Oyster Renewal
 

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.

Kevin

Oyster Renewal
 

On Sep 1, 9:54*pm, "Zen83237" wrote:
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.

Possibly might be the TOC, London Midland, protecting their ticket
office takings at WJ?

Oyster Renewal
 

"Mizter T" wrote in message
...

On Sep 1, 9:54 pm, "Zen83237" wrote:
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.

Possibly might be the TOC, London Midland, protecting their ticket
office takings at WJ?

But Watford Junc is never the less a London Overground station, seems odd
that it isn't a station that you do an online top up at.

Oyster Renewal
 

"Zen83237" wrote in message
...

"Mizter T" wrote in message
...

On Sep 1, 9:54 pm, "Zen83237" wrote:
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.

Possibly might be the TOC, London Midland, protecting their ticket
office takings at WJ?

But Watford Junc is never the less a London Overground station, seems odd
that it isn't a station that you do an online top up at.


Isn't it that you can only do online top up at *Underground* stations?

I've never understood why anybody bothers with online top up. I tried it
once or twice and rapidly came to the conclusion it is the utterly useless
and inconvenient way to administer a PAYG balance that it is.

In a previous post on uk.railway under the subject "Oyster top up at Kings
Cross" I wrote:

"Online top-up is for those who are prepared to use a klunky web interface
to buy something that has to be collected at a nominated place within a
certain time window with the risk that if the oyster balance runs out in the
meantime they might not be able to get to the nominated collection point to
collect the purchase in the first place."
....

"The only benefit I can see is the avoidance of ticket office/machine
queues. With my frequent but irregular travel patterns I always found it
easier and just as inconvenient to stuff a card into a ticket machine when I
spotted one without a queue. Then I activated auto top-up."

D A Stocks

Oyster Renewal
 

On Sep 2, 10:11*am, "David A Stocks" wrote:

I've never understood why anybody bothers with online top up. [...]

Because what's no good for you is no good for anyone else, and anyone
who might demur is wrong?

[...] I tried it
once or twice and rapidly came to the conclusion it is the utterly useless
and inconvenient way to administer a PAYG balance that it is.

And therefore no-one might find it useful or convenient?

OK then, judgement has been given, tell TfL to pull the plug on it...

Oyster Renewal
 

Mizter T writes:

On Sep 2, 10:11*am, "David A Stocks" wrote:

I've never understood why anybody bothers with online top up. [...]

Because what's no good for you is no good for anyone else, and anyone
who might demur is wrong?

I think we're all prepared to entertain the *possiblity* that it might
be good for someone, but you don't actually give any indication of who
they might be or why.

Do tell. My experience echoes Mr Stocks', so I would also be interested
to hear from people who do get use out of the service.


-dan

Oyster Renewal
 

On 2 Sep, 11:22, Daniel Barlow wrote:
Mizter T writes:
On Sep 2, 10:11*am, "David A Stocks" wrote:

I've never understood why anybody bothers with online top up. [...]

Because what's no good for you is no good for anyone else, and anyone
who might demur is wrong?

I think we're all prepared to entertain the *possiblity* that it might
be good for someone, but you don't actually give any indication of who
they might be or why.

Do tell. *My experience echoes Mr Stocks', so I would also be interested
to hear from people who do get use out of the service.


One possibility is parents who want to top up their kids' oysters
(although with fares so low for kids this might not be frequent!!)

Oyster Renewal
 

On 2 Sep, 10:11, "David A Stocks" wrote:
"Zen83237" wrote in message

...



"Mizter T" wrote in message
...

On Sep 1, 9:54 pm, "Zen83237" wrote:
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.

Possibly might be the TOC, London Midland, protecting their ticket
office takings at WJ?

But Watford Junc is never the less a London Overground station, seems odd
that it isn't a station that you do an online top up at.

Isn't it that you can only do online top up at *Underground* stations?


It seems to be available at all DLR, London Overground and Underground
stations, except some run by a National Rail company (so no Clapham
Junction, Richmond or Wimbledon either, but Barking and Upminster are
allowed (these last two are C2C stations))

Oyster Renewal
 

"Daniel Barlow" wrote in message

Mizter T writes:

On Sep 2, 10:11 am, "David A Stocks" wrote:

I've never understood why anybody bothers with online top up. [...]

Because what's no good for you is no good for anyone else, and anyone
who might demur is wrong?

I think we're all prepared to entertain the *possiblity* that it might
be good for someone, but you don't actually give any indication of who
they might be or why.

Do tell. My experience echoes Mr Stocks', so I would also be
interested to hear from people who do get use out of the service.

On-line top-up accepts Amex cards -- I don't think ticket machines do
(or they didn't used to). Also, no risk of anyone seeing your pin.

Oyster Renewal
 

"Daniel Barlow" wrote in message
...
Mizter T writes:

On Sep 2, 10:11 am, "David A Stocks" wrote:

I've never understood why anybody bothers with online top up. [...]

Because what's no good for you is no good for anyone else, and anyone
who might demur is wrong?

I think we're all prepared to entertain the *possiblity* that it might
be good for someone, but you don't actually give any indication of who
they might be or why.

Do tell. My experience echoes Mr Stocks', so I would also be interested
to hear from people who do get use out of the service.


Exactly.

As I said in my post (but Mizter T snipped it) there is a possible benefit
in the avoidance of queues at ticket offices/machines, but I still found it
a lot easier to top up at ticket machines than using online top up. I'm a
frequent PAYG user but my pattern of use is not very predictable making the
requirement to pick up the balance at a nominated underground gateline[1] a
complete pain in the arse.

It's also possible my experience is affected by living south of the river
....

OTOH auto top up is absolutely wonderful.

So here is the challenge: is there someone out there who regularly uses
online top up, and why do they use it in preference to manual top ups at
ticket machines?

I, like Daniel, am genuinely interested to know.

[1] I was quoting from a post about Kings X, where you have to specify the
tube or sub-surface gate line to collect top ups and, presumably, other
Oyster products.

--
D A Stocks