There's something wrong with the oyster readers at Watford Junction.

I have this bit of online journey history:
04/01/08 07:23 Euston TOC Gates Exit £0.00 £9.90
06:55 Watford Junction Entry £3.00 £9.90
snip
30/12/07 18:49 Euston TOC Gates Entry £5.00 £0.90
21/12/07 08:50 Moorgate Exit £0.00 £7.40
08:36 Euston Square Entry £0.00 £7.40
08:31 Euston TOC Gates Exit £0.50 £7.40
08:01 Watford Junction Entry £5.00 £7.90

Apart from there being a missing Z1 journey on 21/12 (which is where
the missing 1.50 has gone) there is no exit at Watford Junction on
30/12/07.

I travel with a bicycle so use the manual gate at both Euston and
Watford Junction, so initially I assumed this was my mistake or the
card didn't read properly and neither I nor the guard noticed.

However, while trying to reconcile the missing 1.50, I suddenly
remembered that 30/12/07 was a Sunday and I was returning from Durham
and didn't have my bike with me and used the barriers rather than the
automatic gates at both ends. Therefore there is absolutely no chance
that the card wasn't recognized as it opened the barrier for me. I
even remember this happening (it's much faster to use the automatic
gate rather than the manual gate - I've never understood why people
will queue up to use the manual gate when they don't need to)

This is the second time I've seen this problem happen now. My partner
had exactly the same issue the very first time she used her oyster
card. In that case I saw her go through the barrier (I had my bike
with me that time so I used the manual gate). She rang up the helpline
to get her 2GBP refunded and was basically told it was impossible for
the system to be wrong and she must not have touched in or out
correctly. But now it's happened to me too. Again, it's cost me 2GBP.
(Whats even more strange is that the entry before 7am on 4/1 deducted
3GBP as a maximum fare while entry at Euston on a Sunday deducted
5GBP) I'm going to ring up the helpline but I can guarantee that
they'll say it's my fault as the system cannot possibly get it wrong.


But I know there are some people here who have high level contacts
with TfL. So maybe someone can try and investigate? In an absolute
minimum of two cases, an oyster card (two different cards) has opened
the automatic barrier to let someone out at Watford Junction but has
not registered the transaction in whatever database. (Actually it's
just possible that my partners problem happened the other way around
and it was the Euston end. I'll double check later this week when I
have access to her card to check the journey history)


Tim.

On Jan 7, 5:33 pm, "
wrote:
I'm going to ring up the helpline but I can guarantee that
they'll say it's my fault as the system cannot possibly get it wrong.

Actually they didn't. They just said "Hmmmm."

Equally irritating, they can't refund to the card unless you use a
tube station. And I don't use tube stations unless I cannot avoid it.

So they're going to send me a cheque instead. How is it that autotopup
can work but crediting a maximum fare journey can't at Euston TOC?

Tim.

Equally irritating, they can't refund to the card unless you use a
tube station. And I don't use tube stations unless I cannot avoid it.

I had much the same situation last month. My situation was a late
night return from Euston to Watford J., and the barriers told me to
seek assistance at 2:30 am. Fat chance.

So they're going to send me a cheque instead. How is it that autotopup
can work but crediting a maximum fare journey can't at Euston TOC?

Strange, I was told there was a £5 admin charge for getting a cheque
which would conveniently negate my refund. C'est la vie.

On Jan 7, 5:33 pm, "
wrote:

" There's Something Wrong with the Oyster Readers at Watford
Junction."

It sounds like the title of a slash-'em-up horror film.