On Wed, 06 Dec 2006 16:46:10 GMT, Richard J. wrote:

[1] I remember the reason why I don't do auto-top-up now - you need
to nominate a Tube station to start it from, from which you have to
travel or you end up with an unresolved journey, and I never quite
know where or when I'll use my Oyster next.

The advice I got from the Oyster helpline last year was to get
auto-setup put on the card by touching in at my nominated tube station,
and to get the ticket clerk there to cancel the unresolved journey.
That worked fine, but I'm not sure if it can still be done that way afte
the new procedures were announced for handling unresolved journeys.

Apparently not. According to the new rules posted here, you'll only be
able to get unresolved journeys fixed at ticket offices if it was due
to a system failure. You'd have to phone the helpline and ask them to
refund your 4 quid.