MTA Rant
Apr 18, 2014 | 6:52 am
#16
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 55,213
• receiving Medicare benefits for any reason other than age* • serious mental illness (SMI) and receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits • blindness • hearing impairment • ambulatory disability • loss of both hands • mental retardation and/or other organic mental capacity impairment
Apr 18, 2014 | 7:13 am
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: MSY, BJX, QRO; previously NYC, BOS, AUH
Programs: AA EXP, 6MM
Posts: 18,361
Apr 18, 2014 | 9:04 am
#18
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 55,213
Did you decide to ignore gfunkdave's post or were you just too emotional to READ that the MTA deactivated gfunkdave's account while keeping over $52 of his money on his Metrocard? Whatever your reason for not paying attention, I'll repost this as a kindness for you.
Originally Posted by gfunkdave
Hey, thanks Analise. The online account summary says there's a $10.something on the card. I suspect there's an issue of some sort with my transportation flex Mastercard that funds it. Perhaps I ran out of money on it temporarily. (edit: no, it says my balance is $52.50).
Apr 18, 2014 | 9:08 am
#19
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 8,688
Second, if gfunkdave did still have a balance on the Metrocard itself, the MTA didn't pocket the money. They just suspended his ability to use it until he fixed his account.
Apr 18, 2014 | 10:18 am
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: MSY, BJX, QRO; previously NYC, BOS, AUH
Programs: AA EXP, 6MM
Posts: 18,361
My goodness, you may need to relax more. What are YOU talking about?
Did you decide to ignore gfunkdave's post or were you just too emotional to READ that the MTA deactivated gfunkdave's account while keeping over $52 of his money on his Metrocard? Whatever your reason for not paying attention, I'll repost this as a kindness for you.
Did you decide to ignore gfunkdave's post or were you just too emotional to READ that the MTA deactivated gfunkdave's account while keeping over $52 of his money on his Metrocard? Whatever your reason for not paying attention, I'll repost this as a kindness for you.
First, $52.50 was the balance on gfunkdave's debit card that he uses to fund the Easypay Metrocard, not the balance on the Metrocard itself.
Second, if gfunkdave did still have a balance on the Metrocard itself, the MTA didn't pocket the money. They just suspended his ability to use it until he fixed his account.
Second, if gfunkdave did still have a balance on the Metrocard itself, the MTA didn't pocket the money. They just suspended his ability to use it until he fixed his account.
These types of pre-paid cards (metrocards, ezpass transponders, starbucks cards, retail gift cards) are beneficial for the vendor because they get your money up front, which is of huge value to them. But it's still your money to use or, typically, to be refunded if you don't use it. The MTA didn't "pocket" anything. (I don't know the extent to which they are applicable to government agencies, but generally states have very strict rules as to when a vendor can "pocket" value from a gift card that's been lost or abandoned by the owner.)
Apr 18, 2014 | 1:01 pm
#21
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,857
First, $52.50 was the balance on gfunkdave's debit card that he uses to fund the Easypay Metrocard, not the balance on the Metrocard itself.
Second, if gfunkdave did still have a balance on the Metrocard itself, the MTA didn't pocket the money. They just suspended his ability to use it until he fixed his account.
Second, if gfunkdave did still have a balance on the Metrocard itself, the MTA didn't pocket the money. They just suspended his ability to use it until he fixed his account.
Apr 18, 2014 | 3:44 pm
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: n.y.c.
Posts: 14,059
My goodness, you may need to relax more. What are YOU talking about?
Did you decide to ignore gfunkdave's post or were you just too emotional to READ that the MTA deactivated gfunkdave's account while keeping over $52 of his money on his Metrocard? Whatever your reason for not paying attention, I'll repost this as a kindness for you.
Did you decide to ignore gfunkdave's post or were you just too emotional to READ that the MTA deactivated gfunkdave's account while keeping over $52 of his money on his Metrocard? Whatever your reason for not paying attention, I'll repost this as a kindness for you.
Apr 20, 2014 | 4:28 pm
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,887
Why do they need to suspend it? Why can't they just let you use it until the balance runs down to zero? (Or less than $2.50?)
Apr 20, 2014 | 4:45 pm
#24
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: jfk area
Programs: AA platinum; 2MM AA, Delta Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,291
Anyone with an unlimited metrocard can enjoy that perk and use it as often as she or he likes. Half fare, however, isn't available to the general public. It is available to those 65 and older and those with the following disabilities:
https://www.easypaymetrocard.com/vec...s/disabled.pdf
https://www.easypaymetrocard.com/vec...s/disabled.pdf
Apr 21, 2014 | 8:11 am
#25
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: MSY, BJX, QRO; previously NYC, BOS, AUH
Programs: AA EXP, 6MM
Posts: 18,361
In a perfect world (1) the customer would get an email informing them that replenishment of the card failed, (2) the card would continue to work until the balance were depleted, and (3) the cardholder could solve the problem on line without having to wait on hold for 40 minutes. But the MTA doesn't exist in a perfect world.
Apr 21, 2014 | 9:40 am
#26
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 8,688
In a perfect world (1) the customer would get an email informing them that replenishment of the card failed, (2) the card would continue to work until the balance were depleted, and (3) the cardholder could solve the problem on line without having to wait on hold for 40 minutes. But the MTA doesn't exist in a perfect world.
Also, I'm 90% sure that when this happened to my wife I was able to fix it by just doing a manual payment online with a valid credit card. Of course I had to figure out what the problem was first.
Apr 21, 2014 | 9:52 am
#27
Original Poster
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: ORD
Posts: 14,773
I use an EasyPay Express metrocard and haven't had any problems. The MTA "decided" to deactivate gfunkdave's card because his method of payment was declined. Hard to blame them, no? gfunkdave, were you not able to fix the problem simply by logging into your account and revising the payment method?
They definitely suspend accounts if a replenishment attempt is declined and you don't have a valid backup payment method. So it's important to always have a backup credit card linked to your account AND to keep the expiration date of the backup card updated. My wife experienced exactly the same thing as gfunkdave when her TransitChek debit card had insufficient funds and I neglected to keep current the expiration date of the backup credit card on her EasyPay account.
It WOULD be nice if they sent you an e-mail letting you know your account had been suspended and explaining why, though.
But overall the Easypay cards are incredibly convenient, as I never have to worry about whether I have a sufficient balance on my card (or my wife's card or our nanny's card). And if I lose it, a simple e-mail to EasyPay customer service will immediately put a hold on the old metrocard and transfer the balance to a new one. It takes about a month to get the new card, but it's still better than losing a regular pay-per-ride card, where you'll never get the balance back.
So yeah, it's not perfect, but I still think it's way better than the available alternatives, especially if you're a pay-per-ride user (if I was an unlimited user I might be more reluctant to get EasyPay, since you can't "time" when you start your month).
It WOULD be nice if they sent you an e-mail letting you know your account had been suspended and explaining why, though.
But overall the Easypay cards are incredibly convenient, as I never have to worry about whether I have a sufficient balance on my card (or my wife's card or our nanny's card). And if I lose it, a simple e-mail to EasyPay customer service will immediately put a hold on the old metrocard and transfer the balance to a new one. It takes about a month to get the new card, but it's still better than losing a regular pay-per-ride card, where you'll never get the balance back.
So yeah, it's not perfect, but I still think it's way better than the available alternatives, especially if you're a pay-per-ride user (if I was an unlimited user I might be more reluctant to get EasyPay, since you can't "time" when you start your month).
And FWIW, I added a regular credit card as backup to the account so this won't happen again. I had been hesitant to do so because I don't trust the MTA's IT abilities at all and didn't want to trust them to store a normal credit card. The account allows only a 4 digit PIN as a password, for crying out loud.
Apr 21, 2014 | 1:40 pm
#28
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,887
Apr 21, 2014 | 2:54 pm
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: MSY, BJX, QRO; previously NYC, BOS, AUH
Programs: AA EXP, 6MM
Posts: 18,361
Actually, I think the lesson of this thread is that one should know the facts before starting a rant. Sounds to me like much of the problem was of the OP's own making. Certainly there are things the MTA could improve upon, but we can't blame them for our own mistakes!
May 23, 2019 | 6:42 am
#30
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 6
Damaged card
Sorry to revive an extremely old thread, but hoping some who have commented may have a solution for me.
My easy pay MetroCard has gotten worn and is asking me to swipe again more and more often. If I report it damaged online, it says my current card will immediately be deactivated.
That's dumb, as I cannot get a new card before my current one stops working, and continue to use my current card until the replacement arrives.
I'm going to try calling when they open at 9, but am not super helpful. Isn't this a fairly common scenario that they should have planned for? There should be an option to get a new card that will only deactivate the old one once I either activate or use the new one.
My easy pay MetroCard has gotten worn and is asking me to swipe again more and more often. If I report it damaged online, it says my current card will immediately be deactivated.
That's dumb, as I cannot get a new card before my current one stops working, and continue to use my current card until the replacement arrives.
I'm going to try calling when they open at 9, but am not super helpful. Isn't this a fairly common scenario that they should have planned for? There should be an option to get a new card that will only deactivate the old one once I either activate or use the new one.