Oyster Issue - two incomplete journeys due to one delayed train.

[extendedpaul]

Last Thursday I touched in with Oyster at Hornchurch at 17.26 for a journey to Victoria starting on the District Line. We came to a stop outside Barking Station due to a broken down train at Mile End and we were told a few minutes later there were trains ahead of us at every signal and platform. The driver did a good job keeping everyone informed - we were told after about 30 minutes the train was fixed but had broken down at the next station and again a third time at Embankment ! My train terminated at Plaistow with c80 minute delay about 19.10. I caught another about 5 minutes later and changed at West Ham - as advised by the driver to passengers travelling into Central London - and continued as I had always intended via Green Park on the Jubilee and Victoria lines. I touched out at Victoria around 19.54.

At Euston tonight the barrier would not open when I touched in so I sought assistance as I knew I should have had about £8 credit left. With a customer service assistant's help, I established I had been charged for two incomplete journeys, one starting at Hornchurch, the other ending at Victoria. He said he thought it was because my journey had exceeded two hours, the maximum allowed, and I would need to contact Oyster to obtain a refund. I missed my train from Victoria to Kent.

I didn't realise Oyster worked like that and it does seem rough that incomplete journeys are recorded when customers are seriously delayed. Almost delay repay in reverse. There must have been hundreds of others similarly affected and not everyone will realise what had happened

 

[MikeWh]

I didn't realise Oyster worked like that and it does seem rough that incomplete journeys are recorded when customers are seriously delayed. Almost delay repay in reverse. There must have been hundreds of others similarly affected and not everyone will realise what had happened

Sadly it has to work like that to catch people gaming the system. Having said that, if the issues were TfL related I'd have thought that some attempt might have been made to issue refunds. However, if you contact the helpdesk they will certainly arrange for a refund to be queued for your next touch. Zone 6 to zone 1 is indeed a maximum time of 120 minutes before 1900 M-F, so you'd blown it by about 30 minutes.

My advice going forward is always to check your journey history regularly, especially if anything has gone wrong like this.

 

[jumble]

Sadly it has to work like that to catch people gaming the system. Having said that, if the issues were TfL related I'd have thought that some attempt might have been made to issue refunds. However, if you contact the helpdesk they will certainly arrange for a refund to be queued for your next touch. Zone 6 to zone 1 is indeed a maximum time of 120 minutes before 1900 M-F, so you'd blown it by about 30 minutes.

My advice going forward is always to check your journey history regularly, especially if anything has gone wrong like this.

In the past ( and this may well not be the case now ) I seem to recall that station staff were able to resolve the last journey made provided no charging has subsequently been made.
Ie if one touches out and promptly checks on the vending machine sees a maximum fare and then calls staff they were able to remove that maximum charge (but not the previous one)
Is this still relevant as it may well have helped the OP

 

[[.n]]

Sadly it has to work like that to catch people gaming the system. Having said that, if the issues were TfL related I'd have thought that some attempt might have been made to issue refunds. However, if you contact the helpdesk they will certainly arrange for a refund to be queued for your next touch. Zone 6 to zone 1 is indeed a maximum time of 120 minutes before 1900 M-F, so you'd blown it by about 30 minutes.

My advice going forward is always to check your journey history regularly, especially if anything has gone wrong like this.

How does a maximum journey time stop people gaming the system, surely if you "touching in" and "touching out" then the Oyster system knows where you've been?

 

[PeterC]

In the past ( and this may well not be the case now ) I seem to recall that station staff were able to resolve the last journey made provided no charging has subsequently been made.
Ie if one touches out and promptly checks on the vending machine sees a maximum fare and then calls staff they were able to remove that maximum charge (but not the previous one)
Is this still relevant as it may well have helped the OP

I think that had to be done at the ticket office. (If you are old enough to remember them)

How does a maximum journey time stop people gaming the system, surely if you "touching in" and "touching out" then the Oyster system knows where you've been?

Prevents a journey like this being charged as a short hop.

Board at Shenfield travel to Chalfont and Latimer. Use the unbarriered exit without touching out. Several hours later return the same way and touch out at Brentwood.

 

[londonbridge]

How does a maximum journey time stop people gaming the system, surely if you "touching in" and "touching out" then the Oyster system knows where you've been?

It stops people from riding around the system for hours on end and only paying one fare.