Withdrawing PAYG funds from oyster?

[fusionblue]

I have about £60 on my oyster (with an annual travelcard) and i wanted to reduce that figure a little bit. Soon-to-be expiring RTV's forced my hand with this one.

I go to the farringdon and they say that they can't take some of it, only all of it. I call the oyster helpline and they confirm this. I return back to farringdon to withdraw all of it (with a view of adding some back on immediately after) and it refused (i didn't get a reason why) and i should try the helpline... again.

The only other option was to cancel the card entirely, which was out of the question given my annual travelcard.

Is there any reason why i can't withdraw it?

 

[causton]

I have about £60 on my oyster (with an annual travelcard) and i wanted to reduce that figure a little bit. Soon-to-be expiring RTV's forced my hand with this one.

I go to the farringdon and they say that they can't take some of it, only all of it. I call the oyster helpline and they confirm this. I return back to farringdon to withdraw all of it (with a view of adding some back on immediately after) and it refused (i didn't get a reason why) and i should try the helpline... again.

The only other option was to cancel the card entirely, which was out of the question given my annual travelcard.

Is there any reason why i can't withdraw it?

Refunds normally have to go back to where they came from which may be the issue if they have come from RTVs!

 

[gray1404]

The solution to this is simple

Add some cash credit (not card), but add £5 credit onto it, then request a refund. They will then refund the entire amount into your bank account.

See Here:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/train-delays#loophole

 

[hassaanhc]

Refunds normally have to go back to where they came from which may be the issue if they have come from RTVs!

I remember being unable to change the start date of a weekly season ticket because I paid part of it using a RTV! Remember the screen showing that it was unable to refund.

 

[RJ]

I have about £60 on my oyster (with an annual travelcard) and i wanted to reduce that figure a little bit. Soon-to-be expiring RTV's forced my hand with this one.

I go to the farringdon and they say that they can't take some of it, only all of it. I call the oyster helpline and they confirm this. I return back to farringdon to withdraw all of it (with a view of adding some back on immediately after) and it refused (i didn't get a reason why) and i should try the helpline... again.

The only other option was to cancel the card entirely, which was out of the question given my annual travelcard.

Is there any reason why i can't withdraw it?

Oyster isn't a bank account unfortunately!

 

[PermitToTravel]

I remember being unable to change the start date of a weekly season ticket because I paid part of it using a RTV! Remember the screen showing that it was unable to refund.

I've seen it done but the clerk had to do something weird to fudge it

 

[gray1404]

Maybe it best to have mixed funds on the card first (i.e. existing RTVs and cash) and then apply for the refund through their customer service department - how would you do this; what methods do they allow? (rather then in person at a LU ticket window).

 

[yorkie]

Is there any reason why i can't withdraw it?

You want to convert your rail travel vouchers into cash?

Someone else tried that! See Oyster Refund Problems

My last contact with leyscjd was in May 2014, and he was still waiting for the investigation to conclude. I've asked for another update.

...Unfortunately 5 months on, I am still awaiting the refund as my case is still 'under investigation'. They refuse to give me a timescale as to when it will be resolved, but in December said they were 'liaising with TOCs to verify the origin of the RTVs'....

What was the expiry date of your RTVs?

 

[gray1404]

What was the expiry date of your RTVs?

Please do not tell me that if you load credit to your Oyster with a RTV, the credit then expires the same date the RTV would have (if so, I am in trouble).

 

[yorkie]

Please do not tell me that if you load credit to your Oyster with a RTV, the credit then expires the same date the RTV would have (if so, I am in trouble).

No, I am not saying that.

But what I am saying is that it is dubious whether someone can load credit to Oyster and then attempt to get a cash refund, and that it could be seen as especially so if they try to get that cash refund after the date the RTVs would have expired.

There is an argument to say that the refund would be in the form of the original payment, so that would potentially mean handing back expired RTVs.

"Here's your refund; a £60 RTV dated as expiring last September, Sir"

 

[RJ]

I remember I paid a Southeastern issued Penalty Fare with a £50 RTV. When I appealed and won, they were adamant it had to be refunded by the same payment method and a RTV was duly sent. Funny that, I thought their policy was to refund by cheque!

That said there is more than one way to skin a cat - Oyster isn't the only way to liquidate RTVs...!

 

[34D]

Can a PAYG balance be used to pay for next years' season ticket?

 

[causton]

Can a PAYG balance be used to pay for next years' season ticket?

Nope, completely separate unless you manage to get the refund. Doesn't look likely to be fruitful I'm afraid

 

[gray1404]

I think in practice though if they were to also refund by way of RTV then they'd simply issue new ones with validity from the take of refund (i.e. for the next 12 months). Who would issue them though? Can LU/TfL issue RTVs that can be used nationally.

So, in practice, what are they doing when I customer who has loaded credit with RTVs requests a refund, refusing outright or refunding anyway? (if so, by what method)

 

[causton]

I think in practice though if they were to also refund by way of RTV then they'd simply issue new ones with validity from the take of refund (i.e. for the next 12 months). Who would issue them though? Can LU/TfL issue RTVs that can be used nationally.

LU cannot. I guess they could ask the original TOC to issue new ones, but I don't know if they would!

So, in practice, what are they doing when I customer who has loaded credit with RTVs requests a refund, refusing outright or refunding anyway? (if so, by what method)

I guess they have not come up with an answer yet, as yorkie states, some people are still waiting for the answer!

 

[gray1404]

Well, thats unacceptable they. They simply cannot keep them waiting for weeks on end. It would be time to 1. raise a formal complaint about the matter. 2. Ask for it to me reviewed by a Manager. 3. Esculate it to London Travel Watch if unahppy. They need to have a process in place for something like this. My view would be that once the RTV value was placed on the Oyster as PAY-G credit, they claimed the money from the TOC who issued the RTV. They should therefore issue a cheque or BACs transfer refund without delay.

 

[Hadders]

I never really understand people who try to liquidate RTV's.

Someone getting a large value of RTV's is highly likely to be a regular traveller who therefore must buy tickets on a regular basis. Clearly the RTV's can be used to pay for these tickets (ok, I know they can't be used on-line which is a bit of a flaw but it can't be to much of a faff to visit a ticket office occasionally).

Alternatively a season ticket holder might only purchase one ticket a year. Given that RTV's have a 12 month validity I'd simply put them towards my next renewal.

 

[fusionblue]

A lot of the RTVs was due to expire over the next few weeks so i put them on my oyster rather than lose them entirely, but i decided last minute to take a bit of my PAYG amount and put it towards a heathrow express ticket (particularly because a number of tube station machines have a sticker above them saying "oyster refund, self service up to £10"). £10 was enough.

If i try to use the self service function, it directs me to the website.

 

[Ralph Ayres]

I suspect the full payg balance could be used as part payment towards a new Travelcard, provided it is done at the same time. This then is quite possibly reliant on being able to use a ticket office rather than a machine, which could be increasingly difficult.

 

[PermitToTravel]

A lot of the RTVs was due to expire over the next few weeks so i put them on my oyster rather than lose them entirely, but i decided last minute to take a bit of my PAYG amount and put it towards a heathrow express ticket (particularly because a number of tube station machines have a sticker above them saying "oyster refund, self service up to £10"). £10 was enough.

If i try to use the self service function, it directs me to the website.

I believe that only works if there is less than £10 on the card and you'd like to refind the credit and the deposit. It doesn't work for partial refunds from cards.

 

[RJ]

I believe that only works if there is less than £10 on the card and you'd like to refind the credit and the deposit. It doesn't work for partial refunds from cards.

Correct. As I said, Oyster is not a bank account, more than enough high street banks and building societies for anyone wishing to store and withdraw funds!

Oddly enough, Rail Travel Vouchers are intended to be used for rail travel - I'm not surprised that people encounter issues when trying to get cash value out of them, indirectly or otherwise!