Never accidentally fare dodging again? With these tricks it works!

In many cases, fare evasion inspectors in German trams, suburban trains and subways impose expensive fines on well-meaning passengers because they have bought a wrong ticket out of carelessness. FOCUS online discussed tips with Julia Zeller from Verbraucherzeller Bayern to avoid penalties and react correctly if you do get into problems.

Penalty for fare evasion? Lawyer only helps in exceptional cases

The case: A passenger had boarded a train with a ticket valid from 9 a.m., which was supposed to depart at 8.55 a.m., but did not leave until 9.10 a.m. due to delay. The inspector referred to the timetable and punished the guest as a fare dodger, Zeller reports. The lawyer involved fended off the punishment.

The tip: In this case, the right was clearly on the side of the passenger, Zeller emphasizes. His ticket was valid for the train used, the inspector made a mistake.

Only in comparable cases is the lawyer worthwhile, according to expert Zeller. Anyone who was traveling with an invalid ticket should save themselves the lawyer. If the railway punishes, it is in the right - even if the passenger accidentally bought the wrong ticket. No lawyer can change that: "The passenger has the personal responsibility to inform himself before he uses a service."

In these cases, passengers can only hope for the goodwill of the companies. "Sometimes it works," says Zeller. She has already experienced everything; the companies decide on a case-by-case basis. The problem: If they show goodwill, they would always have to do so in similar cases out of equality. Often they therefore remain firm and insist on punishment.

Zeller advises calling in the consumer advice centre before going to a lawyer – and the best way to prevent problems is through planning.

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Planning avoids fare evasion penalties

The case: The Münchner Merkur reported on a Hamburg couple who, while visiting the Bavarian capital with two relatives, had bought the ticket for ring three to take the S-Bahn to the city center. In their home country, they had done everything right, they explained: Rings one and two are automatically included with the purchase of ring three in Hamburg. In Munich, however, the ticket referred exclusively to ring three.

The inspector caught the group of four in the area of ring two. Four times fare evasion, 240 euros fine. The railway rejected the objection.

The tip: To avoid similarly nasty surprises, Zeller advises visitors to foreign cities to plan the trip.

1. Buy ticket at the ticket counter: Larger stations offer counters where employees search for passengers to find the right ticket for their journey. If you buy your ticket here, you avoid mistakes.
2. Call the service hotline: If you can't make it to the counter, you can also find all the important information on the service hotline of the ferry companies. Call at least the day before and buy the ticket in advance if possible. Many providers offer apps or print-at-home tickets.
3. Use the app: If you have a smartphone, you can download the apps offered by most local transport companies to your mobile phone. If customers enter the start and destination, the app automatically calculates the cheapest ticket.

If none of these options work, for example because passengers have to go to the train at short notice, other passengers are also happy to help them choose the right ticket. Zeller advises: "If in doubt, just ask."

Pay attention to details in tickets and fares

The case: A passenger had bought several tickets at the machine in order to be equipped for his entire excursion. As usual from his hometown, he validated the tickets at the start of the journey in the tram. However, they had already been validated by the vending machine. From the second day on, the person unknowingly drove with invalid tickets, was checked and had to pay the full fine.

The tip: Those who have been used to a local transport system all their lives often find it hard to imagine what is different in other cities. To ensure that rail passengers do not experience a nasty surprise despite planning, Zeller advises paying particular attention to three details:

1. When to stamp your ticket? Some fare systems require passengers to validate tickets at the station before the start of the journey. Others require validation on the train, some automatically validate the tickets when they are sold. Many use a combination of these options. Passengers should pay close attention to which rule applies to their ticket. The tip: Ask if necessary! Zeller: "Otherwise it can happen that passengers buy the ticket the day before, and it has already expired at the start of the journey."
2. Go to the train station in time: Hectic makes it difficult to find one's way through the jungle of tariffs. To ensure that passengers do not shorten their visit to the counter or make mistakes at the ticket machine, Zeller advises planning more time to buy tickets in foreign cities than at home: "Don't go to the station five minutes before departure."
3. Have everything with you: Zeller keeps hearing from passengers who have bought tickets with a requirement to fill them out, but have forgotten their pen. On the Bayernticket, train drivers have to enter their names, for example. Those who fail to do so could resell their ticket. The railway therefore shows little goodwill. "To ensure that it doesn't fail because of such little things, travelers should definitely check before starting their journey whether they have everything with them." Some tickets, for example, are only valid in conjunction with ID. So he has to come along, too.

Zeller says that with a little planning, it is possible to travel by public transport even in a foreign city. "I think buying a ticket for all zones just to be on the safe side is disproportionate."

Legislator will make improvements

According to Zeller, anyone who is worried about penalties when starting their journey despite all the tips can hope for improvement: The EU Rail Passenger Rights Regulation has been revised. The German legislator must now adapt the national regulations. The Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbv) is calling for a distinction to be made between intentional wrong-way drivers and those who have accidentally bought the wrong ticket. Changes are planned," says Zeller. "But what exactly they will look like is not yet foreseeable."

Hope for a 49-euro ticket

Until the ordinance improvements are final, Zeller hopes for the 49-euro ticket, which will probably come before that. If you use it cheaply in local transport in your own city, you don't have to worry in other regions either. Goodbye tariff jungle. But because not all Germans will buy the cheap ticket, the rest still need the tips from this site.