Transport for London - EXCESSIVE FINE

Chris_Willsher

Im not sure if this will arrive to the right person but it out of desperation I writing on this forum.not once in my life have a ever written into anything to complain about public services or the way a company has dealt with me but I just had to reach out and vent this somehow!

This letter in in reference to how and I'm currently being treated by Transport for London and the people they have sold their debt to, Philips debt recovery management.
I just do not know where to go next, to summarize, last summer at around 6-am after leaving a party in south london I jumped on a bendy bus with an oyster card i had borrowed off a friend, but this time I decided not to swipe it, I was in a stress and in a rush to get home, unluckily a TFL inspector got and and checked my oyster and saw I had'nt swiped the card and not only did he take my address but took away my friends oyster card from me. I was very angry at this as I did'nt feel he had the right to take it. Several weeks later I received correspondence that TFL were taking the matter further and would possibly go to court, then a received a court summons which I was staggered by and outright refused to attend, then last week I get a letter from Philips bailiffs telling me if i did'nt pay 300 odd pounds that they would visit my property and take my possessions, so frightened I contacted them and told them I would write to them and tell them what I could afford and if they would consider some kind of payment plan. They ignored my letter and yesterday showed up at my door, not letting them in a opened the letter they hand delivered and in one week it has risen to £540 and after contacted them again they have decided that they will not accept any payment plan and want the money in full in 7 days else they will be forcing entry to my flat and taking my things.
Im so frightened, im a boy really, in the body of a mid 20s man, and i'm at university, studying music, I'm in my 3rd year, I have a part time job in a music venue in which i only have shifts when there are shows, and this is making me so sad, I have absolutely no money. I only moved to London to go to Uni for the sake of my parents, who both died in 2004 and 2005, my mum being murdered in my living room in front of me, it was my mums wish for me to move to London and try and succeed at a musician, and now the thought of some bailiffs breaking down my door and taking my piano and guitars frightens me to the point of not seeing a life for me without those items.

I wish they would just let me agree to some payment plan, 540 pounds for the sake of a one pound bus journey.
It really makes me sick of TFL and they way they have organized their fines, and do not take into count the in individual. Im now sitting in my room praying they dont break down my door tomorow

CharlieBilly

OP posted this else where on forums too rather than repeat replies

spikeycat

Oh no!

TFL are awful like that. I can't believe they're trying to charge you over £500 now!

I am worried now because I am challenging a £20 fine which has now got added admin fees as I jumped on a train from a station in south london when the ticket machine wasn't working and the cashier wasn't there. I couldn't buy a ticket, so I thought I'd just get on the train anyway, it was only a couple of stops. When I got to my destination TFL inspectors were there and told me they had to charge me a fine, no way could I just buy a single there even though the ticket machine was broken (it wasn't fixed for 3 or 4 days after this incident) and advised me to challenge it by letter.

I got a letter saying that I did not qualify to challenge this as I could not provide proof of my oyster card record?! Which by the time they'd replied to my correct address, the oyster card records had been deleted (they only keep a couple of months records apparently!? and apparently mine is an expired student one and they can't access my records?!?!)

I'm currently awaiting a reply to my most recent refusal to pay the fine and admin fees - I wrote expressing my distress that they were fining me for a situation that was not my fault. I am worried that the next letter they send is going to be a court summons or something.

I'm not sure you can really appeal as you hadn't swiped your oyster card on a bendy bus - a fine a few of my friends have had. I'm sorry, but I really think that you should have paid the £20 fine when it was first issued to be frank. It's really rubbish they way they treat their customers, and very distressing to be issued with court summons without any warning. I really hope you get everything sorted, and know that you're not alone in dealing with TFL.

williham

Next time swipe your oyster card, lesson learnt.

I'm glad they're actively doing something to stop people getting free rides around london.

isplumm

spikeycat wrote: »

Oh no!

TFL are awful like that. I can't believe they're trying to charge you over £500 now!

I am worried now because I am challenging a £20 fine which has now got added admin fees as I jumped on a train from a station in south london when the ticket machine wasn't working and the cashier wasn't there. I couldn't buy a ticket, so I thought I'd just get on the train anyway, it was only a couple of stops. When I got to my destination TFL inspectors were there and told me they had to charge me a fine, no way could I just buy a single there even though the ticket machine was broken (it wasn't fixed for 3 or 4 days after this incident) and advised me to challenge it by letter.

I got a letter saying that I did not qualify to challenge this as I could not provide proof of my oyster card record?! Which by the time they'd replied to my correct address, the oyster card records had been deleted (they only keep a couple of months records apparently!? and apparently mine is an expired student one and they can't access my records?!?!)

I'm currently awaiting a reply to my most recent refusal to pay the fine and admin fees - I wrote expressing my distress that they were fining me for a situation that was not my fault. I am worried that the next letter they send is going to be a court summons or something.

I'm not sure you can really appeal as you hadn't swiped your oyster card on a bendy bus - a fine a few of my friends have had. I'm sorry, but I really think that you should have paid the £20 fine when it was first issued to be frank. It's really rubbish they way they treat their customers, and very distressing to be issued with court summons without any warning. I really hope you get everything sorted, and know that you're not alone in dealing with TFL.

The problem is that you should have gone to the conductor & told them what has happened ... they could have issued you a ticket ... or you should have queued & bought ticket from ticket office ... now if TO not open & no guard on train, then maybe you have a leg to stand on ... but it is your responsibility to have a ticket ... so unless the previous statement is true, I suggest you pay.

I travel by train a lot .... but never without a ticket .... from their point of view you are a ticket dodger ...

Mark

isplumm

spikeycat wrote: »

Oh no!

TFL are awful like that. I can't believe they're trying to charge you over £500 now!

I It's really rubbish they way they treat their customers, and very distressing to be issued with court summons without any warning. I really hope you get everything sorted, and know that you're not alone in dealing with TFL.

But you aren't a customer .... customer's pay for their journey .... you didn't!!

Mark

tehone

but this time I decided not to swipe it

Whyever not, why go to the point of "borrowing" a card and then not using it.. Yuo were also foolish in not bothering to turn up to the court hearing. However that is a lesson for you to learn for the future.

As to the money now, I suggest you try these options

1) Ring the court and ask to make a payment plan with the court - additionally I expect that if they have won judgment against you it will only be for a specific amount - the £300odd so the extra costs won't be legally recoverable from you.

Also they can't force entry to your flat - do make sure you close evry single door/window ALL the time the though as enrty through an open window doesn't count as forced.

2) Ring the CAB who will be able to advise better.

3) Approach your university Student Welfare and see if there is any potential for a crisis loan of some kind from them

4) Don't ignore stuff in the future!

spikeycat

No Ticket Office, No conductor/guard on the train (I've never seen one on that train service, and I travel a couple of times a week on it, usually with a ticket!) and no ticket machine working. No way to purchase a ticket, so no ticket purchased. I'm happy to pay my £1.70 fare, and have offered it to them twice now.

I'm hoping they understand my appeal and cancel the charges.

voiceofreason

Chris_Willsher wrote: »

Im not sure if this will arrive to the right person but it out of desperation I writing on this forum.....Im now sitting in my room praying they dont break down my door tomorow

This is BS.

BS spammed elsewhere on the forum, too.

young_victor_meldrew

You didn't swipe your card because you were under stress and in a hurry to get home? Have you ever travelled between 5pm and 6.30pm on a weekday when most of London is stressed and in a hurry to get home?

You need to man up quickly if you want to survive in London sunshine.

Not paying your fare is stealing. Stealing is a criminal act. Criminals deserve to be punished.

Serves you right Thief.:mad:

maninthestreet

OP, it's probably not a good idea to use your real name when posting on these forums.