Right... bear with me on this one. I am on the verge of losing it with the Oyster helpdes=
k.

My commute to work uses zones 2 to 5. My journey starts at a National Rail station. I the=
n subsequently use the underground.

I dont normally know until the last minute (due to partner's unpredictable shift pat=
tern) whether I will drive or get public transport to work that week so unable to buy tr=
avelcard in advance.

So, on a Monday morning I arrive at the station and need to buy a 7 day travelcard. They c=
annot sell me a ticket on Oyster so insist I purchase a paper ticket. The only downside=
to this is I often (2 or 3 times a week) start my commute home from zone 1. This is where th=
e problems start. I can't enter the station at zone 1 using my paper ticket as it's not v=
alid. And I cant touch in with my prepay Oyster as when I touch out I will charged for the=
whole journey although I have zones 2 to 5 on a travelcard.

For the first few weeks this was a problem (using prepay to enter/exit) I contacted th=
e helpdesk and they credited the cash back to my Oyster card. However, they now refuse=
to do this, say I will have to buy a (high priced) paper ticket to cover the zone 1 leg of m=
y journey. I've even begged the National Rail station to issue me with a permit to trav=
el so I can get my ticket on Oyster at the first available point (when I interchange to t=
he tube) - but they wont let me.

On the one week where I knew in advance I would be commuting the following week I went to=
the tube station to get a travelcard on my Oyster in advance. And guess what (which did=
nt come to light until 4 days later)? The moron started it from that day, therefore mak=
ing me have 2 travelcards running simultaneously on the same Oyster card for 3 days. W=
hen I contacted the helpdesk they offered me a =C2=A310 refund, which would credit th=
e next time I went through the barriers. 2 weeks and FOUR phone calls later they finall=
y added the credit to my card.

Meant to make you life easier? What a f*cking joke.

On Thu, 26 Oct 2006 01:58:28 -0500, ben wrote:

Right... bear with me on this one. I am on the verge of losing it
with the Oyster helpdesk.

My commute to work uses zones 2 to 5. My journey starts at a National
Rail station. I then subsequently use the underground.

I dont normally know until the last minute (due to partner's
unpredictable shift pattern) whether I will drive or get public
transport to work that week so unable to buy travelcard in advance.

So, on a Monday morning I arrive at the station and need to buy a 7
day travelcard. They cannot sell me a ticket on Oyster so insist I
purchase a paper ticket.

I suggest that, if possible, you buy your weekly Travelcard on Oyster
from a local Oyster Ticket Stop (newsagent).

You can find your nearest one at:
http://www.tfl-ticketlocator.co.uk/

ben wrote:
Right... bear with me on this one. I am on the verge of losing it with the Oyster helpdesk.
Meant to make you life easier? What a f*cking joke.

It is a pain, but you're wrong to blame Oyster. The finger of blame
should be pointed at the National Rail companies who have been refusing
to use Oyster until very recently (and even now, with Ken agreeing to
pay for it all, it's still going to take another two or three years!).

Patrick

ben wrote:
Right... bear with me on this one. I am on the verge of losing it with the Oyster helpdesk.



Meant to make you life easier? What a f*cking joke.

Tell me about it, see my post earlier on about trying to resolve an
unresolved journey. LUL told me that I had an unresolved journey at
Kings X now they are telling that I wasn't even at Kings X.
The joke is I searched Google on Oyster and there were loads of sites
talking about infringement of personal liberties. Had I committed a
murder in Kings X on the 16 August I now have a cast iron alibi.

Kevin

On Thu, 26 Oct 2006 01:58:28 -0500, wrote:

Right... bear with me on this one. I am on the verge of losing it with the Oyster helpdesk.

My commute to work uses zones 2 to 5. My journey starts at a National Rail station. I then subsequently use the underground.
I dont normally know until the last minute (due to partner's unpredictable shift pattern) whether I will drive or get public transport to work that week so unable to buy travelcard in advance.

So, on a Monday morning I arrive at the station and need to buy a 7 day travelcard.
They cannot sell me a ticket on Oyster so insist I purchase a paper ticket.
The only downside to this is I often (2 or 3 times a week) start my commute home from zone 1.
This is where the problems start. I can't enter the station at zone 1 using my paper ticket as it's not valid.
And I cant touch in with my prepay Oyster as when I touch out I will charged for the whole journey although I have zones 2 to 5 on a travelcard.

For the first few weeks this was a problem (using prepay to enter/exit) I contacted the helpdesk and they credited the cash back to my Oyster card.
However, they now refuse to do this, say I will have to buy a (high priced) paper ticket to cover the zone 1 leg of my journey.
I've even begged the National Rail station to issue me with a permit to travel so I can get my ticket on Oyster at the first available point (when I interchange to the tube) - but they wont let me.
On the one week where I knew in advance I would be commuting the following week I went to the tube station to get a travelcard on my Oyster in advance.
And guess what (which didnt come to light until 4 days later)? The moron started it from that day, therefore making me have 2 travelcards running simultaneously on the same Oyster card for 3 days.
When I contacted the helpdesk they offered me a £10 refund, which would credit the next time I went through the barriers. 2 weeks and FOUR phone calls later they finally added the credit to my card.

Meant to make you life easier? What a f*cking joke.

As someone has suggested the nearest Oyster ticket stop is going to be
the best option - assuming you have one nearby. I think any system
might struggle to provide you with the flexibility you demand given how
unpredictable your mode of transport is for any given week. That's not
to blame you - it's just it is difficult to cope with every possible set
of circumstances.

I can assure you that huge efforts were made to try to get National Rail
stations to join in with Oyster (in terms of being able to sell tickets
on the cards or add value) but the train companies were not interested.
They cannot be forced by TfL to adopt the technology so for now there is
a split level of service between LU / DLR locations and almost all TOC
stations. It is in the process of being resolved but will take a number
of years to implement - sorry.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!

wrote:
ben wrote:
Right... bear with me on this one. I am on the verge of losing it with the Oyster helpdesk.
Meant to make you life easier? What a f*cking joke.

It is a pain, but you're wrong to blame Oyster. The finger of blame
should be pointed at the National Rail companies who have been refusing
to use Oyster until very recently (and even now, with Ken agreeing to
pay for it all, it's still going to take another two or three years!).



No, TfL is wrong to be punishing people for not using Oyster when they
know that (for whatever reason) it is not fully available yet.

Are we really expected to think "TfL is punishing me for what my local
TOC won't do. It must be my fault for not lobbying the TOC hard
enough."? That certainly isn't my reaction.

The travelling public is being collectively punished for the "crimes"
of the TOCs (who would no doubt have a very different view about where
the blame lies).

Paul Corfield wrote:
On Thu, 26 Oct 2006 01:58:28 -0500, wrote:

As someone has suggested the nearest Oyster ticket stop is going to be
the best option - assuming you have one nearby. I think any system
might struggle to provide you with the flexibility you demand given how
unpredictable your mode of transport is for any given week. That's not
to blame you - it's just it is difficult to cope with every possible set
of circumstances.

I can assure you that huge efforts were made to try to get National Rail
stations to join in with Oyster (in terms of being able to sell tickets
on the cards or add value) but the train companies were not interested.
They cannot be forced by TfL to adopt the technology so for now there is
a split level of service between LU / DLR locations and almost all TOC
stations. It is in the process of being resolved but will take a number
of years to implement - sorry.

DLR allows pre-pay but doesn't allow you to renew an Oyster season
ticket at their stations.
During a period when I would begin my journeys at either Pudding Mill
Lane or Gallions Reach
I couldn't buy Oyster season tickets at either of those stations.

And I couldn't buy them online because they kept asking for some
security answer that I never
gave and there was no way to retrieve a lost one.

Paul Corfield wrote:
On Thu, 26 Oct 2006 01:58:28 -0500, wrote:

Right... bear with me on this one. I am on the verge of losing it with the Oyster helpdesk.

My commute to work uses zones 2 to 5. My journey starts at a National Rail station. I then subsequently use the underground.
I dont normally know until the last minute (due to partner's unpredictable shift pattern) whether I will drive or get public transport to work that week so unable to buy travelcard in advance.

So, on a Monday morning I arrive at the station and need to buy a 7 day travelcard.
They cannot sell me a ticket on Oyster so insist I purchase a paper ticket.
The only downside to this is I often (2 or 3 times a week) start my commute home from zone 1.
This is where the problems start. I can't enter the station at zone 1 using my paper ticket as it's not valid.
And I cant touch in with my prepay Oyster as when I touch out I will charged for the whole journey although I have zones 2 to 5 on a travelcard.

For the first few weeks this was a problem (using prepay to enter/exit) I contacted the helpdesk and they credited the cash back to my Oyster card.
However, they now refuse to do this, say I will have to buy a (high priced) paper ticket to cover the zone 1 leg of my journey.
I've even begged the National Rail station to issue me with a permit to travel so I can get my ticket on Oyster at the first available point (when I interchange to the tube) - but they wont let me.
On the one week where I knew in advance I would be commuting the following week I went to the tube station to get a travelcard on my Oyster in advance.
And guess what (which didnt come to light until 4 days later)? The moron started it from that day, therefore making me have 2 travelcards running simultaneously on the same Oyster card for 3 days.
When I contacted the helpdesk they offered me a £10 refund, which would credit the next time I went through the barriers. 2 weeks and FOUR phone calls later they finally added the credit to my card.

Meant to make you life easier? What a f*cking joke.

As someone has suggested the nearest Oyster ticket stop is going to be
the best option - assuming you have one nearby. I think any system
might struggle to provide you with the flexibility you demand given how
unpredictable your mode of transport is for any given week. That's not
to blame you - it's just it is difficult to cope with every possible set
of circumstances.

I can assure you that huge efforts were made to try to get National Rail
stations to join in with Oyster (in terms of being able to sell tickets
on the cards or add value) but the train companies were not interested.
They cannot be forced by TfL to adopt the technology so for now there is
a split level of service between LU / DLR locations and almost all TOC
stations. It is in the process of being resolved but will take a number
of years to implement - sorry.


So don't impose the punishments for not using Oyster until it has been
implemented.

On 28 Oct 2006 17:21:31 -0700, "MIG"
wrote:


So don't impose the punishments for not using Oyster until it has been
implemented.

I do not understand why you see the rules of using Oyster as being a
punishment. It's simple enough - touch in and touch out. There have to
be incentives to make sure that people do these simple tasks otherwise
we might as well have free travel everywhere.

With hindsight the concept of the high charge for non validation should
have been introduced at the start of PAYG not now. The howls of
complaint are only coming because people have got used to a more lenient
system which, if exploited, results in fraud.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!

Paul Corfield wrote:
On 28 Oct 2006 17:21:31 -0700, "MIG"
wrote:


So don't impose the punishments for not using Oyster until it has been
implemented.

I do not understand why you see the rules of using Oyster as being a
punishment. It's simple enough - touch in and touch out. There have to
be incentives to make sure that people do these simple tasks otherwise
we might as well have free travel everywhere.

With hindsight the concept of the high charge for non validation should
have been introduced at the start of PAYG not now. The howls of
complaint are only coming because people have got used to a more lenient
system which, if exploited, results in fraud.


What about the £4 singles and extensions for people who live near NR
or DLR and have paper tickets? Aren't they punishment for not using a
system which is not fully available? To me they are. The reasons why
I have ended up with unresolved journeys are entirely to do with this
(ie when I haven't got time to leave and reenter a station half way
through my journey because, believe it or not, I was travelling because
I needed to get somewhere).

Maybe there is a ticket stop selling Oyster somewhere in the opposite
direction from the local station (often there isn't), but why should I
be punished for turning up at my local station and paying my fare in
the most available way?