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Old April 30th 04, 04:55 PM posted to uk.transport.london
SJCWHUK SJCWHUK is offline
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First recorded activity at LondonBanter: Apr 2004
Posts: 17
Default Oyster Prepay and Travelcards

Are those buggers testing the system again I wonder.....

If you think of Pre-Pay as just cash sitting on a card, LUL plan to allow
the purchase of paper tickets using your Oyster card as just another form of
payment.

However, they have to ensure the system works OK and will have 'testers'
going around with Pre-Pay travelling, using Pre-Pay at the gates and buying
tickets. They will then record the transactions and ensure the database has
recorded them accurately.

Of course it will mean the software is live across the network or just at
certain stations to allow them to do it (remember when pre-pay came in - you
could top-up but couldn't use it!).

Bear in mind staff will be the last to know the system is being tested and
therefore deduct from your card. He/She has had it drummed in that Pre-Pay
cannot be used to purchase yet. Its been in the internal weekly bulletin
for weeks reminding staff that this is so.

Sometimes its hard to believe what your eyes show sometimes :-)

Steve

PS: Remember, you can always check your transactions on Pre-Pay using the
large machines, if you think something has gone wrong, just swipe your card
and select Pre-Pay usage.
"Dave Cross" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 30 Apr 2004 06:53:07 +0100, TC wrote:


"Dave Cross" wrote in message
news
But before I do, can someone please confirm that I'm not going mad. You
can buy travelcards with prepay credit can't you? I know I've done it
before. Or was that just a glitch in the system?


You could, but you can't anymore.


Well the woman I just spoke to on the phone seemed surprised that I'd ever
been able to do it. But at least she believed me (unlike the idiot that I
spoke to in the station last night). And she's going to refund my £4.70.

That just leaves one question. If you're not supposed to buy tickets using
perpay credit, then why is it an option on the machine?

Dave...