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Moving to London Oyster Card


Lala

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Need help! 16 yr old DD moving to London, we live in Wiltshire. Trying to apply online for the 16+ zip card. I just can't sort it out. Firstly I have to register my details as DD under 18yr but when I try to enter DD new London address it won't work. Anyone else sorted an oyster card out for their child for September? I'm near to throwing the laptop out of window! Thanks

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My DD's first Oyster card for a London resident, couldn't be done online, only in person and with an authorisation signature and stamp from the school. ENBS help all new students during their first week, to sort it out. You can apply online, but those Oyster cards do not get your DC free bus travel as a student. I hope that makes sense. LTD

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I was in London yesterday so asked at the Post Office. She told me me I had to apply online, which I tried today. Rambert told me that I need to print the verification letter for them to stamp. I can't even get far as that because the addresses don't match up! Drove me mad today lol! Will ring up tomorrow and see if I can get some help x thanks x

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If I remember correctly from three years ago for Central and DS was 16, we had to get a form from a post office, get it stamped and signed at Central and send it off with payment or bank details.

The address we used was his address in London. DS did get free bus travel. We had to reapply each September for a new card.

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Hi Lala, I had a complete nightmare with this last year. You can't use your home (Wiltshire) address as you have already found, it needs to be the London address and needs to match.

 

I rang the helpline and was told to use the school name (instead of mine) and DDs residential address and then she had to print off the form and take it to a post office for verification.

 

However, even though she had her passport as proof of ID, and me explaining the situation, the post office wouldn't accept it as it did not comply with the requirement to have a utility bill for the residential address (how could she have a utility bill from a boarding house in her name????)

 

In the end, the school realised that online registration was not going to work and they organised it all manually for the students but I had lots of stress and 3 weeks of paying full tube price before that happened. I remember being very envious of DD's friend at ENBS as they had organised it all during the summer holidays and their cards were waiting for them on the first day!

 

Anyone know if they need to be renewed each year? If so, I am in for another headache :)

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Ha!ha! So funny that this post should be on here as hubby applied for DDs Oyster card yesterday and yes the laptop nearly went out the window several times!! We did put our home address on it though and eventually it went through and we've had confirmation to say that it will be sent to this address.....just hope we've done it correctly!

DD blissfully unaware of how stressful it all was as off on another summer school!

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Yes I've just received a lovely lovely Oyster card - that gives DD half price travel, rather than free travel, on buses.  She will have to apply in London again.  I was so pleased with myself and then...not so much.  Oh well.

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Yes it was a zip Oyster card for 16+ but because I applied from my home address (not in London) it only gives DD discounted travel.  The London zip Oyster gives discounts on Tube but free bus travel and DD will be using buses mostly.

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Remembered that DS got free bus travel as he was doing AS levels at Central.

 

Not sure how he managed to get free bus travel once 18 but somehow he did  :o

 

I think forms were only available from Post offices after Sept 1st as I remember DS using a normal oyster card for a bit until his card came through.

 

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/students-and-children/16-zip-oyster-photocard

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They really need to get an Oyster card which allows free under 19 bus travel, plus the discounted under 19s tube/rail travel.

 

If you live outside London then you have to have proof of address of where they're living in London. TFL suggest a utility bill!! We went to nearest local branch of bank in London, registered new London address with them and asked them to do a signed letter on headed paper to verify address for Oyster card. Perhaps school could do a similar letter. School had to stamp verification form (I think we downloaded this, and I remember that it couldn't be used before 1st September and expired 2 weeks later) which could then be taken to post office - who did the rest. Oyster card then came through to new address within  3 or 4 days. 

 

The problem we had was being told so many different (incorrect) things by the TFL staff - though they all tried to be so helpful!

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Everyone should be aware that you can no longer purchase tickets on buses in London. Everyone has to have an Oyster card or some other card or pass. I don't know what people who are not resident in London do, but buses no longer accept cash. This doesn't just apply to central London, but to all of London. Regarding 16 year olds, I understand that in order to get a Zip Oyster (which entitles the student to free bus travel) the student has to provide confirmation from the educational institution that s/he is studying with them, which I assume can't be done until term starts. 16 year olds in London who need to renew their Zip Oyster can use their existing card until 30 September. 

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I rang yesterday and was on the phone for a long time. The nice lady I spoke to completed the application for me using the address DD will be staying at in London. Paperwork is being sent to this address and then we have to take this to PO with a photo etc... I asked if I needed a verification letter form for school to stamp etc... And she said no. I some how don't think it's going to be that straight forward. There is bound to be something wrong.

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I don't think you can get the student photo Oyster card which gives you free bus travel and reduced tube fares until the start of the London area school term. That's what we were told a couple of years ago, when I tried to do it before the start of term. Once they've got their card, the following year, it doesn't expire until the end of September. This gives you time to sort it out at the start of the new term. LTD

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Lala I have emailed ith Rambert and they will have someone to help the 'out of towners' apply for oyster/bank accounts on registration day. I have just instructed dd to get regular oyster to use till she gets the free one, and not to travel too much till she gets it.

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After all the time I spent on the phone trying to sort this out, we are right back at square one as the paper work sent to Lucy at her new forthcoming London address, asks her to submit a utility bill in her name at this address. I'm not able to travel to London prior to her moving next week to visit the Post Office, so I just have to hope her school will be able to help!

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After all the time I spent on the phone trying to sort this out, we are right back at square one as the paper work sent to Lucy at her new forthcoming London address, asks her to submit a utility bill in her name at this address. I'm not able to travel to London prior to her moving next week to visit the Post Office, so I just have to hope her school will be able to help!

I hope this helps. I've just renewed my DD's Oyster photo card online and it asked for the same information. I cancelled this application and re-applied but put her school address on it. Then school gave her a letter which the Post Office accepted as proof. Hope this makes the application easier. LTD

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