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

[Al991]

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 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?

...partner says we shouldn’t engage and should just write return to sender not at this address on the letter...

Yes! This always works for letters demanding payment. Makes it all go away. No downside ever at all.

Idiot.

OP, yes, you need to ring them.

The problem is that, legally, you aren't, allowed to open a letter that isn't addressed to you; but if a letter does arrive to your address with a totally unknown name on it - none of your family, not the previous occupants, none of your neighbours - it isn't something that you would want to just say "Ah, somebody has made a mistake" and write 'address not known' and pop it back in the post box.

That might have been sufficient in decades gone by, in more trusting and less corporate/governmental bullying times, but in these days of widespread scams AND companies/authorities that levy fines doing so aggressively and threateningly, ignoring your protests, assuming you must be lying and not really caring who pays their fines, as long as somebody cops for it, I would argue that somebody sending mail to my address - where I have lived for 20 years - to a non-existent resident is very likely doing so as a result of an attempted crime or corporate blunder that could very likely end up with me suffering for it.

Could possibly be a scam. If you are going to call them, check the companies number online to see if it matches the letter! Same with any email addresses etc.

Always best to cross check and make sure the details match what's showing online.

I see the OP is a one-post wonder, so we’re unlikely to get any more information. However, I’m leaning more and more towards this being a scam. Would the letter really go to the parent and not the teenager? Also, surely it doesn’t just say “your son” rather than “your son David Harvey” or whatever. What if you had three sons? If it doesn’t mention a name, it’s a scam - and if it does, it shouldn’t be too hard to prove there’s no such person.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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… 🤦‍♀️

Just call them. They are very reasonable ime.

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.

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