Travel Beyond Validity...

[gray1404]

I really hope that the OP has paid the PF in this case and is not relying solely on their appeal being upheld. Do complain to customer services of the TOC all means though but please ensure you pay the PF before the end of the time limit to avoid this being taken further and costing you more.

 

[najaB]

I really hope that the OP has paid the PF in this case and is not relying solely on their appeal being upheld.

I believe they have:

Thanks najaB, sound advice. The 'Penalty' has just been paid.

 

[trainagogo]

Some unexpected news...

Unbeknownst to me, my father took it upon himself to write to the company and express his concerns. On the back of that I received a cheque this morning covering my penalty fare and the cost of my taxi.

In the letter, they confirmed I had been issued a penalty fare correctly but due to 'extenuating circumstances' they are prepared to cover my costs as a 'gesture of goodwill'.

In the letter they apologise and state 'at the time you were travelling, the online journey planners were showing options for a 'double back' at Witham despite this not actually being valid. Generally speaking, doubling back or over-travelling on a ticket is not permitted unless a specific easement is in place, and there are no such easements in this area of the network. In light of the problems experienced following the incorrect information on the journey planner, our Fares department have been working with their industry contacts to try and get this corrected as soon as possible. It was the first time we'd heard of such an issue but I do hope this will mean that no-one else experiences a similar problem in the future'.

I'm very grateful to the train operating company and my father (for sticking his oar in!). Common sense really has prevailed and to the betterment of all of us.

 

[najaB]

Common sense really has prevailed and to the betterment of all of us.

Glad to hear you got a satisfactory outcome. Also good to see that our initial assessment of the situation was correct - the Penalty Fare was correct but the TOC refunded it after a complaint to Customer Services since the information online was misleading.

 

[furlong]

the Penalty Fare was correct

We never got enough information to know - if NRE was showing what we think it might have been showing, issuing a Penalty Fare would have been wrong and a correctly-argued appeal would have succeeded.

Any ticket indicated for use in conjunction with a particular journey when using the Journey Planner will automatically be valid for the route and service indicated.

 

[najaB]

We never got enough information to know - if NRE was showing what we think it might have been showing, issuing a Penalty Fare would have been wrong and a correctly-argued appeal would have succeeded.

Agreed we never got definitive proof, but the OP's journey wasn't the one they initially claimed it was, and they never used NRE to check the journey they actually made.

 

[sheff1]

Also good to see that our initial assessment of the situation was correct ....

It was not until post #107 that the OP announced that the ticket they were using that day was completely different to the one they initially implied they held. I suggest, therefore, that any "initial assessment" was worthless and the first two weeks of discussion on here was a waste of everyone's time.

 

[najaB]

I suggest, therefore, that any "initial assessment" was worthless and the first two weeks of discussion on here was a waste of everyone's time.

It was, interestingly, on the money though - pay the Penalty Fare and claim it back from the TOC's customer services as a goodwill gesture.

Edit: In case it's not obvious, there was eye-rolling going on while I wrote that post.

 

[gray1404]

Some unexpected news...

Unbeknownst to me, my father took it upon himself to write to the company and express his concerns. On the back of that I received a cheque this morning covering my penalty fare and the cost of my taxi.

In the letter, they confirmed I had been issued a penalty fare correctly but due to 'extenuating circumstances' they are prepared to cover my costs as a 'gesture of goodwill'.

In the letter they apologise and state 'at the time you were travelling, the online journey planners were showing options for a 'double back' at Witham despite this not actually being valid. Generally speaking, doubling back or over-travelling on a ticket is not permitted unless a specific easement is in place, and there are no such easements in this area of the network. In light of the problems experienced following the incorrect information on the journey planner, our Fares department have been working with their industry contacts to try and get this corrected as soon as possible. It was the first time we'd heard of such an issue but I do hope this will mean that no-one else experiences a similar problem in the future'.

I'm very grateful to the train operating company and my father (for sticking his oar in!). Common sense really has prevailed and to the betterment of all of us.

So you didn't bother to write to them yourself despite the advise you were given on the forum??? Sounds like your family member did it without you knowing. Glad you got a good outcome.

 

[trainagogo]

It was not until post #107 that the OP announced that the ticket they were using that day was completely different to the one they initially implied they held. I suggest, therefore, that any "initial assessment" was worthless and the first two weeks of discussion on here was a waste of everyone's time.

The majority of experienced travelers would fail to understand why any route further up a line should be legal or not depending on the originating station - hence why I felt this information was unimportant (yes, lesson learnt now). Had I purposely hidden this fact (and it would be pretty pointless to do so) your tone would be justified.

So you didn't bother to write to them yourself despite the advise you were given on the forum???

I had already drafted a letter myself but other commitments (family, work) had, rightly, taken priority.

Thanks again to everyone who helped - sorry about the goose chase. Armed with the knowledge I have now the original post would have been much different.

I wish you all the best.

 

[Deerfold]

The majority of experienced travelers would fail to understand why any route further up a line should be legal or not depending on the originating station - hence why I felt this information was unimportant (yes, lesson learnt now). Had I purposely hidden this fact (and it would be pretty pointless to do so) your tone would be justified.

There's a post at the top of this section asking those wanting help to read it.

Its purpose is to avoid such wastes of time.

Guidance for those asking for advice

Many members will try to assist you, but please bear in mind the following:
We need to know all relevant facts in order to assist you, including, for example:
The stations where you started & finished your journey;
The stations where you changed trains (if applicable);
If you presented a ticket(s), the information stated under "Ticket type", "From", "To", "Route", and any other relevant details;
What happened in any encounter with railway staff;
The details of any paperwork with which you were issued.