SWR Short faring

[alihov]

Hi.


I was caught at Waterloo with a short fare ticket from Clapham to waterloo. I admitted my short ticket when questioned and was given a notice of prosecution.

I have in the past six months travelled short fare to work on 9 other occasions (when I was low on money but aware this is not a valid excuse). I have always paid the correct fee for my home ticket between Waterloo and Shepperton.

I received my standard letter and it only mentions the date and journey I was caught on.

Using your previous replies to people I send a response apologising, stating I wouldn’t do it again and asking for out of court settlement.

My questions are. I am sure they will check my uber and see my short fares and I understand I will need to pay fully for this. But I didn’t mention any previous travel in my response was this the right this to do? And also now I have replied how long should I expect to wait to hear back from them?

Lastly I started using uber last year as they offer a 10% uber credit off all bookings so I use this to buy tickets at reduced rate, I am assuming SWR will see this and see the cheaper tickets are becuase of a promo and not because I paid less? Prior to uber I used SWR app and never short fared on any journeys when buying tickets.

Many Thanks

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Hi.
I travel Shepperton to London Waterloo 1-2 times a week. Buying two singles as I travel in on peek at 8am but home at 3pm so get off peek return.

On the 11th of Feb 26 I was caught at Waterloo with a short fare ticket from Clapham to waterloo. I admitted my short ticket when questioned and was given a notice of prosecution.

I have in the past six months travelled short fare to work on 9 other occasions (when I was low on money but aware this is not a valid excuse). I have always paid the correct fee for my home ticket between Waterloo and Shepperton.

I received my standard letter and it only mentions the date and journey I was caught on.

Using your previous replies to people I send a response apologising, stating I wouldn’t do it again and asking for out of court settlement.

My questions are. I am sure they will check my uber and see my short fares and I understand I will need to pay fully for this. But I didn’t mention any previous travel in my response was this the right this to do? And also now I have replied how long should I expect to wait to hear back from them?

Lastly I started using uber last year as they offer a 10% uber credit off all bookings so I use this to buy tickets at reduced rate, I am assuming SWR will see this and see the cheaper tickets are becuase of a promo and not because I paid less? Prior to uber I used SWR app and never short fared on any journeys when buying tickets.

Many Thanks

Welcome to the forum.

As you have already responded, all you can do now is wait. Our general experience is that once a case is up and running the response is likely to come sooner (so weeks) rather than later (months) - but I'm not sure if this applies to SWR.

On the question of what you paid to Uber, I find that the tickets bought through them show the full price: the way the 10% promo works is that the 10% you got from buying a previous ticket is applied as part payment to your new ticket. So I think it's most likely that Uber's records will show that you bought a ticket from (say A to B) for the full fare of (say) £10 with this being paid as £9 cash plus £1 voucher, rather than showing that you bought a reduced fare ticket from A to B for £9. In other words, SWR won't see that you've been buying tickets more cheaply than you should have done*, although they will see that your tickets were Clapham to Waterloo rather than Shepperton to Waterloo.

*For the avoidance of doubt - I don't see anything wrong with using the 10% discount from Uber. It would be a pretty useless discount scheme if you couldn't redeem the 10%.

 

[alihov]

Welcome to the forum.

As you have already responded, all you can do now is wait. Our general experience is that once a case is up and running the response is likely to come sooner (so weeks) rather than later (months) - but I'm not sure if this applies to SWR.

On the question of what you paid to Uber, I find that the tickets bought through them show the full price: the way the 10% promo works is that the 10% you got from buying a previous ticket is applied as part payment to your new ticket. So I think it's most likely that Uber's records will show that you bought a ticket from (say A to B) for the full fare of (say) £10 with this being paid as £9 cash plus £1 voucher, rather than showing that you bought a reduced fare ticket from A to B for £9. In other words, SWR won't see that you've been buying tickets more cheaply than you should have done*, although they will see that your tickets were Clapham to Waterloo rather than Shepperton to Waterloo.

*For the avoidance of doubt - I don't see anything wrong with using the 10% discount from Uber. It would be a pretty useless discount scheme if you couldn't redeem the 10%.

Thanks so much. That’s reassuring for me.
From your experience do they normally mention short faring in their initial letter if they are looking into it?
Thank you

 

[Fawkes Cat]

From your experience do they normally mention short faring in their initial letter if they are looking into it?

I'll have to leave that one for people with more specific knowledge of what SWR do. But you seem to have responded in line with our usual advice i.e. answer the questions that have been asked and not those that haven't been.

 

[alihov]

I'll have to leave that one for people with more specific knowledge of what SWR do. But you seem to have responded in line with our usual advice i.e. answer the questions that have been asked and not those that haven't been.

Thank you for your time and reply

 

[WesternLancer]

Thanks so much. That’s reassuring for me.
From your experience do they normally mention short faring in their initial letter if they are looking into it?
Thank you

search SWR cases on this part of the forum and take a look at the letters - e-mails people have received is the best way you can get an idea on that.

 

[alihov]

Hi. Following my email reply to SWR last week. I received the following. Do I need to reply or do anything or just wait? Picture below. Thank you

 

[SuspectUsual]

Hi. Following my email reply to SWR last week. I received the following. Do I need to reply or do anything or just wait? Picture below. Thank you

Just wait. But it says it’ll be a letter not an email, so make sure you keep an eye out for it

 

[alihov]

Just wait. But it says it’ll be a letter not an email, so make sure you keep an eye out for it

Thank you. As it’s by letter does that likely mean it will just be the the fine for the journey and not for any other past journeys?

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Thank you. As it’s by letter does that likely mean it will just be the the fine for the journey and not for any other past journeys?

I don't think we can read anything into how the railway chooses to contact you.

 

[alihov]

Just an update for anyone post searching for outcomes. I received a letter today offering me the option to pay £130 and the matter be closed. I have paid this and I am extremely greatful I was offered this. I have learnt a serious lesson. I was lucky to find this website and followed previous examples of reply letters and I believe this made a big difference in my case.