Harsh words you may think. Not after you read this.

See my message "What should I do to my Season ticket for the next 2.5
months? Help" from a few weeks ago to see what this is about.

As you will know, if you followed that thread, I was looking forward
to paying just £107.18 following requesting a changeover ticket. I had
a Z12 annual, at the old prices, starting 31 December 2009, ending 30
December 2009, which cost me £968.

As from today, I wanted to be Z123. As there were 233 days left on the
old ticket I was expecting a credit of £617.45 for the old ticket, a
charge of £724.63 for the new ticket, making a difference to pay of
£107.18.

I was then going to change it back to Z12 at the end of July but that
is irrelevant to this particular problem.

Anyway, I went to Moorgate, but they said I would need to fill in a
form and wait a week. I said that I thought that as they were the
issuing station they could do it then and there (see other thread).
They said that Mansion House was in fact the issuing station. I then
remembered that I was indeed in Mansion House at the time, so thanked
them and got the tube to Mansion House.

There I found a very helpful lady who confirmed that it was the
issuing station. But when I showed her my calculations, she said that
the figures I showed her were wrong. She said that the credit for the
old ticket was not £617.45 but £651.10. I asked her whether she was
absolutely sure, she said yes. Well, I'm not going to argue with that.
So she worked out that I would only end up paying £724.63 minus
£651.10 which comes to £73.53. Result!! Even cheaper.

She gave me the pad for me to type in my PIN number. Out came a new
Gold card for Z123 (and indeed dated 31 December 2008 to 30 December
2009 although oddly had £1208 on it, which is this year's figure).

I then looked at the receipt that was printed out after typing in the
PIN. I was worried that it said "Please debit my account by £651.10. I
asked why, she said that there is also a refund and showed me the
other receipt. Which said:

Travelcard/Std/Full/Adult/Z13/12Mths
31/12/08 - 30/12/09
My Oyster number £1208.00


*** REFUNDS ***
Travelcard/Std/Full/Adult/Z12/12Mths
My Oyster number -£561.90
Admin charge £5

___________
TOTAL £651.10
SWITCH (with issue) £651.10


She was really helpful until then (to the extent I had been thinking
about turning up next day with a "Thank You" card for sorting it all
out so quickly) but was now getting stroppy because she had to go
home. "You'll be refunded this bit" she kept saying, pointing at the -
£561.

Errm, no. I won't. Because she's got £1208 at the top, so £651 is
according to this receipt what I have just paid, AFTER taking away
£561.90. But she was having none of it and the black screen went
down.

I ran upstairs, called my bank (First Direct) who told me indeed
£651.10 was about to go through, but no sign of any refunt.

Today, no refund. And I am now livid, because I can't afford to be
without that money more than a day or two, I have my mortgage coming
out on Thursday and that's going to take me well overdrawn. I go back
downstairs. A new member of staff is now behind the window who knows
nothing about this. But I see Teresa through the window about to
leave, and she assures me that it will be refunded.

Please, what do I do. I need this all sorted asap. Yes, my Oystercard
is working Z123 today and according to the touchpad will be valid
until 30 December. But there are so many anomalies here.

Namely: where did £561.90 come from??? This is neither the £617.45 I
had worked out as being £2.65 x 233 days refund, nor any other figure
I had been shown.

Why does she keep insisting that this £561.90 is still to be refunded
when I can see clearly on the receipt that it has been taken from
£1208 to create the £651.10 I have already been charged (plus the £5
admin fee).

Why am I being charged so much, when I was told by her that I was
typing in my PIN for just £73.53??

I am really really livid about this. I could do with some quick advice
before I go down there after work. And if Teresa isn't there, I'm just
going to be met by someone who won't have a clue what I'm on about and
will probably just tell me to ring some helpline or other. Help!!!
This is so unfair.

TRISTÁN