Tapped In and straight out on Oyster - ? Refund

Dragonfly1

I accidentally tapped in with my Oyster at a ticket barrier in a main zone 2 overground station. I immediately went to the member of staff who confirmed I could tap back out and would receive a fare refund within 24 hours. The staff member knew I was going off to buy a train ticket and use this instead (it's cheaper to use a train ticket with a national Railcard on peak afternoon times then Oyster weirdly.)

After reading the TFL website since, it seems if you don't make another Oyster journey within 45 minutes, the maximum fare applies.

So I've paid twice for the journey? Except the maximum Oyster fare was far more expensive than the single journey anyway! So I've paid 3x normal cost.

I'll phone TFL up later but have I understood their policy right and are they likely to be lenient as their staff told me I would get a full refund! Tap in/out was in a 1 minute period.

Thanks guys.

agrinnall

I did this once and got the charge back, but I think I had to contact TfL for them to sort it out. Is your Oyster card registered? If so the first thing to do would be check your account to see if the refund has happened automatically, and if it hasn't email or call them and I'd expect them to resolve it pretty quickly.

Mr_Singleton

TFL is an evil money making machine created through its abusive monopoly.

I think I!!!8217;m correct in saying that TFL have gone on record as saying it makes it as hard as possible for people to claim refunds. Didn!!!8217;t it just recently refuse to answer questions regarding the £400? Million it!!!8217;s sitting on from unused oystercards?

Anyway back to your point... it!!!8217;s very hit and miss with regards refunds. It mostly happens when a train is cancelled or with signal failures a real TFL cash cow.

jbuchanangb

I cannot say that I share MR_Singleton's experience. I one tapped out on a pink Oyster validator, not realising that this doesn't work (I had tapped in OK on it earlier.) When I called TfL they paid the refund direct to my bank account. On another occasion a refund was applied as a credit to my Oyster account, and I then had to activate it on-line, and it was applied when I tapped in on a subsequent journey.

giraffe69

I think Mr-Singleton is poorly disposed towards TFL. It is one of his favourite ranting topics.
I've always found their performance surrounding Oyster/Contactless Cards to be first class.

Kite2010

Mr_Singleton wrote: »

TFL is an evil money making machine created through its abusive monopoly.

I think I!!!8217;m correct in saying that TFL have gone on record as saying it makes it as hard as possible for people to claim refunds. Didn!!!8217;t it just recently refuse to answer questions regarding the £400? Million it!!!8217;s sitting on from unused oystercards?

Anyway back to your point... it!!!8217;s very hit and miss with regards refunds. It mostly happens when a train is cancelled or with signal failures a real TFL cash cow.

And do you have any suggestions how TfL can try and refund money on old unregistered oyster cards purchased by tourists from overseas or by folk who rarely travel to London?


How about refunding for all those lost oyster cards, dropped by folk on the tube by mistake, or dropped behind a radiator at home etc?