I’m done. I’ve had enough. I was a massive supporter of this system when it launched but it has continuously let me down time and again.
I simply am unable to hire a bike, when I want to, at any time of the day or night.
I have a dongle but am an infrequent user (2 or 3 times a month) and for the last 6monh had been singularly unable to get a bike out without having to gaff about calling the call centre.
Culminating in leaving me late for a meeting today. TFL will be getting a bill for my taxi fare.
PATHETIC.
This forum is full of members who are quite happily using the scheme, along with thousands of others… so it must just be you.
Replying to @mit‘s post:
Do you have any evidence to suggest we’re “full of members who are quite happily using the scheme”? Or is this forum equally likely to be full of members who are borderline tolerant of a grotesquely flawed system that jamsandwich has finally ditched?
Replying to @Little Fluffy Toys Ltd’s post:
What Little Fluffy Toys said. jamsandwich is one of the most active members here. We all want it to work, but the shine’s definitely been going off recently.
What mit said. I’m not sure who these people are that have problems, because I use it two or three times a day and can’t remember the last time I had any trouble.
No, wait, the last time was when I went to the docking station just to the west of Embankment tube station, and found that all the bikes were covered in bird excrement. But poor planning in situating a docking station under some trees isn’t a huge deal for me…
I’ve certainly never had to call the call centre, in all that time. Perhaps some keys were sent out buggy or something…..
I think the mechanics are good – but the software and the planning of how many bikes in each dock and the shuffling around is piss poor after all this time.
There is seldom a problem getting a bike IME, but a huge problem in docking it.
That suggests there are too many bikes put out overall.
Is there anyone at the TFL end of this contract one can email about this – because the contractor is hardly likely to be passing my emails “up the line”?
I firmly believe that if you are using this daily – even weekly – then I’m sure it works perfectly. But I am using this a few times a month and EVERYTIME!!!! I want to use a bike I can’t.
There is something in the system. Some error. Or some bug that is causing this to happen.
Today at Park St I tried several bikes – all long Amber then red lights while other people tool bikes out from either side of me.
I tried to the terminal to “refresh my account” as has been suggested over the phone on numerous occasions. But that didn’t change anything. I went to ANOTHER dock and tried bikes there – all reds.
When I want a bike – I can’t get a bike. The system is fundamentally flawed for my usage type.
Replying to @jamsandwich‘s post:
>I firmly believe that if you are using this daily – even weekly – then I’m sure it works perfectly.
No it doesn’t… I’m a daily user and I’d say I can get and dock a bike about 80% of the time, but the other 20% either means a missed train or an hour later looking for docking stations.
I completely agree with jamsandwich. I was always a huge supporter and promoter of the scheme but lately, I’ve been extremely disappointed and embarrassed (having promoted it to my friends and family).
I used to use the system every single day but have now stopped using it after the vast majority of attempts to get or return a bike had failed. Also because they now suspended my account…
Only 1 out of 10 journeys happened without any issues (and I’m not including any “couldn’t find a dock” problems). Whenever I try to get a bike out with my fob I have to try at least 3 different bikes, all of which flash yellow for about 20 seconds and then go red. Sometimes it works though. That is very unreliable and not worth the money I paid for it. I can only really use it when I have plenty of time and no plans to get anywhere. And that happens like never.
The other day, I docked a bike in Euston, got a green light and only found out later, when i tried to get another bike (and calling awful customer service), that the bike was not registered. They promised me they would fix this but all I got was a £50 charge on my bill.
Having complained via the website a couple of times I called the service desk to dispute the charge and also to give them my new credit card details. They promised me a callback but I never heard from them again.
It’s a big mess and I am honestly deeply disappointed. Maybe it’s my key fob, maybe it’s bad luck but it’s just too much. Not sure what to do.
I’m a huge supporter of the scheme as well and I am lucky because I’m travelling central -> out at a time when most others have travelled out -> centre so I almost always get a bike. But at times other than commuting it is a bit hit and miss (more hit than miss but still, late in W1 of an evening, there are no bikes).
I would like it to be as reliable as the tubes 
Beginning to agree…I was a huge supporter of the scheme, but the cracks are starting to show. The only reason. I jibed this forum is to see if I am the only one experiencing growing problems. Everything from more faulty bikes, broken keys, very poor data management on my account, incorrect billing. Final straw today was when I noticed they have removed the call centre telephone number from the contact us page on the main website. When I asked why I was told ‘too many calls’. It’s a pity that what could and should be a flagship scheme filler London is heading down the tubes (pun intended)Replying to @jamsandwich‘s post:
Replying to @jacob123‘s post:
The phone number is still on the Contact Us page – it’s between the page header & the top of the form.
Er…. No it’s not – there is no longer a number listed. Looking at the page as I type this. And, the helpful woman at the call centre this morning confirmed it had been removed. No idea what page you can see. Can anyone else see a number on the contact us page?
I was curious, so just had a look. I do see the phone numbers listed under the menu “Barclays Cycle Hire” and “Contact Us.” Perhaps we’re looking at different pages?
I’m still using the bikes, but things have deteriorated since the beginning of the scheme. Very sorry to hear jamsandwich has had so many problems. Still hopeful things will improve.
Mystery solved – it’s on the page if you’re NOT logged in. Once you log in it disappears.
