In message of Sun, 28 Feb 2010
14:26:18 in uk.transport.london, Walter Briscoe
writes
In message
.com of Sun, 28 Feb 2010 01:44:00 in uk.transport.london, MIG
writes
On 28 Feb, 08:32, Walter Briscoe wrote:
On 24/02/10, I entered Moorgate at 16:30 and left Euston at 16:43.
I entered Euston Square at 16:49 and left Moorgate at 17:10.
I was charged 5.80 for Euston Square entry and 6.00 for Moorgate exit.
I had already capped travel in Z1-2 on my registered Oystercard.
On 28 February 2010 03:22:49, TfL sent me an email "... Due to an
operational issue, we calculate that you are due a refund of 11.80.
This is now ready for pick-up at Moorgate. ..."
I am a little impressed.
Weekend mornings are good times for Oyster help on 0845 330 9876.
I was unable to get an explanation for the systemic failure.

This isn't the typical OSI problem that people have talked about
though, is it?


Below, I show a second scenario where Oyster does as well as can be
expected. Can somebody else construct a third which Oyster does not
auto-correct, given the opportunity to do so?

It just looks like the system was charging completely the wrong fares
to everyone and they couldn't miss it.

So I don't infer that the inexcusable situation where people are
repeatedly getting overcharged, because the system strings separate
resolved journeys into one and then decides that the resulting journey
is too long and splits it into unresolved/unstarted journeys, is
likely to be addressed in such a helpful way.

I agree I showed a failure that has been addressed less frequently.
It is also inexcusable because there is no automatic mechanism for
charging the correct fare to an unregistered card.

It is harder to demonstrate the other sort of failure.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/oysteronline/12421.aspx (obscurely)
documents those time limits. You can also get there by navigating
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/, "Tickets", "What is Oyster?", "Pay as you go"
and search for "Maximum journey times".

It is harder to construct a charging failure involving an OSI without
doing something "perverse" since the Within Zone 1 or 2 limit was upped
to 90 minutes.

I suppose I could do something like

[snipped fanciful journey]

I am afraid it happened again.

On 02/03/10, I entered at Moorgate at 09:05, exited Kings Cross (Nthn,
Vic, Picc Lines) at 10:06, entered Kings Cross (Met, Circle, H&C) at
10:19 and exited Barbican at 10:41. As expected, I was charged for one
normal entry and exit between Moorgate and Kings Cross (Nthn, Vic, Picc
Lines), an incomplete journey starting at Kings Cross (Met, Circle, H&C)
and an unstarted journey at Barbican.

A refund notification email was sent at 06 March 2010 03:21:57.
The effect of it is that I was charged for a Zone 1 journey starting at
09:05 and ending at 10:41 - a 96 minute journey where the maximum
journey time is 90 minutes. I am happy with that charge, but unhappy
with the details.

I intend to email to get an
explanation of the systemic problem. If the answer is unsatisfactory, I
will take it to London Travelwatch.
--
Walter Briscoe