In message
MIG wrote:

On 3 Feb, 12:02, Graeme wrote:
[snip]
The person you handed it too was probably not in a position to know what
would happen next.

But they were in a position to make sure that something did.

Not necessarily, they just put it in the system and let that take care of it.


No questions about where I found it, not notes made, no careful
putting in a particular place for action to be taken, no indication
that anything would be done for the person who had registered it, even
when I prompted by saying that I had checked and it was registered.

Presumably they can do a computer check on who registered it and see if
he/she registered the replacement. But I can't see frontline staff getting
involved in that.

A total focus on telling me that I wasn't allowed to use it.

Because that's what her training says.


I don't know what might have happened, but I am suspicious.

Why?

--
Graeme Wall

This address not read, substitute trains for rail
Transport Miscellany at www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail
Photo galleries at http://graeme-wall.fotopic.net/

On 3 Feb, 20:24, Mizter T wrote:
On Feb 3, 8:03*pm, MIG wrote:





On 3 Feb, 11:48, wrote:

Neil *Williams wrote:

Perhaps people could be encouraged to return them if doing so was
easier? *I don't see why a machine shouldn't be provided to take one
back and return the deposit and outstanding balance. *(Though it's not
totally simple, as I guess a refund of balance paid by credit card
must go back to the credit card).

They don't have to call it a refund, they could just give you
£3 for being lovely and returning it. It's only £3, not £30.

The question is whether they actually want them back, or whether they
just want £3 extra from a couple of million people. *They have to go
through the motions of taking them back either way.

It has been stated that returned cards are never reissued. *I'll have
to search for the thread that that cropped up in.

I've still got to reply to your post upthread still (and the other
post about Oyster, and a million and one others too!) but I rather
fear this is a muddling of two separate issues - lost Oyster cards
that have been returned to ticket offices (or wherever), and
*surrendered* Oyster cards returned because the holder didn't want
them any more. In the case of the latter the deposit is returned plus
I think those cards do then get re-issued (dunno what quality control
process there might for for that though).

Oh I remember now. I think it was the one where someone thought that
they'd been issued an old card with an expired season on it ...

This was the one.

http://groups.google.co.uk/group/uk....5089535c?hl=en

On 3 Feb, 20:29, Graeme wrote:
In message
* * * * * MIG wrote:



On 3 Feb, 12:02, Graeme wrote:
[snip]
The person you handed it too was probably not in a position to know what
would happen next.

But they were in a position to make sure that something did.

Not necessarily, they just put it in the system and let that take care of it.


Maybe so, but that would ensure that no information got back to the
punter before they'd bought another card. Effectively the same as
binning the original. Time was of the essence.

That was why I phoned immediately on finding it, in the hope that
necessary messages could get through. I niaively thought that by
calling the helpline and giving the serial number, I could save the
punter a lot of hassle.

The helpline declined to do anything, and just told me to hand it in.
This was going to be the next day, plus whatever time it took to go
through the system.

In message
MIG wrote:

On 3 Feb, 20:29, Graeme wrote:
In message
* * *
* * MIG wrote:



On 3 Feb, 12:02, Graeme wrote:
[snip]
The person you handed it too was probably not in a position to know
what would happen next.

But they were in a position to make sure that something did.

Not necessarily, they just put it in the system and let that take care of
it.


Maybe so, but that would ensure that no information got back to the punter
before they'd bought another card. Effectively the same as binning the
original. Time was of the essence.

How do you propose they did that?


That was why I phoned immediately on finding it, in the hope that
necessary messages could get through. I niaively thought that by
calling the helpline and giving the serial number, I could save the
punter a lot of hassle.

Hadn't realised that you'd phoned in, no wonder the woman reiterated that you
shouldn't use it. Without the actual card I suspect there is nothing they
can do.


The helpline declined to do anything, and just told me to hand it in.
This was going to be the next day, plus whatever time it took to go
through the system.

That's the way it works, obviously.

--
Graeme Wall

This address not read, substitute trains for rail
Transport Miscellany at www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail
Photo galleries at http://graeme-wall.fotopic.net/

On Wed, 3 Feb 2010 12:17:58 -0800 (PST), MIG
wrote:

I think he has a point about it being unnecessarily awkward to get the
deposit

How so? You turn up at a ticket office, hand over the card and get a
refund.

On 3 Feb, 21:46, Graeme wrote:
In message
* * * * * MIG wrote:





On 3 Feb, 20:29, Graeme wrote:
In message
* * *
* * MIG wrote:

On 3 Feb, 12:02, Graeme wrote:
[snip]
The person you handed it too was probably not in a position to know
what would happen next.

But they were in a position to make sure that something did.

Not necessarily, they just put it in the system and let that take care of
it.

Maybe so, but that would ensure that no information got back to the punter
before they'd bought another card. *Effectively the same as binning the
original. *Time was of the essence.

How do you propose they did that?

Well, if one registers a card, presumably one provides contact
details. This was why my first thought was to establish if it was
registered and provide the details so that the punter could be
contacted.




That was why I phoned immediately on finding it, in the hope that
necessary messages could get through. *I niaively thought that by
calling the helpline and giving the serial number, I could save the
punter a lot of hassle.

Hadn't realised that you'd phoned in, no wonder the woman reiterated that you
shouldn't use it. *Without the actual card I suspect there is nothing they
can do.


I phoned immediately, and spoke to a man as it happened, and
established that it was a registered card. He didn't seem to be too
concerned about me using it, but didn't offer to do anything with the
details and told me to hand it in.

Then the next day I handed it to a woman in a travel information
office. She did make a point of saying that I couldn't use it, which
I hadn't suggested doing.



The helpline declined to do anything, and just told me to hand it in.
This was going to be the next day, plus whatever time it took to go
through the system.

That's the way it works, obviously.

--
Graeme Wall

This address not read, substitute trains for rail
Transport Miscellany at www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail
Photo galleries at http://graeme-wall.fotopic.net/- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

At the time the
maximum refundable balance was £5, so I used the card(s) to get the
balance below that figure then handed them over at the ticket office
and got the £3 + outstanding balance in cash. No identity required
nor reasons given. A very straightforward and simple process.

Nice to hear.

I own an Oyster card for several years now. Sometimes I topped it up in
cash, sometimes with a credit-card. If I now wish to return the card,
what would be the result: "No Sir, you have used a credit-card in 2004,
so you won't get anything back"? Recredit it to the card (but my current
card is not the one I used back then)? Ask me to fill a form, send it in
by post and wait for a cheque?

Does anybody know the current procedure?

David Hansen wrote

record is destroyed when the book is handed back and the ticket and
card separated. However, in a computerised library this method of
operation is not used, instead the record of what books were
borrowed by who is kept by the system permanently. It may be that
the local staff do not have access to screens which will show this
record, but it is still there.

Kept for six months for the system that a lot of UK libraries use. The
information is available to the reader online which can be handy. I
imagine the business case was to detect vandalism and removal of
illustrations for sale especially now there is self-service terminals
for borrowing and return.

Personal data so Data Protection Act applies - if it's kept longer than
a reasonable time that's a violation.

--
Mike D

On Wed, 3 Feb 2010 14:38:21 -0800 (PST), MIG
wrote:

Well, if one registers a card, presumably one provides contact
details. This was why my first thought was to establish if it was
registered and provide the details so that the punter could be
contacted.

Would it be worth the effort though? If a registered card is lost,
the owner gets another one then has the balance transferred. It would
probably cost more than £3 in admin costs for TfL to send on the card,
and what does the owner do in the meantime?

On Thu, 4 Feb 2010 10:59:12 +0000 (UTC), d
wrote:

If you want to see incompetance , inflexibility, thwarted ambition, delusions
of grandure, money worship and general spite and vindictiveness all wrapped up
in one bitter little package just go and say hello to a local councillor.

Don't need to. I've read your postings.