Chris M
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Post by Chris M on Feb 24, 2008 14:58:56 GMT
On my journey around the system yesterday, I arrived into platform 9 at Euston on a London Overground service.
I touched out to get through the barriers at the London end of the platform, and then walked through the subway to the Underground, where I touched in to get through the barriers.
When I touched out at the end of that leg of my journey (North Greenwich) I was charged £4. I checked on the ticket machine and saw I'd actually been charged £3.40 and £4 for two incomplete journeys, with one of the entries being something like "Euston tg"
I phoned up the Oyster helpline (who can't process refunds today because the system isn't working) who said something about my using an interchange reader rather than a standard reader, which confused the system when I then touched in before touching out?
Can someone here explain what happened and how I can avoid this happening again, as I didn't understand the explanation from the Oyster person.
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Ben
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Post by Ben on Feb 24, 2008 17:41:23 GMT
Ahhh...I think what he means is you shouldnt have touched in at Euston Underground. Ive no clue what an interchange reader is, but pesumably in this case it validated your oyster for the next leg of your journey by underground. When you then touched in at the underground station, it thought you had already 'started' your journey, not finished it, but then started a new one. In the systems eyes then, you didnt touch out from the previous journey, hence the penalty fare.
Possible?
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metman
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Post by metman on Feb 24, 2008 17:49:21 GMT
I think they are just trying to get money out of you! I've never heard of an interchange reader-if they exist they MUST be signposted as such otherwise it's bang out of order!!
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Ben
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Post by Ben on Feb 24, 2008 18:51:08 GMT
Well, it is oyster after all! *Shamelessly plugs Anti-Oyster group on Myspace* Ive noticed myself they seem to sometimes refer to things on the help line that are...obscure/unheard of.
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Chris M
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Post by Chris M on Feb 24, 2008 19:02:48 GMT
Ahhh...I think what he means is you shouldnt have touched in at Euston Underground. So how would I gain access to the Underground? AFAIK the only way from platform 9 at Euston Mainline to the Underground is through two sets of barriers - one to leave the mainline platform and the other to enter the Underground? [/quote]
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Ben
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Post by Ben on Feb 24, 2008 19:21:55 GMT
Vaulted the barriers, obviously.... The only thing I can think of is to tell the staff at the gates. However, its useful to know that such a pecularity exists at this station. It would be a great reference if all these oddities could be listed in one place so as to forwarn people?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2008 8:11:47 GMT
Interchange readers.....billy dog poo if you ask me.
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Post by suncloud on Feb 25, 2008 8:58:00 GMT
ChrisM you did the right thing at Euston as that's an interchange I've made fairly recently over the last two weeks, without problem, but I will check to be sure when I get chance. I assume you touched in ok at the start of the journey and completed the journey in good time. Also confused as to why you were charged £3.40...
Did you use the readers attached to the barriers (as opposed to a stand alone by a manual gate)? Or is there a chance of a double touch?
How vexating!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2008 11:43:39 GMT
Filed under excuse of the week!
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Chris M
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Post by Chris M on Feb 25, 2008 11:59:43 GMT
I assume you touched in ok at the start of the journey and completed the journey in good time. Yep, I touched in at South Hampstead and had just under 10 minutes to wait for the next train, which arrived at Euston on time. It was also less than two hours between touching in a Sotuh Hampstead and touching out at North Greenwich. Also confused as to why you were charged £3.40... Some (but not all) of my journeys on Saturday are now online. At Ruislip, I entered the system and my card was debited £4. On touching out at Northwick Park I was refunded £3.40, meaning that the journey cost me 60p. At this point I reached my PAYG cap for the day. My next journey was from Kenton to South Hampstead. On entry at Kenton, £3.40 was deducted from my card, and refunded in its entirity when I touched out at South Hampstead. When I touched back in again at South Hampstead, £3.40 was again deducted. This is where the online journey history currently ends. Did you use the readers attached to the barriers (as opposed to a stand alone by a manual gate)? Or is there a chance of a double touch? I used a reader attached to the barriers. Thinking about it, it is possible I also touched on a stand alone reader on the platforms but I don't know for certain. I didn't know that there were barriers at the platform end so its possible I'd have touched on the first Oyster reader I saw. I'm sure I've done this sort of thing somewhere else before without it charging me for a double exit at the same station. [/quote]
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Post by suncloud on Feb 25, 2008 13:35:58 GMT
I can't remember ever seeing any stand alones on platforms 9-12 but can see justification for them.
For example: London Midland (or even Virgin trains) passenger arrives on platform 9 using a NR ticket and wishes to return north (e.g. to South Hampstead) on an Overground service from platform 11 using PAYG [or vice versa) would not need to pass through the gateline. (Like at Stratford Central, where I forgot the other day to touch in when changing from an NX london bound service to the central in a rush, oops! Thankfully the manual gate at the end of my journey was unlocked so I didn't get stung for an unstarted journey.)
Back to your tale, I guess if you did touch one such reader, and the exit gates I can perhaps see what the adviser on the help line was trying to say...
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Chris M
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Post by Chris M on Feb 25, 2008 15:00:18 GMT
As we arrived on platform 9, there was a London Midland service (to Milton Keynes iirc) on the adjacent platform 8. Had I wanted this service, it would be very useful to just be able to tap out on the platform and get straight on the train, rather than walk to the barrier, touch out, turn round, get out my NR ticket and pass through the gates again.
I don't remember whether there were such readers or not though.
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Post by suncloud on Feb 25, 2008 16:20:58 GMT
No neither do I... I'll try and remember to check if I go shopping in London after work this week (I've decided I need a new pair of trainers, purely for safety reasons )
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2008 13:50:33 GMT
As we arrived on platform 9, there was a London Midland service (to Milton Keynes iirc) on the adjacent platform 8. Had I wanted this service, it would be very useful to just be able to tap out on the platform and get straight on the train, rather than walk to the barrier, touch out, turn round, get out my NR ticket and pass through the gates again. I don't remember whether there were such readers or not though. their a unit on the gate i saw it last night platform side
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