Earlier today I tried to buy an one day travelcard using the last £4.70
prepay credit left on my Oystercard. Halfway through the transaction the
machine said that there had been an error and that the purchase had been
cancelled. I tried to start again, but most of the buttons had vanished
from the machines display so I switched to a different machine.

This second machine said that I couldn't buy travelcard as I had not
credit left on my Oystercard. Checking the transaction record on the card
showed that the last £4.70 had just been debited from the card.

As I was late for an appointment, I just bought the travelcard using my
switch card and carried on my way (effectively paying for the ticket
twice). But as the ticket office was quiet as I returned this evening I
decided to explain the problem to the man behind the counter. I got
halfway through my explanation before he stopped me to tell me that I
couldn't have bought a travelcard using prepay credit as that part of the
system wasn't implemented yet. I explained that he must have been mistaken
as I'd done it several times in the past. He printed out my oystercard
usage report and I showed him where I'd done just that a week ago and he
insisted that I couldn't have as the system didn't do that.

As I was obviously getting nowhere I just took the report and I'll call
the helpline in the morning.

But before I do, can someone please confirm that I'm not going mad. You
can buy travelcards with prepay credit can't you? I know I've done it
before. Or was that just a glitch in the system?

Cheers,

Dave...

Dave Cross wrote:

But before I do, can someone please confirm that I'm not going mad. You
can buy travelcards with prepay credit can't you? I know I've done it
before. Or was that just a glitch in the system?


Not a Travelcard, but I bought a single ticket using the Prepay credit
on my season Oyster at Euston Square at 7pm last tonight.

Correct amount was deducted.

"Dave Cross" wrote in message
news
But before I do, can someone please confirm that I'm not going mad. You
can buy travelcards with prepay credit can't you? I know I've done it
before. Or was that just a glitch in the system?

You could, but you can't anymore.

Anybody know why? I'm assuming it's something to do with topping up oyster
with oyster...

--
TC

On Fri, 30 Apr 2004 06:53:07 +0100, TC wrote:


"Dave Cross" wrote in message
news
But before I do, can someone please confirm that I'm not going mad. You
can buy travelcards with prepay credit can't you? I know I've done it
before. Or was that just a glitch in the system?

You could, but you can't anymore.

Well the woman I just spoke to on the phone seemed surprised that I'd ever
been able to do it. But at least she believed me (unlike the idiot that I
spoke to in the station last night). And she's going to refund my £4.70.

That just leaves one question. If you're not supposed to buy tickets using
perpay credit, then why is it an option on the machine?

Dave...

Are those buggers testing the system again I wonder.....

If you think of Pre-Pay as just cash sitting on a card, LUL plan to allow
the purchase of paper tickets using your Oyster card as just another form of
payment.

However, they have to ensure the system works OK and will have 'testers'
going around with Pre-Pay travelling, using Pre-Pay at the gates and buying
tickets. They will then record the transactions and ensure the database has
recorded them accurately.

Of course it will mean the software is live across the network or just at
certain stations to allow them to do it (remember when pre-pay came in - you
could top-up but couldn't use it!).

Bear in mind staff will be the last to know the system is being tested and
therefore deduct from your card. He/She has had it drummed in that Pre-Pay
cannot be used to purchase yet. Its been in the internal weekly bulletin
for weeks reminding staff that this is so.

Sometimes its hard to believe what your eyes show sometimes :-)

Steve

PS: Remember, you can always check your transactions on Pre-Pay using the
large machines, if you think something has gone wrong, just swipe your card
and select Pre-Pay usage.
"Dave Cross" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 30 Apr 2004 06:53:07 +0100, TC wrote:


"Dave Cross" wrote in message
news
But before I do, can someone please confirm that I'm not going mad. You
can buy travelcards with prepay credit can't you? I know I've done it
before. Or was that just a glitch in the system?

You could, but you can't anymore.

Well the woman I just spoke to on the phone seemed surprised that I'd ever
been able to do it. But at least she believed me (unlike the idiot that I
spoke to in the station last night). And she's going to refund my £4.70.

That just leaves one question. If you're not supposed to buy tickets using
perpay credit, then why is it an option on the machine?

Dave...

On Fri, 30 Apr 2004 17:55:56 +0100, SJCWHUK wrote:

PS: Remember, you can always check your transactions on Pre-Pay using the
large machines, if you think something has gone wrong, just swipe your card
and select Pre-Pay usage.

I know. That's how I found out that they had charged for the ticket that I
didn't get.

Dave...

On Fri, 30 Apr 2004 06:53:07 +0100, "TC"
wrote:
"Dave Cross" wrote in message
news
But before I do, can someone please confirm that I'm not going mad. You
can buy travelcards with prepay credit can't you? I know I've done it
before. Or was that just a glitch in the system?

You could, but you can't anymore.

I bought a One Day Travelcard last Tuesday on my Oyster Pre-pay, at St
James Park. So you can!

Richard.