Unpaid Fare Notice

[Snorty]

I received an unpaid fare notice on an East Midlands train a few weeks back. Basically I'd lost my card that morning (think I'd dropped it somewhere) and was going to miss my train.

I boarded the first train from Leeds to Sheffield after speaking with the staff in the rail station, they said you'll just have to get on.

I showed the conductor the e-mail stating I'd paid, and she had a bit of an issue with it, but let it slide.

The second conductor from Sheffield to Leicester issued me an "Unpaid Fare Notice" despite me trying to reason with her.

As a result of losing my card, I'd never actually had the tickets printed off before I travelled, so I'd expect them to be able to see this.

However, the time to appeal has since passed according to a new letter from "Ircas" and I now owe £65. I begrudge paying anything since I'd already paid for my fare.

What do? Somebody said I can end up with a criminal record if I don't pay.
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[Pete.]

Have you any record at all that you paid the fare? If you have, the unpaid fare notice isn't even valid surely, so why would there be a time limit to comply with?

If it was a 'travelling without a valid ticket' notice, I could see their point.
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[Imonster]

The problem is that it's a strict liability offence, and judging from what you said they would be looking at an s.18 rather than s.5.

TBH, £65 is a very low out of court settlement for the "offence" of not showing a valid ticket. I know it's unfair, but if it were me I'd suck it up, pay the money and forget about it.
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Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

[Snorty]

[Snorty]

[Imonster]

[Snorty]

[Imonster]

My understanding is that it's a strict liability offence - you didn't produce a ticket at the time of asking, irrespective of whether you paid or not, ergo you're "guilty."

If you get yourself over to the Transport section of the CAG forum there are friendly folks there who are far more knowledgeable than me in this field and may be able to find you a "get out". Good luck
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Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

[Imonster]

Just a thought, if you have the name of the person who said "you'll just have to get on", or the first conductor then the inference is that they have given permission for you to board the train, and in cases like this you would have your "get out."
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Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

[h00dwink]

(train conductor) your unpaid fare notice would presumably be a penalty fare, not an mg11? Penalty fare isn't a huge thing to be concerned by. Much the same as a penalty charge in a car park.
Make an appeal anyway stating what occurred. Back date it if need be and they'll probably think it got lost in the post.

This being said, don't think that being a penalty charge means to totally ignore it, 3 strikes (penalty charges) = mg11 (prosecution).

This is from my position within a different company but presume the penalty fare scheme east midlands operate is essentially the same as ours.
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[Ste]

Should have told them that your name is Mark Roberts and you live in Scunthorpe.

[Snorty]

[P.]

Do they charge your new card to print the tickets?

[Snorty]

[P.]

Oh shame, if it was for a card to kinda "take a pound to check it is you" you could have used mine