Seeing that my posts are being removed mysteriously & without notification I've come to the conclusion that the site team feel I cannot contribute anything useful to this forum.

Therefore I shall not be posting again, I would like to leave thinking I may have helped in some small way a few people who have posted here looking for advice.

So long & all the best to the regular contributors.......you know who you are.

Do you get a criminal record even if it is a by-law offence (most likely what OP got convicted for)? If so then I am confused, since aren't parking fines and penalty fares also by-laws?

Parking tickets and penalty fares are not byelaw offences unless prosecuted for non payment using the byelaws.

Byelaws are known as 'Non-Recordable' therefore you do not get a 'Record' but you do have a criminal conviction.

You will definately have a criminal conviction, but whether you have a criminal record will depend on the offence you were convicted of.

Sounds like a conductor rather than an inspector, they will probably call you both in for an interview.

If you can show that it was just an innocent mistake you may be ok.

@Old-CodJA - difficult to see why FCC would argue penalty fares are not contract terms for ticketless travel. If this arguement is followed we know what penalty fares are not, but it is unclear what they are. If what FCC are doing is capriciously demanding monies from ticketless passengers who have clearly committed a strict-liability offence in exchange for not prosecuting, it sounds like extortion - or at least a corrupt practice.

You'll need to complain to the DfT as they are the ones who insist that some train operators have Penalty Fare Schemes as part of their franchise.

There will be a reference number on the letter, ring HMCTS central accounts & they can tell you which court dealt with the offence & when.

I suspect he didn't pick up his ticket when he put it through the barrier when they were at hertford north.

Impossible im afraid, the barrier wont open unless you take the ticket back.

When they write to you their contact details are on the letter, if they havent written yet you should wait.

After reading the authors post im wondering if she's still drunk.

I think you should know that you details are not hidden, you would be better protected if you edited the documents.

It surprises me how many people do this sort of thing with completely honest intentions.

Unfortunately the railway companies & courts dont seem to believe them.

If they cant serve a summons on you, no enforcement can occur.

You have 2 choices, tell them what your actual address is or............

These are always criminal prosecutions.

You are required to declare the conviction if asked for a period of.5 years from the date of conviction.

If you do not & the employer finds out you can be dismissed and/or prosecuted for gaining a pecunary advantage by not declaring as required or even worse, under S76 of POCA.

Where does the £160 figure come from?

The usual I accidently bought the wrong ticket (33% cheaper) online.

They wont believe a word you write if you stick to that cock n bull story, the only chance you have is if you are honest.

This is making no sense, any more…I don’t know why you people are sadly wasting my time for?

What a tool...

Why do you feel badly treated?

You forgot your ticket, then later you forgot to deal with the penalty notice by simply sending in a copy of your season ticket.

Why should they pay for your mistakes?

You are permitted to return immediately on the next available service with no penalty, however if you wish to leave the station you can be charged either the fare due or a penalty at staff discretion.

Write to the MD:

Rob Brighouse

Chiltern Railways

2nd floor, Western House

Rickfords Hill

Aylesbury

Buckinghamshire

HP20 2RX

Dont get fobbed off by the customer services dept.

If they cant serve a summons on you, they cant prosecute you. Read into that what you will.

There is a difference between a criminal record & a criminal conviction, but both have to be disclosed if asked.

You will get sent or if you attend court will be asked to fill out a means inquiry form, there is no requirement to provide a bank statement or payslip.

Remember that CCTV has no audio.

Simply put, the guidelines say £350 fine for fare evasion with intent & £175 for no intent if proved in absence.

There is no thought given to what a persons outgoings are.