In message of Sun, 1 Mar
2009 19:18:30 in uk.transport.london, Stuart Johnson
writes
Living in Scotland I come south only a few times a year.

When I do I usually buy ODTCs It is not unknown for me to enter a LU
station, perhaps to a have a look round, or maybe I change my mind and
decide to use a different route, perhaps a bus, or maybe it's just
because the service is screwed up, so I exit again without having
travelled. In these circumstances if the ODTC does not allow me
through the gates I just go through the manual barrier.

What would be the position if I used my Oyster PAYG in the same
circumstances? Would the gates let me out again, or would I have to
use the manual gate, and if so would I then have an unresolved
journey?

It depends! If you touch in and leave by the manual gate without
touching out you will be charged 4.00 for an unfinished journey.
If you touch in and leave by the manual gate, touching out as you do so,
you will probably be charged for a one zone journey.
In either case, you can probably get the charge cancelled by explaining
things to a ticket office clerk before you try another transaction. They
seem to have liberal instructions about issuing refunds, but the system
often restricts them from doing so.

There are oddities about entering and exiting the system by the same
station. If the two events are separated by more than 15 minutes, you
will be charged for two unresolved journeys: an unfinished journey for
entering the system and an unstarted journey for leaving the system.
Oyster assumes you went off system without touching out and then entered
the system without touching in.
Normally, the system allows you to be inside for up to 2.5 hours without
imposing extra charges, but expects you to enter and exit at different
stations. A journey history on an Oyster ticket machine usually makes
clear what has happened.

I have Auto-Topup on a registered Oyster card.
It simplifies my life and I am indemnified against loss. YMMV.

If I think I have been overcharged and have not immediately resolved the
matter, I email the Oyster helpdesk and they eventually either explain
or refund via my local station. I don't know what they do for those
without a local station or Tram Stop.
--
Walter Briscoe