Annual Oyster and Photocard
 

Mizter T wrote:

True. Though as you rightly point out, only 7-day Travelcards are
available on an unregistered Oyster card - anything longer and it needs
to be registered.

While on that topic, is it possible to register an Oyster at an address
outside the UK yet? When I attempted in 2005, the agent at Notting Hill
Gate seemed annoyed that I even tried.
--
David of Broadway
New York, NY, USA

Annual Oyster and Photocard
 

tkd wrote:

"Mizter T" wrote in message
ups.com...
asdf wrote:

On Mon, 15 Jan 2007 14:09:21 -0000, tkd wrote:

I, and other people I know, have been told a variety of crap from NR
staff
regarding Oyster including:

2) Oyster pay as you go not valid on sections of NR where it is valid
(Thameslink Farringdon-London Bridge)

Barrier staff at London Bridge (NR) appear to be under specific
instructions to tell you that PAYG is *not* valid at that station.

The ticket gates there reject PAYG-only Oyster cards, so you have to
go to the manual gate. The staff there say, every time, that PAYG is
not valid, and will only let you in/out after you insist that it is.

Is that still going on? I fell foul of that quite a long time ago.

When I have some spare time soon and am vaguely in the area I'll make
an FCC Thameslink journey starting/finishing at London Bridge to
investigate. If I encounter trouble I'll write to complain about it.

It really doesn't bode well for Oyster being implemented on National
Rail :-(


Not if it is anything like it is now at c2c stations. When anything went
wrong with PAYG journeys they just keep on touching it on the side gate
validator over and over again as if some special message might appear after
enough tries. The staff at the tickets windows (those with Oyster capable
equipment - about 50%) could not even accurately tell you your balance. I
think they could see the last three PAYG top up amounts and often confused
one of those for the current balance. They could not see any journey history
or remove a last entry/exit from the card, even if it was caused by their
own staff at the gate repeatedly touching the thing on the validator.

I really hope that someone at TfL Rail and/or TfL ticketing is reading
this.

I can't believe they couldn't even manage to tell you your balance!
It's bizarre that their systems can't even let them see the last eight
journeys - the details of these are held on the card after all, there's
no need to have access to the Oyster database.

Annual Oyster and Photocard
 

David of Broadway wrote:

Mizter T wrote:

True. Though as you rightly point out, only 7-day Travelcards are
available on an unregistered Oyster card - anything longer and it needs
to be registered.


While on that topic, is it possible to register an Oyster at an address
outside the UK yet? When I attempted in 2005, the agent at Notting Hill
Gate seemed annoyed that I even tried.

I don't think so. I tried a couple of months ago and it did not work.

--
Olof Lagerkvist
ICQ: 724451
Web: http://here.is/olof

Annual Oyster and Photocard
 

"Mizter T" wrote in message
oups.com...
tkd wrote:

"Mizter T" wrote in message
ups.com...
asdf wrote:

On Mon, 15 Jan 2007 14:09:21 -0000, tkd wrote:

I, and other people I know, have been told a variety of crap from NR
staff
regarding Oyster including:

2) Oyster pay as you go not valid on sections of NR where it is valid
(Thameslink Farringdon-London Bridge)

Barrier staff at London Bridge (NR) appear to be under specific
instructions to tell you that PAYG is *not* valid at that station.

The ticket gates there reject PAYG-only Oyster cards, so you have to
go to the manual gate. The staff there say, every time, that PAYG is
not valid, and will only let you in/out after you insist that it is.

Is that still going on? I fell foul of that quite a long time ago.

When I have some spare time soon and am vaguely in the area I'll make
an FCC Thameslink journey starting/finishing at London Bridge to
investigate. If I encounter trouble I'll write to complain about it.

It really doesn't bode well for Oyster being implemented on National
Rail :-(


Not if it is anything like it is now at c2c stations. When anything went
wrong with PAYG journeys they just keep on touching it on the side gate
validator over and over again as if some special message might appear
after
enough tries. The staff at the tickets windows (those with Oyster capable
equipment - about 50%) could not even accurately tell you your balance. I
think they could see the last three PAYG top up amounts and often
confused
one of those for the current balance. They could not see any journey
history
or remove a last entry/exit from the card, even if it was caused by their
own staff at the gate repeatedly touching the thing on the validator.

I really hope that someone at TfL Rail and/or TfL ticketing is reading
this.

I can't believe they couldn't even manage to tell you your balance!
It's bizarre that their systems can't even let them see the last eight
journeys - the details of these are held on the card after all, there's
no need to have access to the Oyster database.

Oddly, it is the oldest ticket machines with the small LCD screens that have
been adapted for Oyster while the ticket windows with the PC based system
have signs up saying "Oyster not sold at this window". You would have
thought the antiquated machines would be harder to adapt. Its also annoying
if you are at the front of the queue and the next ticket window that becomes
free is the one that does not accept Oyster. Obviously the self service
ticket machines did not have Oyster pads fitted, even though they were
willing to adapt them by adding a PIN pad (Why couldn't the work be done at
the same time?). Barking station is particularly annoying. There are five or
six self service ticket machines, the majority take credit card only and
none of them work with Oyster.

Annual Oyster and Photocard
 

"Paul Corfield" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 15 Jan 2007 10:57:36 -0000, "Sam" wrote:

A quick question regarding the need for photocards with Oysters.

I have an Annual Oystercard and accompanying Gold Record Card. I also
have
a very old photocard which used to be used when I would get a monthly
paper
season ticket.

Yesterday at Liverpool Street station (LU side) I was stopped by a
non-uniformed ticket inspector, she went through all my tickets and said I
needed a photocard with my Goldcard. She was very very persistant that I
needed one. I asked if you still needed one with Oystercards, which she
replied of course you do.

I went through my wallet and found my old photocard used for purchasing
paper LU season tickets, which she reluctantly accepted. She spent ages
scanning my Oyster and looking at the various tickets in my ticket holder.
Hence I missed my connecting train (Very tight transfer time I know),
however I don't think my Oystercard is related to my photocard in any way.

I spoke to various staff at different stations today who all said "you do
not need a photocard with a Oystercard". Ready to make a complaint, I
just
spoke to a Revenue Protection Manager on the phone who covers Liverpool
Street who was rude to say the least. He said you must have a photocard
with an period Oystercard, and that the Inspector was right and I was
wrong.

Obviously I did'nt take it further as he implied he knows everything about
tickets. Setting aside the fact the inspector was very rude, was she
correct ?

Any thoughts .....

Yes but first a question. What zones / travel is your Annual Oystercard
valid for? I can't see that info in your post and it is absolutely
vital.

I have been through the latest staff document for Fares and Tickets and
what is says is the following :-

A photocard is *not needed* to buy and use any Adult Rate Travelcard or
Bus Pass on Oyster.

A photocard *is needed* to buy or use :-

a) monthly or longer period Travelcards that include validity to a
National Rail station beyond Zones 1-6
b) monthly or longer period Tube only point to point season tickets
(between stations in Zones A-D) issued before 2/1/07 until expiry of
ticket.
c) 7 day, monthly or longer period National Rail only season
ticket.

I assume you are not entitled to a concessionary rate by virtue of age
or participation in the New Deal scheme as for these you must have an
Oyster Photocard?

Before you zap off your complaint an answer to the question I posed
would be very helpful.

As Liverpool St LU is managed as part of the Sub Surface Service
Delivery Unit then it will be SSL staff that you dealt with. I'm not
sure who the Revenue Protection Manager is for SSL these days.

HTH
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!


Hi Paul

The ticket was a Zone 2 - 4 annual Travelcard, with £25 + of Pre Pay. The
ticket was bought from an LU ticket office starting on 01 Jan 2007. I have
no discounts such as New Deal applied to the Oyster.

The guy I spoke to on the phone was the SSL RPM.

Annual Oyster and Photocard
 

On Mon, Jan 15, 2007 at 08:11:22AM -0800, Mizter T wrote:

it will cause the
RPIs and their managers trouble as they're not doing their job right,
and so it should.

I get the impression that he doesn't know their names, and so no, it
won't get them any trouble, as in the unlikely event that LUL can track
down who it was, they'll just lie and say "not me guv".

--
David Cantrell | A machine for turning tea into grumpiness

Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by stupidity
-- Hanlon's Razor

Stupidity maintained long enough is a form of malice
-- Richard Bos's corollary

Annual Oyster and Photocard
 

On Mon, Jan 15, 2007 at 03:23:14PM +0000, asdf wrote:

The ticket gates there reject PAYG-only Oyster cards, so you have to
go to the manual gate. The staff there say, every time, that PAYG is
not valid

and you reply "in that case I insist that you call the police to arrest
me for fare-dodging".

--
David Cantrell | Cake Smuggler Extraordinaire

Deck of Cards: $1.29.
"101 Solitaire Variations" book: $6.59.
Cheap replacement for the one thing Windows is good at: priceless
-- Shane Lazarus

Annual Oyster and Photocard
 

On Tue, 16 Jan 2007 09:56:46 -0000, "Sam" wrote:

"Paul Corfield" wrote in message
.. .

Yes but first a question. What zones / travel is your Annual Oystercard
valid for? I can't see that info in your post and it is absolutely
vital.

I have been through the latest staff document for Fares and Tickets and
what is says is the following :-

A photocard is *not needed* to buy and use any Adult Rate Travelcard or
Bus Pass on Oyster.

A photocard *is needed* to buy or use :-

a) monthly or longer period Travelcards that include validity to a
National Rail station beyond Zones 1-6
b) monthly or longer period Tube only point to point season tickets
(between stations in Zones A-D) issued before 2/1/07 until expiry of
ticket.
c) 7 day, monthly or longer period National Rail only season
ticket.

I assume you are not entitled to a concessionary rate by virtue of age
or participation in the New Deal scheme as for these you must have an
Oyster Photocard?

Before you zap off your complaint an answer to the question I posed
would be very helpful.

As Liverpool St LU is managed as part of the Sub Surface Service
Delivery Unit then it will be SSL staff that you dealt with. I'm not
sure who the Revenue Protection Manager is for SSL these days.

Hi Paul

The ticket was a Zone 2 - 4 annual Travelcard, with £25 + of Pre Pay. The
ticket was bought from an LU ticket office starting on 01 Jan 2007. I have
no discounts such as New Deal applied to the Oyster.

The guy I spoke to on the phone was the SSL RPM.

Well given those details I certainly think you have grounds for
complaint. The only very slight mitigation - and it is slight - is that
there have been lots and lots of Oyster related changes over recent
months so some confusion could arise from that. However the
counterbalancing point is that revenue protection staff should know the
rules inside out and upside down if they're out there seeking to enforce
them. I hope you get a satisfactory outcome to your complaint via the
Customer Services Centre.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!

Annual Oyster and Photocard
 

Out of interest, why do you no longer need a photocard for an Oyster
season? Seems like a recipe for disaster unless they allow it to be
passed around from person to person - as many countries allow with
their tickets.

Seeing as you can have your photo printed on the ticket, this would
seem ideal and excellent fraud prevention (assuming there were lots of
spot checks, which of course there aren't).

Jonathan

Annual Oyster and Photocard
 

In ,
Paul Corfield typed:

Yes but first a question. What zones / travel is your Annual
Oystercard valid for? I can't see that info in your post and it is
absolutely vital.

I have been through the latest staff document for Fares and Tickets
and what is says is the following :-

A photocard is *not needed* to buy and use any Adult Rate Travelcard
or Bus Pass on Oyster.

A photocard *is needed* to buy or use :-

a) monthly or longer period Travelcards that include validity to a
National Rail station beyond Zones 1-6
b) monthly or longer period Tube only point to point season tickets
(between stations in Zones A-D) issued before 2/1/07 until expiry of
ticket.
c) 7 day, monthly or longer period National Rail only season
ticket.


This seems an odd question. Would any of these tickets *ever* be issued
on an Oystercard?.




--
Bob