Oyster problem

[ValleyLines142]

I'm a bit surprised that it took so long for people to figure out what happened.

Basically, you made the mistake of checking your balance DURING a journey.

NEVER do this (unless you are morbidly fascinated with the programming behind Oyster)!

If you had touched in at (e.g.) Knightsbridge, then handed your Oyster to a mate to check at the ticket machine outside the gated area, it could and would have shown a balance of -£7 or so as well.

Ah, I see. Thanks for that!

 

[Airlink]

If I am going to make a number of journies (which would reach the cap) I'll just buy a ODTC and that's payment done and dusted for the day. Is there really and benefit to putting it onto an Oyster rather than using a paper ticket?

If you buy an off-peak ODTC then you will not pay extra for travelling on National rail between 16.00-19.00 Mon/Fri. If you use an oystercard on national rail between those times, then it will not cap until it reaches the peak time price cap. So on some occasions it makes more sense to buy the paper ticket.

Also if you fail to tap in/out for any reason, then those journies will not go towards any price capping.

 

[bb21]

If you buy an off-peak ODTC then you will not pay extra for travelling on National rail between 16.00-19.00 Mon/Fri. If you use an oystercard on national rail between those times, then it will not cap until it reaches the peak time price cap. So on some occasions it makes more sense to buy the paper ticket.

No, no, no.

Afternoon peak journeys are charged at the peak rates but counting towards the off-peak cap.

 

[IanD]

You can claim back the money that was unnecessarily spent by contacting the Oyster Helpdesk. You need to make a claim within 28 days. They will arrange for the money to be collected by your Oyster card at your nominated station (if you are not travelling to London within 7 days then you will need to call again to arrange that).

Irrelevant now in this case but they will send you a cheque if you tell them you won't be back in London for a while. I think they may also refund to a credit/debit card.

 

[dzug2]

If I am going to make a number of journies (which would reach the cap) I'll just buy a ODTC and that's payment done and dusted for the day. Is there really and benefit to putting it onto an Oyster rather than using a paper ticket?

A (possibly trivial) discount over the ODTC price with the Oyster cap

 

[34D]

Irrelevant now in this case but they will send you a cheque if you tell them you won't be back in London for a while. I think they may also refund to a credit/debit card.

I had one a few months ago done as a bank direct transfer