I lost my train ticket and was treated like a criminal despite having receipt

By

Lee Boyce

|

It’s easily done – a ticket for travel and other important documents going AWOL when you really don’t want them to. This is followed by a swell of panic, patting down every possible pocket or searching every last dark spot in your bag.

This was the scenario Danny Frondigoun faced on an East Coast train on Sunday 2 February 2014.

The 26-year-old recruitment sales executive was travelling back from Newcastle with five friends to London King’s Cross the day after watching the derby football match against Sunderland, at St James’s Park, as a birthday treat for one of the group.

Day before: Danny (second from the left) with his mates before the Newcastle vs Sunderland match. The weekend finished on a sour note which involved police at King’s Cross station

He managed to lose his ticket between boarding the train and sitting down, a simple mistake to make.

But he didn’t panic too much as he had what he thought was a safety net and clear proof that he had bought a ticket; a receipt.

Mid-journey, an inspector asked to see his ticket. Danny, of Crayford, Kent, explained the situation, showed his receipt which the group had paid in advance and believed this would be enough to prove he was a not a fare dodger.

He pointed out he used his ticket to get through the barriers and also showed a voucher which had his seat number printed. 

Danny says the inspector acknowledged that to get on the train he must have had his ticket and accepted he had paid, but then hit him with a massive penalty.

The inspector insisted he pay an eye-watering £121 more to buy a single to King’s Cross.

Shocked, Danny also offered to show yet another piece of evidence that he had paid for a ticket. The confirmation e-mail for the ticket purchase – he was travelling with his friends as part of group save, all of whom had both of their tickets.

The inspector refused to back down and Danny refused to fork out for a new ticket. The inspector then asked for Danny’s details, which he declined feeling that he was being unfairly treated.

The inspector subsequently called the police and Danny, sticking to his guns, believed ‘common sense would prevail.’

The police were waiting for Danny at King’s Cross station. He says the officers agreed he had paid for the ticket, but advised him the inspector was just doing his job – there was nothing they could do.

They said that because Danny had proof of a ticket he should give the inspector his details and then appeal, as a resolution to the situation.

He accepted and duly received a fine in the post of £121 a few days later.

He appealed and while this was in motion, the fine went up by another £20.

After this, he received a letter stating that his appeal was unsuccessful, despite all of the evidence he supplied.

Danny says: ‘The situation has caused stress and embarrassment, especially the over-zealous handling of the issue and police being called.

‘I pay several thousand pounds a year for my Gold Card travel card and have never been fined in the past. If I lost my ticket for this in the past, I have shown proof of payment and been issued with a new ticket with no problem. 

‘I feel like I have been treated like a criminal throughout this whole process, when there are genuine “fare dodgers” boarding trains every day.’

East Coast: Was the train operator right to fine Danny?

East Coast might just be following the letter of the law, but where’s the common sense?

After going through an independent appeal panel, which argued his case, East Coast dropped the fine to £45.

Yet despite, Danny having clear proof of buying a ticket, this means the rail firm is still demanding money. Danny is adamant he should have to pay any kind of fine. 

I spoke to East Coast, which admitted this type of incident is not uncommon on trains. However, it added that a receipt is not a ticket and it is simply following the letter of the law.

The train operator referred This is Money to the National Rail Conditions of Carriage. On point four of its terms it says: ‘Keep your ticket safe. It is your ticket, not the receipt for it, which gives you the right to travel. Do not lose, damage or attempt to alter your ticket.’

But while it is very easy to say ‘do not lose’ your ticket, there is some common sense sadly lacking here.

Nobody actively wants to lose their ticket.

We all understand that the receipt is not a ticket, but surely it’s the closest you will get to cast iron proof that you bought one? Especially alongside a raft of other evidence, such as booking confirmation, seat number receipt and the small matter of all the other people on the group save, who had their tickets.

Train fares in Britain among the most expensive in Europe – passengers could, in my opinion, occasionally be treated with a little more respect and sympathy. 

Danny has since paid his fine to avoid any further penalties.

He also been in contact with his local MP David Evennett and has started an e-petition arguing that the rules surrounding lost tickets should be changed.

HAVE YOUR SAY: Have you found yourself in a similar situation to Danny? If so, what was the resolution? Do you believe East Coast was right to fine him or should they accept his evidence as proof of purchase? Let This is Money know in the comments section below…

Comments (249)

Share what you think

The comments below have not been moderated.

martin,

Coventry,

10 hours ago

Isn’t it about time all train tickets bought online or using an app were available in an electronic format that can be displayed on any phone or tablet/

lindaree,

Newcastle upon Tyne,

1 day ago

Hmm yes but surely the point is that another person could have the actual ticket and so be traveling for free? So you buy one ticket, one sits elsewhere and the other uses the receipt and hopes for the best maybe?

Greg Malaysia,

Kedah,

1 day ago

Cor blimey–good job it was’nt Rian air!!! You have to show your driving license even though you have one. You have to show your tax disc on the windscreen even though you have one and you have to —well you get the picture.

Jim,

Cardiff,

2 days ago

The best trains I have taken was in Tokyo. Clean and inexpensive. Staff were helpful. Even if you underpaid your fare, you can top up at the point of exit. No penalty.

UKtaxpayer,

London, United Kingdom,

3 days ago

My son found himself in a similar situation last year when his wallet was stolen during the train journey. The outcome was the same, had to pay again for the travel and a fine. He also found himself stranded 50 miles from home, the train company would not allow my husband to pay for another ticket over the phone. The only good thing I can say is at least they are consistent.

Edward Whelan,

London, United Kingdom,

3 days ago

Assuming the report fair and balanced, Danny was publicly shown such disrespect that the very least he deserves is a public apology, a full of refund of everything he has paid plus a free ticket to enjoy the same journey again in peace.

East Coast behaved like mindless robots, pre-programmed to prevent common sense and courtesy interfering with their decisions. ¿Simply following the letter of the law¿ is a pathetically feeble excuse that serves only to undermine respect for the law. Coming from an organisation supposedly dedicated to public service, that in itself is a gross public disservice.

East Coast have really shot themselves in the foot because given a choice, who would want to travel with such people?

Edward Whelan,

London, United Kingdom,

3 days ago

Assuming the report is fair and balanced, Danny was publicly shown such disrespect that the very least he deserves is a public apology, a full of refund of everything he has paid plus a free ticket to enjoy the same journey again in peace.

East Coast behaved like mindless robots, pre-programmed to prevent common sense and courtesy interfering with their decisions. ¿Simply following the letter of the law¿ is a pathetically feeble excuse that serves only to undermine respect for the law. Coming from an organisation supposedly dedicated to public service, that in itself is a gross public disservice.

East Coast have really shot themselves in the foot because given a choice, who would want to travel with such people?

stug54,

newcastle, United Kingdom,

3 days ago

idiots lose tickets

stug54,

newcastle, United Kingdom,

3 days ago

£45 was a small fine @ the end of the day it was your fault for mislaying your ticket, no one elses fault.

many fare dodgers also get caught out.

stug54,

newcastle, United Kingdom,

3 days ago

you tell him

Who is this week’s top commenter?

Find out now

I lost my train ticket and was treated like a criminal despite having receipt