The colourful visitor Oyster card — Help?

[pdxuser]

I visited London a couple years ago from the US, and I kept one memento in my wallet: The colorful visitor Oyster card with "LONDON" across the front. But my wallet was lost/stolen, and now I'm trying to figure out how to replace the card. I can buy one online, but it costs a £3 nonrefundable activation fee + £4.25 shipping (despite a UK-to-US letter with a card in it costing only £1 to send) + £10 minimum fare that can't be refunded unless I present it in person or mail it back. So I'm wondering if someone can help me? If I pay for all your costs for the activation and postage, could you grab a visitor card, get an instant refund on the fare, then send the empty card along? Or even better, if anyone already has a used visitor card in a drawer somewhere, could I send you the postage for it? Thank you very much! PM me.

Edit: I also set up a temporary email: [email protected]. Thanks again!

 

[telstarbox]

Do you just want it as a souvenir? If so have you tried eBay?

 

[pdxuser]

Well, the cheapest on eBay is someone's used card with no fare on it for $12.98 including shipping. Since it's not actually a collectable, though, I should just get a clean one with fare on it from TfL if I'm going to pay extra. But I've already spent enough money replacing my wallet, ID and other cards, on top of losing my cash, so I was wondering if anyone who passes by TfL ticket machines anyway would help me replace my London memento at cost. They can refund the fare at the machine, I'll pay the activation and postage.

 

[telstarbox]

I'll do it if you want. I'll email you and we can arrange.

Edit: did you buy yours at a station? I can't find out whether you can buy a Visitor one (as opposed to the standard blue one) at stations.

 

[pdxuser]

Oh, I'm not sure, I think I may have gotten mine at a newsagent. I'm sorry if it's too much hassle, I'm not familiar with where all they're available, but you may not be able to get them from ticket machines like I was thinking.

 

[Mojo]

Edit: did you buy yours at a station? I can't find out whether you can buy a Visitor one (as opposed to the standard blue one) at stations.

They aren't for sale at stations - only online or from certain suppliers such as Airlines, travel/tour agencies, TICs, tourist shops, etc. that are not "full" Oyster ticket stops.

 

[pdxuser]

Oh, I didn't realize they were this uncommon. Well, I understand if no one helps me out now, but here's a map of hundreds of Tourist Information Centres if anyone is still interested.

 

[dzug2]

You are better off buying a normal Oyster when you arrive in London. Although it has a £5 deposit associated with it that is refundable whereas the £3 for a visitor card isn't.

As long as the amount left on it is small you can get a refund from tube station ticket machines - in zone 1 and at Heathrow of the remaining cash and the deposit

 

[causton]

You are better off buying a normal Oyster when you arrive in London. Although it has a £5 deposit associated with it that is refundable whereas the £3 for a visitor card isn't.

As long as the amount left on it is small you can get a refund from tube station ticket machines - in zone 1 and at Heathrow of the remaining cash and the deposit

Except they're not going to London and don't want a normal Oyster card! They just want a souvenir...

 

[dzug2]

Oh, I didn't realize they were this uncommon. Well, I understand if no one helps me out now, but here's a map of hundreds of Tourist Information Centres if anyone is still interested.

That's a different sort of Tourist Information Centre. Few if any of then will sell Oysters

An 'Oyster Ticket Stop' is typically located in a newsagent or similar - and yes there are hundreds of them in the London area.

 

[telstarbox]

They aren't for sale at stations - only online or from certain suppliers such as Airlines, travel/tour agencies, TICs, tourist shops, etc. that are not "full" Oyster ticket stops.

So nobody would be likely to buy one in London because the normal Oyster card is more convenient. Would it be easier for the OP to order one through a USA website?

 

[pdxuser]

Would they really be available at any Oyster Ticket Stop? Because here's 3000 of them. Or, surely these Visitor Centres on the TfL website would have them, right?

 

[telstarbox]

As above, Oyster Ticket Stops only sell the standard blue cards.

 

[pdxuser]

What type of tourist information centre would have the visitor cards? This map (scroll down) from England's tourism board lets you select to view TICs. Are all of these places you could get a visitor card, as well as the visitor centres on the TfL website linked above?