Oyster Travelcard - strange behaviour

CNash

I normally load a zones 1-3 Travelcard onto my Oyster card every week to travel between Waterloo (zone 1) and Kew Bridge (zone 3), and make my return journey from Gunnersbury (zone 3) to Embankment (zone 1).

Ever since having to make this journey, I've touched in at Waterloo, then exited Kew Bridge without touching, with the understanding that Travelcard customers are not obliged to "touch in and out" as pre-pay users do (as it's not necessary to work out a fare). However, today upon exiting at Embankment, I found that my Oyster card was showing a negative balance - it had charged me for my earlier Waterloo-Kew journey, despite my Travelcard being valid for the stations I'd traveled to, where in the past it had not done so.

So, my question is: have TFL stepped up their security? I can understand why they do it - I could've gotten off in Zone 6 for all they know, so they need to verify where I've traveled to - but the fact that this only started happening today, and has never happened before, makes me think that it's a recent change to the system.

alanrowell

My understanding is that except on buses you always touch in & out as otherwise they won't know where you left the system & hence calculate the fare due.

vikingaero

CNash wrote: »

I normally load a zones 1-3 Travelcard onto my Oyster card every week to travel between Waterloo (zone 1) and Kew Bridge (zone 3), and make my return journey from Gunnersbury (zone 3) to Embankment (zone 1).

Ever since having to make this journey, I've touched in at Waterloo, then exited Kew Bridge without touching, with the understanding that Travelcard customers are not obliged to "touch in and out" as pre-pay users do (as it's not necessary to work out a fare). However, today upon exiting at Embankment, I found that my Oyster card was showing a negative balance - it had charged me for my earlier Waterloo-Kew journey, despite my Travelcard being valid for the stations I'd traveled to, where in the past it had not done so.

So, my question is: have TFL stepped up their security? I can understand why they do it - I could've gotten off in Zone 6 for all they know, so they need to verify where I've traveled to - but the fact that this only started happening today, and has never happened before, makes me think that it's a recent change to the system.

I think you've answered your own question there! You bought a Zone 1-3 Travelcard, and by not touching out you could have scammed them by exiting at a Zone 6 station, so you have been charged.

glider3560

My understanding is that even with a travelcard loaded, you still need to touch out, otherwise you will be charged a standard fare. I'm surprised you haven't been charged in the past.

If you want to travel further than the paid for zones, you need to add an extension permit to your Oyster card.

Stigy

I believe you still need to touch in/out in order to evidence your rail journey if challenged by a Guard and/or RPI, otherwise you could have been travelling throughout London and nobody would know any different. Realistically, as stations that aren't barriered, it's all too easy to either forget to touch out, or to think you have touched out but due to the crowd, didn't for some reason. If you had prepay balance then there's every posibility that TfL assumed you were using the PAYG balance to travel, and as you hadn't tapped out, you were penalised. That is the only reason you would be chardged.

Arfa__

I've got a zone 1-5 annual card. I've found in the past, it you don't touch in/out each time, you end up with unterminated journeys on your card. Once you've got 3 of these, the barriers won't let you in and you have to go to a desk to get them cleared.

chuckley

this is new to me, i didnt think u had to touch in and out with a TC.

that 'extension' thing is tosh apparently. all u need is enuff to cover the exit amount. the LBG tube staff told me to 'load at the machine' as there is no real extension to be 'loaded'. basically i was wasting her time.

peter_the_piper

Things were so much easier when you used money.

vikingaero

peter_the_piper wrote: »

Things were so much easier when you used money.

But money doesn't give you a nice beep when you touch in/out....

peter_the_piper

But it does go with a nice tinkly sound when the pound coins hit the tray.

giraffe69

peter_the_piper wrote: »

Things were so much easier when you used money.

Happy days of queueing at a ticket office, waiting behind the weekly season ticket holders on a wet Monday morning. I think not but you were probably joking.