In message , at 15:41:57 on Wed, 7 May
2014, tim..... remarked:
Unless you use auto-topup.

As someone who sometimes doesn't use his card for a year at a time
the trigger point and the minimum top up are far too high. (It's
ridiculous to treat me like a child and assume that I might - without
realising it, want to use my card to go to Watford and thus need the
fare to there to be available.

They are treating you as a criminal, who might make an unresolved
journey to (say) an unbarriered commuter station in Kent, where they
can at least collect the fare to Watford from you before you shred
the card and get a new one for tomorrow.

But I can do that anyway with auto top-up turned off

But if you come into the category of "stupid criminal" they'll get their
£8 worth of flesh from you. This appears to matter to them quite a lot.
--
Roland Perry