I suspect I already know the answer to this (TfL want you using contactless, even though it doesn't play nice with more complex situations), but figured I'd ask here anyway for confirmation and to vent a bit. 
The other day I made a trip from Brighton to Watford to meet some friends, with an outward diversion between Harrow & Wealdstone & Watford that would need buses. Given all those factors, I concluded that my best bet was the usual NSE-discounted Thameslink-only day travelcard for £21.55 (which would handle the zones on both sides, as well as the buses), and I figured I'd just get a extension ticket to cover the gap back from Watford to BZ6/Harrow so I could just jump on the train at Watford. I looked up the price quickly and saw the fare was £2.40, and thought great, roughly same as the bus, but far quicker.
Thankfully, I got to Watford a bit early and thought I'd grab my extension ticket beforehand, but despite it being 6:30pm on a Friday the machine only offered an anytime day single for £7 - there was no off-peak option, and the ridiculous NSE £13 minimum fare means that can't be used to make things a bit more reasonable, either.
I went to the ticket office, and the nice lady seemed surprised there wasn't an off-peak fare, but she then found me one to BZ6 which did exist. It was still £6.40, though (and couldn't be discounted due to the aforementioned ridiculous NSE minimum fare), which is still nearly twice the price of the (as I later found out) contactless fare I'd found originally.
So, despite being able to get a ticket to a station my train stopped at to keep things valid, unless I want to get off and tap out, then turn around and walk back in and wait for the next train, I had to pay over twice the price. The contactless fare for the entirety of Watford to Euston was only marginally more than buying the extension to my existing travelcard! Frankly, for a moment I could see why someone with less scruples would simply not bother trying to keep things legit. I guess it might get better when (if?) contactless eventually gets extended down to Brighton as part of Oval...though I fear it simply means we lose the Thameslink-only prices and it all comes out worse.
So, venting over. I'm well aware I'm complaining for the sake of just a few quid, but it's more the principle of having proportionally massive disparity in fares for the exact same journey, penalising people for trying to do the right thing. The actual question is simple: why is there such a discrepancy between the fares? Looking at BRFares, I see the boundary fare is set by West Midlands Trains, which probably gives a clue why it still has an off-peak, given the Watford-Harrow fare is set by LO, who presumably are trying to push everyone to use contactless, so presumably price paper tickets punitively?
The other day I made a trip from Brighton to Watford to meet some friends, with an outward diversion between Harrow & Wealdstone & Watford that would need buses. Given all those factors, I concluded that my best bet was the usual NSE-discounted Thameslink-only day travelcard for £21.55 (which would handle the zones on both sides, as well as the buses), and I figured I'd just get a extension ticket to cover the gap back from Watford to BZ6/Harrow so I could just jump on the train at Watford. I looked up the price quickly and saw the fare was £2.40, and thought great, roughly same as the bus, but far quicker.
Thankfully, I got to Watford a bit early and thought I'd grab my extension ticket beforehand, but despite it being 6:30pm on a Friday the machine only offered an anytime day single for £7 - there was no off-peak option, and the ridiculous NSE £13 minimum fare means that can't be used to make things a bit more reasonable, either.
I went to the ticket office, and the nice lady seemed surprised there wasn't an off-peak fare, but she then found me one to BZ6 which did exist. It was still £6.40, though (and couldn't be discounted due to the aforementioned ridiculous NSE minimum fare), which is still nearly twice the price of the (as I later found out) contactless fare I'd found originally.
So, despite being able to get a ticket to a station my train stopped at to keep things valid, unless I want to get off and tap out, then turn around and walk back in and wait for the next train, I had to pay over twice the price. The contactless fare for the entirety of Watford to Euston was only marginally more than buying the extension to my existing travelcard! Frankly, for a moment I could see why someone with less scruples would simply not bother trying to keep things legit. I guess it might get better when (if?) contactless eventually gets extended down to Brighton as part of Oval...though I fear it simply means we lose the Thameslink-only prices and it all comes out worse.
So, venting over. I'm well aware I'm complaining for the sake of just a few quid, but it's more the principle of having proportionally massive disparity in fares for the exact same journey, penalising people for trying to do the right thing. The actual question is simple: why is there such a discrepancy between the fares? Looking at BRFares, I see the boundary fare is set by West Midlands Trains, which probably gives a clue why it still has an off-peak, given the Watford-Harrow fare is set by LO, who presumably are trying to push everyone to use contactless, so presumably price paper tickets punitively?