got done £20 for 50p over on Oyster card!!!!

Wiggynut

zappomatic wrote: »

Do I live in a London in a parallel universe to some people in this thread?

My weekly commuting costs are never more than £10, soon to go down to £9 when the Oyster bus fare drops to 90p later this month.

The easiest way to avoid accidental fare dodging is to phone up and get auto top-up set up on your card, so when your balance drops below a certain amount it is automatically topped up.

hmm... think maybe you do!
I've lived in London for 13 years (had a recent gap of 2 years! but been back now for 10 months). when the oyster card got introduce I only used tubes never used a bus (I had to call a friend to find out if I had to swipe to get off the bus when I finally took a bus trip!)

I walk everywhere so I don't travel much on buses or tubes so if I used the top up - tried to online but didn't work!! and it goes below £5 then it takes £20 out of your account!!! I'm paying debts and paying for a lot equipment I don't want a random £20 disappearing out of my account... plus I have a friend who had 3 payment taken from her account one time and I don't really want to go into all that hassle. It took her four months of constant calls and letters to get a response saying blah blah.. nothing we can do... she still has about £60 on the oyster card and she is a student so she doesn't need that amount on the card as she cycles and walks too!!!

Most of the time oyster does work but when it goes wrong.. it really goes wrong and their email address doesn't work... they bounce back to you or you just don't get a reply. And the staff don't want to know, just tell you to email or write.. just feels like you are banging your head against the wall.

I was also told that if you did accidentally go over by a tiny amount you can top up later... so how come I got fined... get told one thing then get done for it????? Also read this in a pamphlet! wish I still had it... like it would make any difference! (I genuinely thought I had about £3 left and was going to top it up later!) I appreciate the inspectors probably get told all sorts and it's difficult to know who is actually avoiding paying but when they casually watch the fare dodgers get off the bus when they get on and then do someone for 50p ... it just grates!

Next time I see an inspector I'm getting off the bus even if I got a lot of money on my card.. just not worth the hassle of dealing with them.

I live in South London at the moment (I've yet to see a green or red light on a display but then the bus is usually crowded so how can I see the display amount??) I'm not asking people to move as their has been several times now when I've said 'excuse me please' and I then get a stream of abuse... don't ask my why, I have no idea... I'm not a rude person!

I take the bus 5 or 6 times a month and walk the rest of the time... I occasionally take the tube (best time to top up. shop oysters tend not to work on a regular basis... maybe I just live in a crap area.. well... I do and hopefully be moving in a few months - can't wait!) I usually walk home so I end up taking the tube in one direction only!
This is the first time this has happened as I'm usually careful but I am human and should be able to make the odd error... not get fined for it whereas people who do it on purpose do get let off... easy... just run or walk fast the inspectors don't even bother to even try... I've yet to see an inspector go after someone who walks off and we have a lot of checks on the route I walk or take the bus on in 5 years or even other places I've lived!

dontknow_wantknow

Hi,

still no joy I see from the original post I put up I see.
I was hoping one of those nice tfl people that have peppered these threads would able to tell me what's going on, or how to fight this.

And no, I have not, and will do my utmost not to pay the penalty fare even though i can afford it, because I didn't do anything wrong. What especialy makes me fume is I do the same routesall the time and i've seen them use their discretion on numerous people who should have a penalty fare. Not just moi, who can provide Oyster record evidence and show and prove this has happened before.

wantknow

Cerenia

Oyster cards are annoying - thankfully I get a zone 3-6 travelcard every week, as my usual route is on an overground train, and until you get to the station, there's nothing to say that you cannot use pay as you go, until its too late! Seen many people stung that way.

The scanners are never fully functional either. My partner works at Camden, and he's had problems with his card not scanning out, aka charging him the full amount. Then again, me and him have claimed back loads on refunds on trains - Remember if your train is delayed by more than 15 mins, you can claim a refund.

crossleydd42

Frankly, I'd have thought that part of a driver's duties would be to check for the correct operation of these machines when coming on duty.

nealallen wrote: »

I'm a Bus driver in London. Can I say, when you get on buses and touch the Oyster reader it will show you your balance. I will admit, some readers don't work but unless they are reported to the driver the machines can't be taken away for repair.

Can I suggest you buy Bus Saver Tickets, pic below. These won't ever run out of date. Next time you find your Oyster is short, just hand one of these tickets to the driver. They cost £6.00 for a pack of 6 so still work out £1.00 to travel.

omen666

Done it myself whilsy lisyening to my ipod and obviously didnt hear the beeps but they scrapped the fine when I challenged it. They are trying to do a zero tolerance policy at the mo buy you will be fine

chuckley

nealallen wrote: »

I'm a Bus driver in London. Can I say, when you get on buses and touch the Oyster reader it will show you your balance. I will admit, some readrers don't work but unless they are reported to the driver the machines can't be taken away for repair.

If you have a weeky pass it will also tell you how many days till the Oyster card expires. [/b]As far as I'm aware, readers will not allow you to travel if you have a balance of under £1.00.[/b] I'm sorry that you got fined for such a smalll amount, but that's the revenues job. You got on the bus, how many bleeps did you hear when you touched the Oyster? If you only had 50p left it would have bleeped twice and displayed 'No money on Oyster'

I would say that you should contact TFL and give them the details of what happened tha day, also explain what other staff has told you about about being able to pay the difference when you top-up at a later date.

I read this post this morning before I went to work and I spoke to a TFL Inspector today, he said, Oyster cards do not work like that, if your Oyster bleeps twice because of no credit it means you are not valid for travel. Hence the fine.

Can I suggest you buy Bus Saver Tickets, pic below. These won't ever run out of date. Next time you find your Oyster is short, just hand one of these tickets to the driver. They cost £6.00 for a pack of 6 so still work out £1.00 to travel.

well u wont be lasting long as a london bus driver when u dont know that single bus journeys are 90p. you card WILL work if u have 90p + on ur card.