Penalty For Lost Train Ticket - Appeal Help

onetenzeroseven

Hello all.

I'm hoping for some advice on behalf of my boyfriend.

Whilst staying in Hertfordshire at the weekend, we arrived at a station to travel into London, bought a ticket each and ran for the train that was just about to leave.

The ticket gates weren't in use for some reason so we didn't need the tickets to get onto the platform.

When the train set off my boyfriend realised that in the rush to catch the train he'd forgotten to take the ticket out of the dish at the bottom of the machine.

Of course it had to happen on the same train that the ticket inspectors were on, checking people were traveling with a valid ticket. We explained the situation and the inspectors just issued a penalty fare with no further advice except we could appeal.

Given that my boyfriend has his bank statement showing he bought a ticket minutes before that train, using the same bank card that he paid the penalty fare with and the same bank card he then had to buy a replacement ticket with when we transferred at the next station... do you think we have much chance of a refund?

Does anyone know what the best way to appeal is and if there are any loop holes we can use (such as the ticket machines not being in use at the time) to help us with our case?

Thanks so much

AnythingButChardonnay

Doubt it. Proving he purchased it is unlikely to carry much weight. Someone else could be using the ticket.

onetenzeroseven

Thanks.
Someone else probably did use the ticket instead of buying their own... happy day for them, pain in the !!! for us!

Livingthedream

onetenzeroseven wrote: »

Of course it had to happen on the same train that the ticket inspectors were on, checking people were traveling with a valid ticket. We explained the situation and the inspectors just issued a penalty fare with no further advice except we could appeal.

Seeing that you had no tickets on your person, you did well just to get a Penalty fare you could have been reported for fare evasion which would have been a lot more serious.

onetenzeroseven wrote: »

Given that my boyfriend has his bank statement showing he bought a ticket minutes before that train, using the same bank card that he paid the penalty fare with and the same bank card he then had to buy a replacement ticket with when we transferred at the next station... do you think we have much chance of a refund?

A refund on your misplaced tickets or replacement tickets, either way I think the answer is going to be No. Due to the fact you no longer have the Original tickets for a refund and the replacement tickets due to them been used.

onetenzeroseven wrote: »

Does anyone know what the best way to appeal is and if there are any loop holes we can use (such as the ticket machines not being in use at the time) to help us with our case?

You have a right to appeal, If it was me I'd state how you were in a rush after waiting for over 10 minute in a queue for your tickets and that in your haste you left them in the machine, but enclose proof of purchase in the form of bank statements, lay it on thick ie how you enjoy traveling by their train company and have never made this mistake before, Blah Blah Blah. You might be lucky and have your appeal upheld, but I would lay odds of around 100/1 that you win.