Mizter T wrote on 23 September 2011 09:52:24 ...
wrote:
I'm living abroad now but came back to London for a few weeks for a
holiday and used my old Oyster to travel around. It still had auto top
up on it from before which I had neglected to cancel, and had topped up
40 pounds after a normal day out. Which I did not want it to do, but I
thought oh well, I should have cancelled it before, too late now. And I
did go to the website and request the auto top to be stopped afterwards,
but I didn't bother with getting the money back as I'd imagine it would
be a big faff and take ages, and I was flying out in a few days, and I
could let my friend use it up instead etc. The cancelling of the auto
top up had to be 'activated' by tapping in at a tube station (why??)
which I didn't manage to do, so another 'black mark' against me.
But then I got an e-mail from TFL saying the auto top up had failed! So
I thought well, that's worked out then.
A few days later, I'm not in the UK anymore and they've sent me another
e-mail saying as I'd failed to pay them the 40 pounds they had now
cancelled my card, which still had 5 pounds on it, and that I wouldn't
get my 5 pounds back if I didn't pay them 40 pounds. And not only that,
if I didn't pay them the 40 pounds, they were going to 'take further
action'!
What further action could they take? I didn't go into negative with my
card, why do I still have to pay them 40 pounds especially as they've
cancelled it? They are also very happy to send out numerous e-mails, but
bizarrely unable to accept e-mails back themselves.
The emails you received were probably automatically generated, hence the
no-reply status. But you could phone the Oyster Customer Service Centre
on +44 20 7027 8511 or use the online contact form at
https://custserv.tfl.gov.uk/icss_csip/init.do (select "Make a complaint"
then "Oyster" then "Auto top-up" and fill in the form).
I think what's happened here is that the 40 pounds actually did get credited
to your Oyster card, so essentially you're currently owing TfL that money,
hence why they've blacklisted your Oyster card. If you pay them that money
then they should de-blacklist your Oyster card.
Yes, I agree with that analysis. The emails are just the system
pursuing a contractual debt. But if you can contact a human being, they
might agree to cancel the debt (and the Oyster card) provided you return
the card to them. Worth a try, anyway.
--
Richard J.
(to email me, swap 'uk' and 'yon' in address)