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On Friday I was wandering round the network and made a boo-boo when changing from National Rail to the Waterloo & City Line at Waterloo. I used the direct subway from the National Rail platforms to the Underground at Waterloo instead of exiting the platform at Waterloo main line station and then accessing the Underground station via the main concourse.
There are no card readers at the entrance to the subway that I used, but on entering the Underground you pass through a set of ticket gates. I had to tap my Oyster card on these, and I assumed that this would tell the system that I had changed from National Rail to Underground. I also passed a card reader at the top of the slope to the Waterloo & City Line but did not tap my card on this, as I thought I would not need to do so having already tapped in on the ticket gate. However, I found out afterwards that I should have done so, as my journey by National Rail from Vauxhall to Waterloo was shown as complete but my journey from Waterloo to Liverpool Street was shown as incomplete (no touch-in at Waterloo) so I was charged a maximum fare of £8.60. It would appear that by tapping my card on the ticket gate at Waterloo I told the system that I had completed my National Rail journey when I thought I was entering the Underground.
I have just logged onto the TfL website and attempted to apply for a refund for my incomplete journey, but I got an email saying that they could not process my refund application because of a technical error so I will need to phone TfL Customer Services.
There is a further complication in that I live in another part of the country and have just arrived home, but the TfL website says I have until 7th October to claim my refund by simply tapping in or out on my next journey. I have no idea when I will next be in London: it might not be until Christmas, or potentially well into next year if there’s another Christmas lockdown.
I guess I might just have to forego that refund and put it down to experience. I guess there could potentially be several Oyster card holders who live in other parts of the country (or even abroad) who are occasional visitors to London and who could find themselves in a similar situation.
Hi Alan,
Firstly those gates at Waterloo are a major nightmare. You aren’t the only person who thinks they’ve touched into the Underground because you’ve already gone down steps from the National Rail station.
Forgive my confusion but can you clarify. You tried to let them know where the incomplete touch was but were told in an email that there was a problem. Then you saw another message saying you could pick up a refund by using your card? Does this mean you have a refund queued? If you have then read my new bit about Faster Universal Load on the topping up page.
Otherwise perhaps you could clarify what you have done and what and how you’ve been told.
I think it said on the TfL website when I tried to apply for a refund that my refund would be credited to my account next time I tapped my Oyster card on a card reader.
UPDATE: I have now got it sorted (hopefully!). I tried phoning TfL Customer Services, and after waiting about 30 minutes for a reply and a further 30 minutes to be put through to their refunds department they told me that because I don’t expect to visit London at any time in the near future they would pay it straight into my bank account in the next few days so I gave them my account details. They just had to ask me for details of two previous journeys that I had made to ensure that I was who I said I was.
I tried to log onto my TfL account using my phone as soon as I realised that I had an incomplete journey, but that day’s journeys didn’t show up on my account then and there: I am guessing that it takes a few hours or a day or two for the system to update itself.
Hi Alan,
Right, got it now. Pleased that they’ve agreed to refund to your bank.
You can’t resolve missing journeys until the next day in case there are touches that have been delayed. By the next day it is normally safe. It’s worth noting that if there’s a potential missing touch they won’t take the money due on contactless that night in the hope it’ll be resolved the next day.
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