Its not the train provider its the megabus/train company. They have an agreement to be able to supply very cheap tickets but with very strict conditions, otherwise people will just abuse the system. Why buy an 54 pound ticket (which IMHO is too expensive anyway) when you can get around it by buying a ticket from Megabus for 6 pounds and just get on and off when you feel like.

Well that's the question that's outstanding which will explain the situation. Why is a ticket from A to C only six quid, when a ticket from A to B is four times the price? What reasoning is there behind that?

Personally, I have a degree of sympathy with them. Rules, regardless of where stated, that are illogical and nonsensical are apt to be broken innocently by people not through malicious intent but simply because people assume that T&C are in fact logical and consistent.

Also, it appears the service provider makes a profit on this - the fines were twice what the 'full price' tickets were. If I was them, I'd be disputing the thing and arguing in court that the conditions were intentionally obtuse to try to trap people into breaking them and therefore being fined extra money. There is a principle in contract law that you can't be 'entrapped' into being subject to penalty clauses which are themselves malicious.

Jon

Entertainingly, a few months ago I was at Shrewsbury station waiting for a connection. Spoke nicely to the person manning the barriers who was happy for me to leave the station to do something in the town and then let me back in again when my next train was due to depart. Perfectly sensible really.

The fines were the normal fines for travelling without a valid ticket, as soon as they left the train and tried to leave from a station they had not agreed to go to they were liable for the normal fines as the rail operator has publically posted.
no matter how silly it may sound they did not pay for the journey they took. They did not conform to the conditions they agreed to when buying the discounted tickets.

If the restrictions are not readable on the ticket then they should not be enforceable. Simples. If the ticket said only for alighting at stations named on ticket that would be fine. Though the penalties are harsh. Longer term though this is one couple that will never take the train again.

I still fail to see how if you buy a ticket for getting from A->B->C is cheaper than A->B. Surely it'd be more expensive to go on a longer journey?

I understand about peak/off-peak, seat reservations but this makes no sense. I'd take them to court and use the Chewbacca defence.

If the fare system wasn't so horribly complex and confusing (be it the massive differences in "peak time" between operators, what fares are valid on what trains or even what stations etc), then perhaps passengers wouldn't get it wrong so often.

I have little doubt that the train companies mislead as much as possible in order to raise revenue from penalties.

Of course under British Rail not only could you alight early, but the same terms, times and rules applied across the entire rail network.

I'm not trying to say they shouldn't have been charged.

When they bought the tickets the Ts & Cs said they would be charged so there isn't really anything they can do.

I'm trying to say that the Ts & Cs are fracking ridiculous and need to be changed.

I am, the "penalties" are disgraceful.

Imagine if you had bought a ticket at a reduced rate and then decided that in fact you didn't want to travel and so didn't get on the train (or even go to the train station). A couple of days later a letter arrives in the post telling you you've been fined for not travelling on the train that you bought the ticket for.

IMO what has happened in this couple's case is as ridiculous as my example.

I used to get the train to college - the inspectors are mostly all middle aged, fat blokes. Easy to out-run.

I probably couldn't get away from one now, though.

Which reminds me of another point - paying charges which consist of more than the cost of your ticket in order to obtain a refund for your ticket. Yet more disgraceful behaviour.

Bobbdobs, I think you're pissing against the wind here, it's indefensible.

It's ridiculous.
Choosing a shorter journey, making more seats available - and you get charged for this?
Can anyone explain why I need to pay the train firm if I choose to spend tons of money on a ticket from here to Edinburgh, but then only go as far as Exeter?
I'm at a loss as to how it impacts on their bottom line; if anything they can now get more bums on seats as mine are empty.

Its because Megabus had bought "seats" on a specified train for a very rigid journey. To get off at differing stops invalidated the ticket. Thus the passenger was not in possession of a valid ticket and was then subject to the penalty fares of the train company.


true, they broke the terms and conditions and were hit with the penalty, they had no defense to that!