Thank you very much king12345, this has litterly been the worst few days ever for me since receiving the summons. I won't bore you with the dets but had a lot on my plate previous to this! I spoke to a manager today and explained everything and my side and this time took a more apologetic route instead of "excuses" type route, thankfully they have seen I didn't intend to do anything malicious and with it being a first offence it's been settled. Gonna write a letter of a apology to the officer also for the silly comment!

I managed to speak to the team today and just explained everything my situation and how I hadn't meant to do it, I took everyone's advice and was apologetic and said I did see how it looked. I'm so greatful they called back half hour later and reviewed my case and it's been settled out of court. Thanks for everyone's advice and help.

Yeah I do appreciate all the comments and opinions like I say I take them all on board.

I'm not sure how I am meant to be though, I am litterly desperate to make them see I didn't meant to do anything. If I had done id begging for their forgiveness. Which approach with them should I try? I really don't know what else to do! I understand by putting it on a forum people are entitled to their opinion and I take each and every one on board. But until you are being accused of deliberately doing something which you honestly never intended to and could ruin your life you just could not understand how frustrating and upsetting it is. Not every case is as black and white. I'm having to go back to the doctors today as this weekend has been the worst ever it's made me ill.

Its just soooo annoying I'm going to be put in the same catagory as people who have actually gone out there to defraud the system and avoid paying fare!! Mistakes DO happen, look at their letters to me with conflicting stations on..blatantly a mistake..but one that will get overlooked with a second thought no doubt! I could litterely kick myself for not checking the ticket sooner but it hadn't even crossed my mind to knowing I'd bought it just the day before, I was in such a horrible place that day too with everything going on. Alls I can do is hope the judge sees I had no intent I guess..

Ah I jus looked at the sumons n they were stamped 28th jan?

Il ring them tomorrow and find out!

Also looking at the documents here, the inspector says in his statement the correct journey "liverpool lime street to sthelens JUNCTION" then on the charge papers what will be read to me in court it says "liverpool lime street to sthelens CENTRAL". Which is incorrect, as the inspectors statement and my ticket state! So there's a mistake on their behalf too, surely if checking details was so important n not makin mistakes then this wasn't displayed very well in their documents. I just want to prove to them I am not a criminal and made a genuine mistake to which I do apologise for, I had no intentions of not paying I would of gladly paid once explained to me why my ticket wasn't valid! He spoke to me like I was some sort of low life criminal trying to avoid paying all of 3.90! It's ludicrous!

Yeah the timeline is right! It's came as a shock when I got it all. The dates are on the letter too. Aug 27th the ticket was for, aug 28th I got stopped. December 21st wrote out to me, I got the letter the 24th finally got through to them beginnin of jan as they wer closed Xmas period, they received my letter 4 days later and I finally get a summons on Friday! I never went to buy a ticket because i already thought I had one you see, I could see the revenue officers on the other side of the barriers checking so was going to show them my ticket, as I was walking through towards them n got the ticket out my bag for inspection I noticed it and went straight over n questioned it and explained. I haven't missed a single detail out, everything iv wrote is what's happened, this is why it's taken me by surprise to much. I genuinly never intended to Avade anything. I wouldn't do that! I accept my ticket wasn't valid but surely I'm not the only one who has made a mistake, I pointed it out and offered to buy a new one straight away when told the reason why it wasn't valid. I'm not some sort of criminal who wanted to [problem] the company out of 3.90?!

The letter states I avoided the fare of 3.90 the incident happened in August. I did exactly as I explained, at lime street nobody was checking tickets at the barriers, just through the barriers where revenue officers..these are who I approached to explain. I only checked the date at this point because id got the ticket out of my bag and had to look to see which was the correct ticket for the return part of the journey, I noticed and went straight over to question the date n explained then apologised and said I'd buy a new one wen he told me a open return cnt be issued for that journey only same day. I hadn't checked previously because with me buying it the day before i hadn't needed to? Also not using this as a excuse but I was under medication for my anxiety and depression, recently came off that then gone through a horrific break up..last thing on my mind was the date on my ticket I was in a awfull way, every return I usualy buy to Manchester,blackpool,Leeds etc is open for the month, didn't occur to me this one wudnt be.

Yeah like I stated I had wrote to them giving my version of events. I apologised for the money comment and told them my side of what happened. I never called him a jobs worth or anything in conjunction, nothing else is mentioned in his statement.

I suppose so. It's just so infuriating I can't prove I didn't swear and I'm litterly going to get a criminal record for a genuine mistake, the same record someone who openly admits they were dare avading would Get

Do you think they would have CCTV from that day I could request?

Yeah i was walking through I got the ticket out of my bag looked at it to see it was the return one and that's wen I saw the date, I thought it was their mistake so went over to him n told him showing him the other part to show what date I bought it, that's when he said they don't do open returns n it was invalid so I apologised and said il have to buy one sorry I didn't relize.

The main point I tried to make in the letter was if I knew I was going to stay over and a return wouldn't of been valid..why would I of purchased a return? I would of either a) bought two singles and been honest. Or b) if I had planned to avoid paying my fare I would of saved the extra money and bought one ticket. It seems they don't look at each case Individual tho. I accept my ticket was invalid but I refuse to please guilty to "intent not to pay fare" as I did not intend it!! It seems very harsh I will have a criminal record for this and potentially lose my job!!

Yeah I completely understand I shouldn't of said that and I apologised in my letter, it wasn't meant in the way it came across it was just trying to state why would I want to Avade 3.90! It was the way he was speaking to me aswell when I'd explained it was a mistake, I was just shocked at what was going on and what I was bein accused of after explaining the reason why? When I was asking him why my ticket wasn't in date and should I buy a new one I was completely taken back when he started accusin me of fare dodging! The first charge says "did travel on a railway without previously paid the fare of 3.90 with the intent to avoid payment thereof. And says it's regulation of the railways act 1889 as amended section 84 of the transport act 1962 and section 18 of the British railways act 1997. The second one is byelaw no.6(1) saying I used threatening,abusive,obscene or offensive language. Which I NEVER! Surely they can see the CCTV cameras and witness it was me who approached the officer tryna explain what I'd done, and see that in no way did it get to the point I would walk away and swear? These conversations should be made legal to record when taking details. It's appalling people can lie like this and potentially ruin lives!

And upon speaking to the officer at the time he said that journey only did day returns . It didn't do open returns due to it only been a short trip. So this was not a "option made to me" when purchasing my ticket. It wasn't asked when I would be returning nor was it said it would only be open for that day.

I jus asked for a return ticket, it wasn't mentioned day return or anything like that. I travel a lot with work and whenever I have a return it's always open within the month, that's why I questioned it with the officer as soon as it was noticed and apologised and said I'd buy one now. With the offence saying "intended to travel without paying fare" I honestly never INTENDED to do anything, I completely understand my ticket wasn't valid..but I never realized this! Like I say why would I buy a return with the intent of travelling back the next day with a invalid ticket? Surely I would of saved myself the extra money and bought a single. I would never decieve anyone it's just not in my nature at all.

The return I had bought was two seperate tickets - one going out and one coming back. So it was obvious I hadn't used it before as I took the train to St. Helens on the outward as ticket, and then used the inbound ticket on my return back to liverpool. I stayed at my parents house, I could get a statement from them no problem. I hadn't even intended on staying it was just because whilst there me and my mum wer having a talk about my breakup and I was upset so decided to stay as I didn't want to be alone, and I had a return ticket so I could just go back in the morning. I'm so upset this has happened I honestly never intended to Avade anything, I used a unused ticket I just didn't relize for that particular journey it expired the same day! I didn't gain anything and the company didn't lose so I don't understand why this nasty man is trying to ruin my life!

I jus wanted to make a few points quickly too. I understand my ticket wasn't in date but I honestly thought it was as I'd bought a return just the day before! It was a unused return ticket back so surely that tells them I wasn't trying to purposely avade. It would make no sense to pay more for a return if I was simply going to hand in a out of date ticket! I would of bought one before getting on (like I did in the first place) or bought one before headin to the barriers upon arriving had I thought my ticket wasn't valid! I was the one who pointed it out as I handed it over n realized n questioned why it was out of date wen I'd bought it the day before n said sorry il have to buy one I didn't relize it ran out the same day, as usually returns last for a month?! I hadn't even checked the date as I had no reason to because I knew I'd only bought it the day before! Also how can I prove I never swore at him? It would be stupid to swear at someone after giving them ur details surely the court will see that?! Iv never been in trouble in my life I'd never avoid paying a fare or abuse someone it's just not in my nature.

Hi, back in august I just broke up with my partner and was feeling very upset so took a train from liverpool to St. Helens to go see my parents, I bought a return ticket. Whilst I was there I was upset so decided I would stay the night and travel home next day. Next day I took the train home and nobody came to check tickets on the train, I got to the barriers, to the side was a small stand where people could buy tickets. I went straight through the gates with my return ticket and went to hand it to the officer checking instead, as I was passing it over I noticed the return date was for the previous day. I went over and explained to him I'd bought the return not realizing it was a same day one as I travel quite a bit and usually a return is open for the month, apologised and said I'd have to buy a ticket. The officer got very nasty and started saying he wanted my details as this was fare evasion. I was quite shocked and tried to explain I work in compliance myself and would never do that, it was quite clearly a mistake just by looking at the dates on my ticket, I hadn't handed in a random old ticket or wasn't like I didn't have one. plus I was extremely upset over my breakup and didn't even cross my mind, it was the return part to a the journey and I hadnt relized it had ran out, I hadn't checked it as hadn't had any reason to as far as I thought! He was so rude and I stupidly said "I'm probably on more money then you why would I try and avoid paying 3.90??" More because I was so offended and confused why he was speaking to me like dirt and accusing me of this. It would make no sense to pay more to buy a return knowing it would be of date if I was going to fare evade?! Plus I was the one who pointed the mistake out to him and said I had to buy one?! But anyway he took my details, confirmed them and off I went. I got a letter in December askin me to give my version of events so I sent it in. Now I have received a court summons accusing me of abusive language and attempt to fare Avade?! He claims after givin my details I walked away and said "go **** yourself" which I honestly never! Why would I give in my details, let him confirm them and then swear at him?? That would be stupid! I'm so upset. I haven't purposely done anything wrong, I already suffer with depression and anxiety and don't know what to do here. I'm a single mum and if I get a criminal record I could lose my job as I'm a civil servant workin in compliance. .I actually work to prevent fraud not go out there and commit it!!! Could anyone give me advice on what to do please?? Surely they can see the CCTV and see I approach him and point it out and hear I never swore?? Wouldn't he have to provide proof of this??