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AIBU?

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Original poster

Some horrible teenager has given my address to get out of paying for a train ticket

130 replies

Al991 · 30/05/2024 11:43

A have got a letter from the train company telling me that my son, whom I’ve never heard of, tried to dodge a ticket and now I need to pay for it. I want to ring them and tell them what’s happened but partner says we shouldn’t engage and should just write return to sender not at this address on the letter. Says if we appeal the fine that’s sort of like saying it’s our fine.

What would be the least ridiculous way to deal with this stupid situation 🙄

OP posts:
MMAS · 31/05/2024 19:30

Don't engage with any link / email address or phone number as may be a scam. If really worried go to you local station with the letter and go from there.

dothehokeycokey · 31/05/2024 19:15

Happened to me once.

I had about twenty police officers racked up banging on my front door at 3 am one morning.

There were two riot vans and a squad car parked right next to my house.

I was livid and mortified at the same time in case any neighbours saw it Blush

Judecb · 31/05/2024 19:12

If they have your name and address it's already gone too far. Get in touch with them ASAP and explain the situation.

DdraigGoch · 31/05/2024 18:55

BarryStyles · 30/05/2024 17:17

@MothralovesGojira are you sure they do an address and ID check? I can’t think how that could work if someone says they can’t pay for a ticket and don’t have ID or proof of address on them. In our case they would have had to have ID/address showing that they live at an IT business! It’s a very small business and the name given had no connection with us.

Sometimes the check is thorough, sometimes it is not. It might involve simply Googling the address to confirm that it exists. Alternatively it might involve checking the electoral roll.

OldPerson · 31/05/2024 18:54

You need to call them and sort it.

As far as they're concerned, you are guilty and this is going to court and will likely affect your credit rating - and may even lead to bailiffs knocking on your door.

As intelligent people - as much as you are OFFENDED and OUTRAGED and INNOCENT - in simple terms you've been notified of a miscarriage of justice, and as responsible tax-paying citizens, you have a duty to notify the authorities of this miscarriage of justice.

Just call them.

The smugness of being INNOCENT and OFFENDED will be outweighed by your court summons, which will be the next step. And if you ignore a court summons, you have to be morons not to know how the justice system works.

Just call them.

Ignorance is not a defence.

JaneyGunn85 · 31/05/2024 18:43

Agree with the people who say phone them and say its nothing to do with you and you don't expect to hear any more from them about it. They should have asked for proof of address. Its their problem. If you ignore it they will just keep on and eventually call in debt collectors which is very stressful

Blackandwhiteandreadallover · 31/05/2024 18:10

When I returned one of these to sender, nothing happened and I got another one. I had to email and then I think they asked for proof that I was who I said I was.

Definitely easier to call or email.

INeedToClingToSomething · 31/05/2024 18:09

Just call them. They are very reasonable ime.

Cazareeto1 · 31/05/2024 18:07

dont be so stupid and just call them, or even better email or write to them then it is recorded. Best with email as it’s instant and a call at same time so you have verbal advice and you have documented via email this person doesn't belong to you. Sorry (not sorry) but this is quite ridiculous you are asking what to do it’s quite simple… 🤦‍♀️

Thistlewoman · 31/05/2024 18:05

Al991 · 30/05/2024 11:43

A have got a letter from the train company telling me that my son, whom I’ve never heard of, tried to dodge a ticket and now I need to pay for it. I want to ring them and tell them what’s happened but partner says we shouldn’t engage and should just write return to sender not at this address on the letter. Says if we appeal the fine that’s sort of like saying it’s our fine.

What would be the least ridiculous way to deal with this stupid situation 🙄

I'd respond to the letter sender in writing (email or special delivery letter) so you have a record of it. I wouldn't ring any tel no on a random letter without doing a couple of searches several scam-checker number searches. Sorry, but I am just very suspicious of any type of unsolicited letters requesting money.

evanmow · 31/05/2024 17:52

How can they just take someone's word for an address....surely with modern technology they could do better ID checks

Bogeyes · 31/05/2024 17:49

This happened to a friend of mine. It will be one of his "friends" or someone who knows his details..postcode etc. My friend met with rail people znd took his son along too. The recording was shown to my friend and the culprit was recognisable. The case was stopped. The rail company then contacted the real culprit. Don't ignore this as it will only escalate into a court summons.

SlovenlyOldSlut · 31/05/2024 08:14

Call and speak to them in the first instance. They are not interested in flogging a dead horse. Even if they keep chasing as long as you can prove you have no son you will win in any court case.

What's the maximum penalty fare anyway? Isn’t it something like £100 if you don’t pay in the first 30 days? They’re only going to chase so hard for a hundred quid.

Wheredidileavemycarkeys · 31/05/2024 07:40

Al991 · 30/05/2024 11:43

A have got a letter from the train company telling me that my son, whom I’ve never heard of, tried to dodge a ticket and now I need to pay for it. I want to ring them and tell them what’s happened but partner says we shouldn’t engage and should just write return to sender not at this address on the letter. Says if we appeal the fine that’s sort of like saying it’s our fine.

What would be the least ridiculous way to deal with this stupid situation 🙄

Phone that up and tell them that someone gave them a fake address?

Bululu · 31/05/2024 07:23

Sounds like a scam. I would ignore this as they may be trying to get more info from you.

Snugdrink · 31/05/2024 01:00

alloalloallo · 30/05/2024 11:52

I had the same thing a couple of years ago.

The letter was addressed to a random name, my house number but not quite the street name, my town, completely random postcode.

I just called them and they sorted it over the phone in about 2 minutes.

Weird as the post code is very specific so the letter shouldn't have got to you?

FTPM1980 · 30/05/2024 23:26

Scruffily · 30/05/2024 14:22

The problem with dealing with all this by phone as people keep suggesting is that there will be no record. Either write to explain the situation or follow up a phone call with a letter explaining.

This idea that there is no record if you call but visit if you write is rubbish.

If you call in most cases it will be a call centre with recordings, or at least a policy to log any calls. And you know the call has been received. You can take a name, a reference number ask for confirmation in writing
If you write and post a letter...even if you keep a copy on your laptop or whatever, there is no evidence you sent or they received it unless they log it.
Even with email....you have a record of sending but you could have sent it to the wrong place/a balck hole.

Call and speak to them in the first instance. They are not interested in flogging a dead horse. Even if they keep chasing as long as you can prove you have no son you will win in any court case.

Badgertime · 30/05/2024 23:16

OP hasn't been back since she wrote it this morning so I'm guessing case closed?

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 30/05/2024 23:07

It's got to be someone you know who knows your full name and post code . Perhaps a neighbours kid?

ChrisPPancake · 30/05/2024 23:05

Actually has your name on it? I'd get in touch with them.

Sent to your address but not your/dp/dc name? Return to sender.

If it has come here not addressed to one of us I wouldn't have opened it.

CowboyJoanna · 30/05/2024 22:55

Either a scam or its a letter directed towards a former occupant (like a student or something)

SavingTheBestTillLast · 30/05/2024 22:54

This is why we need ID.
Email them and tell them they’ve been scammed

Naran · 30/05/2024 22:50

I'd try to speak to someone at the train company by phone. Look it up through a legitimate website, rather than simply trusting the letter. It could be a scam.

StockpotSoup · 30/05/2024 21:09

The problem is that, legally, you aren't, allowed to open a letter that isn't addressed to you

From the way OP phrased it, the letter was addressed to her, so it’s a moot point. However, the above is a myth. It’s only a crime if it’s been done in a deliberate attempt to defraud. It’s perfectly legal to open a letter sent to your address, but addressed to a person who does not live there. It makes sense to do so in order to find any information that could help you redirect it, or which might be evidence of your address being used fraudulently.

Philandbill · 30/05/2024 21:07

TheRodent · 30/05/2024 20:35

I had a similar experience when I first moved house. The previous owners hosted foreign students and, for about the first year or so, I kept getting bills from various phone companies in the names of these various students. I just binned them to start with but then I started getting threats of bailiff action. It took a number of tedious phone calls to sort it out but I found that, once I had explained the situation, the various companies were quite reasonable and stopped pestering me. It should be quite easy to prove that this person is not related and doesn't live with you. BTW how do you know it was a teenager?

We had this too. Debt left by students who had moved back overseas and thus didn't have a UK address. Some companies were ok and some were awful. Royal Bank of Scotland kept sending letters and threatening bailiffs until in desperation I phoned a debt line to ask for advice. They suggested I threaten to write to the banking ombudsman. That worked.