Search ThisCrazyTrain.com

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

In a GO rider's blog. That'd be this one

Presto problem taps riders and dips into their bank accounts
Tess Kalinowski
Transportation Reporter

TORONTO STAR - The last thing anybody needs at the holidays is a surprise hole in their budget. So when Adam Field read in a GO rider’s blog that the automatic re-load feature was malfunctioning on some Presto transit fare cards, he decided to check his statement.

Sure enough, there were 11 instances in which the Presto system loaded $40 on Field’s transit card before it reached the $20 balance that’s supposed to trigger a cash injection.

The auto-load feature allows Presto users to trigger a transfer from a bank account or credit card onto their transit smartcard when Presto reaches a minimum balance determined by the user.

Field had his account programmed to take $40 from a bank account if his Presto balance went below $20. Although he doesn’t think his balance ever went under $50 in the affected period, his Presto account received 11 $40 credits.

But the funds weren’t being withdrawn from his bank, so last week, when he discovered the problem, Field found himself overdrawn and on the hook for about $150 in bank fees.

KEEP READING

3 comments:

Bicky said...

Wow, The Star is a little slow in reporting this.

Look for more Presto joys next year when Metrolinx phases out the paper monthly pass.

Shirker said...

@Bicky - has a date for the elimination of the paper pass been formally announced? I am dreading that day.

Bicky said...

@Shirker - I haven't heard a firm date, just that it will happen. *sigh* I'm dreading it too.