Oyster charging for journeys that don't happen
 

I've found another way in which Oyster incorrectly charges people too
much.

On Tuesday evening I touched in and got on a train at Waterloo. A few
minutes later we were told that there was no driver. So I got off,
touched out, found the next train on the departures board, touched in,
and travelled.

The result - I was charged for entering and exiting at Waterloo, and
then charged again for my actual journey.

Now, I've emailed the helpline and I'm sure I'll get a refund in a few
days, but most people aren't aware of how error-prone Oyster is and
consequently that they should check their journey history. I wonder how
much TfL and SWT made from that train full of people going nowhere.

--
David Cantrell | Godless Liberal Elitist

Only some sort of ghastly dehumanised moron would want to get
rid of Routemasters
-- Ken Livingstone, four years before he got rid of 'em

Oyster charging for journeys that don't happen
 

The same thing happened to me at Victoria. Money was deducted at the time but refunded about a day later, and I didn't contact anyone.

Oyster charging for journeys that don't happen
 

On 2015\02\12 12:55, David Cantrell wrote:
I've found another way in which Oyster incorrectly charges people too
much.

On Tuesday evening I touched in and got on a train at Waterloo. A few
minutes later we were told that there was no driver. So I got off,
touched out, found the next train on the departures board, touched in,
and travelled.

The result - I was charged for entering and exiting at Waterloo

Charged how much?

Oyster charging for journeys that don't happen
 

On 12/02/2015 12:55, David Cantrell wrote:
I've found another way in which Oyster incorrectly charges people too
much.

On Tuesday evening I touched in and got on a train at Waterloo. A few
minutes later we were told that there was no driver. So I got off,
touched out, found the next train on the departures board, touched in,
and travelled.

The result - I was charged for entering and exiting at Waterloo, and
then charged again for my actual journey.

Now, I've emailed the helpline and I'm sure I'll get a refund in a few
days, but most people aren't aware of how error-prone Oyster is and
consequently that they should check their journey history. I wonder how
much TfL and SWT made from that train full of people going nowhere.


It's not an error, the system is operating as programmed. (You're a
programmer, no? Technology, including Oyster, doesn't just do it's own
random thing.)

https://www.tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/oyster/using-oyster/touching-in-and-out

http://www.oyster-rail.org.uk/same-station-continuation-exits/

Oyster charging for journeys that don't happen
 

In article , (Mizter T) wrote:

On 12/02/2015 12:55, David Cantrell wrote:
I've found another way in which Oyster incorrectly charges people too
much.

On Tuesday evening I touched in and got on a train at Waterloo. A few
minutes later we were told that there was no driver. So I got off,
touched out, found the next train on the departures board, touched in,
and travelled.

The result - I was charged for entering and exiting at Waterloo, and
then charged again for my actual journey.

Now, I've emailed the helpline and I'm sure I'll get a refund in a few
days, but most people aren't aware of how error-prone Oyster is and
consequently that they should check their journey history. I wonder how
much TfL and SWT made from that train full of people going nowhere.

It's not an error, the system is operating as programmed. (You're a
programmer, no? Technology, including Oyster, doesn't just do it's
own random thing.)


https://www.tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-pay...touching-in-an
d-out

http://www.oyster-rail.org.uk/same-station-continuation-exits/

Those sites give different stories for the case presented here, unhelpfully.
In any case 2 minutes may be tight at Waterloo to find out about disruption
and exit through the barrier again. It seems so in this case.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

Oyster charging for journeys that don't happen
 

In message , at 23:00:26 on Thu, 12 Feb
2015, Mizter T remarked:
I've found another way in which Oyster incorrectly charges people too
much.

On Tuesday evening I touched in and got on a train at Waterloo. A few
minutes later we were told that there was no driver. So I got off,
touched out, found the next train on the departures board, touched in,
and travelled.

The result - I was charged for entering and exiting at Waterloo, and
then charged again for my actual journey.

Now, I've emailed the helpline and I'm sure I'll get a refund in a few
days, but most people aren't aware of how error-prone Oyster is and
consequently that they should check their journey history. I wonder how
much TfL and SWT made from that train full of people going nowhere.

It's not an error, the system is operating as programmed. (You're a
programmer, no? Technology, including Oyster, doesn't just do it's own
random thing.)

"If you touch in on a yellow card reader to make a journey and
then decide you don't want to make it or you can't because of
service disruption and touch out again to exit your Oyster card
will be charged. We apply charges to discourage fare evasion.
However, you may be able to get a refund if this happens."

The burden here is far too much on the innocent traveller.
--
Roland Perry

Oyster charging for journeys that don't happen
 

Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 23:00:26 on Thu, 12 Feb
2015, Mizter T remarked:
I've found another way in which Oyster incorrectly charges people too
much.

On Tuesday evening I touched in and got on a train at Waterloo. A few
minutes later we were told that there was no driver. So I got off,
touched out, found the next train on the departures board, touched in,
and travelled.

The result - I was charged for entering and exiting at Waterloo, and
then charged again for my actual journey.

Now, I've emailed the helpline and I'm sure I'll get a refund in a few
days, but most people aren't aware of how error-prone Oyster is and
consequently that they should check their journey history. I wonder how
much TfL and SWT made from that train full of people going nowhere.

It's not an error, the system is operating as programmed. (You're a
programmer, no? Technology, including Oyster, doesn't just do it's own
random thing.)

"If you touch in on a yellow card reader to make a journey and
then decide you don't want to make it or you can't because of
service disruption and touch out again to exit your Oyster card
will be charged. We apply charges to discourage fare evasion.
However, you may be able to get a refund if this happens."

The burden here is far too much on the innocent traveller.

Yes, I agree. They really ought to be able to tweak the algorithm to stop
charging in cases where people exit within, say, ten minutes.

Oyster charging for journeys that don't happen
 

On Fri, 13 Feb 2015 08:55:57 +0000 (UTC)
Recliner wrote:
Roland Perry wrote:
"If you touch in on a yellow card reader to make a journey and
then decide you don't want to make it or you can't because of
service disruption and touch out again to exit your Oyster card
will be charged. We apply charges to discourage fare evasion.
However, you may be able to get a refund if this happens."

The burden here is far too much on the innocent traveller.

Yes, I agree. They really ought to be able to tweak the algorithm to stop
charging in cases where people exit within, say, ten minutes.

Can anyone spot the teeny problem there? No?

Touch in, go through gate, touch out on exit gate to get refund but don't go
through it and happily travel for free - assuming you don't get caught by a
revenue patrol and can get out the other end of course.

They used to allow it years ago, and I know that because I did it once or
twice.

--
Spud

Oyster charging for journeys that don't happen
 

wrote:
On Fri, 13 Feb 2015 08:55:57 +0000 (UTC)
Recliner wrote:
Roland Perry wrote:
"If you touch in on a yellow card reader to make a journey and
then decide you don't want to make it or you can't because of
service disruption and touch out again to exit your Oyster card
will be charged. We apply charges to discourage fare evasion.
However, you may be able to get a refund if this happens."

The burden here is far too much on the innocent traveller.

Yes, I agree. They really ought to be able to tweak the algorithm to stop
charging in cases where people exit within, say, ten minutes.

Can anyone spot the teeny problem there? No?

Touch in, go through gate, touch out on exit gate to get refund but don't go
through it and happily travel for free - assuming you don't get caught by a
revenue patrol and can get out the other end of course.

They used to allow it years ago, and I know that because I did it once or
twice.

I bow to your superior, first-hand knowledge of this specialist topic.

Oyster charging for journeys that don't happen
 

In article , d
() wrote:

On Fri, 13 Feb 2015 08:55:57 +0000 (UTC)
Recliner wrote:
Roland Perry wrote:
"If you touch in on a yellow card reader to make a journey and
then decide you don't want to make it or you can't because of
service disruption and touch out again to exit your Oyster card
will be charged. We apply charges to discourage fare evasion.
However, you may be able to get a refund if this happens."

The burden here is far too much on the innocent traveller.

Yes, I agree. They really ought to be able to tweak the algorithm to stop
charging in cases where people exit within, say, ten minutes.

Can anyone spot the teeny problem there? No?

Touch in, go through gate, touch out on exit gate to get refund but
don't go through it and happily travel for free - assuming you don't
get caught by a revenue patrol and can get out the other end of
course.

They used to allow it years ago, and I know that because I did it
once or twice.

Which is why in-out-in again within a reasonable time should be handled
automatically as oyster-rail.org.uk implies but the TfL site is silent on.

--
Colin Rosenstiel