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My leap card is useless

  • 17-12-2012 5:19pm
    #1
    RobAMerc
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,863 ✭✭✭


    My old LUAS card gave up the ghost on me some time back and I was issued a new leap card.
    The bloody thing never scans properly and I always have to take it out of my wallet and swipe rather than just swipe my wallet like I used to. Even then it sometimes takes a few goes.

    Is it just mine or are they all this finicky ?


Comments

  • #2
    MagicMarker
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 32,865 ✭✭✭✭MagicMarker


    You're not supposed to swipe. Just hold it still.


  • #3
    LXFlyer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,924 ✭✭✭✭LXFlyer


    Keep it away from any other cards that you may have. They're probably causing the problem.


  • #4
    Raekwon
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,535 ✭✭✭Raekwon


    I'm not a big fan of the Leap Card. I get the DART alot and I've noticed that on a couple of occasions the Touch Off validators didn't work and I've had to pay €4.50 instead of €2.40 for my trip.

    Also charging people €5 for the actual card is fairly unreasonable in my opinion.


  • #5
    LeinsterDub
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,229 ✭✭✭LeinsterDub


    Raekwon wrote: »
    I'm not a big fan of the Leap Card. I get the DART alot and I've noticed that on a couple of occasions the Touch Off validators didn't work and I've had to pay €4.50 instead of €2.40 for my trip.

    Also charging people €5 for the actual card is fairly unreasonable in my opinion.

    In cases like that I've found leap quite fast to correct your balance once reported


  • #6
    AlekSmart
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,005 ✭✭✭✭AlekSmart


    Raekwon wrote: »
    Also charging people €5 for the actual card is fairly unreasonable in my opinion.

    Raekwon,Your LeapCard is FREE...Gratis and for Nothing...

    That €5 you paid is a deposit to cover you in case you forget to top-up.

    Should you get sick of the Green colour scheme you can return the card to the NTA and they will REFUND your fiver.....so the card costs YOU Nuttin.....something I regard as entirely reasonable ;)


    Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.

    Charles Mackay (1812-1889)



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  • #7
    Raekwon
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,535 ✭✭✭Raekwon


    AlekSmart wrote: »
    Raekwon,Your LeapCard is FREE...Gratis and for Nothing...

    That €5 you paid is a deposit to cover you in case you forget to top-up.

    Should you get sick of the Green colour scheme you can return the card to the NTA and they will REFUND your fiver.....so the card costs YOU Nuttin.....something I regard as entirely reasonable ;)

    Ah, I didn't know you could bring it back and reclaim the €5.

    My account has been in minus figures a few times, but everytime I topped up the money that was owned was subtracted from my top up so that's why I felt like I was being shafted.

    Also, it takes a while for the top up to register in the account which is a pain so all in all I'm still not a fan.


  • #8
    AlekSmart
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,005 ✭✭✭✭AlekSmart


    Raekwon wrote: »
    Ah, I didn't know you could bring it back and reclaim the €5.

    My account has been in minus figures a few times, but everytime I topped up the money that was owned was subtracted from my top up so that's why I felt like I was being shafted.

    Also, it takes a while for the top up to register in the account which is a pain so all in all I'm still not a fan.

    Totally accept your lack of enthusiasm Raekwon.

    LeapCard has been the victim of a spectacularly Low-Key,Low Rent,Low Impact introduction in which Marketingn and Product Awareness appears to have been deemed optional.

    The single most asked question I hear daily is,"where can I get one",yet the NTA has NO such information available on any Dublin Bus vehicle,with precious little on street advertising and worse still,those agents who DO sell it are concealed behind the least visible Logo and Colourscheme I've ever seen !!!! :(


    Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.

    Charles Mackay (1812-1889)



  • #9
    Dravokivich
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators, Politics Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 22,360 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dravokivich


    The agents seem to know even less about it than your passengers.


  • #10
    KD345
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,179 ✭✭✭KD345


    AlekSmart wrote: »
    The single most asked question I hear daily is,"where can I get one",yet the NTA has NO such information available on any Dublin Bus vehicle,with precious little on street advertising and worse still,those agents who DO sell it are concealed behind the least visible Logo and Colourscheme I've ever seen !!!! :(

    While I have issues with Leap, I think if any passenger wanted to find out information it is there. The Leap card website is pretty user friendly, there is also information on the various operator websites. There was a recent T-Side campaign along with some VTs wrapped in a mega side, one which caught my eye at the weekend. Dublin Bus also promoted Leap heavily in their recent TV and radio advertising campaign. Every Luas stop also contains details of where you can purchase Leap cards.

    I think you could spoon feed some people the information and they'd still be lost. That's just the way it is sometimes. If anyone is serious about getting a Leap card and saving cash a simple Google would give them all the answers.

    I do agree about that awful frog logo though :).


  • #11
    lucernarian
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,235 ✭✭✭lucernarian


    I've noticed that since the leap card was introduced, even Rambler tickets on Dublin Bus don't work like they used to. I've had the same wallet for 4 years, so it's an amazing coincidence that I suddenly had to start taking my ticket out of my wallet to use it, just after Leap was introduced... I've been using Rambler tickets since the first month they were introduced (was it the start of 2008?)


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  • #12
    Tar.Aldarion
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,104 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tar.Aldarion


    Whenever I use it the bus drivers look so confused, take ages to press the button. Doesn't seem to be used that much.


  • #13
    markpb
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,342 ✭✭✭markpb


    To_be_confirmed wrote: »
    it's an amazing coincidence that I suddenly had to start taking my ticket out of my wallet to use it

    The underlying hardware probably changed to support both the old DB tickets and the new Leapcard tickets so it's not exactly an amazing co-incidence.
    Tar.Aldarion wrote: »
    Whenever I use it the bus drivers look so confused, take ages to press the button. Doesn't seem to be used that much.

    I've used it a lot recently and while it's not quick, none of them have had problems using it.


  • #14
    Tar.Aldarion
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,104 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tar.Aldarion


    They don't have trouble, it just seems to take them 5 seconds to think about the button before they press it, just not used to it I think.


  • #15
    miller50841
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,525 ✭✭✭miller50841


    Tar.Aldarion wrote: »
    Whenever I use it the bus drivers look so confused, take ages to press the button. Doesn't seem to be used that much.

    Hi the leap card on the ticket machine where the driver is is so slow...

    When you place the card down there is a delay and that is what the driver is waiting for.

    It's actually a great and simple way of paying the only crap thing is on the bus it should be made tag on/off like the train.
    This would cut out any confusion and also cut down on the many that are paying the minimum fare and going a lot further.

    Remember as been stated already place the card to the reader and don't swipe it actually confuses the machine and sometimes causes the ticket equipment to crash. 1 Beep means it worked 4 beeps means it didn't


  • #16
    Dravokivich
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators, Politics Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 22,360 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dravokivich


    Tar.Aldarion wrote: »
    They don't have trouble, it just seems to take them 5 seconds to think about the button before they press it, just not used to it I think.

    From what's been written up here by drivers, it's waiting for the screen to update and confirm the leapcard has been acknowledged with the leapcard rates displayed.


  • #17
    miller50841
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,525 ✭✭✭miller50841


    Tar.Aldarion wrote: »
    They don't have trouble, it just seems to take them 5 seconds to think about the button before they press it, just not used to it I think.

    It's the machine it has a huge delay before the prices change to the leap fare price


  • #18
    Tar.Aldarion
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,104 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tar.Aldarion


    Ah I see, I thought nobody was using leap cards at all and they were like, ah **** what do I do :pac:
    That's pretty poor hardware/software.


  • #19
    bk
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,986 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    To_be_confirmed wrote: »
    I've noticed that since the leap card was introduced, even Rambler tickets on Dublin Bus don't work like they used to. I've had the same wallet for 4 years, so it's an amazing coincidence that I suddenly had to start taking my ticket out of my wallet to use it, just after Leap was introduced... I've been using Rambler tickets since the first month they were introduced (was it the start of 2008?)

    Another possibility is that you have one of the new AIB/BOI Contact less Visa Debit cards, these interfere with the Leap card if in the same wallet.


  • #20
    bk
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,986 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    Tar.Aldarion wrote: »
    Ah I see, I thought nobody was using leap cards at all and they were like, ah **** what do I do :pac:
    That's pretty poor hardware/software.

    Yes, the whole Leap process on the buses is very poor.

    It should be tag-on/tag-off, yes even on single decker buses it would be still faster then the current set-up.


  • #21
    suave.4u
    Registered Users Posts: 989 ✭✭✭suave.4u


    what else to expect :
    "
    The Leap card system has cost €55 million to date.
    "

    Courtesy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leap_card


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  • #22
    lucernarian
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,235 ✭✭✭lucernarian


    bk wrote: »
    Another possibility is that you have one of the new AIB/BOI Contact less Visa Debit cards, these interfere with the Leap card if in the same wallet.
    Ah I'd like to think I'm familiar enough with technology to avoid that mistake! And no, I didn't get a new bank card in November last year.
    markpb wrote:
    The underlying hardware probably changed to support both the old DB tickets and the new Leapcard tickets so it's not exactly an amazing co-incidence.
    I see you've missed the substantial amounts of sarcasm in my earlier post...


  • #23
    AlekSmart
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,005 ✭✭✭✭AlekSmart


    markpb wrote: »
    The underlying hardware probably changed to support both the old DB tickets and the new Leapcard tickets so it's not exactly an amazing co-incidence.

    I've used it a lot recently and while it's not quick, none of them have had problems using it.

    One major issue for me,and apparently nobody else,is why the LeapCard Screen is now taking so much longer to activate upon a Leapcard being presented.

    As far as I'm aware it should be a delay of Milliseconds,however I have actually counted 4 seconds on occasions....that's for the Leapscreen to activate,to which then is added whatever is required to issue the particular fare (which IS in milliseconds).

    All,of course,assuming somebody doesn't come looking for a City-Centre Fare :eek:

    The other issue surrounding Leapcard misreads is the tendency of Holders to either Swipe the Card or to Place it and immediately remove it.

    Sadly,rather than Leapcard actually becoming more responsive in use,the opposite appears the case,which I take to be an epic fail in terms of development.

    I would stress,yet again,that no internal dedicated channel of communication exists between BAC,s c 2,700 Drivers and the Leapcard Operational Team...nothing...nada...nowt...It's as if the Leapcard folk feel that their product is perfect and that Busdrivers would have no worthwhile input ...:confused:

    KD345: While I have issues with Leap, I think if any passenger wanted to find out information it is there. The Leap card website is pretty user friendly, there is also information on the various operator websites. There was a recent T-Side campaign along with some VTs wrapped in a mega side, one which caught my eye at the weekend. Dublin Bus also promoted Leap heavily in their recent TV and radio advertising campaign. Every Luas stop also contains details of where you can purchase Leap cards.

    I have to differ here.

    Once the initial LeapCard intro period expired,and the "savvy" or "techhie" types had tooled themselves up with a Leapcard,we then have the lumpen proletariat who simply gaze in pensive wonderment but don't actually do anything, due to inertia.

    This substantial group,have nothing to stimulate their juices further,at least on-the-Bus,where this stimulous is most needed.

    The Soft-Launch has been and gone,and has now been replaced by a dire requirement for a bit of Marketing...direct,hard and effective.

    The Golden Opportunity was with the Cash-Fare increases and yet it slipped by with nary a whimper.

    Even if they decide to play safe and do nowt,they could at least provide some readily indentifiable and LARGE signage for their agents....that green on green simply is'nt a patch on the Black and Yellow of their ....... :eek: competitor :eek:

    If your product is'nt Visible in the marketplace,it won't sell...simples !!


    Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.

    Charles Mackay (1812-1889)



  • #24
    AlekSmart
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,005 ✭✭✭✭AlekSmart


    Dravokivich wrote: »
    The agents seem to know even less about it than your passengers.


    Drav,could you expand a little on this please ?

    Oddly enough,quite a few of my regulars have reported to me that some Payzone agents they tried IN THE CITY-CENTRE were totally unaware of Leapcard.....this as recent as last Monday...surely not possible ????


    Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.

    Charles Mackay (1812-1889)



  • #25
    Dravokivich
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators, Politics Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 22,360 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dravokivich


    Regularly seen people in different shops go back with the anonymous childcards, after purchasing a card for their teenage kid. Which needs a personalised one.

    I don't blame the agents directly. Seeing something like that across different shops tells me they haven't been provided enough info on it.

    If they don't know about the card types, there's probably other general stuff I hadn't overheard they'd be unaware on.


  • #26
    Bushytail
    Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭Bushytail


    Hello,
    Has any of you experienced that a cash top up was registered by the irish rail machine, but when you actually went to pay in the bus, the leap card is empty?

    It happened to me, and I am wondering how many CASH top ups are not being activated. The machine does not give a receipt, only displays your new balance, so I do not have a means to prove it.

    The worst thing is that leapcard customer service say it is the fault of irish rail and irish rail say that it is the leap card not working.

    I would like to know if this has happened to anyone else.


  • #27
    Be well and win
    Registered Users Posts: 333 ✭✭Be well and win


    AlekSmart wrote: »
    Drav,could you expand a little on this please ?

    Oddly enough,quite a few of my regulars have reported to me that some Payzone agents they tried IN THE CITY-CENTRE were totally unaware of Leapcard.....this as recent as last Monday...surely not possible ????

    Not every Payzone agent has signed up to be a Leadcard agent, my understanding is that shops who were already selling Dublin Bus tickets were given priority


  • #28
    foggy_lad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    Bushytail wrote: »
    Hello,
    Has any of you experienced that a cash top up was registered by the irish rail machine, but when you actually went to pay in the bus, the leap card is empty?

    It happened to me, and I am wondering how many CASH top ups are not being activated. The machine does not give a receipt, only displays your new balance, so I do not have a means to prove it.

    The worst thing is that leapcard customer service say it is the fault of irish rail and irish rail say that it is the leap card not working.

    I would like to know if this has happened to anyone else.

    That sounds like a horrible scenario, imagine you use your weekly travel money on the top-up, are you then left waiting for days without the means to use your leap card while the two incompetent companies pass the buck back and forth between themselves?

    Will it be the same if they ever get to loading weekly/monthly tickets onto leap cards?


  • #29
    Be well and win
    Registered Users Posts: 333 ✭✭Be well and win


    Bushytail wrote: »
    Hello,
    Has any of you experienced that a cash top up was registered by the irish rail machine, but when you actually went to pay in the bus, the leap card is empty?

    It happened to me, and I am wondering how many CASH top ups are not being activated. The machine does not give a receipt, only displays your new balance, so I do not have a means to prove it.

    The worst thing is that leapcard customer service say it is the fault of irish rail and irish rail say that it is the leap card not working.

    I would like to know if this has happened to anyone else.

    I've never used an IR TVM but on Luas you're given a message saying that your card was topped up sucessfully. Does that happen on an IR TVM?.

    You could check the card history on line if you are a reigstered card to see if the transaction is there.


  • #30
    markpb
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,342 ✭✭✭markpb


    Bushytail wrote: »
    Hello,
    Has any of you experienced that a cash top up was registered by the irish rail machine, but when you actually went to pay in the bus, the leap card is empty?

    It happened to me, and I am wondering how many CASH top ups are not being activated. The machine does not give a receipt, only displays your new balance, so I do not have a means to prove it.

    The worst thing is that leapcard customer service say it is the fault of irish rail and irish rail say that it is the leap card not working.

    I would like to know if this has happened to anyone else.

    Is it possible that you removed the card slightly too early? I'd call Leap customer care and ask them to look into it. If they push you round the place, there are options you can look into including the small claims court, writing to your TD, etc but I'd be confident it won't come to that.


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  • #31
    ebbsy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,978 ✭✭✭ebbsy


    All true above, I was getting on the number one in Ringsend on Thursday and place the card down, took it away after 5 secs at least and then the driver started laying in to me for taking the card away.

    I got off the bus and he started shouting after me, idiot.


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