In message of Mon, 7 Sep 2009 14:50:40
in uk.transport.london, David A Stocks writes
"neverwas" wrote in message news:yX1pm.76443$OO7.
...
No, I accept that. For the odd one-off transaction the inconvenience
is just about acceptable; the last time I collected anything at a
ticket gate was when I set up auto top-up. What I'm particularly
interested in is anyone who prefers online over manual top ups for
putting PAYG value on their Oyster on a regular basis.
Are you looking for script ideas for a variation on "what did the
Romans ever do for us?".
No, just interested in who uses the facility and why. So far the the
only reasons given have been
o physical security, unsatisfactory siting of machine (so use a
machine elsewhere?)
o ticket machines don't take Amex (they do).
That's it.
I use auto top up and have done so for a couple of years without many
problems. The reason I do so is convenience. I generally don't have to
monitor the balance and it works.
OTOH, I had a card fail once and it did not actually top up. TfL is not
very interested in explaining Oyster failure and issued me another card.
You have to touch in at a nominated station to set it up for the first
time. If you don't intend to make a journey, staff can cancel the
charge.
I have not seen anybody mention collecting refunds, which is also done
at your nominated station. I regularly find I am overcharged be Oyster.
e.g. They have not quite got Out of Station interchanges correct.
I believe Liverpool Street to Liverpool Street via Euston and Euston
Square is charged as unfinished journey and an unstarted journey.
Station staff seem to have a VERY limited ability to cancel incorrect
charges.
I stopped the topping up credit card when I lost it. The system topped
me up, found it could not be paid and sent me an email threatening to
cancel the Oyster if I did not regularise the situation within 3 days. I
did so and came away impressed by the logic.
My other half is not convinced by auto top up and seems to have a lot
more trouble than I in keeping a positive balance on her card.
YMMV. It suits me; It would probably not do so if I used Oyster PAYG
less than once a month.
There's many other possible reasons. 2 which will count for me when
our corner shop closes:
o the local ticket machine is exposed to the elements; my PC ain't;
o the local ticket machine is exposed to street robbers; my PC is
only exposed to the burglars.
-- R
The machines I used for manual top up when I did it were Victoria, St
James's Park, Mansion House, Warwick Avenue and Maida Vale; all roughly
equally local to Hove, which is where I live. One of the nice things
about manual top up is that you're not tied to any particular machine
or place or time, and you don't have to take a journey to collect it.
The major irritation of online top up for me was that I was forced to
use the Underground when I wouldn't necessarily choose to; I might want
to take a bus or walk instead.
The original post that started off this thread was about the inability
to collect online top up at Watford Junction. If this is a preview of
how Oyster is to be rolled out on NR routes south of the river then it
will only serve to reinforce my views about online top up.
D A Stocks
I think you misunderstood
In message of Tue, 1 Sep 2009
21:54:55 in uk.transport.london, Zen83237 writes
How come if I get a refund it can be added at Watford Junc but if I do an
online top up it can't be added at Watford Junc or Euston main line.
I would suspect most users are inconvenienced once when setting up auto
top up and NEVER need to collect a refund. To collect a refund, you have
to recognise that you have been overcharged, email or phone TfL to agree
the appropriate charge - I find the latter method often taken 20 minutes
- and collect the refund at your nominated station. I believe the system
is no more than 99% right, even when one does not stress it.
If I lived in Hove actually and wanted to auto top up, I would nominate
Victoria or London Bridge.
--
Walter Briscoe