Payment overdue reminder letters but fine already paid

[WesternLancer]

Success!
Got an email from the correct people in the end apologising for the threats of prosecution as they could see clearly that the fine had been paid on the day. They said they will ensure that there is no further action and will follow it up with a letter for our records.

Many, many thanks KeithP for putting me on to this forum. Very useful resource.

As for those who will say that she can appeal against the initial fine, tbh, I think it is a lesson learned and we will just leave it.

Many thanks to all those with helpful advice. I really appreciate it.

Glad to hear this, thanks for the update. Can understand why you might want to put it all behind you. Good luck and thanks to your daughter for her A&E work as well. Not a job I reckon I could do.

 

[jumble]

Success!
Got an email from the correct people in the end apologising for the threats of prosecution as they could see clearly that the fine had been paid on the day. They said they will ensure that there is no further action and will follow it up with a letter for our records.

Many, many thanks KeithP for putting me on to this forum. Very useful resource.

As for those who will say that she can appeal against the initial fine, tbh, I think it is a lesson learned and we will just leave it.

Many thanks to all those with helpful advice. I really appreciate it.

You may want to leave it now but I think a polite reply to the latest email asking them to send some vouchers would cost 2 minutes and might just solicit a favourable response

 

[proofread100@v]

You may want to leave it now but I think a polite reply to the latest email asking them to send some vouchers would cost 2 minutes and might just solicit a favourable response

Really? Would they ever do that?
What wording would you suggest please?

 

[WesternLancer]

Really? Would they ever do that?
What wording would you suggest please?

I think they might

wording would need to be to customer services along these lines, politely put.

- I feel I got unfairly penalized because a ticket machine that should have been working was not when I boarded a train at Y on X date /time of day.
- I approached staff and offered to pay when I encountered them - they refused and issued me with a penalty for a sum much higher then my fare
- I paid that
- Despite paying I then received further demands for significantly higher sums due to a failure of your systems to recognise that I had already paid
- I then had to spend yet further time corresponding with you / your company in order to resolve this and prevent the threat of....(court/higher charges etc etc - whatever it was)
- This is all really very poor service and I would like you to consider a good will gesture
- I would be happy to accept rail travel vouchers that I could use on future trains services as I am a regular traveller going to my job working at X hospital

My reason for saying they may do is that had you gone to Ombudsman / Passenger Focus they may have had to offer such a thing as part of an agreed resolution settlement so I suspect well worth a try.

 

[30907]

I think they might

wording would need to be to customer services along these lines, politely put.

- I feel I got unfairly penalized because a ticket machine that should have been working was not when I boarded a train at Y on X date /time of day.
- I approached staff and offered to pay when I encountered them - they refused and issued me with a penalty for a sum much higher then my fare
- I paid that
- Despite paying I then received further demands for significantly higher sums due to a failure of your systems to recognise that I had already paid
- I then had to spend yet further time corresponding with you / your company in order to resolve this and prevent the threat of....(court/higher charges etc etc - whatever it was)
- This is all really very poor service and I would like you to consider a good will gesture
- I would be happy to accept rail travel vouchers that I could use on future trains services as I am a regular traveller going to my job working at X hospital

The OP only claimed that the machine wasn't working properly, and I think trying to argue that the PF was incorrectly issued muddies the waters.

If they are seeking a goodwill gesture (as I agree they should) but don't want a prolonged argument, I would leave out the first two bullet points.

The complaint then focuses entirely on the administrative failure, where GTR have already apologised and the OP is on solid ground. Perhaps add a bit about the stress involved on top of a stressful job?

 

[Western Sunset]

I agree; focus on the aftermath of having paid BUT still receiving further demands.

 

[WesternLancer]

The OP only claimed that the machine wasn't working properly, and I think trying to argue that the PF was incorrectly issued muddies the waters.

If they are seeking a goodwill gesture (as I agree they should) but don't want a prolonged argument, I would leave out the first two bullet points.

The complaint then focuses entirely on the administrative failure, where GTR have already apologised and the OP is on solid ground. Perhaps add a bit about the stress involved on top of a stressful job?

Thanks - point well made I think. I agree.

 

[jumble]

Really? Would they ever do that?
What wording would you suggest please?

Western Lancer has answered roughly what I would say

I would not say "poor service" but that I have not been treated fairly and if they would want me to perceive that they wish to make things right a few RTVs would be much appreciated.
I would add that you understand that the Covid situation may have contributed to this oversight

As with all complaints
Be nice to the person dealing with it
They did not make the mistake !
Let them know what reasonable outcome will make you go away happy so you make it easy for them to resolve
Do not demand anything
Do not threaten or abuse them

 

[323235]

Success!
Got an email from the correct people in the end apologising for the threats of prosecution as they could see clearly that the fine had been paid on the day. They said they will ensure that there is no further action and will follow it up with a letter for our records.

Many, many thanks KeithP for putting me on to this forum. Very useful resource.

As for those who will say that she can appeal against the initial fine, tbh, I think it is a lesson learned and we will just leave it.

Many thanks to all those with helpful advice. I really appreciate it.

That's entirely your choice but do be aware that the railway may use it against her in the future, if she were unlucky enough to have any ticketing issues, as she will be on their database as having received a penalty fare.

Unfortunately letting the railway run you out of energy and keep £37.00 they aren't entitled to may give them leverage to charge a higher amount and threaten prosecution in a future situation.

 

[30907]

That's entirely your choice but do be aware that the railway may use it against her in the future, if she were unlucky enough to have any ticketing issues, as she will be on their database as having received a penalty fare.

Are PFs recorded that way? I thought that once paid that was it?

 

[Watershed]

Are PFs recorded that way? I thought that once paid that was it?

Once it's paid it's closed, but TOCs do keep a record of Penalty Fares (not sure how long but I would imagine around 6 years, as that is the statute of limitations should someone later challenge it).

 

[323235]

According to West Midlands Trains they hold personal data regarding Penalty Fares for 3 years. That's just an example from a Web search.

 

[robbeech]

keep £37.00 they aren't entitled to

Pedantic, perhaps, but its £18.50 they're not entitled to. Unless a valid railcard was held then it's £18.50 + the appropriate discounted part of the remaining £18.50.

 

[323235]

Pedantic, perhaps, but its £18.50 they're not entitled to. Unless a valid railcard was held then it's £18.50 + the appropriate discounted part of the remaining £18.50.

I understand what you are saying but I read on a previous post that the original penalty "fine" was £37.00 (I doublecheck before posting this) therefore as it's been charged as a £37.00 penalty fare , the notion of the original fare can in some instances cease to be becomes relevant beyond calculation of the penalty total.

I have seen penalty fares appealed and cancelled and people haven't been charged for the fare itself at all - essentially that would constitute the equivalent of a goodwill payment / gesture in an instance where they were incorrectly charged in the first place and inconvenienced by an appeal and dispute process. I don't have statistics for how often this happens but I can say with certainty it does happen to some degree.