Buying a rail ticket for someone else

[whole diary]

[broadgage]

Is this permitted ?
Common sense would say yes of course it is. Does anyone really believe that senior busineses figures buy there own tickets ? I dont, I think that they have their PAs^▸ (Public Address (broadcast loudspeaker announcements) or Passenger Assist (railway staff providing physical assistance to passengers with mobility issues), depending on context) do it, either on line or by going to a station.

On the other hand on virtually every ticket is printed "not transferable".
This is generally understood to mean that one must not use a season ticket or travelcard that has been issued to someone else. So doing is an offence and a number of persons have been prosecuted.
But what about say a weekly travelcard that is purchased by Ms. Jones and used exclusively by Peter Smith. No less of revenue results, and it does not "seem wrong" yet the ticket has undoubtedly been transfered.

In the case of cheap or local tickets purchased for cash, I doubt that anyone would know. But what about a costly ticket paid for with a card, and the name on the card not matching the name one the card. Not tranferable would reasonably mean that the outward and return portions of a ticket must not be used by different persons, but if the name of the traveller and the name on the card transaction differed, might not an RPI^▸ (Revenue Protection Inspector, or Retail Price Index, depending on context) conclude that this indicates fraud.

[JayMac]

All covered by the National Rail Conditions of Carriage:

6. Transferring a ticket to another person
A ticket may only be used by the person who bought that ticket, or the person on whose behalf that ticket was bought. When a ticket is purchased on behalf of an organisation, business or similar entity, then that ticket may be used by any person employed by such entity unless otherwise shown on the ticket by means of a person^s name, photocard number or other identifying mark. In such cases it may only be used by the person so identified.
No purchaser of a ticket may resell or transfer that ticket for value to anyone else unless this has been specifically allowed by the terms and conditions which apply to that ticket, and which will be made clear when you buy your ticket.

A weekly or longer paper Travelcard would require an accompanying photocard, so that couldn't be transferred. Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) cards that have a weekly or longer Travelcard on it are also non transferable. They cannot be used by anyone other than the registered owner of the Oyster.

[grahame]

The key is that rail tickets are sold for use by the person for whom they were purchased and cannot then be transferred.

There's no way that Groupsave could work if each member of the group had to buy their own tickets, and the thought of a family of 4 each buying their own tickets and paying separately is absurd.  It would, I suppose, teach 6 and 7 year olds how to handle money ...

[vacmanfan]

Whilst common sense should prevail in this situation, the worst case scenario could be a bye law 22 prosecution.  (Please correct me if I'm wrong).

[JayMac]

A Byelaw 22 prosecution should only be considered if the person travelling has not paid, or has not had paid for them, the correct fare.

[vacmanfan]

A Byelaw 22 prosecution should only be considered if the person travelling has not paid,

That's byelaw 18

22 covers what we are talking about here.  Obviously it wouldn't come to that but I was telling the OP^▸ (Original Poster / topic starter, or Off Peak, depending on context) what the WORST case scenario could be.

[eightf48544]

What about Carnets?

I've always wondered why we have this hang up about transferring tickets, the continentals don't seem to bother.

What's wrong with one person using the outward half of a return ticket and someone else the return?

I can understand it for season tickets but ordinary returns.

[JayMac]

A Byelaw 22 prosecution should only be considered if the person travelling has not paid,

That's byelaw 18

22 covers what we are talking about here.  Obviously it wouldn't come to that but I was telling the OP^▸ (Original Poster / topic starter, or Off Peak, depending on context) what the WORST case scenario could be.

No. Byelaw 18 refers to ticketless travel. You've selectively quoted me leaving out the important bit about 'correct fare'.

Byelaw 22:

22. Fares offences committed on behalf of another person
(1) No person shall buy a ticket on behalf of another intending to enable another person to travel without having paid the correct fare.
(2) No person shall transfer or produce a ticket on behalf of another person intending to enable that other person to travel without having paid the correct fare.

When buying a ticket for someone else, as long as the correct fare is paid, no offence is committed.