Bus company giving my £5 change to charity

[TomorrowIsAnotherDae]

I had to go into work yesterday and travel by public transport. I decided to buy a weekly ticket as I will be making a few trips into work over the next week.

I went to pay for the £15 weekly ticket by card, which is recommended, but the driver said I couldn’t pay for that particular ticket by card as there had been problems with fraud and asked if I had cash. I had a £20 note so offered to pay with that. He took the note from me and issued my ticket. I asked for my change to be told that due to COVID he wasn’t able to give me change and the money would go to charity.

I wasn’t told beforehand that I wouldn’t be given change from my £20.00 note, which he happily handled without gloves, he wasn’t wearing a mask either.

Now I understand that some bus operators are demanding exact fare only, but I understood that is because they want passengers to pay by card. In my case I wasn’t allowed to pay by card.

The travel website still says that you can purchase this particular weekly ticket on the bus, but doesn’t say that you can only pay for it in cash and that you need to pay the exact amount.

I’m a bit miffed. The driver couldn’t even tell me what charity my fiver is going to.

I know this is ‘chat’ and not AIBU, but AIBU to think this isn’t right? I don’t seem to have a leg to stand on in terms of getting my money back.

It was no change given on West Midlands buses back in the early 90s so that bit itself is not new. But the refusing to accept card payments is ridiculous. I'd be complaining to the bus company about that and asking what they are doing to put card payments for all tickets back into place.

Veni

Legal tender is a very specific concept under English Law relating to good discharge of debts. If you offer to pay in legal tender you can’t be sued for non-payment. (I’m a financial services lawyer and I wrote part of my LLM on electronic money and legal tender.)

Check the BoE
www.bankofengland.co.uk/knowledgebank/what-is-legal-tender

It is utterly irrelevant here. If the OP had offered to pay the exact amount in legal tender and the driver had said no then it could protect her from action for non payment.

That has no bearing on the need to make a contractual requirement for exact change explicit prior to the contract being formed.

I believe the money goes to the 'bus drivers Christmas party' charity

Marchez
The principle in the case is that key terms of a contract have to be made clear before the contract is entered into. Hence, as you have stated someone needs to be informed prior to entering to the contract - possibly with a red hand pointing to it

It’s not that businesses can’t require exact change only, it’s just that it needs to be made clear up front.

Sounds like the bus driver is scamming people. I know buses here aren't giving out change but card payments are fine I would phone the company and ask them to confirm about the card payments and if he's lying take it further. How many people had he possibly done this to.

Robbing bastard

@Sweettea1

Sounds like the bus driver is scamming people. I know buses here aren't giving out change but card payments are fine I would phone the company and ask them to confirm about the card payments and if he's lying take it further. How many people had he possibly done this to.

He's not scamming, the OP showed a picture of the printout she was given showing the information

Doesn't make it right, just doesn't make him a scammer

I'm not sure why people are so sure he's scamming her himself. This is a well known policy with bus companies now
However I don't agree with it. Maybe at the beginning it was more understandable but it shouldn't still be in place. It does seem to be like the bus companies are taking advantage of you though...
I want to decide who to give my charity to and how much, not because I didn't have the correct change
I do think it's wrong

@purpleme12

I agree

If it was a bus company policy then they would give out a receipt and advise which charity it was going to!

Or if it's exact change only (and the charity comment clearly a poorly placed joke) then there should have been a sign informing customers of this.

What decade are we living in when it's exact change only on a bus?

I have adhd, I'd be giving away a lot 😂

I reckon it's probably been the early 00s since you got change for a fare on a bus in some parts of the country. Clearly others are lagging way behind if they still give it out.

Our local buses they don’t have access to the cash. It goes into a bit attached to the ticket machine. The driver pressed the buttons for your ticket once the cash is in it and then your money disappears and your ticket prints out.

Our buses say on the drivers door exact money only or contactless payment.

@UnicornMadeOfPinkGlitter

Our local buses they don’t have access to the cash. It goes into a bit attached to the ticket machine. The driver pressed the buttons for your ticket once the cash is in it and then your money disappears and your ticket prints out.

Our buses say on the drivers door exact money only or contactless payment.

except the OP couldn't do contactless payment