New York Metrocard Beware!
 

We thought we were pretty slick and ordered 7-day unlimited metrocards this winter for our families use next summer for our first trip to NYC and then saw that the price went up after May 1st saving us $16.00 on four cards.

Well, the OLD 7-day unlimited metrocards also expired as of May 13, 2003! You must purchase a new one, it happens that the company will exchange for us at no cost, whew!

But, I would have been very frustrated using NYC's public transportation the first time and not getting anywhere with all four members of my family. So if you bought your cards ahead of time just be ready for the expiration.

Another precaution regarding expirations..

I have a (per ride) Metrocard that expires May 31. I've never added value to it, only used it from time to time when going thru NY when I didn't think I'd get 3+ rides in a day to use the visitor's pass.

Anyway, I added credit to the card (the balance was down to $1.50) so that I'd be able to use it on a bus the next time in NYC. I was surprised that unlike DC's Metro, where a new card is issued, I received the same card back that expires this month. I have about 5 visitor passes too - guess I'll mail them all in.

well, the fares actually don't go up till the 4th, but it's still a bummer than you having to get them refunded!

.I don't know from which "company" you're getting them refunded, but the MTA (transit authority) always has had a policy of refunding unusable transit products (like the now gone tokens) when they changed. And getting new ones would be really easily as you can buy them from card vending machines or from manned booths in the subway

When you ordered them the date/price for the fare increases might not yet have been set. Obviously they don't want people to hoard cards at the lower prices to use later, though there are some grace periods (e.g. those weekly cards are good for 9 days after the fare increase and the 30 day cards will still be valid until June 12th)

Just so you know, it is V-E-R-Y easy to buy from the metrocard machines...there's no need to get them ahead of time. The machines accept cash or credit or debit cards. And I have never seen a line at one.

This was part of the New York Pass package... the metrocards came with it... we bought them ahead of time . because of a $50 discount. if you bought them in March....

The amount on the "per ride" cards is not "lost" when the rates go up ... you just get less rides that you planned on when you bought the cards. I keep a "per-ride" card with me because I often arrive in NYC on Metro-North at 125th Street, and catch the M60 bus, so I like to have a card with some credit on it. The problem is that the card, about 2 years old, has an expiration date printed on it, so I don't know if it will stop working or not. The last time I had expired cards I just mailed them to MTA & they mailed back new cards of the same value ... I assume the same will happen now.

The Unlimited ride cards have staggered expirations scheduled, so that you could use a 3 days pass up to 3 days after the rate increase .. etc., so hoarding old cards would do no one any good.

You're lucky that the "company" (the MTA)was feeling generous, unless you purchased them through a tour company who will eat the increase. I made the mistake yesterday of using my Metrocard in a station on 23rd St. I needed to go uptown, and realized that there was no way to get to the uptown side through the station. The clerk told me I would have to ride down to W. 4th St. to change to the uptown track! He refused to refund my ride, and it ended up costing me $4.00 for a 3 stop ride back up to 57th St. I suppose that "straphangers" like us need to subsidize the MTA management who are raping the system for their own benefit.

In the future, cabs only for me.

Leona, while the MTA has many, many faults, it was your mistake for not reading the signs at the entrance which read "Downtown only" (or words to that effect)!

Thanks, Howard. But it did not say "downtown ONLY" as I've seen before. It said "downtown" and in my past experience, I have never been unable to cross over to the uptown side. It was a mistake and I think that the clerk (who I presume will be jobless with the next few cuts) could have been a "mensch" (you know what that is, Howard?) and given me a transfer.

Or you could have recognized your mistake and ridden downtown to make the switch suggested by the clerk, avoiding the extra fare.