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Rail Penalty Fare Problem!

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  • wealdroam
    wealdroam Posts: 19,181 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    I have found a telephone/contact number for IRCAS! 0845 434 8292. I have had great success using this number and I hope you do as well. Please remember to be kind to the staff at IRCAS and good luck!
    I think you'll find it's payments only on that number. :beer:
  • I managed to speak to a very helpful lady who amended my penalty (not cancel it annoyingly!) and got it sent out to me again. So I don't think it is just payments. Hopefully you will have some luck.
  • Revenue Protection Support Services (RPSS) stopped using this phone number 023 8072 8950 or Fax: 023 8072 8904 in January 2006 - if you call these numbers you are unlikely to get an answer but it will still ring. They told me to ring 0870 166 0256 or fax 0870 166 0259.
    IRCAS - only use automated phone service (so is useless) so it is impossible to speak to anyone I know this as I did get a reply from RPSS who were unable to help with a penalty fare issued by a train company they don't deal with.
    Always contact the train operator and they will have a link regarding penalty fares - hope it isn't with IRCAS as impossible to speak with anyone but a computer!!!!

    I advise you call 2 weeks after being cautioned as that's how long it takes for the officer to submit his report. The number for the office is: 0207 922 9194 - The best gentleman to speak to there is Ian Watkins, PM me for his mobile number (it's unfair on him to advertise it on the net so I'll only give it to those who need it the most). Best of luck, and remember, call ASAP and apologise for making the mistake and let them know how you're preventing the problem from happening again in the future (e.g. putting a travel card on your Oyster so you don't have to worry if you forget to touch-in etc...). Hope this helps!
  • Just received a letter from IRCAS today demanding £50.

    Turns out that my 16 year old offspring forgot her travel pass, got a penalty notice and then forgot to tell us about it.

    Anyway first we know a demand arrives addressed to us telling us that we must now pay an additional £30 administration fee on top of the £20 fine. Oh and we have lost our right of appeal.

    I've sent them the £20 payment but I feel that since they didn't inform us of the penalty notice then it's unreasonable for them to try and charge us an administration fee. If they had written to us when they originally issued the penalty notice we would have paid up promptly.

    Has anyone else had a similar experience?
    Do you think we are right in not paying?
  • Errata
    Errata Posts: 38,230 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    erm........... your daughter got the penalty notice.
    .................:)....I'm smiling because I have no idea what's going on ...:)
  • Just received a letter from IRCAS today demanding £50.

    Turns out that my 16 year old offspring forgot her travel pass, got a penalty notice and then forgot to tell us about it.

    Anyway first we know a demand arrives addressed to us telling us that we must now pay an additional £30 administration fee on top of the £20 fine. Oh and we have lost our right of appeal.

    I've sent them the £20 payment but I feel that since they didn't inform us of the penalty notice then it's unreasonable for them to try and charge us an administration fee. If they had written to us when they originally issued the penalty notice we would have paid up promptly.

    Has anyone else had a similar experience?
    Do you think we are right in not paying?

    It sounds very familiar to the girl who got caught on the metro without a ticket.

    You are wrong in not paying and if you ignore the payment they are then within their rights to cancel the penalty fare and proceed through the courts.

    This may be a hard lesson for your daughter but fingers crossed it will teach her a valuable lesson.

    was the letter addressed to you or her? Does she have similar initials to yourself or did she open it in front of you?
    one of the famous 5:kiss:
  • Livingthedream
    Livingthedream Posts: 2,643 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    edited 16 November 2010 at 5:23PM
    Has anyone else had a similar experience?
    Do you think we are right in not paying?

    Here's a whole thread on the issue

    Spookily the parents had a very similar experience to your's, they decide just to pay the fine and not the admin costs, but they haven't updated lately to let us know the outcome of their issue.

    Edit: Gosh, to slow at typing again, but the link above is for the Metro thread than geordieracer gave reference to.
    Whoa! This image violates our terms of use and has been removed from view
  • More info

    The letter was addressed to us and stated that we ( the parents) had received the Penalty Fare. We hadn't - it had been given to our daughter who didn't tell us.
    I just feel that IRCAS never gave us, the parents, an opportunity to pay the original £20. If they feel that 16 years olds should be dealt with as adults then surely they letter sould have been addressed to our daughter.
    If on the other hand, they feel we the parents are responsible then I think they should have informed us about the Penalty fare in time for us to pay it promtply or appeal.
    It just seems to me to be an unfair and inconsistent approach.
    I'm happy for my daughter to learn the lesson and currently she is paying us back the £20 and will pay the £30 - I'm intending to pass this on to charity if it proves we don't need to pay it to IRCAS.

    I just feel that this is too easy a way to get £30 off insuspecting parents when IRCAS could inform them for the price of a stamp.
  • More info

    The letter was addressed to us and stated that we ( the parents) had received the Penalty Fare. We hadn't - it had been given to our daughter who didn't tell us.
    I just feel that IRCAS never gave us, the parents, an opportunity to pay the original £20. If they feel that 16 years olds should be dealt with as adults then surely they letter sould have been addressed to our daughter.
    If on the other hand, they feel we the parents are responsible then I think they should have informed us about the Penalty fare in time for us to pay it promtply or appeal.
    It just seems to me to be an unfair and inconsistent approach.
    I'm happy for my daughter to learn the lesson and currently she is paying us back the £20 and will pay the £30 - I'm intending to pass this on to charity if it proves we don't need to pay it to IRCAS.

    I just feel that this is too easy a way to get £30 off insuspecting parents when IRCAS could inform them for the price of a stamp.

    now im getting the feeling given what you have said above that even the penalty fare was in your name that your daughter used your name for it

    It is a consistent approach to the penalty fare system and they have given the chance for your daughter to appeal it but if she gave your name then how can they let you know about it?

    Remember someone has to sit there and go through each Penalty fare as it comes into them then they have to wait to see if an appeal is lodged then they have to sort out printing and posting the letter. That takes someone to do that and they are not doing it for free.
    one of the famous 5:kiss:
  • Final info. Thanks for everyones comments.

    After a quick search I found another number for IRCAS 0845 4348 292 that put me through to a real human being. This number isn't on the letter they send you.

    I explained the problem and the nice lady waived the Admin fee.

    Apparently they used to send out letters to parents when a penalty fare was issued but have recently changed their policy.

    So if you are in this situation I advise giving them a call. I'm off to donate £30 to Oxfam.
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