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Monday, February 17, 2014

How hard is it to get $80 back from PRESTO? Pretty hard if you need the Toronto Star to do it for you

I have to commend Jack Lakey at the Toronto Star for putting the pressure on PRESTO and outlining the issues GO customers have been having. One thing he neglected to mention to his millions of readers is that PRESTO was forced onto GO customers.

We didn't ask for it.

We didn't demand it.

We didn't protest outside 20 Bay Street in Toronto with bullhorns and placards demanding this fare payment system.

In fact, most of us clung to paper passes until GO Transit pried them from our fingers.

I don't care that PRESTO has surpassed one million customers - you only brag about such an accomplishment when people come to you willingly. It's like Pepsi vs. Coke. People have a choice and they buy what they like. PRESTO is a blind taste test between No Name Cola and No Name Cola, where you don't like either and in the end, you find out you've won a lifetime supply of No Name Cola.

Depressing as hell. Right? Family stops coming over because every time they do you try to pass off another bottle of No Name Cola onto them to take home. I had a Polish neighbour like that. Anna would import this cherry alcoholic beverage from Poland (Nalewka Babuni Cherry Liqueur) by the case to give out every Christmas. If you like maraschino cherries and have no problem drinking the syrup that comes in the jar - this liqueur is just for you. Maraschino cherries make me want to barf. I have five bottles of this stuff in my garage. I have no goddamn idea where I was going with this except that if you want a bottle of this stuff, I'm your girl.

As most of you know, I've had my own bad personal experience with the world's worst soft drink and am currently in discussion with them about it. Once I have more information, I will write about where things stand. I will admit, everyone is being extremely cooperative and I'm thankful for the approach.

In the meantime ...

Presto card user finally gets refund, five weeks later
Presto took $100 from a credit card but deposited only $20 in the customer's account and kept him waiting for the remainder.

From the The Toronto Star

It was a long time coming, but at least one Presto fare card user has finally received a refund after he was “ripped off” for $80.
Since we began writing about Presto account and fare card issues, about 60 complaints have rolled in from readers, which we forwarded to Metrolinx, including Robert Johnson’s tale of woe.

KEEP READING

4 comments:

mark p said...

i wonder if they got credited fully, or did they add insult to injury and give the guy a voucher to load into his account? its pretty messed up that in this day and age that you have to get a voucher for their mistakes, and then take that to ticket agent to get loaded onto your presto card, an electronic fare card..... this isnt 1990, its 2014! that should go into your account immediately, itd be like if i bought something on google play and i got a refund and google sent me a voucher in the mail, for me to enter online to load back into my google wallet.... pretty insane analogy .

Michael Suddard said...

The sad part about this whole story is it reads just like a Hydro One story. The same screw ups with different names:

Jack Lakey = Andre Morin, Ontario Ombudsman

Presto = Smart Meter

Metrolinx = Hydro One

Customer Service Importance = Customer Service Importance.

Read it all and substitute the names and add a few zeros to the numbers from Presto and you have the Hydro Bills that people are receiving.

Can't this government do anything right when it comes to electronic systems?

Anonymous said...

Folks, from now on, FORGET the autoload feature.

Just reload at a customer service outlet every week or two.

Al said...

Ive mentioned this incident before, a colleague recieved a lump sum $500 credit on her presto card. She called presto informing them that she did not load this $500 on her card and that it must belong to somone else. 8 weeks later they told her she can keep it as they had no way to tell where the $500 came from.

isnt sonmeone complaining about not getting a 500 credit on thier card?

it just did not make any sense but win for them.