Grab your leather jacket, cut off the sleeves, and sing with me:
"Riding through this world ... all alone... "
"Riding through this world ... all alone... "
| from: | Matt M | ||
| reply-to: | (address withheld) | ||
| to: | "cj@thiscrazytrain.com" | ||
| date: | Tue, Dec 24, 2013 at 10:17 AM | ||
| subject: | PRESTO Chronicles! |
Finally, PRESTO has bit me. I feel like I’m part of the brotherhood now.
I have a pre-programmed trip on my card between Union and Guildwood (usual fare is $5.25). Yesterday, I was to take a non-standard trip instead to Milton GO (usual fare is $8.39) to attend a family Christmas dinner (big family; we spread it out over about 4 days to accommodate everyone). I got to Union and pressed override, then tapped. Fare charged at this machine = $5.25. While walking to my platform, I thought that the fare didn’t seem right; I know from past experience that the base fare on an override tap is $4.85 or so. So, on a separate PRESTO machine, I cancelled my initial tap-on, and was credited back $5.25. I then pressed override again, tapped again. Fare charged at this machine = $5.25. I thought to myself, ok...maybe I haven’t taken a non-regular trip since the last fare increase, and base fare now is a little higher. When I got to Milton, I tapped off, expecting to see a $3.14 balancing of my fare. Fare charged atthis machine = $5.00. Total fare paid to travel 1-way to Milton = $11.25. I knew this was wrong, having checked the price to Milton before I left the office, so planned to call PRESTO today.
I reluctantly called PRESTO anticipating that this would be a “call GO/call PRESTO/call GO/call PRESTO” chain of events. Sure enough, after explaining my situation, I was told to call GO (actually, I was transferred, so I didn’t have to dial myself). I explained it again to the rep at GO, who could see my tap on/cancel/tap on sequence, said that obviously the override function wasn’t working, and took my information down to send to PRESTO, promising a call within 2 business days and likely a voucher for the $2.86 I was overcharged.
Brings me to the same old question...why can’t they just fucking reload the fare on my card? Why do I need a coupon/voucher?
MATT
______________________________________
And just when you thought Jax aka Matt was out of danger, Clay aka Presto, is up and ready for another round.
MATT
______________________________________
And just when you thought Jax aka Matt was out of danger, Clay aka Presto, is up and ready for another round.
| from: | Matt M | ||
| reply-to: | (address withheld) | ||
| to: | "cj@thiscrazytrain.com" | ||
| date: | Fri, Jan 10, 2014 at 11:14 AM | ||
| subject: | Fw: PRESTO Chronicles! |
It happened again last night, this time travelling Union to Agincourt as my wife had our daughter at swimming class close to that station, so it made sense to travel there instead. At Union, override failed, I cancelled, override again. Charged incorrectly at $5.25 to get on the train. Tapped off at Agincourt, charged $4.85 more. Paid $10.10 for a fare that SHOULD cost $5.29. In the last 2.5 weeks, I've paid over $21 for about $14 worth of fares.
GO assures me a voucher was sent out Jan 4 for my December 23 incident, and are processing a new request for yesterday's. What a joke. I'm tempted to start buying single-fares for non-standard trips, just so that I'm not inconvenienced. I load enough money on my card for specific purposes; when GO takes a 91% premium on my fares when I use the overcharge, er...override feature, that becomes a big pain in my ass.
OMG. Love the Sons of Anarchy reference...
ReplyDeletethis is why I love your website. I snorted my water...
Makes you wonder how many people this has happened to that haven't noticed.
ReplyDeletei've actually used the override feature a lot...and it's always been $4.85+ the extra charge. and i have a default set on my card too...
ReplyDeleteOne machine I can understand. But every time?
ReplyDeleteSomething's not right.
I happens to me periodically, but usually a case of I am supposed to override and forget so I then have to cxl my initial tap.
ReplyDeleteI have found if I try to tap (forgetting override), cxl/correction tap, then press the overide on the same machine and tap again, the override does not take. Not sure why.
My solution was to tap (oops forgot override), press correction on the same machine and ride is cxl'd. The secret is to go to another presto machine, ensure I have pressed override and then tap on that machine, bingo 4.85 charged. But dont forget to tap off at your destination.
This works even if you end up going on your default trip eventually. example. sometimes I will ride to Pickering, once during the ride, the wife says abort pickering and go to Ajax instead (happens to be my default station) and so when I tap off at ajax having overidden at union it charges me the 6.85 it is supposed to.
I've had the exact same thing happen. I usually tap-on through my wallet, which works fine.
ReplyDeleteBut for some reason it doesn't always take on the "override" or "cancellation". Whenever I need to do an overide now, I take the card out of my wallet and it seems to work.
Doesn't make any sense, but then again, neither does most of Presto!.
I have the same issues, person at GO suggested to drop my pre-configured ride preference, and just tap-go - and off.
ReplyDeleteAnd like the other poster - when the money comes off the presto card, why can't they re-credit the card.
I have the "voucher in 5-7 business days" crap.
and then I have to go to customer service to apply the credit voucher to the card.
Totally stupid non-customer centric crap.
Who invented this - give me all your money, let me hold onto it until I let you use it, then if I make a mistake, I'll decide if I will give it back to you, and by the most inconvenient method possible.
Can Presto do anything right? Why is it, that its the only smartcard system in the world that has glitch after glitch. In the private sector, the system would have been taken out long ago
ReplyDeleteAnonymous @1:19pm I loved the reference too, it made me so happy which I needed after my camera was stolen yesterday.
ReplyDeleteIf only the Royal Canadian Air Farce were still with us. The Chicken Cannon could be loaded and fired at an image of the Minister of Transportation holding a PRESTO card. Isn't it time we put a face to all our PRESTO woes?
ReplyDeleteI remember when I went to Hong Kong, their Octopus Card was really useful. You can use it everywhere including convenience stores like 7-11 and drug stores similar to Shoppers here. And you can load your balances there as well. Way better than having to go the station to load your card. You can just do it when you do your shopping. It's widely accepted at a lot of stores.
ReplyDeleteUPDATE: After saying the voucher was mailed Jan 4th (letter is dated the 4th), it arrived yesterday. Postmark is January 9th.
ReplyDeleteHowever, they sent a voucher for $12.34. Not sure where that number came from, as the total fare charged was only $11.25 and I only asked for the $2.86 difference between the $11.25 and the regular fare to Milton ($8.39).
I wonder what they're going to send me for the botched override tap to Agincourt?
Huh. So apparently they can't math either.
ReplyDelete