Croydon Tramlink Services: appeal against penalty fare?

nisnooz

I jumped on a tram in croydon & did not know I had to swipe before boarding (I won;t bore you with details but the tram was pulling up so I ran not miss it & did not think twice of the possibility of touching in your Oyster on board)
Inspectors boarded the tram with me & I was issued a penalty fare because it was essential to swipe in BEFORE boarding as they've not installed oyster readers on the trams!

I had showed them a receipt with the top-up money I had added to my monthly travel card, precisely to pay the extra fare where needed.
I also explained that I've never been to croydon or used a tram (oyster record would confirm this) but they were set on the penalty regardless.
I could tell one inspector believed the proof & was going to accept my offer of the paying the full fare on the spot but the other had made up his mind.

The treatment was appalling really & they were ganging up on us (2 girls) as if we were criminals on the loose!

If I appeal against the penalty, how quickly will they acknowledge this? Seeing how they were, I'm positive they will not miss a chance to actually exceed the 21-day notice so they can charge £50 instead of £25!

Also, has any of you won an appeal against the Croydon Tramlink services?

dzug1

You don't have grounds for appeal.

Ignorance is no excuse, alas.

nisnooz

@dzug1:

Ignorance is no excuse, alas.

I did not ask you to reply, you volunteered. so out of self-respect, be polite in answering OR simply, do not bother!
I'm asking for feedback not self-righteous judgement.

Thanks

Simon11

Ticket Inspect is just doing his duty, lesson Learnt I say! However fail to see why they can't have oyster pads on the tram like the buses.

When you came off the tram, did you swipe your card?

nisnooz

Guys, I put the details in the post to give those who can offer insightful feedback, as accurate as possible a descritpion of the situation.
I am surely not posting for the purpose of banter, let alone "well deserved"-type answers.

Inspector's job to check cards, fair enough but intimidating polite, harmless customers is not. At the end of the day, it was curious that all the rough boys on the tram were not inspected.. but I truly do not want this post to turn personal. If some of you have been through this & can offer up some tips, it would be appreciated. If not, I'm happy to have this thread unreplied to than have to read personal jibes.

In answer to your question Simon, I did not have the chance to get off, it happened before.

KeithP

You wont like this, Nisnooz, but the only rude comments on this thread appear to be yours.

Two people have offered there opinion on whether or not you are likely to win an appeal.

I know that wasn't the question you were asking, but you must agree that is somewhat relevent. Indeed, I would call it 'insightful feedback'.

I will not add to the 'banter', as clearly if you don't like the answer....

realaledrinker

Be thankful this wasn't the Manchester metrolink where the first time fine is £100!

robt_2

nisnooz, just because you don't like the answer doesn't mean it is rude.

"Ignorance is not an excuse" is a well known and used phrase, it doesn't mean people are calling you ignorant, it means you were ignorant of the rules.

Adding emotive words and phrases like 'intimidating' and 'harmless customers' doesn't help your case on here - just as it won't if you formally appeal (which I wouldn't waste your time with).

Jamie_T_2

went home after college one afternoon and had changed my clothes but unfortunately had forgotten my 16+ oyster card within my wallet inside my jacket as I was in a hurry as result I was issued with a penalty notice on the 04 April 2011. I have made an appeal but have been unsuccessful at every stage.

However, I did not realized that I had forgotten my wallet that holds my oyster card until I was then approached by a Ticket Inspectors while traveling on the tram.
I am a full time student and holds a 7Day travel card covering zones 3-5, on a weekly basis. Whilst making the appeal to Tramlink, I have explained that I had forgotten my wallet indoors and I have also send a proof of the product information on the oyster which proved that on that day in question regarding my journey I held a season ticket.

Further to that I am currently living in Croydon and my college is situated in Balham in London, hence I have to purchase a 7Days weekly on the Oyster.
In addition to that, I am accustom to having my wallet with me which holds my oyster card and in my mind I had thought that I had, hence I boarded the tram. I did not realized that I had left my wallet at home until I was then approached by the ticket inspector – hence I could not produce a valid ticket for my journey.



However from my first initial appeal I had explained to Tramlink dept. that prior to having a 16+ Oyster card which entitles me to travel free, I also had a weekly 7Day travel card covering zones 3-5 which have not been taken into account. I had even enclosed the product history that have been obtained from OYSTER showing the products purchased including the day I was given a penalty notice fine. Unfortunately I had not kept any receipts and could not produce any receipt hence I have to obtain the product history from OYSTER.



Further to that, Tramlink had mentioned within their correspondence, that I should validate my oyster card before boarding the tram - the fact that I hold a 7Day travel card on a weekly basis, I never had to validate my 16+ oyster card on the tram stop card reader before boarding the tram at any given time for the simple reason that a weekly season 7 day travel card is on the oyster covering zones 3-5 at all times. Furthermore, the terms and conditions on the application form of the 16+ oyster card does not state that - if you hold a season ticket you should validate your oyster card at the tram stop card reader and as mentioned before - I honestly thought I had my wallet with me , hence I board the tram and would not need to touch in anyway as I held a 7day weekly travel card.

Firstly- Why was I not issued with a "nil fare" penalty notice and asked to send in a photocopy of the receipt of my 7 Day weekly season ticket, or asked to buy a normal single ticket? But rather been given a penalty fare notice of £ 50.00. Secondly, where there are discretionary circumstances, this should be taken in consideration. The fact that I am a full time student with no income whatsoever, living with my mother who is a lone parent and currently in receipt of Income Support since she has been made redundant, therefore she cannot afford to pay for this penalty fare. Her weekly income is £67.50. If my mum should pay £25.00/£50.00 from this income, what will she have left to feed myself and my 4 years old brother for that week when she can hardly afford to buy food.

I do understand that Tram operators of course have a right to protect revenue against fare evasion but are now using penalty fares to increase revenue in defiance of the Government Penalty Fare policy. Am I been class as fare evading even when I had a 7day weekly travel card on my oyster but had innocently forgotten it at home?

The appeals went to the third stage and Ive just received a letter informing me that my appeal has been unsuccessful and the Penalty Fare Notice has been upheld. The Panel could find no extenuating circumstances as to the reason why you did not validate your oyster." I had forward the information received from OYSTER at a later date as this took some time to be sent to myself.

However the information obtained from OYSTER showing the product history on my oyster was send at the final stage of the appeals process but was sent along a bit late as OYSTER took sometime to send it out, but during this time I had wrote a letter to Tramlink informing them that I was awaiting further information from OYSTER. However, I do not know weather or not the information had arrived in time for the Panel which needs to be taken into account.



The letter received today states that the decision made by the panel is final and I honestly believe that it is unfair given the fact that I had a seasons ticket and had genuinely forgotten it indoors which have not been taken into account.