Help With Marston Group Train Fine!!

dannygrave

Also London Diva if you are to quote me can you do it word for word as everyone seems to have the wrong idea of what I am putting across now

McKneff

quote - I realise I shouldnt have jumped the bus anyway but times are really hard and students cant afford the prices of transport. Quote

Times are really hard for all of us mate. Doesnt mean we all defraud companies, look where its got you. You have to afford a lot more than £2 now though.

ticketcollector

How is a bendy bus penalty fare a 'train' fine.

Anyways to other matters, This is a site which is for helping people not for judging them. Everyone makes mistakes, some even make even more then others.

What I would do is ask the baliffs for a true cost breakdown of fees, charges, admin, etc.
If they fail to provide that (and a receipt is not a breakdown), then contact your local CAB as I believe that its against some law not to provide an itemised receipt for some goods or services.
Asking for a VAT receipt sometimes works, as any VAT receipt over £50 must be itemised for HMCR purposes. Although I suspect bailiffs are zero rated.

dannygrave

Thanks alot for that info ticketcollector very helpful.Unlike some.
Sorry about getting the post name wrong just stressed out.

Everyone makes mistakes.
I came to this site for help not judgement.
Yes I am in a pickle and let me tell you if I had the £2 I would have paid it.

You must consider peoples financial position before judging them

Consumer Forum has been alot more helpful.

It may have been wrong for me to "defraud a company" but isnt it even worse to know that the government is happy to use companies that falsly imply that they can use force to get every penny out of you?

I just don't understand how the bailiff charges could have come to the amount of £275 (£60 fine included) when I did not receive a single visit at home and I only received one letter at the beginning of December a whole year and 4 months after the incident occured.

Here is my post again in clearer terms

I recieved a fine originally for £60 for travelling 2 stops on a bendy bus without a ticket on 30/8/2007.
I did not pay this fine on the spot and didnt recieve a penalty fare ticket from the conductor.

I did not hear anymore of it until I recieved a letter asking for me to pay the fine from the Marston Groups with a £50 bailiff fee on top (£110). I paid £12 of this. I recieved this letter on the 4/12/2008. A year and 4 months after the incident.

I was asked to pay the same again on the 24th December but due to bereavement I forgot about this.

I did not recieve any further contact until Friday 13th February when my girlfriends number was called by Mr Driscoll of the Marston Group demanding full payment of £270 which my girlfriend paid for me in two installments in the space of a week.

However they have taken £275 from my girlfriends account as I did not have the money at the time(he demanded that I borrow to pay).

I did not recieve any correspondence/letter that he would be attending my house to levy or of the increased charges.

When I asked for a full breakdown Mr Driscoll diverted my question and said that the receipts for payment have been posted.

What can I do to challenge this as I am sure I have been scammed?
I am also unemployed and was forced to quit university due to the stress and costs of travel. Please help. What can I do?

gner_ex

chuckley wrote: »

all this over a £2 fare.

why did you ignore the letter?! if u wanted to appeal it that woulda been your chance!

*smh*

90p (back in 07) by Oyster I believe? Less if had a student oyster photocard.

More to the point, why did he get on a bus that states very clearly "pay before you board" on all the doors and not do so?

Just to be clear Danny - are you saying that the ticket checker did NOT give you any paperwork that suggested you had x days to pay a penalty fare of £x? Did you think that the checker was allowing you to pay the fare as a goodwill gesture? If this is what you are saying, then I would speak to London Travelwatch urgently.

Be prepared to send them photocopies of everything you have. They might just be able to help?