On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 18:16:08 -0600, "Tristán White"
wrote:

I know it's only a quid, and I probably won't bother, but it's a matter of
principle.

I left the house this morning and got on the bus. I knew that my monthly
season ticket had run out yesterday and I also knew that Londis (my local
shop) does not take credit or debit cards and I didn't have £105 on me in
cash and the cashpoint is too far (unless I spend £1.50 commission on the
cashpoint inside Londis).

As I have £25 credit on my Oyster for when I go over zone 3, I reckoned
that I should just take the bus to Plaistow, purchase my monthly season
ticket starting today with my debit card, and claim back the pound.

I was told that at the booking office that was impossible, there was
nothing I could do, that that pound was lost.

The ticket seller was correct.

Now, I'm sure I'd read differently. And I wouldn't put is past the ticket
sellers to give out misinformation. But I just wanted to make absolutely
certain.

You might not put it past ticket sellers but I can assure you they are
not trained to lie to passengers. They might not know the answer to
every conceivable question but that is an entirely different matter.

I mean, after all, if you leave your season ticket behind by mistake and
have to pay for tickets for a day, you can claim that back - or you used to
be able to.

That would be the ticket that you have already purchased and paid for.
Rather different from your example.

SO if I pay £1 to get on a bus where I am going to be buying a monthly
season ticket that would make that bus journey legal, how come I can't
claim that £1 back?

You have to have a valid season to travel on the bus for nothing
otherwise you pay via PAYG or cash. There is no rule that entitles you
to travel and then claim back whatever has accrued prior to purchasing
or uploading a season ticket on to an Oyster card on the same day. You
can't claim it back because there is no entitlement to do so and never
has been.

As you knew when your season ticket was running out was there something
that prevented you renewing at some point in the previous 30 days at a
LU office or 7 days at a ticket stop or 4 days at the large LU ticket
machine? As the system is now much more flexible than it used to be for
renewals it should be pretty easy to collect your ticket in advance and
then have a seamless transition between old and new seasons thus
avoiding the need to pay out your £1 PAYG bus fare.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!