T O T K a t

My Oyster annual season ticket is up for renewal shortly, so I tried to buy a new season ticket...

Last week (Thursdayish maybe):

- attempt #1 to buy online fails "we were unable to proceed with the transaction" type message
- attempt #2 to buy online fails "we were unable to proceed with the transaction" type message
- attempt #3 to buy online fails "we were unable to proceed with the transaction" type message
- attempt #1 to buy over the phone (talking to a real human being) fails "we were unable to proceed with the transaction" type message. They say "you'll have to buy at a ticket office"

I figure I've got a few more days to sort this out before my season ticket expires so I'll leave it for Monday.

Today:

- get to <station> and bip through gates as usual
- go to ticket office to buy new zones 1-n annual
- dude tells me I have 2x 1-n annuals on there and he can't refund me, I have to talk to Oyster on the phone
- attempt #1 of phone refund - Oyster on the phone tell me they can't see anything yet
- attempt #2 of phone refund - Oyster on the phone tell me they can't see anything yet
- check online - see 2x 1-n annuals
- attempt #3 of phone refund - Oyster on the phone tell me they can't see anything yet and I could go to a ticket office or wait for them to call back to see if they can help (huh?)
- go to ticket office, yes he can do a refund. please insert credit card. woo!
- insert credit card - "last try - please enter your PIN"
- enter PIN
- <phone rings in pocket. I ignore it.>
- "Your card is now locked. goodbye"
- call <BANK> "help!"
- <BANK> say the quickest thing is to use an ATM to unlock the PIN
- trundle to (nearby building) to <BANK> ATM
- insert card, choose "PIN services, unlock PIN"
- attempt #1 to enter PIN - bzzzzt
- attempt #2 to enter PIN - bzzzzt
- attempt #3 to enter PIN - bzzzzt - machine eats card
- call <BANK> "help! mastercard etted"
- <BANK> say "we cancel and send new one"
- I say "can you suspend a transaction while I wait"
- <BANK> say" Switch is like cash, once it's been paid..."
- I butt in "but this is a Mastercard"
- "please hold"
- <time passes>
- "is that the card that ends ****?"
- "uhh no, that's my VISA card, I said Mastercard"
- <time passes>
- "I'll put you through to <department> now"
- <department> cancel my Mastercard and re-issue a new one (to arrive in 5-10 working days)
- pick up voicemail "Hi, because you bought your ticket today we've got nothing on the system yet, please wait until tomorrow morning"
- call Oyster to say "but I didn't buy it today!"
- "Ah, but you picked it up on your Oyster today and that's when we take the money. We won't have the info until tomorrow."
- to the office! ('s too hot outside anyway)
- <time passes>
- call from Oystercard "can we ask who is your card issuer because we have 4(!) transactions going through?"
- "<BANK>"
- "OK we'll have to talk to them to release the *mumble*indistinct* and we'll see what comes through tomorrow. I'll call you back tomorrow."

*boggle* But OK, that's 3 web transactions and one phone one, it adds up. And it explains why my PIN had one try left on it; <BANK> fraud systems must have kicked in or something.

...but why did both I and the phone support people get an "we were unable to process your transaction" error if they were, in fact, going through?