Reuse of flexi ticket TFW

[mheiggag24]

Hello,

I have recently received an email stating I have reused a multiflex ticket from TFW and they have enough information to go to prosecution, but would like me to respond.

I am beyond panicked. I have tried reaching out to solicitors but the costs are astronomical. I can’t afford a criminal record as I could lose my job in a single income household.

I fully acknowledge that it is my fault but looking for advice on how to get it settled.

I may have made this error a number of times by misunderstanding the ticket, but they have only specified one time on the email, which was when the ticket timed out due to delays and cancellations, and I was told by the conductor that I did not need to activate a new ticket.

Should I only mention the occasion stated and explain the above or just apologise and not give any further details?

Grateful for any help as I am super stressed and feel so stupid for making the error.

Draft response attached

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Hello,

I have recently received an email stating I have reused a multiflex ticket from TFW and they have enough information to go to prosecution, but would like me to respond.

I am beyond panicked. I have tried reaching out to solicitors but the costs are astronomical. I can’t afford a criminal record as I could lose my job in a single income household.

I fully acknowledge that it is my fault but looking for advice on how to get it settled.

I may have made this error a number of times by misunderstanding the ticket, but they have only specified one time on the email, which was when the ticket timed out due to delays and cancellations, and I was told by the conductor that I did not need to activate a new ticket.

Should I only mention the occasion stated and explain the above or just apologise and not give any further details?

Grateful for any help as I am super stressed and feel so stupid for making the error.

Draft response attached

Welcome to the forum.

It would really help us if you could show us what the railway has sent you. Redact it to hide your name and address and so on - you don't want the whole internet knowing your personal details!

 

[mheiggag24]

Welcome to the forum.

It would really help us if you could show us what the railway has sent you. Redact it to hide your name and address and so on - you don't want the whole internet knowing your personal details!

 

[WirralLine]

Can you explain how delays/cancellations caused you to reuse the ticket 3 hours later? The experts need to understand what the exact circumstances are to help give the best advice.

From what the letter says, you caught a train to Cardiff and left the station, then used the same ticket to scan back in 3 hours later, was there a 3 hour delay?

 

[Haywain]

I may have made this error a number of times by misunderstanding the ticket, but they have only specified one time on the email, which was when the ticket timed out due to delays and cancellations, and I was told by the conductor that I did not need to activate a new ticket.

There were delays that caused you to leave Cardiff Central for 3 hours? What journey were you making?

 

[mheiggag24]

I thought as it is a 2 train journey I could leave the station and come back on later, as long as the ticket was still active, I realise now this is incorrect.

I believe it was only flagged due to it being timed out on this occasion.

Sounds like I shouldn’t make an excuse for that journey as it is my error either way?

 

[Bertie the bus]

The use of "For example" in their letter strongly suggests they know it was not just 1 occasion. There is no requirement for you to fess up to all the times you have done it but realistically you need to assume they already know and not try to suggest in your reply this was a one-off mistake.

 

[WirralLine]

I thought as it is a 2 train journey I could leave the station and come back on later, as long as the ticket was still active, I realise now this is incorrect.

I believe it was only flagged due to it being timed out on this occasion.

Sounds like I shouldn’t make an excuse for that journey as it is my error either way?

To get the best advice you need to be completely honest. You originally said it was due to delays and now it's a 2 train journey and you stopped off in Cardiff.

I'm not too clued up on Multiflex tickets and whether you can break a journey etc, presumably if you are allowed then the journey needs to be completed before it times out after 4hrs.

Presumably then the 2nd train you boarded was headed somewhere else? (Ie not where you originally came from?)

 

[Haywain]

I thought as it is a 2 train journey I could leave the station and come back on later, as long as the ticket was still active, I realise now this is incorrect.

I think you could do that as long as you complete the journey within 4 hours of activation. If you go over that due to delays you would need to demonstarte that the delay directly caused that to happen, and leaving the station for 3 hours seems to say otherwise.

Sometimes, when an email like this is received, there is a view that not replying is the best approach if you haven't been stopped during the journey, but as this case appears rather clear cut I am not sure that ignoring the letter is the best idea.

 

[skyhigh]

The terms and conditions of Multiflex tickets:

Multiflex is available on any route under 50 miles where there is an established 7-day season ticket.

12 identical point-to-point single journeys for travel in either direction.

Each ticket must be activated to make it valid for travel.

Multiflex has an overall validity for three calendar months from date of purchase.

Each of the twelve individual journeys can be made at any time during the validity period.

Each ticket can only be activated and used for one single journey which must be completed within 4 hours of activation.

Customers must travel from origin to destination, break of journey is not permitted, unless leaving the train before the destination station.

Multiflex tickets are non-refundable.

Prices valid as of 01/03/2025.

 

[mheiggag24]

To get the best advice you need to be completely honest. You originally said it was due to delays and now it's a 2 train journey and you stopped off in Cardiff.

I'm not too clued up on Multiflex tickets and whether you can break a journey etc, presumably if you are allowed then the journey needs to be completed before it times out after 4hrs.

Presumably then the 2nd train you boarded was headed somewhere else? (Ie not where you originally came from?)

The journey consists of 2 trains and you have 4 hours from activation to make the journey. You can use it to go A to B, or B to A.

I used the ticket to go halfway to A but then went back to B. I see now that it is a separate journey.

 

[AlterEgo]

Has the OP actually been stopped, or have they just got this email out of the blue?

 

[mheiggag24]

Has the OP actually been stopped, or have they just got this email out of the blue?

Haven’t been stopped it’s just out of the blue. I have confirmed its a genuine email from TFW though

 

[AlterEgo]

Attached

Re: the attachments: what was the exact journey you were making and in what way was it affected by delays? This time window is only just above the 4 hour time limit.

 

[Haywain]

This time window is only just above the 4 hour time limit.

It was at least 34 minutes outside the limit - it was scanned at 08:09 and at 12:43, and the limit starts when it is activated.

what was the exact journey you were making and in what way was it affected by delays?

The OP states that they travelled from B towards A but stopped at Cardiff Central (due to an unspecified delay?), and then travelled from Cardiff Central back to B.

 

[Bertie the bus]

The OP states that they travelled from B towards A but stopped at Cardiff Central (due to an unspecified delay?), and then travelled from Cardiff Central back to B.

Which suggests they have being using a single ticket as a return. The reason this particular journey has been highlighted is because the duration exceeded 4 hours but they have done it in the past, and TfW appear to know they have a habit of doing it.

 

[AlterEgo]

The OP states that they travelled from B towards A but stopped at Cardiff Central (due to an unspecified delay?), and then travelled from Cardiff Central back to B.

It would help to know the stations involved, and the nature of the delay - I don't see why this couldn't be an abandoned journey, if the OP is being truthful about the reason for the return trip being due to "delays".

Specifics will really help this case.

 

[furlong]

When it was used to enter Cardiff Central at 11:40 was this through an automated ticket barrier? If the barrier opened when presented with the ticket, there might be an argument that this means the company opted not to enforce its 'no break of journey' requirement on this particular occasion and having accepted the ticket as having continued validity cannot later change its mind on this point. That doesn't deal with the 'complete within 4 hours' condition though.

 

[Haywain]

That doesn't deal with the 'complete within 4 hours' condition though.

Or the matter of travelling in the opposite direction to that which had been started. Which really makes the point about break of journey completely irrelevant.

 

[furlong]

Or the matter of travelling in the opposite direction

We also have "I was told by the conductor that I did not need to activate a new ticket". Could that have meant not in general but only on that one specific occasion because the conductor was reporting the matter?

 

[Haywain]

Could that have meant not in general but only on that one specific occasion because the conductor was reporting the matter?

I think there's a fairly strong possibility that you are right about it being reported, and that the OP simply didn't understand what they were being told.