Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8703e/4.1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/104)
Originally Posted by bdnyc
Did you get a receipt at the machine when you purchased the 7 day pass? If you did, take it along with you. If you get arrested by the police when you go through the emergency exit, explain to the officer about the card trouble and display the card and your receipt. There's no official excuse for fare evasion, but the cop might understand.
This is a prescription for ruining a vacation, even if one had a receipt. If the cop doesn't "understand," what then?
I would mail the defective card to the MTA in the postpaid mailer available at station booths, and request a refund by check, explaining that the OP is an out-of-towner. It might not be successful, but I don't see another option.
In the future, I would suggest using a credit card to purchase Metrocards from vending machines. If something goes wrong, you at least have the option to dispute the charge with the credit-card company.