Used old ID when being questioned

[Lalala]

Hello all,

I tapped in from paddington and didn’t realise I couldn’t tap out at my destination, so i got questioned by a ticket officer from GWR… stupidly when i was questioned (very quickly as my station was the next stop when he checked) i showed him my ID with an old address. Now i’m worried that any letter containing a fine (which i’ll happily pay) will go to my old address for which i cannot get a redirect.

I don’t quite understand how he would have fully taken my address from the 3 seconds he had to look at my ID (he was wearing a body cam but i don’t think he showed it to it and i don’t know how high res they are). What do you guys think? He never actually asked me for my address, just my ID.

Any ideas would be appreciated!

 

[Hadders]

Welcome to the forum!

We really need to know more information to be able to offer advice:

Where were you travelling to?
Were you trying to use Oyster or contactless?
What exactly did the inspector say to you?
Were you given any paperwork by the inspector?

It might be worth arrangeing for Royal Mail to redirect your post from your old address to your new address. Also not that they won't just send a fine in the post. Technically only a court can impose a fine as a punishment following a conviction. If GWR do contact you it will likely be a letter from their prosecutions office saying they have received a report and that sufficient evidence exists to bring a prosecution but asking for your version of events before they decide how to proceed. GWR will normally offer an out of court settlement to people who haven't come to their attention before and who engage with the process.

 

[scrapy]

It's probably worth contacting GWR presecutions department (you should be able to get contact details from their customer services if not available on their website) and telling them about the error. This also shows that you are willing to engage with them on the matter.

 

[island]

I won’t repeat the above good advice but just to remark that

i showed him my ID with an old address

If the ID is a driving licence (and I’m not aware of many other types of ID that have an address on) it’s a further criminal offence not to promptly notify DVLA of any change of address and surrender your licence to have a new one issued in the correct address.

 

[WesternLancer]

Hello all,

I tapped in from paddington and didn’t realise I couldn’t tap out at my destination, so i got questioned by a ticket officer from GWR… stupidly when i was questioned (very quickly as my station was the next stop when he checked) i showed him my ID with an old address. Now i’m worried that any letter containing a fine (which i’ll happily pay) will go to my old address for which i cannot get a redirect.

I don’t quite understand how he would have fully taken my address from the 3 seconds he had to look at my ID (he was wearing a body cam but i don’t think he showed it to it and i don’t know how high res they are). What do you guys think? He never actually asked me for my address, just my ID.

Any ideas would be appreciated!

as per post #3 worth you reading the GWR prosecutions pdf policy - which towards the end (not the contact info at the start) has clear contact details if you want to get in touch with them to clarify your correct address. Make it clear what date / time / train you were on if you know and also be sure to make it clear you did not give a false address but that you think the staff took address of an ID card that you had which was outof date, without checking with you if the address was correct (you are not required to have, or to show, ID in this instance / in the UK so it may have been better saying you had no valid ID when asked - tho water under the bridge now.

https://www.gwr.com/-/media/gwr-sc-website/files/revenue-protection-policy/GWR-Revenue-Protection-Policy-January-2023.pdf

That is of course to be weighed up against not 'waking them up' but if you get taken to court as a result of not engaging with this as per explanation of process set out in post2 and via the old address without you knowing - it will cost you a lot more time and hassle / money to sort out as you will have to start engaging with making 'Statutory Declaration' to the court and this is all best avoided if possible.

You say you can not get post re-directed now, is that even the case with paying for a Royal Mail redirect? - which is what the forum would usually suggest you do in these circs.

It's really important you get post from them as you are on a potential escalator to court prosecution, so that is why it would probably help if you contacted GWR proactively. Do not write anything in your letter that could admit a ticket offence - simply say that a member of staff took your details on X date etc from ID they asked for, but which was out of date. They took no other action to check my address, which was out of date on the ID I showed. That address would be......my up to date correct address is......

You need to give them an address that is going to be valid for up to 6 or 8 months

 

[island]

You say you can not get post re-directed now, is that even the case with paying for a Royal Mail redirect?

According to the Royal Mail website a redirection requires the applicant to provide proof of the old address less than 6 months old. If the OP moved more than that length of time ago they won’t be eligible.

 

[scrapy]

If the ID is a driving licence (and I’m not aware of many other types of ID that have an address on) it’s a further criminal offence not to promptly notify DVLA of any change of address and surrender your licence to have a new one issued in the correct address.

Whilst it is an offence to not notify the DVLA of a change of address, no offence is committed of you fail to return your old licence.

A new license is sent out once you have informed them of the change, they don't wait for your old licence to be returned. They do ask you to return your old licence cut in two but no offence is committed if you don't unless they have requested your license to put points on it.

 

[Lalala]

Whilst it is an offence to not notify the DVLA of a change of address, no offence is committed of you fail to return your old licence.

A new license is sent out once you have informed them of the change, they don't wait for your old licence to be returned. They do ask you to return your old licence cut in two but no offence is committed if you don't unless they have requested your license to put points on it.

this is exactly what happened, i simply lost my new license a couple of weeks ago and haven’t received a replacement yet, so i just keep this one on me for convenience.

Thank you all for your very helpful advice!! I’ll properly respond when i get back from work tonight.

 

[island]

Whilst it is an offence to not notify the DVLA of a change of address, no offence is committed of you fail to return your old licence.

A new license is sent out once you have informed them of the change, they don't wait for your old licence to be returned. They do ask you to return your old licence cut in two but no offence is committed if you don't unless they have requested your license to put points on it.

Incorrect. See sections 97 (c), 99 (4) and (5) of the Road Traffic Act 1988. Additionally, the DVLA no longer physically endorses points onto licences.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Oct 2023 ==

this is exactly what happened, i simply lost my new license a couple of weeks ago and haven’t received a replacement yet, so i just keep this one on me for convenience.

So that's a further offence. You need to surrender your old licence to the DVLA.