epcjay
New Member
I'm sure it's asked before, but how does presto work on TTC for a route that venture to another municipality like york region?
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amnesiajune
Senior Member
It doesn't. The machines charged a fixed fare and then block your card from re-tapping for 90 minutes, presumably to avoid people accidentally tapping a second time when they get off. And tbh, time-based transfers probably wouldn't fix that - I've noticed in York Region that if you tap the regular-fare machines before tapping on an express bus, you aren't charged the extra 50 cents.
DSC
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Yes, it is an excellent visual depiction of progress, my 'complaints' about it above were about its navigation uses!
TheTigerMaster
Superstar
Does anyone have any trouble with the Presto website not updating the balance? Mine hasn't been updated since October 31st, and it's balance it totally off from the real balance.
This might be my last straw with Presto. I need to be able to know my balance with confidence. Users shouldn't have anxiety about whether or not they have a large enough balance to pay their fares.
This might be my last straw with Presto. I need to be able to know my balance with confidence. Users shouldn't have anxiety about whether or not they have a large enough balance to pay their fares.
salsa
Senior Member
Latest map:
Nice map, but sadly my actual experience is a little different than what the TTC says. Because for the sixth time in less than a month, my bus on one of those "presto installed" routes did not have presto. And on a few of the buses that did have it, the readers weren't working.
steveintoronto
Superstar
I lost my wallet last week, although it finally showed up. Cancelled all my cards including Presto. (Bank of Montreal, btw, was incredibly proficient in replacing cards, and I got the latest ones with tap-on, no charge) but guess what I'm getting to? Yeah, Presto.
I went to the local Bloor Station, told agent there the problem. She could sell me a new card, but not transfer funds from lost one to new one. "You can do that online" says she. But I've had my share of trying to deal with Presto online. It gets me so riled I stated I'd rather go down to Union to talk with a Customer Service rep face to face. At least she granted me a complimentary fare to do that. She was sweet, the buggy system isn't her doing. I feel sorry for a lot of reps having to make the freakin thing work.
So get to Union, only to find you can't talk directly to a Service Rep anymore like they had on the Bay St entrance. You have to talk to them by phone. WTF!
So I approached one of the on-floor assistants, one of the best moves I've made with GO Presto. Incredibly helpful. I told her the reason I wanted to talk face-to-face with a Cust Serv Rep is because the situation is complicated (I had a refund pending on my old card) and I knew the system would glitch.
And I was right! The glitches started happening for her (she had to phone it in), but she had far more patience than I have to deal with it, and finally figured it all out, and the pending refund had arbitrarily be denied, even though it had been approved on the phone over a week earlier! She straightened that out, took me over to a ticket agent, and I got my new card. Of course, with Presto, you pay for a new card. You know things are screwy when the banks are far easier to deal with and don't charge, and have systems that are actually user-friendly, and do what they claim they do, and 24 hours a day...what a concept!
And then I asked how to transfer the funds from old card to new, to which they told me "You can do it on-line". To which I pointed out a massive security hole in their system. If someone sold you a "loaded card" for cheaper than the value sum on it, they could drain that card after selling it to you. Their jaws dropped! They had already agreed that Presto was full of bugs, but that was a new one to them. The moral of that story though is not to buy something from someone you don't know.
Whatever, so I look at my new card last night, and it has a yellow sticker on it to "Register and Set-Up"....OK, I go to the website...long story short...it's a good thing I put my hammers in another room.
There were so many glitches (let alone complete absence of prompts and explanations) That it took me almost an hour to find what the "security code" is, there's absolutely no explanation on the site, had to Google to find a Presto page, only to find that my browsers refused to load due to a security issue on the website, had to access Google cache to read it. Turns out it's the three digit number prefacing the date on the card!
I swear, someone at Presto is going to pay in hell for the idiotic, time wasting, Mickey Mouse money sucking disaster we've been saddled with. Btw: After all of that, I entered the details into the 'set-up' webpage, and it froze.
And they wonder why you want to speak face to face with a Cust Serv Rep? Probably a "security issue". Physically...
I guess I'll just have to phone it in, and wait twenty minutes or more...only to be told some useless piece of information again...
Update:
Phoning in, other than ten minute wait, was a charm! I feel sorry for the front line workers who have to deal with ornery customers like myself, but I do point out to them, when helpful, how difficult it is to deal with websites.
The lack of explanation on the website for "security code" is a known issue, they're getting a lot of complaints on it evidently. Let me paraphrase: "We're hoping the next website update addresses a lot of the glitches".
Recorded message when first getting onto the cue at 1-877-378-6123: (gist) "Due to an issue with the November Transit Passes, a credit will be issued for the days that you are being charged incorrectly..."
More problems.
Hey....
Post Script: Trying to sign the new card. Guess what? Ball point won't work on it, and ink type pen wipes off of it.
I'll try a Dremel engraving tool when I'm at the studio...
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WillTo
Senior Member
Yes, there is a scam going around where this is happening. Scammers show the buyer the value of the card on a fare reader, then deplete the funds.
steveintoronto
Superstar
Now that I Google, I see that it has:
http://www.cp24.com/news/metrolinx-...volving-privately-sold-presto-cards-1.3035428
There's still a glaring security issue there. Without my proving my identity when buying the new card (let alone the old one) how do they know that I'm also not pulling this scam? The vulnerability immediately struck me when it was explained to me how to transfer the value. Ironically, my initial concern was someone using the ride value left on the lost card before the blocking could take effect (24 hours).
Btw: Turns out I'm far from the only person unable to sign the new Presto cards. Mentioned it to someone in a group yesterday, and two others had the same experience...and the same eventual outcome as me: Leave the card unsigned since it won't allow ball-points and an ink type pen smudges off.
I hope the same people don't handle the nuclear program...
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DSC
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I just used my PRESTO on the 121 Fort York bus - the driver told me that "most of the buses on 121 now have PRESTO". I assume it won't be long before all buses from that garage (Eglinton??) are equipped with PRESTO and the TTC list will be adjusted.
amnesiajune
Senior Member
You can't just buy a new Presto card and say "transfer the balance". You have to register the new card with the same Presto web account that has the old one, which has a password on it. If you give away your password (or make it really easy to guess) then you're asking for trouble, otherwise you're protected.
What's the problem with leaving the card unsigned? The signature doesn't mean anything. If anything I'd just use an ink pen and put my phone number on the back.
steveintoronto
Superstar
I didn't give a password at any time in the transactions. Had it worked on-line, the only time my password would have been necessary is signing into my account. I can't even remember what my password is, albeit I have a good guess. It's stored on my browser.
I believe it is contractually required, albeit I'll have to dig and find out. If it isn't, as you claim, then why put it there in the first place? There's no way out of the absurd logic whatever your answer.
Btw: I find their latest claim on the newer cards curious: "Card remains the property of Presto."
I see. So when I'm finished with it, they can give me my $6 back...
Just digging on the necessity for signature, tripped across this:
http://www.thiscrazytrain.com/2015/09/i-warned-presto-of-problem-back-in.html
Here's the signature issue:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ottawa/comments/2nos2f/presto_woes/
Anything to add to that Amnesia?
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EastYorkTTCFan
Senior Member
Thtas fairly comon with any type of ticktes or pases. TTC Metropass say it as well. Basically it come down to if you do something to it against the rules then they can take it back from you. The 6 dollar fee is equivalent to a bank charging you bank fess or for a replacement card it's cheaper with them because they have more customers then Presto does.
steveintoronto
Superstar
lol...my bank replaced my cards with even better ones with tap and limited tap credit on the debit, at absolutely no charge, my debit one immediately (within ten minutes of being at bank and having my passport and mail with address for ID) and the credit card three days later in the mail. Validated it immediately on-line.
I find the 'size' argument rather entertaining. How many Presto users are there? Let's compare that to clients of, say a credit co-op or the National Bank. Or other card issuers like Oyster, etc.
Btw: I have no bank fees. Not for cheques, drafts or money orders. And my credit card is now a cash-back one. They pay me for me to use it.
Do you think perhaps Presto could learn a thing or two from companies that are answerable to their shareholders? The bank cards can be repossessed by the bank, that's in the agreement, but I didn't pay for them.
That's the difference!
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WillTo
Senior Member
As a "shareholder" I don't want to pay to replace other people's cards.
steveintoronto
Superstar
lol...well you're paying for a hell of a lot more than lost cards. Btw: The cards have a cost of about 25c a piece. Seems you pay more than that for toilet paper in GO washrooms. Mind you, they do get it back when you're finished with it. I hope...
In the event, my card showed up. It could have been re-activated. I guess you wouldn't want to pay for that either...