In article ,
(Paul Corfield) wrote:

On Sat, 1 Aug 2015 18:48:38 +0100, 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/trans...rmant-oyster-c
ards-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?

Yes - the fact that Caroline Pidgeon has a massive bee in her bonnet
about this and asks TfL / the Mayor the same question on a regular
basis and then chucks out a "how outrageous" press release when she
gets the answer.

All the politicians on the transport committee have their favoured
campaign issues that they repeatedly ask the mayor about and then use
as sticks to beat TfL over the head. It's all a bit pathetic but
that's politics.

When my travelcard expired on my Oyster Card I got a "would you like a
refund on your Oyster Card?" E mail and then I got a chase up. I am
perfectly happy to keep a balance on my Oyster Card in exactly the
same way that there is a balance on my Suica Card, my EZpass card, my
Octopus Card and my OV Chipkaart. The balances aren't huge but they
exist.

Based on my own experience TfL apply the processes and reminders that
they said they would. They can't force people to apply for refunds
nor can they forcibly return funds to people as they probably don't
possess sufficient info to allow it and some people are no doubt
untroubled by retaining a card balance.

The point now, surely, is that unless you have a season ticket or a relevant
railcard there is no point in using Oyster Pay As You go any more and that
Contactless is preferable? I've been struck by how large balances really
occasional users I know have on their Oyster cards.

--
Colin Rosenstiel