Stolen and Lost Oystercards and claiming credit

elkiedee

I discovered that I'd lost my Oystercard or had it stolen this afternoon. This has a few pounds of pay as you go credit on it, and before anyone asks why I don't just use debit or credit cards or my phone - because I don't want to have to wait at the bus stop with a debit card or phone in my hand or fumble around for such items every time I have to get a different bus. I would also have to remember which card I paid with as TFL has several useful options for saving money on fares - a hopper fare when you have to change buses and fare capping (for bus only, the equivalent of 3 bus journeys more than an hour apart).

Anyway, when I logged in to see if I had any credit to try and reclaim tomorrow, and if there was any useful information on my journey record, I discovered that someone has cancelled my registered Oystercard and claimed the outstanding credit at a tube station, and that this happened yesterday, 35 minutes after my 4th and final journey - I had got off the bus 2 stops before the tube station and walked home.

Looking into it, I found an article on MSE explaining that this is possible - have since found the same information on the TFL website.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/oyster-card-refunds/#lost

I am annoyed that I've lost my card or had it stolen, but I am outraged that anyone can just steal a card, or take one they've found, and get a cash refund via a ticket machine - it is only up to £10, (and in this case it's £3.90), but it's much easier to do so than it is for me to replace my Oystercard, reclaim any credit (if it hadn't already been stolen), etc. This is really wrong, and I'm annoyed that TFL is incentivising theft this way, and that MSE is publicising this without recognising the problem.

Yes, my card is registered, and I wouldn't know that this had happened if it wasn't. So much for registration to protect me against theft.

jon81uk

elkiedee said:

I discovered that I'd lost my Oystercard or had it stolen this afternoon. This has a few pounds of pay as you go credit on it, and before anyone asks why I don't just use debit or credit cards or my phone - because I don't want to have to wait at the bus stop with a debit card or phone in my hand or fumble around for such items every time I have to get a different bus. I would also have to remember which card I paid with as TFL has several useful options for saving money on fares - a hopper fare when you have to change buses and fare capping (for bus only, the equivalent of 3 bus journeys more than an hour apart).

Anyway, when I logged in to see if I had any credit to try and reclaim tomorrow, and if there was any useful information on my journey record, I discovered that someone has cancelled my registered Oystercard and claimed the outstanding credit at a tube station, and that this happened yesterday, 35 minutes after my 4th and final journey - I had got off the bus 2 stops before the tube station and walked home.

Looking into it, I found an article on MSE explaining that this is possible - have since found the same information on the TFL website.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/oyster-card-refunds/#lost

I am annoyed that I've lost my card or had it stolen, but I am outraged that anyone can just steal a card, or take one they've found, and get a cash refund via a ticket machine - it is only up to £10, (and in this case it's £3.90), but it's much easier to do so than it is for me to replace my Oystercard, reclaim any credit (if it hadn't already been stolen), etc. This is really wrong, and I'm annoyed that TFL is incentivising theft this way, and that MSE is publicising this without recognising the problem.

Yes, my card is registered, and I wouldn't know that this had happened if it wasn't. So much for registration to protect me against theft.

What did TfL say when you phoned them and reported the card stolen?

They should transfer the credit to a new card Stolen Oyster card - Transport for London (tfl.gov.uk)

t0rt0ise

You have to cancel the card yourself either online or calling, otherwise anyone finding it can cancel it. Not sure how you expected TfL to stop that happening if you weren't quick enough in cancelling it.

prowla

Not of help, but thanks for pointing out you can get a refund via a machine.

I have an old card and I don't have the details to be able to register it online, so I can't use it effectively.

elkiedee

t0rt0ise said:

You have to cancel the card yourself either online or calling, otherwise anyone finding it can cancel it. Not sure how you expected TfL to stop that happening if you weren't quick enough in cancelling it.

I think TFL should remove this option on old cards. It's already not possible on more recent ones apparently. This isn't something that people are likely to want to do with their own card as you have to pay a deposit for a new one. It's an incentive to theft and I don't think it should be possible for someone to get a cash refund from a machine on a stolen card that easily.

I didn't discover what had happened until the next time I got on a bus and looked for my Oystercard - I thought it had been taken that day until I looked it up online.

I got on the bus where I last used it at 18.11 and someone cancelled/cashed it in at a tube station machine, two bus stops after I left the bus, at 18.46, so even if I'd realised straight away I would not have been able to stop it - where I got off the bus is nearer to the tube station than my house, even on foot, so it's almost certain that it was cashed in before I even got back to my house.