Go-Card deposit and Credit Scam.

[RaverRabbit]

For the second time today I had a go-card stop working with over $20 credit on it, which they tell me I cannot get back because it's not registered.

I refuse to believe that is true.  A registered card is no different from a normal card except that it has my name attached to it, giving them the ability to track my movements through their transport network, which is a blatant invasion of my privacy and leaves me open to the possibility of a wrongful conviction for crimes committed in a certain area if that information is passed onto police.

Further to this, Upon request for a new card, I was told I had to pay.  A $5 deposit and then credit, so I requested the $10 owed to me for returning the other two card be used to pay for the new card, and this was refused, with the attendant stating that "oh no, you keep the card, and you don't get your deposit back" and then tried to make me buy a ticket in order to leave the station.  I refused and pushed my way out.

Where do I stand here?  I am owed at the very least deposits from the two cards.

Has this happened to anyone else?  I think this is a serious issue that needs to be brought forward to current affairs media outlets.

[ozbob]

Welcome RaverRabbit!

You have been given incorrect advice:

Anyone can cancel an unregistered go card and the
person returning the go card can request a refund.
Refunds
You can obtain a refund of the balance on your go card
plus any refundable deposit paid, less any outstanding
fares, fees and charges.
Refunds are only provided for valid TransLink go cards.
Cardholders must surrender their go card to TransLink
Cardholder Support with their go card Cancellation and
Refund form. Alternatively card holders can visit selected
go card retailers to obtain a refund (except for registered
go cards that have been reported lost or stolen, or if
seeking a balance transfer by phone).

http://www.translink.com.au/resources/tickets-and-fares/go-card/090301-cancellation-balance-transfer-and-refund-form-and-guide.pdf

found on http://www.translink.com.au/tickets-and-fares/go-card/terms-and-conditions

Check out the above links.  Who ever gave you that advice needs counselling for a start.  Not the case at all.

Hope this helps.

Regards
Bob

[ozbob]

Shocker, RaverRabbit is upset and rightly so.  Time staff got with it!!

[RaverRabbit]

Thankyou very much Bob, you quick reply is greatly appreciated and I will follow this up with the information you provided!!!

[ozbob]

And ...

then tried to make me buy a ticket in order to leave the station

Not the case either.  If the system fails on on a journey then you travel for free.  What happens for example if you have no money and only a go card with credit and it fails.  You walk to Varsity Lakes from Central or where ever?  

Again wrong wrong wrong.

You are welcome.

[RaverRabbit]

AN UPDATE:

After going back to the ticket office to retrieve my cards so I could fill out the Cancellation, Balance transfer and Refund Form, I was handed two VERY BENT go-cards, and was once again treated poorly.
The ticket office attendant had bent them in half and put them in the bin assuming they were useless. 
The conditions of the warranty/return of damaged cards in the information you sent me states that a 3 years warranty applies provided that the cards must not have any holes punched in them, been in contact with water or subject to ANY OTHER MISUSE.
Realizing straight away that a bend card would constitute misuse and that I would have to prove that they weren't bent when I handed them in, I requested the manager, supervisor or anyone higher up in the chain, whom I was told would come out to see me.

30 minutes later I was told she was still unavailable.  Customer service?  I think not.
Needing to return to work I said i would come back in the afternoon to see her, and I will follow it up then.

[ozbob]

Unacceptable of course.  If you have no satisfaction with pursuing this appalling treatment let us know.

[#Metro]

The ticket office attendant had bent them in half and put them in the bin assuming they were useless.  

This is actually not the correct way to dispose of them IMHO. As I understand it (correct me if I am wrong) there is information stored on that card and the proper disposal method is to return it to TL.



Thanks to Brizcommuter X-raying a go card, we can see that it is likely that simply bending the card probably does not actually destroy it and it may be possible to retrieve info from it still.
http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com/2010/08/anatomy-of-go-card.html

[RaverRabbit]

Have followed this up with the call center now - They will transfer the balances from my cards to a new card over the phone if I quote them the serial numbers from the old and new cards.

This at least solves the issue of my lost credit and deposits, but not the way I was treated when trying to resolve this issue in person.

It would still be good to hear if anyone else has experienced a similar issue.

[ozbob]

Thanks for the update. 

Where was it exactly that you got the wrong advice please?

[RaverRabbit]

Central Station ticket office from an attendant called Rob.

I filled out the feedback form on the translink website, only to find this when I click submit - http://translink.com.au/errors/404
Awfully convenient for translink - but not surprising given the poor face to face customer service I received today.

Thank you very much for your assistance today, it has been unbelievable helpful to me in getting this sorted out.

[ozbob]

 

[Derwan]

This raises the question:

Who is responsible for adequate training of QR staff on Go Card issues?  Is it QR - or should TransLink be offering training to QR staff and other authorised agents?  It's simply not enough to provide agents with a bunch of documents that they have to read - and expect them to understand everything.

"Rob" was probably never properly trained on Go Card terms and conditions.  He probably had a crash course from others in the office based on their own understanding of the terms and conditions.

[LittleMissInAHurry]

Question.

If your cards had been in working order and you went for a refund would they have just given it to you or would you again be subjected to the same circus?

The site states that if it is a total of $50 or less you can just walk up and ask for a cash refund. Has anyone actually done this? Grief, no grief? Did they give you a hard time or baulk at handing over money?

[dwb]

This was my experience with a dead card. Horrible customer service too.

http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=3080.msg34709#msg34709

I'd also like you to mention that the card replacement process is clumbsy and not at all customer oriented.

My card recently mysteriously died. I'd caught a bus that morning, a train in the evening and then an hour later it didn't work on the bus, nor the next bus. I checked it at a terminal at the busway station, it worked, it didn't work on any of the next three buses. I took it to Roma St and asked for a replacement. She tested it and told me it worked. I'd already told her the story about the last 5 buses and that I wanted a replacement. I couldn't convince her and she wouldn't give/sell me one. I caught another bus to KGS then went upstairs and the guy in the KGS info centre also tried to tell me it was working and didn't believe that it hadn't worked on the now last 6 buses in a row. I had to argue with him to sell me a new card. It had to be on eftpos, he couldn't transfer the balance and he didn't activate the card. Only saving grace was the Cubic service officer I spoke to on the phone was quite good at her job - she set up the new profile for me but I still couldn't set up the password until I'd used the card, even after the phone call. I then had to wait for the balance transfer to come through. HOPELESS!

And btw, the ability to transfer a balance via the webform is limited in such a circumstance bc you have to have registered, and had activated the replacement card before you can log into your old account and get it transfered.

If they had a customer based login, rather than a card based log in, it would presumably be easier to switch cards and have the balance transfered immediately.