Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on [email protected] for help. Thanks :)

€5 Refundable Leap Card Deposit

  • 22-01-2022 2:11pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 75 ✭✭ ZoZoZo


    Hi,

    The fact that the €5 charge is described as a 'deposit' and refundable implies that use of the leap card is actually free provided you return it when you are finished with it. How does this work in practice, do you bring it back to the shop where you bought it, post it back to some address or what ? Has anyone ever done this, or in practice does the Leap card cost €5 because its not actually practical to 'return' it ? The fact that they don't specify the return process up front makes me suspicious.

    Thanks,

    Zozo



Comments

  • Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 4,882 Mod ✭✭✭✭ G_R


    You just go on to the website and request the refund. It gets transferred back to your bank account. I’ve done it a few times over the years when I’ve lost a card. Usually takes a couple of days and the money is back in your account.



  • Registered Users Posts: 75 ✭✭ ZoZoZo


    They refund your €5 deposit when you lose the card ? That makes even less sense, are you sure you're not thinking about getting your credit balance refunded ? If you don't have to actually return the card to get the deposit back then what's the point of the deposit ? If I leave a deposit when I rent a bike and I lose the bike I don't expect to be able to have my deposit returned.



  • Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 63,154 Mod ✭✭✭✭ L1011


    It disables the card.

    The deposit is just to stop the cards being free.



  • Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 4,882 Mod ✭✭✭✭ G_R




  • Registered Users Posts: 9,005 ✭✭✭ markpb


    I think the deposit is there to allow you to make tag on/tag off trips where the tag on amount is more than your balance. If you have 1.50 on your card and need to make a trip for 1.50, you won’t be able to tag on if the tag-on amount was €2.00. With the deposit, you can tag on and take the trip as normal.



  • Advertisement
  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 1,837 Mod ✭✭✭✭ Michael Collins


    Exactly. In fact, isn't it the case if you have 1 cent on the card, you can get a €4.50 Nitelink?

    So to stop you throwing the card away and getting a new one for free, there's a €5 "deposit".



  • Registered Users Posts: 75 ✭✭ ZoZoZo


    Eh, no. I'd already read that page:

    select the ‘Refund or Replace’ option and follow the instructions

    what exactly are these mystery 'instructions' and if its all above board why don't they just specify them without having to first open and account. I still have no idea how to return my card to reclaim my 'deposit'.



  • Registered Users Posts: 75 ✭✭ ZoZoZo


    So to stop you throwing the card away and getting a new one for free, there's a €5 "deposit".

    But the deposit doesn't stop this behaviour at all if you can just reclaim your 'deposit' if you lose the card. Get up in the morning, can't remember where I left my leap card, can't be arsed to look for it so I just get another, I'm still only, temporarily, out of pocket by the same amount ,€5 because I pay a new €5 for the new card but reclaim the 'deposit' from the previous one by declaring it 'lost'. So no matter whether i keep one leap card for an entire year or just chuck them in the bin every day and use 365 of them I'm still only every out of pocket by €5 in the long term. So, as I say, the deposit appears to be completely pointless unless it is a racket whereby its not actually possible/practical to get this 'deposit' refunded. And the fact that they wont spell out the procedure for getting a refund just adds to the confusion.



  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 1,837 Mod ✭✭✭✭ Michael Collins


    Perhaps you will only be refunded the balance, though?



  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 75 ✭✭ ZoZoZo


    You don't appear to understand what the word 'literally' means :)

    If it 'literally' spells out the procedure please copy and paste and highlight just the part where it explains how, and to whom, I return the card to reclaim my 'deposit'.

    If you can't do this then it DOES NOT 'literally' explain the procedure at all, rather it alludes to some instructions which allegedly exist elsewhere but for some unexplained reason they have not presented in that link.



  • Registered Users Posts: 75 ✭✭ ZoZoZo


    Indeed, but if they only refund you your credit balance then the initial €5 was never a 'refundable deposit' it was a €5 charge to obtain a leap card.



  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 1,837 Mod ✭✭✭✭ Michael Collins


    I don't know for sure, but one way it may work is that you will be refunded your deposit unless you've gone into the red, in which case you'll be refunded your deposit less what you owe.



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,256 ✭✭✭ irelandrover


    You seem to have invented the fact that you need to return the card, and then complain that no where gives you this instruction. The link provided shows very clearly how to get a refund or a replacement card.



  • Registered Users Posts: 392 ✭✭ Hippodrome Song Owl


    On a related note, has anyone requested a replacement Leap card before? How long did it take in reality? My card is faulty so have requested a replacement this morning and am using a borrowed card in the meantime. It said 10 business days - is this realistic or will I likely be waiting much longer?

    Post edited by Hippodrome Song Owl on


  • Registered Users Posts: 392 ✭✭ Hippodrome Song Owl


    In case anyone finds this on a search for future reference, the replacement Leap card arrived in the post today just 3 days after I requested it online. Very impressive efficiency!



  • Registered Users Posts: 75 ✭✭ ZoZoZo


    I haven't invented anything. This is the generally accepted meaning of the term 'refundable deposit' which is paid for the temporary use of something. It may indeed be the case that the card doesn't in fact need to be returned in which case the use of the term 'refundable deposit' moronic due to the confusion it causes. If the solution is indeed that the card doesn't need to be returned then why has nobody in the thread stated this clearly. Indeed you yourself have not explicitly said so you have just implied it. Moreover the number of replies suggesting other explanations only confirms my assertion that it is anything but clear. Finally you are wrong, the link does not show clearly how to do anything, specifically it uses the phase 'and follow the instructions.' without elaborating on what these mystery instructions are. If you disagree, then by all means copy and paste these instructions which I have clearly missed on that page.



  • Registered Users Posts: 75 ✭✭ ZoZoZo




  • Advertisement
Advertisement