Metro Card Warning
 

My bank put a stop on my credit card due to a fraudulent charge and issued me a new card and I destroyed the old card upon receipt of the new card. But I had to notify all payees who use my credit card automatically such as Time Warner. And NYC Transit which replenishes my card automatically via my credit card. I called the number on the card - whereupn on their automated system I was requested to insert a 13 digit account number. There are three sets of numbers on the Metro Card - none is 13 digits so I could not proceed with their automated system and clicked 0 to reach a human agent. They say the wait will be "more than 10 minutes" - the understatement of all time - it was two hours. Then the agent requests besides that account #, a PIN number - a PIN number - who has a PIN number for a Metro Card - I never heard of it. Then she asks for the last four digits of my destroyed credit card -- try that. She refuses to proceed. So I then try to call a NYC number for Customer Service. After about 10 tries getting only a busy signal - I give up on that one. So then I track down their Customer Service Center - Stone St. I have to spend half a day getting there, the wait, etc. Finally get it accomplished (my wife suddenly remember those last 4 digits of the old credit card). That account number is shown on that statement you get in the mail showing subway/bus usage - I always just throw it away after having a look. A Kafka nightmare. Two days to do this. Other payees - e.g. Time Warner - about a 30 second call. Is this any way to run a railroad? Warning - if you have to change your credit card with this outfit get ready for one of life's hassles - or learn your PIN number and save that mailed statement with your account# (how come none of those numbers on the card is not the account #?). I wrote a letter to the President of NYC Transit suggesting that they have a systemic problem. Let's see if he answers.

Oh please. Your account number isn't on your Metro card to prevent some clown from impersonating you. You throw away your statements? You don't know your PIN? You don't know the last 4 digits of your credit card (on your bill--did you throw all those out, too?)? Whose problems are those?

NYC Transit's systemic problem is their clueless customers. IMO, of course.

<i> Your account number isn't on your Metro card to prevent some clown from impersonating you</i>

My credit card number is on my card, so why wouldn't my metro card number be on my metro card? And a PIN for a metro card? you have to be kidding.

NewbE - Thank you for your critique of my life style. PIN number - yes - I have one for my ATM transactions - used frequently enough and one that is engraved into my psyche. But a PIN for a Metro Card? Why on earth and when would you ever use or need one? I have used this Metro card for many years - never once having to invoke such a # and I had no idea that I even had one. OK - maybe when you are on an automated phone call and the voice asks you for the last 4 digits of a card that has been destroyed - you can instantly access it - ok - good for you. But the fact is - the same calls were made to Time Warner, AT&T, and a couple of other outfits and the transaction was completed in less than a minute. And can you justify a wait of two hours to speak to an agent? BTW - there are other security numbers or facts that are easily available to callers - e.g. last 4 digits of SS#, mother's maiden name. Re the "account" #. Not sure how any "clown" who gets ahold of my metro card can make any use of my account # since at any one time there may be about $25 or $30 in it - but maybe he might want to add his own funds to it - lots of luck. anyway - if I lost it - I just report that - end of metro card. OK - and maybe you find ituseful to keep your metro statements reviewing which stations you got on and the charges for same. Once reviewing it for mistakes or something - I really have no use for that info - this stuff is about maybe a couple dozen $1 rides (senior - now $1.10) Maybe some folks do - but I will grant - henceforth I will keep one statement - just for that number.

"And can you justify a wait of two hours to speak to an agent?"

I can. Budget cuts cause staff cuts. If you don't have the number of staff required to answer the volume of calls, you end up with two hour waits. Not pretty, but there it is.

If I managed to read your rant correctly (paragraphs help), it seems that the problem was that they were no longer able to charge you on your old card. Why not just buy a new one with your new credit card account? Or is that just too easy?

<i>Why not just buy a new one with your new credit card account? Or is that just too easy?</i>,

my thought exactly.... :-)

I would never sign up to let them replenish automatically. I would not expect it to go any differently than what you described.

321 Go - You may think it's ok to wait two hours holding a phone to process a simple deal (and it was more than two hours) that took other very large outfits to do in about a minute but I think customers are entitled to little more service than that. I know all about budget problems but I don't believe this is a budget problem - rather a management problem and allocation of resources and personnel. If a top responsible manager is aware of this situation and cares about it - step can be taken to alleviate the problem.

It was not as though they could not process new payments into my account as I still had a balance when the situation arose - and I figured I had plenty of time to insert my new credit card # and that's that. But to get that new metro card I probably would have had to go down to the Stone St. Center anyway - where they would process it immediately rather than mail in for a new card which could take -- who knows how long? But I did think that I would just have to get a new Metro Card.

jroth, Sorry you've had a bad experience, Bad enough having the credit card number cancelled so that you have all sorts of things to reset (been there) but then running into city agency bureaucracy.
BUT, since this kind of thing will happen to virtually none of the visitors to NYC that might be reading the forum (who wouldn't set a Metrocard to automatically replenish), why post it here?

The Customer Service Center for NYC Transit processes all sorts of claims regarding Metrocards. Any customer can pick up an envelope and form to mail to them at any toll booth regarding any sort of malfunction, loss, or whatever. This applies to visitors also. Just a warning about running into their bureaucracy.

True, but while the mail-in service isn't exactly swift, it is pretty problem-free, at least from my experiences and those of my friends. Too bad that wasn't an option for you in this case

I ride the subway every day, haven't paid in years.

http://whatyourdonotknowbecauseyouar...metocards.html

and what do you expect the MTA is one step lower than the Post Office when it comes to "customer" service. At every turn the "customer" is treated like a criminal that has not been apprehended yet .

Chicken...- Interesting blog re the guy who goes around picking up metro cards off the floor and swiping them to see if they have any value and then combining those with some value to get a ride. My advice: easier to collect soda cans - you're guaranteed a refund on each and no big deal to collect enough each day to get a free subway ride.

This entire thread makes "The Taking of Pelham 123" seem totally JUSTIFIED!!!!!

If you watch the original, Dukey, you will notice that none of the passengers really seem all that surprised. In fact that is probably not even the worst ride most of them ever had. :)

There is too much competition in cans. I would be taken money out of the pockets of those who need it. Metrocards are just lying there waiting to be swept up.