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[Travel] Appealing a rail penalty fare







Barham's tash

Well-known member
Jun 8, 2013
3,613
Rayners Lane
I have a Southern "Key" card and can buy tickets via my phone. At least half the time the conductor's machine and barriers don't read it properly.

I ordered one too and then found out it cannot work North of somewhere not particularly northern in their network like Gatwick. [One presumes because of compatibility or legal
Issues with the Oyster network]

As I would only load it with my Victoria to Haywards Heath tickets for home games it is frankly useless.


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PILTDOWN MAN

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Sep 15, 2004
18,695
Hurst Green


beorhthelm

A. Virgo, Football Genius
Jul 21, 2003
35,299
And frankly if any of the train bods want to start spouting about improved rolling stock I personally can’t see past all recent improved rolling stock such as the Samsung Thameslink trains, as being nothing other than a ploy to increase capacity on each train...

increasing capacity is a ploy?
 


Notters

Well-known member
Oct 20, 2003
24,869
Guiseley
I appealed got it back minus admin fee. Easy process helped as I had kept tickets for the previous two days. Worded it with an indignant tone and situation similar to yours. Worth trying imo.

Thanks.

I have my ticket from Friday (though I have converted it into a park run card, sticking my park run barcode over the top!)
 




Barham's tash

Well-known member
Jun 8, 2013
3,613
Rayners Lane
Guessing you're not aware of all the upgrading work being done on the London Brighton line, including a full closure for a week in Feb between Three Bridges and Btn!

Here we go, another expected response....

The need to do upgrade works like this happens when you’re creaming BILLIONS in revenues without re-investing in infrastructure for the last 50 years...

It’s a service industry and frankly the service to the consumer is dog shit.


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Durlston

"Garlic bread!?"
NSC Patron
Jul 15, 2009
9,765
Haywards Heath
I got taken to court for not having the right train ticket. It dragged on for months and lead to severe stress along with grieving for a girl I loved at the same time. How I got through it I don't know.

Some inspectors are absolute frigging ars€holes, who look for targets when they're in a bad mood. I had to get a solicitor - that's how ridiculous it got and the threats they made towards me. I got a small fine and my lawyer was very kind and not too expensive.

Absurd and stressful ordeal I went through. Be careful, Notters. :thumbsup:
 




Thunder Bolt

Silly old bat
dont really understand why they do this, they have most main stations a "excess fares" office rail side to deal with this scenario, then randomly have revenue protection enforcement instead. so most the time they'll be reasonable and let you buy your ticket at destination, then decide a day this wont be the case. i doubt any appeal will work as they have the law on their side, logic and consistent application of it be damned.

This happened to us going into Brighton once. We went straight from the train to the office (without going through the barriers) to pay because we'd been unable to find someone to sell us a ticket on the train.
We got an almighty lecture about buying a ticket before travel, but they then allowed us to pay the fare.

We felt like two schoolkids when it was their machine that was out of order.
 


pearl

Well-known member
May 3, 2016
12,792
Behind My Eyes
Does anyone have any experience of appealing a rail penalty fare? Is it worth it?

I normally have a season ticket but for the last few weeks I’ve been all over the place so have been getting tickets on an ad-hoc basis when I’ve needed to go to the office. I usually grab a ticket from machine or if busy the conductor on the train. Failing that there is a ticket booth at Leeds station with four staff who’ve always been happy to sell me a ticket without any warnings etc. Today the conductor couldn’t get down the train as it was so busy so I went to the booth and was handed over to a penalty collector.

Similar thing happened to me on a train from Nottingham. My ticket only covered part of the journey. I paid the penalty, couldn't be bothered with going to court etc.
 


happypig

Staring at the rude boys
May 23, 2009
7,959
Eastbourne
I ordered one too and then found out it cannot work North of somewhere not particularly northern in their network like Gatwick. [One presumes because of compatibility or legal
Issues with the Oyster network]

As I would only load it with my Victoria to Haywards Heath tickets for home games it is frankly useless.


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I've used mine to travel to London many times
 




Lethargic

Well-known member
Oct 11, 2006
3,463
Horsham
I've used mine to travel to London many times
So do I and the key card would be great if it wasn't for the complete botch job when it comes to loading the ticket. Purchasing a ticket is great but my local station has 2 terminals which are regularly broken when ever it rains (who'd expect them to be weather proof?). So then I have a ticket but it's not on the card, the conductor does not have the ability to load tickets and I can't load it elsewhere as it can only be loaded at one location. So I end up phoning customer services to have it changed to a location that does work and I wait of 24+ hours Not a smooth process for the 21st century.

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Durlston

"Garlic bread!?"
NSC Patron
Jul 15, 2009
9,765
Haywards Heath
Similar thing happened to me on a train from Nottingham. My ticket only covered part of the journey. I paid the penalty, couldn't be bothered with going to court etc.

I was never given the option of paying a penalty fare, which I would have done without hesitation.

Instead they took down my name and address and told me I could be going to court. Nice.
 




Munkfish

Well-known member
May 1, 2006
11,871

Only selected lines, as I said Virgin have it sorted. I travel to work occassionally on the train and its a real pain collecting tickets from the booth, I have risked it and jumped on the train before with my proof of purchase online, however as I couldnt collect my tickets I was fined. The fact you cant collect tickets from a conuctor on a train is a joke.
 


pearl

Well-known member
May 3, 2016
12,792
Behind My Eyes
I was never given the option of paying a penalty fare, which I would have done without hesitation.

Instead they took down my name and address and told me I could be going to court. Nice.

I was caught by revenue protection. I offered to pay the fare, but they asked for my name and address. A few days later I received the penalty 'fine' paperwork in the post. As far as I can remember it was pay up or go to court. I paid up. It was only £20.00 (I think).

Just remembered now. I had to pay the full fare too.

The railway staff are usually fine and human, but the Revenue lot are robots.

When I was going on an 'Away Day' I witnessed a Albion fan getting caught at Brighton station. He'd been watched by a 'plain clothes' officer wearing an England shirt, trying to blend in with the football crowd.

As you were in a bad place at the time you possibly overlooked post
 


Barham's tash

Well-known member
Jun 8, 2013
3,613
Rayners Lane
So do I and the key card would be great if it wasn't for the complete botch job when it comes to loading the ticket. Purchasing a ticket is great but my local station has 2 terminals which are regularly broken when ever it rains (who'd expect them to be weather proof?). So then I have a ticket but it's not on the card, the conductor does not have the ability to load tickets and I can't load it elsewhere as it can only be loaded at one location. So I end up phoning customer services to have it changed to a location that does work and I wait of 24+ hours Not a smooth process for the 21st century.

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Ah so there’s the rub. That is complete and utter bobbins for the 21st century.


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pb21

Well-known member
Apr 23, 2010
6,292
Does anyone have any experience of appealing a rail penalty fare? Is it worth it?

I normally have a season ticket but for the last few weeks I’ve been all over the place so have been getting tickets on an ad-hoc basis when I’ve needed to go to the office. I usually grab a ticket from machine or if busy the conductor on the train. Failing that there is a ticket booth at Leeds station with four staff who’ve always been happy to sell me a ticket without any warnings etc. Today the conductor couldn’t get down the train as it was so busy so I went to the booth and was handed over to a penalty collector.

Outrageous :nono:
 




Surrey_Albion

New member
Jan 17, 2011
2,867
Horley
If the train is at the station or long queues gaurd at Horley regularly let me through without a ticket and advise me to get the other end so surprised youve had such an issue. Worth appealing but i expect it will take a while
 


wellquickwoody

Many More Voting Years
NSC Patron
Aug 10, 2007
13,621
Melbourne
This happened to us going into Brighton once. We went straight from the train to the office (without going through the barriers) to pay because we'd been unable to find someone to sell us a ticket on the train.
We got an almighty lecture about buying a ticket before travel, but they then allowed us to pay the fare.

We felt like two schoolkids when it was their machine that was out of order.

Not the same though is it? Not been going on for weeks.
 


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