Oyster Card Sucks
Yes, you read it right, London's transit fare payment card - Oyster card - sold by the Transport for London for use on most transport systems is a highly dysfunctional transit card system!
Today I experienced the 2nd failed attempt at picking up my online purchase which is supposed to be waiting for collection from the swipe machine located outside the DLR station I commute from.
Theoretically, commuters should be able to have a hassle free experience i.e. not have to queue up to purchase tickets anymore as you can do your purchases online. On top of that, commuters can store up to more than 2 types of travel cards on this card i.e. 1 one week travelcard + (X)£ worth of pre-paid value + 2nd one week travelcard.
This card, which is taking over paper tickets is proving to frustrate users!!! Oh, I'm absolutely certain there's more than one - read Oyster Card Sucks and Oyster Card Sucks II
Here's the story:
I made a purchase for a 1 week travel card online last Saturday, and tried to pick up later on by swiping the card on the card reader. Being a piece of supposely intellitent technology, the reader can only show you how much you have left on the card when you swipe upon entering the station, and beeps loudy when the card doesn't work. It doesn't however tell you when you try to swipe it against the reader if you've successfully picked up the card!
From my previous failed attempt, and in order to check if the card has picked up the new 1 week travel card, I have learnt to double check my card balance online on the same day. But no, it didn't work! Being a patient user of stressful technology (trust me, London seem to make things more stressful than necessary), I attempted picking up the 1 week travel card again this morning on the way to work. This time, I couldn't check it until I got to a computer to go online. And by the time I passed the gates through to the station near work, I already discovered that it didn't work. The reason being that the Oyster card was 'clever' enough to show how much balance you have on the card from your pre-paid value.
This is just the beginning of the story:
The above are not the only flaws in this card system. The husband and I have both been in situations where the Oyster card - supposedly smart travel card - didn't know how to close the transaction because we have forgotten to swipe in and out when travelling to a which didn't have ticket barriers, but returning to a station that has one. The best examples of barrier-less stations are DLR stations. The next thing you know is that you'd end up with a bigger amount taken away from your pre-paid value if you're only on pre-pay as the 'intelligent card' cannot comprehend an unfinished route, and thus compute and charge you more than a normal travel card that only costs £4.70. Rip off.
To top up with all the dysfunctional flaws, they have this customer help line that further frustrates users.
Imagine this:
You are a disgruntled commuter who's been charged more than the regular amount for a travel card, and try to approach a ticket assistant at a tube station to get a refund. But no it's not as straight forward as that. The ticket assistant gives you a number to call for all Oyster card related transactions (all apart from ticket sales). So then when you get home and have some time, you pick up the phone to call the helpline hoping that you'd get through. But after a long automated answering cue to get you to press option 1 (for adult Oyster card) + option 3 (for refund and bla bla), you land yourself to the last reply that say 'Sorry our helpline officers are not able to pick up your call. Our office hours are from 08:00 to 20:00'. The frustration builds up, and over time it turns into stress. Why? Oh well, the next day when you try to call again, you'd end up in a longer queue, you'd be on the phone waiting 15 minutes or more before a helpline assistant finally picks up your call.
I think Oyster card has a big usability issue that needs to be answered. So for the time being, I have decided that 'Oyster Card SUCKS'!
End of story? Nope, there's more!
Well maybe you think I can decide to abandon it and go back to paper tickets. Ha! Yes, if only I go with daily travel cards that costs £4.70 (for off peak hours) or £6 and up (for rush hour). However, most of the time I travel during rush hours - so no go. To save up on travel costs, one would be wise to purchase a weekly travel card that costs £21.40. But the Transport for London authorities have decided to abolish all sales of one week travel cards in the form of paper tickets, they are all in Oyster Card now. So all one week travel card users are forced to use this new system.
What do you think? Does Oyster Card suck big time? I certainly think so.
You might come to conclude that my ramblings are trivial. However do read more about a less frustrated but more rational analysis of the Oyster Software design problem before making your judgement.
Today I experienced the 2nd failed attempt at picking up my online purchase which is supposed to be waiting for collection from the swipe machine located outside the DLR station I commute from.
Theoretically, commuters should be able to have a hassle free experience i.e. not have to queue up to purchase tickets anymore as you can do your purchases online. On top of that, commuters can store up to more than 2 types of travel cards on this card i.e. 1 one week travelcard + (X)£ worth of pre-paid value + 2nd one week travelcard.
This card, which is taking over paper tickets is proving to frustrate users!!! Oh, I'm absolutely certain there's more than one - read Oyster Card Sucks and Oyster Card Sucks II
Here's the story:
I made a purchase for a 1 week travel card online last Saturday, and tried to pick up later on by swiping the card on the card reader. Being a piece of supposely intellitent technology, the reader can only show you how much you have left on the card when you swipe upon entering the station, and beeps loudy when the card doesn't work. It doesn't however tell you when you try to swipe it against the reader if you've successfully picked up the card!
From my previous failed attempt, and in order to check if the card has picked up the new 1 week travel card, I have learnt to double check my card balance online on the same day. But no, it didn't work! Being a patient user of stressful technology (trust me, London seem to make things more stressful than necessary), I attempted picking up the 1 week travel card again this morning on the way to work. This time, I couldn't check it until I got to a computer to go online. And by the time I passed the gates through to the station near work, I already discovered that it didn't work. The reason being that the Oyster card was 'clever' enough to show how much balance you have on the card from your pre-paid value.
This is just the beginning of the story:
The above are not the only flaws in this card system. The husband and I have both been in situations where the Oyster card - supposedly smart travel card - didn't know how to close the transaction because we have forgotten to swipe in and out when travelling to a which didn't have ticket barriers, but returning to a station that has one. The best examples of barrier-less stations are DLR stations. The next thing you know is that you'd end up with a bigger amount taken away from your pre-paid value if you're only on pre-pay as the 'intelligent card' cannot comprehend an unfinished route, and thus compute and charge you more than a normal travel card that only costs £4.70. Rip off.
To top up with all the dysfunctional flaws, they have this customer help line that further frustrates users.
Imagine this:
You are a disgruntled commuter who's been charged more than the regular amount for a travel card, and try to approach a ticket assistant at a tube station to get a refund. But no it's not as straight forward as that. The ticket assistant gives you a number to call for all Oyster card related transactions (all apart from ticket sales). So then when you get home and have some time, you pick up the phone to call the helpline hoping that you'd get through. But after a long automated answering cue to get you to press option 1 (for adult Oyster card) + option 3 (for refund and bla bla), you land yourself to the last reply that say 'Sorry our helpline officers are not able to pick up your call. Our office hours are from 08:00 to 20:00'. The frustration builds up, and over time it turns into stress. Why? Oh well, the next day when you try to call again, you'd end up in a longer queue, you'd be on the phone waiting 15 minutes or more before a helpline assistant finally picks up your call.
I think Oyster card has a big usability issue that needs to be answered. So for the time being, I have decided that 'Oyster Card SUCKS'!
End of story? Nope, there's more!
Well maybe you think I can decide to abandon it and go back to paper tickets. Ha! Yes, if only I go with daily travel cards that costs £4.70 (for off peak hours) or £6 and up (for rush hour). However, most of the time I travel during rush hours - so no go. To save up on travel costs, one would be wise to purchase a weekly travel card that costs £21.40. But the Transport for London authorities have decided to abolish all sales of one week travel cards in the form of paper tickets, they are all in Oyster Card now. So all one week travel card users are forced to use this new system.
What do you think? Does Oyster Card suck big time? I certainly think so.
You might come to conclude that my ramblings are trivial. However do read more about a less frustrated but more rational analysis of the Oyster Software design problem before making your judgement.
