Irish Rail Smartcard - a bad start

n97 mini

Recently got a Smartcard and it's been a poor experience so far. First use was last weekend.

On the first journey the machine in Sandycove wasn't working so I couldn't tag off. Got charged €4.60 for a €3 journey.

Next journey I couldn't tag on at Sandycove so I bought a paper ticket. Attempted (what was I thinking) to tag off at Tara, even though I had paid for the journey, and I don't know how the system's logic works, but it tagged me on and immediately off again at Tara (website confirms this), and charged me another €4.60!

I took a photo of the non-working machine in Sandycove, and I still have the paper ticket I bought for the 2nd journey, as evidence.

I phoned the 1850 number on the card straight away on Monday morning and explained. Nice lady said no problem we'll sort it. Wednesday afternoon still not sorted, so I phoned the 1850 number again. Nice lady said no problem we'll sort it. Friday morning, still the same. Phoned the nice lady... well you get the idea. I'm not confident it will be sorted.

Why does the website show the journeys you made but not the amount you were charged? Bearing my above experience in mind, I can only assume that they are hoping most people will be in too much of a hurry to check their balances as they're tagging off, and that a lot of mistakes will therefore go unnoticed.

n97 mini

8 days later still not sorted. :mad:

goingnowhere

I had a problem over weekend, rang lunchtime Monday, refund was on card 6pm same day. Can't fault that.

Refunds must be collected by tagging on or off or using the ticket machines, so unless you use the card the refund will never be applied and will never appear in the online history.

The web page does show your balance, as does the ticket machine so no hiding.

n97 mini

goingnowhere wrote: »

Refunds must be collected by tagging on or off or using the ticket machines, so unless you use the card the refund will never be applied and will never appear in the online history.

Oh, I was never told that.

Do I have to use the card or can I just check the balance on the machine to get the refund applied?

goingnowhere

The assumption is you use the card, if you do everything happens discreetly in the background.

Just check your balance on a ticket machine and that will be enough

First transaction will be the refund being applied

n97 mini

Ok, checked the balance on the machine at about 3pm and it's showing the new corrected balance, but the website is still showing the old incorrect balance.

Jehuty42

n97 mini wrote: »

Ok, checked the balance on the machine at about 3pm and it's showing the new corrected balance, but the website is still showing the old incorrect balance.

Maybe submit that as feedback? There are only 500 of these cards in the trial, you should be using it as much as possible(which you don't seem to be if you haven't used the card in over a week).

goingnowhere

n97 mini wrote: »

Ok, checked the balance on the machine at about 3pm and it's showing the new corrected balance, but the website is still showing the old incorrect balance.

Doesn't the website say it may take up to 24 hours before a transaction appears?

The transaction happened at 3pm, won't be on the website till tomorrow morning at the earliest. Its the same in London, the website is just a record of what happened but it takes time for it to be updated

n97 mini

Jehuty42 wrote: »

Maybe submit that as feedback? There are only 500 of these cards in the trial, you should be using it as much as possible(which you don't seem to be if you haven't used the card in over a week).

It's an IR Smartcard, not a Leap card.

Jehuty42

n97 mini wrote: »

It's an IR Smartcard, not a Leap card.

Whoops, sorry!

Victor

Once you have the card, you should only really need to use the validators until you need to top-up or check the balance.

You tag-on at the departure stop and tag-out at your arrival stop. Only validators tag you in / out, not ticket vending machines (TVMs).

n97 mini

Just checked the website, and it's showing a new balance, which is WRONG! :mad:

This Smartcard is a pain in the face.

corktina

one for C&T methinks.

this forum really needs a better name that more closely defines what its for

n97 mini

Used the card yesterday again. A couple of observations.

Tagged-on too quickly for the machine, so had to do it again. Did it too quickly the 2nd time again, so had to do it a third time. Each time the machine beeped and said Error or something. However, the website has recorded 3 tag-ons!

It's also counter intuitive to show people the max fare when they tag on, and then show them the refund they're getting when they tag off.

Somehow the disparity in my balance between the website and the machines has rectified itself.