Hello Xainewi97
Good day.
No, the “dude” as you call the ticket inspector, was right - thus the fine is totally justified: you have to be in the possession of the ticket before the train’s actual departure. It is also stated in the GTC that you had accepted when you installed the SBB Mobile app. See Profile > Legal.
20 years back, when passengers wanted to take the train, they had to be early at the station to purchase the ticket, as they were not sure of possible waiting times in front of the ticket window. Nowadays, railway companies ease the train passenger’s life and offer a ticketing machine for the pocket - your smart phone. The only rule: the ticket must be purchased before the service starts to move.
To avoid this situation again, simply make sure the ticket’s QR code is visible before boarding the train. A ticket can also be purchased earlier, valid for later in the day.
Kind regards,
Roland
https://sbb-tickets.cc/en/help-and-contact/my-travelcards/travel-without-valid-ticket.html
