the letter from them please upload here obscuring your name, address and any reference numbers.

Members of the forum can then give you advice specific to what the train operating company are saying / asking.

If you have not come to the train operating companies attention before, and you apologise and are contrite, they will usually offer you an out of court settlement, asking for the fares avoided plus an administration fee of between £100 and £200. Paying the out of court settlement will conclude the matter.

You may have a problem persuading them that not all the bookings on your account were for you. If these bookings are of relatively low value you may be better off settling with the train operating company than risking going to court where the penalty (if found guilty) will be much higher.

I don’t mind settling
Do they always give people the option to pay the fees?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Jan 2025 ==

When you receive the letter from them please upload here obscuring your name, address and any reference numbers.

Members of the forum can then give you advice specific to what the train operating company are saying / asking.

If you have not come to the train operating companies attention before, and you apologise and are contrite, they will usually offer you an out of court settlement, asking for the fares avoided plus an administration fee of between £100 and £200. Paying the out of court settlement will conclude the matter.

You may have a problem persuading them that not all the bookings on your account were for you. If these bookings are of relatively low value you may be better off settling with the train operating company than risking going to court where the penalty (if found guilty) will be much higher.

Yes this is my first time something happening to me and I’m really anxious and scared I can’t sleep

 

[WesternLancer]

I don’t mind settling
Do they always give people the option to pay the fees?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Jan 2025 ==


Yes this is my first time something happening to me and I’m really anxious and scared I can’t sleep

If you are a student then you could try to get help and advice from your student union advice centre at your university. Go to see them on Monday.

I would recommend you stop buying tickets for other people as a general rule. You can teach them how to buy tickets for themselves.

Unfortunately that because of your error where you were caught the railway company may find it difficult to believe that for a year you have been buying and using tickets without noticing that all of these tickets state that a railcard discount has been applied and that you never checked you had a railcard that was valid.

You need to be prepared to pay them for the correct sum for all of these tickets. That won’t be a fine. It is paying what you owe.

When they write to you, you can offer to pay them what you owe and ask them not to prosecute you.

There is always an opportunity to offer to do this.

They will obtain your mail address from the purchase record of the ticket they checked and you gave a postal address. It is vital that you watch out for post or e mail or spam from them. You must reply to it it they will prosecute you if you do not reply.

Unless you can prove other people not you used some of the tickets they will assume you used them. Unfortunately this is a downside of you being careless and not renewing your own railcard.

When they write to you we can help you reply to ensure you get the best outcome possible and have the strongest chance of avoiding being prosecuted.

Have a look at some other threads involving expired railcards to get a general idea of what happens.

 

[Hadders]

Welcome to the forum!

We see lots of cases like this on here, expired railcards do seem to be a big problem at the moment. You say you don't want to get into trouble but to be blunt for a moment you are in trouble. What you need to do know is know how to get out of trouble in a favourable way.

What happens next is Northern's Debt Recovery and Prosecutions Unit will write to you. The letter will likely take a few weeks to arrive and will use quite threatening language. It will say they have received a report and are considering prosecuting. It will ask for your version of events before they decide how to proceed. I suggest a short, concise reply mentioning the following points:

- 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

Northern are entitled to prosecute you in the Magistrates Court if they want to but they almost always offer an out of court settlement to people who co-operate with them and who haven't come to their attention before. Expect to have to pay the cost of the fare avoided at the full Anytime rate with no credit given for the invalid ticket you did purchase. In addition they will want you to pay an admin fee, typically around £150. Northern will probably audit your Trainline ticketing account and if this shows you've purchased railcard discounted tickets when you didn't have one they will want to factor the cost of these journeys into the settlement.

You will need to be in a position to pay the settlement within a few days of it being offered. Payment in installments isn't normally allowed.

Things to consider:

- Did you give the inspector your correct address? This is where the letter will be sent
- If you're a student will you be able to receive post at this address for the next few months? Thinking about holidays etc.
- Many people aren't used to receiving physical post these days so you need to keep a look out for a letter addressed to you
- If money is tight think about how you're going to save to pay the settlement

When Northern's letter arrives post a copy of it in this thread along with your draft reply and forum members will proof read it for you.

 

[0119rr]

How long till it arrives? I put my exact address and I want to answer asap I got really anxious!!! And after I answer them how long it would take? To give me reply?

 

[Titfield]

How long till it arrives? I put my exact address and I want to answer asap I got really anxious!!! And after I answer them how long it would take? To give me reply?

It can take anything from a few days to up to 6 months. (After 6 months TOCs can not place papers before a court for a prosecution).

Their subsequent reply (to your reply) will be quicker but can still be up to a few weeks (it depends if your reply gives them cause to investigate further).

All you can do is relax and put it out of your mind.

 

[0119rr]

It can take anything from a few days to up to 6 months. (After 6 months TOCs can not place papers before a court for a prosecution).

Their subsequent reply (to your reply) will be quicker but can still be up to a few weeks (it depends if your reply gives them cause to investigate further).

All you can do is relax and put it out of your mind.

Ok thank you I will is just I panicked because I’m not the type that would do these acts but I acknowledge the mistake I wanna pay the money they ask including the admin fee asap

 

[Titfield]

Ok thank you I will is just I panicked because I’m not the type that would do these acts but I acknowledge the mistake I wanna pay the fine asap

An out of court settlement is not a fine though it may feel like one. Only a court can impose a fine.

 

[0119rr]

Ok thank you I will is just I panicked because I’m not the type that would do these acts but I acknowledge the mistake the fine asap

An out of court settlement is not a fine though it may feel like one. Only a court can impose a fine.

Ok thanks for clarifying. I hope it get easier

 

[WesternLancer]

How long till it arrives? I put my exact address and I want to answer asap I got really anxious!!! And after I answer them how long it would take? To give me reply?

Time to hear from them may be 4 to 8 weeks possibly. May be sooner. Maybe longer as explained. It won’t be fast however.

 

[0119rr]

Time to hear from them may be 4 to 8 weeks possibly. May be sooner. Maybe longer as explained. It won’t be fast however.

Thank you. Can I email them just to make sure or check with them for an update?

 

[WesternLancer]

No. It’s best not to e mail them to check things or ask for updates at this stage. Just wait for them to contact you.

If 3 or 4 months go by and you hear nothing then maybe ask here for more advice.

 

[AlterEgo]

Thank you. Can I email them just to make sure or check with them for an update?

No, don't email them. It's not in your interest. They will get to you in the end.

 

[Hadders]

Can I email them just to make sure or check with them for an update?

Do not contact Northern ahad of them writing to you.

They deal with hundreds, if not thouasands, of these sort of cases at any one time. A very small team deal with this.
You don't know what they're going to say in their letter. Contacting them risks incriminating yourself.
The DRPU might not even have received the inspectors report yet, so contacting them might mean they cannot match up your case anyway

 

[0119rr]

Do not contact Northern ahad of them writing to you.

They deal with hundreds, if not thouasands, of these sort of cases at any one time. A very small team deal with this.
You don't know what they're going to say in their letter. Contacting them risks incriminating yourself.
The DRPU might not even have received the inspectors report yet, so contacting them might mean they cannot match up your case anyway

ok