On 01/08/2015 18:55, Mizter T wrote:

On 01/08/2015 18:48, eastender wrote:
I don't understand why we keep seeing stories about unclaimed Oyster
money as though TFL is doing something wrong.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/unclaimed-money-on-dormant-oyster-cards-soars-to-170million-10430319.html

Clearly the deposit was necessary to cut down on people throwing the
cards away. And clearly anyone can get their money back, even from
aboard by mailing it. You can get a refund on the credit online if not
the deposit. And the average credit on cards is only £3.74 a card in any
case.

About the only thing they could do is allow people to cancel the card
completely online and get credit and deposit back.

Am I missing something?

The massive conspiracy that doesn't exist except in the minds of
excitable / dim folk?


Just a quick extra thought - Oyster's certainly better in this respect
compared to the Netherland's OV-chipkaart. An anonymous, unregistered
card costs €7.50 (which is in fact only a "suggested retail price" so a
retailer could charge more), is "valid for 4 to 5 years" (bit vague!),
and if you want to reclaim the left over credit it costs a €2.50
administration fee at a "public transport company counter". If there's a
way of getting the money back by post without first getting a form from
such a counter, they don't wish to advertise it!:

https://www.ov-chipkaart.nl/aanvragen/welkekaartpastbiju/toeristen/