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TfL caught me but no details taken

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nina1995

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18 Jan 2025
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4
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london
I got caught using a ticket with a railcard when I don’t have one. When I got stopped I blagged my way out and the inspector ‘validated’ my Apple Pay and told me to use that to get home and not the ticket, which he returned to me. He took none of my details and let me go.

Just want to check I won’t be fined? Or charged through my Apple Pay for any fine as the one off ‘validation’ payment is all he took?

Also he first told me it would be £10 not £100. Then he told me if I ‘validated’ my card with him, I would only need to tap out of my local tube station and it will just charge me for a single fare. It hasn’t come through on my bank statement yet but I am wondering how much to expect?
 
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Hadders

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Senior Fares Advisor
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18,153
We need more information to be able to assist.

Which train company are you dealing with?
Which stations were you travelling between?
Exactly what ticket did you have and where did you buy it from?
Was the ticket printed on paper or a ticket shown on your phone?
 

nina1995

New Member
Joined
18 Jan 2025
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4
Location
london
Tfl
Piccadilly to baker street
I had a day travel card bought from Baker Street but I always say I have a railcard so I get it cheaper
It’s a paper ticket it just says ‘reduced’ but does not specify if it’s railcard discount or something else
 

Haywain

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Joined
3 Feb 2013
Messages
24,825
I got caught using a ticket with a railcard when I don’t have one. When I got stopped I blagged my way out and the inspector ‘validated’ my Apple Pay and told me to use that to get home and not the ticket, which he returned to me. He took none of my details and let me go.

Just want to check I won’t be fined? Or charged through my Apple Pay for any fine as the one off ‘validation’ payment is all he took?

Also he first told me it would be £10 not £100. Then he told me if I ‘validated’ my card with him, I would only need to tap out of my local tube station and it will just charge me for a single fare. It hasn’t come through on my bank statement yet but I am wondering how much to expect?
Sounds like you might be getting an incomplete journey charge.
 

notmyrealname

Member
Joined
26 Oct 2023
Messages
502
Location
London
I'm not one of the experts here but it seems to me that if you keep doing this, sooner or later you'll be caught using a discount that you aren't entitled to. From what we see here, TfL aren't tolerant and they do court a lot.
 

Hadders

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I suspect you have been very lucky here. I could still do with knowing exactly where you purchased the ticket from - was it online or at a ticket machine?

We know that your ticket wasn't valid and consequently you could have been given a Penalty Fare. We know this didn't happen.
The inspector could have taken your details so for further follow-up. We know details weren't taken but if the inspector noted any details from the ticket then this means they could trace who purchased it. Clearly this isn't an issue if it was purchased at a ticket machine but it is a risk if it was purchased online.

What seems to have happened is the inspector inspected your contactless card (which was on your phone). As you hadn't touched in with it at the start of your journey this will mean the mid-journey iinspection by the ticket inspector failed and you will be charged a maximum fare (note it's not a Penalty Fare). I thought a maximum fare was around £10, not £5 but it might take this a few days to show prperly on your bank statement. You can see exactly what has been charged if you check your journey history on the TfL website.
 

nina1995

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Joined
18 Jan 2025
Messages
4
Location
london
It was a ticket machine at Baker Street. He did say something about a fare of £10 rather than £100 but then told me if I just validated my card with him that it would just charge me a single fare as long as I tapped out at Baker Street with the same bank card. The charge came out this morning as £5. He checked the ticket with other staff at the station and all were confused at what ‘reduced’ meant so I think they did not catch on. And yes no details of mine were taken.

I will have a look on TfL at my journey history just in case. But it looks like I was very lucky all around lol
 

Fawkes Cat

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8 May 2017
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5,324
I will have a look on TfL at my journey history just in case. But it looks like I was very lucky all around lol
I know this might be obvious - but the thing about luck is that it doesn't always come up. To keep out of trouble, it's important to now make sure that you have paid the right fare. In particular, if you are picked up again at Baker Street (or by the staff who were there but might be working somewhere else) they might be less supportive next time.
 

Hadders

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Agreed, it seems you have been very lucky. Another thing to be aware of is your card has failed one revenue inspection. If further inspections are failed then your card is bloicked from being used on the TfL network.
 

Manak

Verified Rep
Joined
4 Sep 2024
Messages
42
Location
Orpington
This was incredibly lucky. I agree with the advice above- ensure you always have the right ticket so you do not run into problems.
 

MallardLP

Member
Joined
7 Mar 2024
Messages
8
Location
Town
It was a ticket machine at Baker Street. He did say something about a fare of £10 rather than £100 but then told me if I just validated my card with him that it would just charge me a single fare as long as I tapped out at Baker Street with the same bank card. The charge came out this morning as £5. He checked the ticket with other staff at the station and all were confused at what ‘reduced’ meant so I think they did not catch on. And yes no details of mine were taken.

I will have a look on TfL at my journey history just in case. But it looks like I was very lucky all around lol
Its likely that you'll have a Failed Revenue Inspection on your Apple pay.
This will be recorded on TfL's contactless system so your dishonesty could catch up with you.
It goes without say really but if you don't have a Railcard but you're buying a ticket with a Railcard discount, its fare evasion.
 
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