I was overcharged on a Dublin Bus LEAP card journey.
I can't think of any other service whose charging is so non-transparent at point of sale.
It's very difficult to see what was actually charged there and then - it flashes up for about 2 to 3 seconds on a very small display panel.
I know I was overcharged because I checked my LEAP card history and saw I was charged 2.05. When I put my boarding stop and the exiting stop (which I clearly stated to the driver) into the Dublin Bus fare calculator, it comes up as 1.50 for LEAP fare.
It's not transparent at all, it becomes your word against theirs unless you challenge it there and then which as noted above, is not straightforward.
I did contact LEAP card support, they were utterly useless and told me to contact Dublin Bus directly even though on their website they actually have an option Fare Dispute > Dublin Bus.
I suspect if a newspaper or consumer agency checked 100 LEAP card journeys they would find a significant amount of overcharging going on.
I think you're clutching at straws there and rather than jumping straight to conspiracy theories might it make more sense that the driver just made a mistake? There's no financial benefit to the driver in over-charging you, and given their industrial relations record I doubt many of them would be deliberately over-charging to help the company.
I wonder how many people are deliberately under declaring their stop of that same 100, i'd say it would be more than those accidentally over-charged.
Though you shouldn't have to do it, and should be able to rely on the driver to get it correct, it makes sense to use the app or website whilst waiting on the bus to use the fare calculator and then just state that price to the driver.
I am not sure if they actually press a button that calculates the distanmce you are travelling relative to what stop you are at. I believe they just enter the actual cost they think it is. How else would they be able to enter €1.90 when requested by a passenger as oppose to what stop you are getting off at ?If the drivers are not accurately entering the stops on the machine, then systematically, customers are being screwed due to the setup of the LEAP card system and the lack of a receipt to verify what stops you have actually been charged for.
It is possible to ask for a recent journeys printout from a Dublin Bus driver. This shows the last 5 journeys undertaken including the one you just paid for.
Is the issue here with Leapcard or with Dublin Bus.? I've used mine on private buses and the Luas with no issues whatsoever. My understanding is that Dublin Bus have gone out to tender to upgrade their bus equipment but that it is a major job to do that across the fleet. As for their handling of refunds, in fairness, that is a Dublin Bus policy (similar to not giving change for cash fares if you don't have the exact money)
I have to admit I don't like the Leapcard statements though, I have an Oyster Card as well for use anytime I am in London and it is a lot clearer
Really the whole idea of these kind of cards should be that you never have to interact with a driver (like on the Luas). Human interaction is open to human error.
As for topping up online, a Leapcard is not like a mobile phone, it's a largely dumb piece of plastic with a chip and an antennae but no battery. Cards like this draw their power from whatever you touch it against at a station or shop and it is only then can it download what you've ordered online. That's why you can't top it up like a PAYG mobile phone.
It doesn't seem to be (widely) advertised. She lightheartedly said that the driver probably wouldn't be too happy. (Presumably its part of his job).
I've heard the ticket machines are due to be replaced and that the stages will update automatically through GPS but really they should be getting rid of the whole stage system and introducing a zonal fare but given the perilous financial situation Dublin Bus are in this is scaring the horses somewhat.
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