Can a Penalty Fare Notice affect your credit score?

klint

I normally drive to work but yesterday I had an early morning meeting at a different location which was more accessible by train. I arrived at my local station with six minutes to spare, and queued up for the train. Unfortunately, the staff were serving customers very slowly and there was still one person in front of me in the queue when my train was about to leave (I think the Passenger Charter says queues should be no more than five minutes.) Instead of missing my train and being late for the meeting and risking my job, I chose to run for the train with the intention of paying the penalty fare. What surprised me was that, although I offered the full penalty fare there and then, the inspector still insisted on having my name and address (which he verified by phone) and my date of birth. What do they do with this data? Will they give it to credit reference agencies? Will my credit score be affected, as I presume the train company suspects me of attempting to commit fraud, which is most definitely not the case?

file_wizzard

Fare evasion is dealt with as a criminal matter not a civil one, therefore this will have no implications for your credit file.

The inspector in question is obviously a bit of a jobsworth, and I would be tempted to serve a S.7 DPA notice on the train operator to determine what information they have accessed and recorded in reaction to the incident, and if indeed they have passed the mater to BTP for intended prosocutuion.

Jeewhizz

Did you pay the fine there and then? If not, you'll get a letter advising you that you have a £100 penalty to pay, or go to court.

I went to court and fought my case and won.

Voyager2002

Jeewhizz wrote: »

Did you pay the fine there and then? If not, you'll get a letter advising you that you have a £100 penalty to pay, or go to court.

I went to court and fought my case and won.

How did you win it? Presumably you were on the train in question, and the laws involved a very one-sided (biased towards the train operator). I never heard of anyone winning a case like this: so well done, and what can we learn from you?

klint

Thanks for your replies and your suggestions. Good idea, I will ask for the information under Section 7 Data Protection Act, in case they're abusing my data. Whatever they're doing with it, I certainly think they didn't have any need to collect it.

Jeewhizz, yes I did pay the full £20 penalty fare there and then. I was given a receipt which I can use to appeal to get my money back. I'm not sure if it's worth appealing, as I think I was in the wrong, albeit on a technicality. (I'm sure they would argue I should have stayed in the queue and missed my train, and jeopardized my job, my problem not theirs.) How did you manage to win your case in court?