TFL = unfair

snooping_around

Hi all, my first post on here :j

As the title of the thread suggests, I feel a bit cheated by TFL. Why?

3 times a week I commute to work using my prepay oyster card. I take a train from Harrow & Wealdstone to Clapham Junction and then I take a train from Clapham Junction to Wimbledon. Throughout this journey I do not enter in zone 1.. so I should be paying a zone 2-5 off-peak single journey.

However I am being charged for a zone 1-5 off-peak single journey!!:mad:

I have looked into the different options to bypass using a prepay oyster such as buying a weekly 2-5 travel card (I only commute to work atmost 3 times a week) or buy a train ticket (off peak starts at 10am where the train I get departs at 9:58am! dope:rotfl:) but oyster prepay is the cheapest option. BUT as ive explained above, it should be cheaper!

I have contacted TFL numerous times and they have refunded me the difference on 2 occasions. But now they have written on my account that I will not be able to get any more refunds from them for this incident. The reason is because they have adviced me on an alternative route which I can take (and that would take me 30mins longer each way!) where I can use a pink card reader so I would be charged a zone 2-5 off-peak single fare.

Why dont they just put a pink card reader in Clapham Junction! I guess then they wouldnt be able to steal as much money from us commuters.

Any advice? I am paying about £2 more than I should be each day I go to work... and I dont fancy taking them up on their advice and spend an extra hr commuting in their over crowded, unreliable transport service (no least because im disabled).

Thank you

forgotmyname

Tesco are the same, They charge me full price for a loaf of bread even though i dont eat the crusts, They should have an alternative price for people that dont eat the crusts.

If your disabled do you not qualify for free travel?

snooping_around

forgotmyname wrote: »

Tesco are the same, They charge me full price for a loaf of bread even though i dont eat the crusts, They should have an alternative price for people that dont eat the crusts.

If your disabled do you not qualify for free travel?

Thank you for your reply. I guess there is nothing I can do.

I have a neurological disorder which makes being in crowds a bit difficult, not a physical disability. I do not claim DLA for my disability so I wouldnt be able to get free travel.

molerat

The op doesn't even put the loaf in his basket but still gets charged for it !

Looking at the map your trains do not even pass through zone 1 so I can't see why you have to pay for it. Ask TFL why the most direct legitimate journey cannot be made at the correct price. Write to your MP (even though they won't understand about transport for the peasants although they may have a steep learning curve ahead of them) they are elected to look after your interests.

Anonymousa

forgotmyname wrote: »

Tesco are the same, They charge me full price for a loaf of bread even though i dont eat the crusts, They should have an alternative price for people that dont eat the crusts.

If your disabled do you not qualify for free travel?

Why do people post things like this?

KeithP

I agree totally with Molerat.

OP, what route are TFL suggesting? Via Richmond?

dzug1

There is an easy solution to your problem - change at West Brompton onto the District Line. There is a pink validator there. It takes 17 minutes to Wimbledon, no changes.

Via Clapham Junction it's 19 minutes plus the time changing at CJ. Why go the long way round?

For a more frequent service Willesden Junction has a pink validator as well.

snooping_around

KeithP wrote: »

I agree totally with Molerat.

OP, what route are TFL suggesting? Via Richmond?

They suggested I take a tube from Harrow and Wealdstone to Willesdon Junction (*touch pink validator*), train from Willesdon Junction to Clapham Junction, train from Clapham Junction to Wimbledon! Atleast 30mins longer than what I am doing currently!

dzug1 wrote: »

There is an easy solution to your problem - change at West Brompton onto the District Line. There is a pink validator there. It takes 17 minutes to Wimbledon, no changes.

Via Clapham Junction it's 19 minutes plus the time changing at CJ. Why go the long way round?

For a more frequent service Willesden Junction has a pink validator as well.

That is a great idea. Thank you! Perhaps your second job should be working for TFL customer service :rotfl:

Weirdlittleman

Anonymousa wrote: »

Why do people post things like this?

Because the OP has been advised a solution; it just isnt as convenient therefore they expect the cheap rate with the high convenience.

OP either pays the extra or takes longer.

As for the disability that isnt actually a disability. Wonder if they play this card often!

snooping_around

Weirdlittleman wrote: »

Because the OP has been advised a solution; it just isnt as convenient therefore they expect the cheap rate with the high convenience.

OP either pays the extra or takes longer.

I see your point. But it is TFL's responsilbility to charge their customers the correct fare. Perhaps they should install a pink validator at Clapham Junction? I think it is unfair to expect me to travel an hour longer each day.

Weirdlittleman wrote: »

As for the disability that isnt actually a disability.

Incorrect.

dzug1

snooping_around wrote: »

I see your point. But it is TFL's responsilbility to charge their customers the correct fare. Perhaps they should install a pink validator at Clapham Junction? I think it is unfair to expect me to travel an hour longer each day.

Well to play devil's advocate why should they install such a thing at Clapham Junction, where you are using a route that doesn't appear in their journey planner and where you are switching between two national rail services and not to from or between TfL services which is the normal criterion for a pink validator. They would regard it as National Rail's problem, not theirs.

And sorry - don't see why it's an hour extra each day. Between your hourly Southern service there are plenty of trains changing at Willesden Junction (pink validator) and West Brompton (another pink validator if you've forgotten at WJ) that take maybe 10 minutes longer - 20 at the most. Better than waiting an hour - or tavelling via zone 1.

OK TfL have not been very informative or helpful - but it's rare to get call centre staff who have that much of a clue about the finer points of whatever it is they are doing