TFL under maintenance for 11-15 zip card

[Hangingbyathread322]

Does anyone know of a different route to apply for a 11-15 zip card as the website has been under maintenance?

Both mine have the 11-15 zip oyster card and I was under the impression they expire on 30th September the year after they turn 16? So they will need a 16-19 one for when they start 6th form/college.

It expires at the end of September of year 12 regardless of when your child turned 16. If you have an autumn born child, they get a whole extra year compared to a summer born like my child who only just turned 16 and her card expires at the end of this month.

@RockaLock I’ve had the same thing - my Oyster account says the photocard expires next year, but it beeps ‘near expiry’ at my dd every time she uses it (which is annoying it itself, as then she doesn’t see her balance). So I assume that’s (yet another) fault with the system. The card itself says it expires on 30th September this year.

I find all the various different TfL logins and multiple clicks every single time to allow cookies, and different websites for different but similar things (zip versus oyster) so confusing. In a way I’m not surprised they’ve been hacked, the whole thing feels pretty rubbish from a customer point of view.

TfL have been sensible, they are accepting 11-15 zip cards until the end of October. Though they won’t beep, so it’ll be a bit of a hassle on the tube/train at the gates, but better than nothing.

I’ve been keeping an eye on their update page tfl.gov.uk/campaign/cyber-security-incident

That is good, @CherryBlossomFestival , about the 5-10 and 11-15 cards, and very sensible, otherwise there could be 1000s of school children affected.

But, unfortunately it doesn't help my DS1, whose 16-17 card is about to expire - and he starts London uni in a week's time. The 18+ photocard gives a 30% discount on season tickets, so it's a significant extra cost for him/us until TfL get their act together - with no guarantee of a refund for the price difference in the meantime. You'd think they could have done the same for those cards...

That's reasonable of TFL and a relief to me and my 16 year old. Still surprised the outage isn't making the news, though.

@Rockalock, would it be worth making a complaint here? https://tfl.gov.uk/help-and-contact/contact-us-about-oyster

I sent in a complaint recently about not having enough time to get a 16+ card given the outage. Maybe if enough people contact them about the 18+ issue it will put it on their radar and prompt them into giving a short extension.

TFL site is still down and not accessible for applications at 18 October, so nearly 7 weeks down now. It’s effecting students who are paying to travel, when it should be free in London. No updates to when it will be fixed. Absolute disgrace.
In my opinion it’s a ploy to do away with any concessions.

It's an absolute disgrace, I agree.

I can't understand why they extended the validity of basically every photocard except for the 16-17 cards. This means my 18 yo DS is paying full fares (he's started at a London uni) when he should be able to get 30% off a season ticket. At least if his 16-17 card had also been extended he would be getting discounted fares.

I cannot for the life of me understand how it can take 7 weeks (and counting) to get things up and running again. It doesn't say much for their IT department, does it...

It should have taken a week at most for the service to be back to normal. The fact that 7 weeks later, there's still no end in sight tells us that everyone involved in their IT systems and cybersecurity is fundamentally incompetent, not just mediocre. They can't do their jobs - they need to go.

I couldn't agree more!

And when (if?) they do get it up and running, I dread to think how long it will take them to process all the applications (and theoretically refunds - but I'm not at all hopeful of that!)

I’ve been keeping an eye on their update page, it hasn’t been updated for weeks. I’m now worrying that it won’t be fixed before the extension runs out at the end of October.

And dd is finding it a pain having to find someone to let her through the gate, sometimes there are no staff that she can see, and she has to ask a random stranger to tap her through the big gate.

@RockALock I suspect the reason they didn't extend the Oyster extension for 16-17 cards is because the 18+ Oyster is only for students isn't it?

It's not right, but I imagine the proportion of 18yr olds who would qualify for the extension would be lower compared to the others? (had a 16-17 Oyster, staying a student in London).

It's gone on for too long though I agree.

@scissy that is probably why, but better to give some 18yos discounted travel that are not entitled, than make all the ones that are entitled have to pay full fares IMO. If nothing else, the thought of giving away money might have spurred TfL into sorting it out more quickly!

@CherryBlossomFestival I agree that I am not at all confident of TfL having everything working by 31 October. I mean, even if they opened up the website tomorrow then they wouldn't be able to process all the applications and get new cards out by 1 November!

I suspect they will quietly issue a new extension tbh. I agree with you that they are extremely unlikely to be able to process all the applications by 31st October.

I work for TfL. Believe me, all the frontline staff are frustrated too.

Looks like this is going to carry on for a while.

Christ, how are they going to process all of these refunds and check for evidence it was a child travelling.

Applications for all zip oyster cards are now open

Hurrah! Thank you - I’ll go and see if I can sort one for my daughter now.

@kiwihake are they...... excellent 🥳

Super, I've just ordered an age 11-15 zip oyster card.

TBH, seeing as DS2 is currently getting free travel on his 11-15 card, and TfL said it would remain valid until 31 December, I'm kind of in no hurry to apply for a 16-17 card for him

It sort of feels like some sort of compensation for DS1, who wasn't able to apply for his 18+ student card until a week or so ago, and so has been paying over the odds for his travel all term...

@RockaLock I'm assuming the "Valid to 31st December" will still apply because it's a lot of applications to get through.
Just looking over at my daughter's ridiculously messy hair I think we need to do something with that before I can get a new photo and apply 😂

Yes @Needmorelego, I am also assuming they will stick to their "valid until 31 Dec" statement (but it's TfL, so who knows).

DS2 did point out that we might as well apply for his 16-17 card but just keep showing his 11-15 card at the station gates for the rest of this year, because all the staff do is look at the expiry date and then wave you through.

That way we would get free travel for as long as possible, but will have the new card ready for when that doesn't work any more.

@RockaLock Yes, that’s exactly what we’ll be doing, at least until 4 Dec. DS has an event in Zone 1 then (we’re in 4)

But I am also factoring in photo rejection, December postal madness, and the fact that my DS has lost the first of e.v.e.r.y single card he’s had (including his provisional licence)

I figured if we apply early, we can go through all of that and he should still have a 16+ zip in January! 😅