On Oct 19, 5:23 pm, MIG wrote:
If this is true, how on Earth can I have missed it? Several SET staff
absolutely convinced that NR journeys do not contribute to the daily
cap.

Checking the fares on TfL, it's difficult to prove definitively that
they should.

Although this page http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14837.aspx offers a
link which appears to be linking to the cap for "Tube, DLR, London
Overground and National Rail", the page it links to only mentions LO,
not NR.

If you look at this page http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14414.aspx
although there's mention of capping on NR "through fares", there's no
mention of capping if you do an NR-only journey.

I am staggered. I really thought that PAYG capping was finally the
equivalent of a day travelcard, but if this is correct, then I have
been a fool.

They're *absolutely wrong* - Oyster PAYG capping applies to NR journeys too,
no question at all whatsoever. They're the ones in a cave, not you.


Does it really explain what happened to me today? I can't really see
how. At lunchtime I had £5.80 credit.

Then I did one LU + NR journey @ £1.80
balance £4.00

Later, I went to Lewisham to get a train to Victoria, missed it and
went via Cannon Street and LU @ £2.80,
balance £1.20

After less than 40 minutes, I now realise, despite doing nothing
anoraky, but just picking up some stuff, I touched in at Victoria NR,
which bleeped open the gate showing a balance of £1.20.

I expected to be charged £1 up to the off-peak zone 1 - 2 cap, but
instead couldn't get out at Lewisham. The staff there checked my card
and claimed that I hadn't touched in at Victoria and that my balance
was -£0.30. They issued a penalty fare.

A printout from the ticket office shows that I did touch in at
Victoria and was charged £1.50, leaving the -£0.30.

When I worked out the 40-minute issue, I thougth "aha, I've been
caught out by the OSI journey timeout" but, given the adamancy of the
staff, I discovered the rather unsatisfactory information about which
journeys the cap applies to.

It looks like you were indeed hit by the OSI journey timeout at Victoria
(i.e. all the journeys got joined together).

Was this a registered card? If so I guess you might get an email about a
refund from Oyster CS in the next few days w.r.t. the Oyster over charge
(Oyster CS won't be in the loop about the PF though).


In the meantime, I've been hit with liability for the balance of a
penalty fare, having paid £2.40 towards it, under threat of
administration costs and legal action if I don't pay up pronto.

Regardless of anything else, that sounds like a totally illegit way of
issuing a penalty fare - or do they really have the power to ask for
(part-)payment there and then?

I worry that initially at least the fact that you've part paid the PF might
mean that 'they' (i.e. the TOC) consider you've accepted the PF and hence
cannot then appeal, I dunno about that though.