Appealing Docklands Railway Fine

happy_2008 · 12 Jul 2009 at 01:41

Hi All,
I received a penalty fare today on the DLR for not producing a valid ticket but this was a genuine mistake as i had forgotten my oyster card which contains a monthly ticket on. I advised the ticket inspector that my gf could travel back to my home and bring my valid oyster card but she refused (We travelled from Island Garden to Cutty Sark which is 1 station) I have constructed the letter below but i was wondering if there was anything else i should include:

(My address etc)

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to appeal the enclosed penalty fare notice (DL 0062704) i received on 18.20 on Saturday 11th July 2009 for my journey from Island Garden DLR station to Cutty Sark DLR Station. The penalty notice was issued on the basis that i did not produce a valid ticket for my journey but i would like to appeal this fine on the grounds that i had genuinely forgetten to bring my Oyster card with me.

My oyster card no.( xxxxxxxxxxxxxx) registered to me Mr (Name) contains a monthly season ticket for Zones 1 & 2 which would have been valid for this journey indicates that there would be no need for any fare evasion. I have also enclosed my receipt for the latest transaction for my oyster card (£99.10 monthly zone 1 & 2) which was purchased from Moorgate underground station on the 3rd July 2009. This transaction would have enabled me to travel anywhere within Zones 1 & 2 within the period 5th July 2009 to 4th August 2009.

With the evidence supplied i would like to ask you to re-consider the fine on the grounds that a genuine mistake had ocurred. I would also like to request that all letters from this point onwards to be forwarded to the following address:
(Work address)

Should you have any questions you can contact me on xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or my mobile xxxxxxxxxxxxx

I look forward to your response.

Any suggestions :confused:

DB_SamX · 12 Jul 2009 at 01:50

Seems ok to me.

Faded · 12 Jul 2009 at 01:53

I don't think you really have a leg to stand on:

If you are using Oyster to pay as you go, you must touch your card on a card reader at the start of your journey. It is your responsibility to have the correct ticket or, when using Oyster to pay as you go, to touch your Oyster card on a card reader.

If you cannot produce, on request, a valid ticket for your entire journey or when using Oyster to pay as you go, your Oyster card containing a record of the start of your pay as you go journey, you may be liable to pay a Penalty Fare on buses, the Tube, Tramlink, DLR and London Overground or you may be prosecuted.

And as it was only 1 stop, would it not have been cheap enough to pay the fare?

MadMan-JaMeS · 12 Jul 2009 at 02:03

You'll get off with it.

i paid for a ticket from Somewhere in wales (forget where) to oxford a month before i needed it online

got to station and the ticket machine was broke so i just got on the train.

when the conductor come along i explained everything and he still issued the fine

i wrote a letter and sent the tickets in which i picked up when i got to oxford and it was fine

happy_2008 · 12 Jul 2009 at 02:05

Faded said:
I don't think you really have a leg to stand on:

And as it was only 1 stop, would it not have been cheap enough to pay the fare?

Like i said in my OP i had genuinely forgotten my oyster card and my oyster card was pre-paid from July to August so there was no need for me to avoid the fare.

megakid · 12 Jul 2009 at 02:07

Just a small thing, capitalise all of your 'i's.

happy_2008 · 12 Jul 2009 at 02:14

Will do Megakid! Im hoping this appeal would be successfull.................

Sirrel Squirrel · 12 Jul 2009 at 02:18

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that they can't fine you if you made a genuine mistake so with that letter you should be fine.

happy_2008 · 12 Jul 2009 at 02:49

Well im hoping that the will accept my appeal on the basis that my oyster card is registered on my name, i travelled within my prepaid zones and that this was a honest mistake. I did offer to the inspector to log into my oyster account to show my prepaid monthly account and my girlfriend offered to go home to get my oyster whilst i wait with the inspector (Would not have taken any longer than 10 mins).

muon · 12 Jul 2009 at 03:11

happy_2008 said:
Well im hoping that the will accept my appeal on the basis that my oyster card is registered on my name, i travelled within my prepaid zones and that this was a honest mistake. I did offer to the inspector to log into my oyster account to show my prepaid monthly account and my girlfriend offered to go home to get my oyster whilst i wait with the inspector (Would not have taken any longer than 10 mins).

Well the inspector doesn't have to do any of that. After all why should he waste time for your mistake.

In all likelihood they will probably cancel the fine although I don't think they have to since there are so many warnings reminding you that you should be able to produce a valid oystercard on demand. I make oystercard mistakes quite often and tfl staff seem to always correct automatic fines without a fuss.

BigglesPiP · 12 Jul 2009 at 03:29

The fine is for not producing a ticket, not not owning one. Regardless of why you didn't produce it.

Pay up and don't forget it next time.

EternityEight · 12 Jul 2009 at 08:57

For future reference, You don't have to pay all the money up front - You can pay all you have with you (50p) and they'll ask for your name address to chase you up about the rest

It isnt validated, so put anything you like and end up only 50p down

Wicksta · 12 Jul 2009 at 09:01

BigglesPiP said:
The fine is for not producing a ticket, not not owning one. Regardless of why you didn't produce it.

Pay up and don't forget it next time.

He may as well at least attempt to get the fine reversed, what has he got to lose.

meghatronic · 12 Jul 2009 at 09:38

As a good will gesture, you'll get it reversed I'm sure. However, only once, if it is similar to other fines.

toucam · 12 Jul 2009 at 10:04

The exact same thing happened to me on South Eastern train, when I got to London Bridge I realised that I had forgotten my weekly pass (I got through Woolwich Arsenal car park and there wasn't a barrier/inspector as usual).

SE train staff fined me £20 quid as per their policies but told me that I would definitely get the money back if I appealed. It took about 2 weeks for them to reply and another two weeks to get the cheque :rolleyes:

Oh and the woman also told me that a passenger has an "allowance" of not having a valid ticket twice a year!

As long as you can produce all the evidence they require, you will get your money back

toucam · 12 Jul 2009 at 10:09

EternityEight said:
For future reference, You don't have to pay all the money up front - You can pay all you have with you (50p) and they'll ask for your name address to chase you up about the rest

It isnt validated, so put anything you like and end up only 50p down

Nope, it IS validated, they now all carry mobile and call credit check office on the spot. I saw them ask people questions you can only answer if you genuinely live at the provided address. If you are caught lying you are in big trouble and can risk yourself prosecuted! DO NOT lie to ticket inspector, especially on trains in London, it's not worth it.

Tom0 · 12 Jul 2009 at 10:31

Your responsibility to remember your card to travel on their trains, you didnt remember it so man up and face the consequences.

Imagine everyone that didn't have a ticket (the ones that are genuine fee dodgers) said "I forgot it" and got an appeal to over turn the fine, Eventually everyone would think "Sod it I'm not paying because I'll get away with it like everyone else" and things would go belly up.

Mad old tory · 12 Jul 2009 at 10:39

Tom0 said:
Your responsibility to remember your card to travel on their trains, you didnt remember it so man up and face the consequences.

Imagine everyone that didn't have a ticket (the ones that are genuine fee dodgers) said "I forgot it" and got an appeal to over turn the fine, Eventually everyone would think "Sod it I'm not paying because I'll get away with it like everyone else" and things would go belly up.

While I agree in prinicple, the OP does actually have a monthly travelcard so he isn't fare dodging. I would hope that they would reverse the fine in this case

Tom0 · 12 Jul 2009 at 10:43

Mad old tory said:
While I agree in prinicple, the OP does actually have a monthly travelcard so he isn't fare dodging. I would hope that they would reverse the fine in this case

The inspector doesn't know he isnt a dodger though (even though I wasn't saying that he is one because he does have a card) just putting it how the inspector sees it and its his/her job.

Part of having an Oyster card is the responsibilty of carrying it when you want to travel, he didn't and got fined for that.

Just my two pennies.

TJM · 12 Jul 2009 at 10:46

MadMan-JaMeS said:
You'll get off with it.

i paid for a ticket from Somewhere in wales (forget where) to oxford a month before i needed it online

got to station and the ticket machine was broke so i just got on the train.

You got your money back because you didn't have an opportunity to collect your ticket, which is a valid excuse. Forgetting to bring your travelcard isn't, which is why the warning is worded as 'If you cannot produce, on request, a valid ticket for your entire journey'. If you can't show the conductor a ticket and you had an opportunity to buy one, you'll be fined.

OP: You might as well appeal since the cost of a stamp won't break the bank but consider the £20 gone.