Opal Card Fare Issues

[matthewg]

Both Ch 7 and Ch 9 ran news stories last night about some customers being double charged when the readers have picked up both Opal and credit cards in the same wallet. Previously. this came up as a faulty reading.

They should have been way more aggressive with their 'card clash' campaign.

I got caught out another way - I have two accounts configured in my phone. It flipped accounts with no action on my part in the middle of a trip. (I know why it did it, and I will take steps to prevent it from happening again, but traps for new players).

Opal just sent me a link to a refund form. Dunno what will happen - they now only show the last 10 transactions on the web site, so you can't even get a full weeks history anymore so I couldn't get accurate information for the form.

(They used to show ALL transactions against the card and then changed it, and no option to select how much history to display)

[boxythingy]

It's ridiculous how it takes up to 20 days AND a paper based form that has to be mailed ($1) for an incorrect fare deductions review when using a contactless method!

[Aurora]

It's ridiculous how it takes up to 20 days AND a paper based form that has to be mailed ($1) for an incorrect fare deductions review when using a contactless method!

Think you will find that is the whole point.

[boxythingy]

I have been racking up default fares left, right and centre when using my contactless payment method (NFC enabled phone) because the screen indicating a successful tap off has not been displaying in sync with the long vibrate, which I now suspect to mean a 'successful payment') on many of my bus journeys.

As a result, I have actually been inadvertently tapping on again (after a clearly indicated tap on, and an unclear tap off) when leaving the bus. $3 worth of postage stamps to send in 'Contactless Payments Reimbursement Forms' via snail mail and I am wondering if after 20 business days (in excess of ridiculous 1 whole month) will I get my money back.

Thank goodness the railway station readers appear to be functional, or else can you imagine:
*double default fares for both my bus and train journey transfer combination
*extra $200+potential unethical behaviour from a Government employee as a result of public shaming by a Transport Officer due to accusations that I "did not tap on"

As suspected, snail mail form as at the Sixth Day of the Eleventh Month of the Year Two Thousand and Nineteen, and barely functional contactless payment method/bus reader interfacing= hallmarks of a botched project

Use with precaution!

[moa999]

Simple solution... Go back to the Opal card. Immediate fare feedback and no silly mail system.

On my test using NFC on phone it worked better on the bus than train. Part of the problem seems to be that the phone can react with a success vibration before the Opal reader does.

[matthewg]

Simple solution... Go back to the Opal card. Immediate fare feedback and no silly mail system.

On my test using NFC on phone it worked better on the bus than train. Part of the problem seems to be that the phone can react with a success vibration before the Opal reader does.

I just spent 20 minutes on the phone being transferred between Transport and Opal because each said it was the other's problem - I can't get a history with my new credit card. The App and Web site says 'no transactions', yet there should be many. Also their billing is a week behind.

It would appear NO ONE is responsible for defects in the contactless system. I rang them as the online form is useless and no one gets back to me. Just as useless on the phone. Seems no one has the power to actually look at the system and see what's going on. The call centre doesn't appear to have any more access to the system that we do via the web site. If the web site doesn't give the answer, they can't either.

I guess I'll be going back to the Opal card at the end of this week - at least you can see if it's doing the right thing or not (and since the beginning I've only had ONE default fare, and that was probably operator error and not a defect in Opal)

Contactless has promise - and I was expecting MUCH better since it's based on London's. (Which I used 3 weeks ago - no issues at all, other than their web site is blocked for non UK internet users, had to use a VPN after returning to get the last of my transactions, but my data was all there when I finally worked out how to circumvent their block)

[boxythingy]

I don't know when this online form was created, but I was not advised about this when I was on the phone with Opal two days ago:
https://transportnsw.info/contactless-p ... ement-form

[boxythingy]

There appears to be a higher undetermined minimum balance required for a successful tap off (not tap on). As it is not any of the figures under the "Minimum Balance Required to Travel tab" https://transportnsw.info/tickets-opal/ ... apping-off, does anyone happen to know what it is?

[boronia]

Theoretically you should have sufficient balance to cover the actual fare.

But then it mentions "if your card goes into negative balance....", so they are relying on people to be honest and top up the card to cover the shortfall.

Possibly the TOs can look at your balance and at where you have boarded and determine if you have exceeded your balance distance. I wonder if they can take action if you have?

[boxythingy]

Would have most definitely been charged a default fare today. For some reason a tap off using my contactless payment device at a ticket barrier did not open the gates, the second time it did not open but the yellow "concession ticket used" light lit up. It took a third go for the gate to open. Thank god for the lower $2.80 cap today.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[BroadGauge]

Think you will find that is the whole point.

That reminds me a little bit of how one major low cost airline in this country used to only accept requests for refunds or reimbursements by fax, despite not using fax machines for any other form of communication at all with the public.

[boronia]

It's ridiculous how it takes up to 20 days AND a paper based form that has to be mailed ($1) for an incorrect fare deductions review when using a contactless method!

https://transportnsw.info/contactless-p ... axC5pE5iwA
This seems to be an online form; there is a "submit" button. Nothing here about mailing it in.

[boxythingy]

It's ridiculous how it takes up to 20 days AND a paper based form that has to be mailed ($1) for an incorrect fare deductions review when using a contactless method!

https://transportnsw.info/contactless-p ... axC5pE5iwA
This seems to be an online form; there is a "submit" button. Nothing here about mailing it in.

I am aware of the form, as I mentioned it earlier here:

I don't know when this online form was created, but I was not advised about this when I was on the phone with Opal two days ago:
https://transportnsw.info/contactless-p ... ement-form

I also just can't believe my luck: I tapped on using my contactless method payment device when boarding the bus only for the phone to vibrate which subsequently froze the reader rendering it unusable for the next boarding passenger. I checked my device's transaction history via the Opal Card App, and nothing was in there, nor was anything recorded in the transaction history for the app I used to make the transaction/tap on with.

IF there had been a transport officer, this may have resulted in a non-compliance measure because of faulty equipment!

[Newcastle Flyer]

Yet again, another Opal machine that has not been changed to AEDT. I can't tap off a train at 16:53 & then tap on a bus at 16:37 - the same day.

While it didn't affect my fare this time, the last time this happened, it was hard to get the overcharging refunded.

Newcastle Transport, please check all of your Opal Machines as some are an hour behind, even after contacting 131-500 to pass on to Newcastle Transport.
And while I'm at it, please make sure the drivers check to see if their machine shows the correct stop if a passenger says that the machine is not showing "Tap on / off.

[Newcastle Flyer]

What is the name of the inward bus stop to Sydney's CBD in Randwick Shops opposite Short St?

[moa999]

Just click on the stop you want in Google Maps

[Transport Buff]

What is the name of the inward bus stop to Sydney's CBD in Randwick Shops opposite Short St?

The stop name opposite Short St in Randwick is 'Belmore Rd opp Royal Randwick Shopping Centre'. The Stop ID is 203135.

Hope this helps.

[Newcastle Flyer]

Okay thanks, the Tap on is correct, but the tap off is not, as I tapped off.

[Fleet Lists]

What Tap On and Tap Off - typical lack of information from Newcastle Flyer.

[boxythingy]

I've rediscovered a lost card (Card A) that I had transferred the money onto another new card (Card B) way back to earlier this year.

As per usual, I thought Card A was subsequently blocked.

All credit from Card B had since been exhausted (and forgotten until now), however surprisingly the value that was transferred from Card A to Card B reappeared on Card A, and it appeared to have been unblocked (or never blocked) and I was able to use this credit. Once I had exhausted all of this credit, I was informed by Opal that Card A had a "display error".

Thanks for the "partial refund" to make up for some of the inconveniences!

[grimlock81]

I used to have two Opal cards for some time, but one day when I realised I couldn’t find the second one I transferred the balance to the first card and blocked the second card

It turns out I had lent the second card to my friend who lives overseas the last time she was visiting me in Sydney two years ago. She’s visiting me again this week and began using the second card with no problems and could even perform a top up on the card. However on the second day the card was marked as invalid when she tried to tapped on.

The operator on the Opal hotline explained that the taps during the first day for a blocked card was “free” and that was his explanation for the card working on the first day. I find this a strange way of blocking a card.

[moa999]

Interesting. Suspect the time period is the key here.

Remember that Opal operates under a 'Card is King' system - so it continues to work if machine communication is delayed. The card still thinks it has a $ value.

I'd assume the flag on invalid/tranferred cards expires after some time so readers aren't having an ever increasing list.
Seemingly some things don't work live, and so instead overnight it's been determined the card is now invalid and the flag has been sent out again after the first reusage after two years.

[Newcastle Flyer]

Again, another fake fare (thankfully this time didn't cost anything), but it should be made known.

Tapped off at Clyde, used Red Rattler to Carlingford, and only tapped on at Carlingford to continue to several place.

My Opal activity statement said I tapped on at Clyde at 08:27. We were no where near any Opal machines at that time, we were on the platform, yet Opal cliams (again) that they are right.

Plus a few more various errors over various days.

[Fleet Lists]

Before tapping off at Clyde, where did you tap on?

And when did this happen as Carlingford has now been closed for nearly three weeks?

And when you say continue to various places, you can only have tapped off at one place but you do not mention where.

As usual various much a lack of information.

[boronia]

I'm finding it hard to understand how one person can have so many problems with a card?