Ventra - Feedback and Updates

[jajuan]

This is probably why that auto-reload option shouldn't be used. There's enough retail locations and rail stations to get value and passes at. This is just as bad as the optional Debit Card, IMO

Keeping auto-reload off turned is a legitimate suggestion for now, but since they still can't charge your credit or debit card unless you authorize it, running to a retail location or rail station to reload is an unnecessary extra step to put on yourself. Just keep autoload turned off and load the card manually online with a pass or transit value as needed.

(Edited for grammatical mistakes and typos I found upon rereading my post )

Edited October 13, 2013 by jajuan

[Busjack]

Something doesn't sound right about it.How can you come out of a meeting and make a announcement without it being talk about it.Too me that is a lack of communication between Claypool and the Board.

Perhaps Emanuel gave Claypool a script to read.

Claypool can get ready for the WWE by following the scripts.

The board meeting was an open session, and there was the news report about people complaining about not reinstating the old 31 bus, so if something were said, someone from the media would have picked it up.

Emanuel giving Claypool a script is a much more likely scenario.

[Busjack]

Keeping auto-reload turned is a legitimate suggestion for now, but since they still can't charge your credit or debit card unless you authorize it, running to a retail location or rail station to reload is an unnecessary extra step to put on yourself. Just keep autoload turned off and load the card manually load your card online with a pass or transit value as needed.

Although the class appears to have been defined as those with an associated bank or credit card account, that might have been only because it is a legal requirement that the class be defined in some manner. I'm not sure that the problem is restricted to those with autoreload, except the distinction, guessed earlier, that those without it will be refused rather than allowed to run a negative balance.

[sw4400]

Keeping auto-reload turned is a legitimate suggestion for now, but since they still can't charge your credit or debit card unless you authorize it, running to a retail location or rail station to reload is an unnecessary extra step to put on yourself. Just keep autoload turned off and load the card manually load your card online with a pass or transit value as needed.

Although the class appears to have been defined as those with an associated bank or credit card account, that might have been only because it is a legal requirement that the class be defined in some manner. I'm not sure that the problem is restricted to those with autoreload, except the distinction, guessed earlier, that those without it will be refused rather than allowed to run a negative balance.

I think this guy has auto-reload on and a personal account linked via that so that when he runs low on money/his ride pass runs out, it automatically reloads whatever he has set it for. So, personally, I hope his case is thrown out of court. This is clearly a case of "use at your own risk". Common sense dictates do not turn auto-load on and link nothing. Refill your card manually.

[KedziePink]

The only experience I've had with a negative balance was when I was transferring to State/Lake one day. I tapped my U-Pass just as someone was going through the turnstile. The reader said go, but when I tried to go through, it didn't let me. I tapped again, and went through normally. But after that, my card recorded a balance of -$2.25, and it would take a lot longer to scan than normal. (For some reason, several transactions before and after this event were duplicated in my transaction history, as shown in the screenshot attached.) So, two weeks ago, after leaving a message on the Ventra hotline and getting no response, I decided to go down to the Ventra office. They credited $2.25 to my account, and my card started scanning normally again.

EDIT: Forgot to attach the screenshot. D'oh!

[Busjack]

I think this guy has auto-reload on and a personal account linked via that so that when he runs low on money/his ride pass runs out, it automatically reloads whatever he has set it for. So, personally, I hope his case is thrown out of court. This is clearly a case of "use at your own risk". Common sense dictates do not turn auto-load on and link nothing. Refill your card manually.

That still doesn't explain why there are bogus charges for stuff like calling customer service. Even if Steele comes out with that they were mislabeled (which I still doubt), it is fraud.

Nobody has established that fraudulent charges appear only on autoreload cards. As I mentioned earlier, the only difference is that you will be refused boarding if the cash transit value runs out, but someone has stolen the card holder's money in any event.

[Busjack]

The only experience I've had with a negative balance was when I was transferring to State/Lake one day. I tapped my U-Pass just as someone was going through the turnstile. The reader said go, but when I tried to go through, it didn't let me. I tapped again, and went through normally. But after that, my card recorded a balance of -$2.25, and it would take a lot longer to scan than normal. ....

EDIT: Forgot to attach the screenshot. D'oh!

Most of these seem explainable by what appears to be double taps. One of the guys on the CTA Tattler said he intentionally left the paid area because his train was coming, and his pass wouldn't subsequently work, but others seem to be false indications that the reader didn't accept the card. In any event, though, the whole city of Chicago shouldn't have to go downtown to get $2.25 off their account.

[Busjack]

Thinking over KedziePink's and mk's prior posts, there is another purpose for the class action: to get an order requiring that the defendants preserve their records and let the plaintiff analyze them. Then, the real extent of the fraudulent charges will come out. The plaintiff will not have to rely on that he, Kevin, and KedziePink saved screenshots.

If a large pattern of multiple charges in the same minute turns up, I doubt that CTA will be able to explain them as all legitimate passbacks.

[Guest ctafan630]

What is the easiest way to transfer a balance from the Chicago Card to the Ventra Card. Someone mentioned the CTA is holding "transfer events" but couldnt find this information on the CTA website.

[MarioM]

What is the easiest way to transfer a balance from the Chicago Card to the Ventra Card. Someone mentioned the CTA is holding "transfer events" but couldnt find this information on the CTA website.

This explains all about transferring Chicago Card and Transit Card balances to Ventra.

http://www.transitchicago.com/news/default.aspx?Month=&Year=&Category=2&ArticleId=3205

Note that Chicago Card Plus balances cannot be transferred at "transfer events."

[owine]

I took a couple of rides Saturday evening/night. Arrived home to discover that my negative balance had gone down further. It looks like my 30 day pass expired in the middle of my trips and I was not denied boarding, just put further into the negative. The problem here is that my pass was setup to auto reload (yes, I set it up after my pass transferred from CCP to Ventra). I manually loaded a new pass Sunday morning, but shouldn't have had to do that.

[Busjack]

I took a couple of rides Saturday evening/night. Arrived home to discover that my negative balance had gone down further. It looks like my 30 day pass expired in the middle of my trips and I was not denied boarding, just put further into the negative. The problem here is that my pass was setup to auto reload (yes, I set it up after my pass transferred from CCP to Ventra). I manually loaded a new pass Sunday morning, but shouldn't have had to do that.

So, I guess you now admit that anyone can be dinged by CTA's or Cubic's incompetence.

[owine]

So, I guess you now admit that anyone can be dinged by CTA's or Cubic's incompetence.

Yep, although again, I haven't seen any others report the same issue. This goes back to a Ventra drawback with a lack of account balance/pass expiration notices on the readers themselves. I did get a "Pass expiring soon" notice on the reader, but no more detail than that. I knew something was up when I didn't get a reload email since my pass expired sometime on the 12th.

[Busjack]

Yep, although again, I haven't seen any others report the same issue. This goes back to a Ventra drawback with a lack of account balance/pass expiration notices on the readers themselves. I did get a "Pass expiring soon" notice on the reader, but no more detail than that. I knew something was up when I didn't get a reload email since my pass expired sometime on the 12th.

Autoreload not working came up on the CTA Tattler, and someone there said "The only annoying thing is that you have to go out of your way to find out what balance is left on it." I'm not going to say that everyone should be made to check their account on the web page before boarding a bus, though.

[owine]

Autoreload not working came up on the CTA Tattler, and someone there said "The only annoying thing is that you have to go out of your way to find out what balance is left on it." I'm not going to say that everyone should be made to check their account on the web page before boarding a bus, though.

Agree. The whole point of auto reload is set it and forget it. I still think the readers should display an hourglass while processing and display a transit value balance or pass expiration date. Seems simple enough to me and you hope that unlike the 5000 series cars, Ventra is designed to allow some on the fly fixes/improvements as time goes on.

[Amtrak41]

This smells like an bungled I-T project. Nobody can write code that works right to start with.

Did they so much as test this thing, or are they testing it "in production" so as to "make their date" (without a late penalty) ?

[Guest ctafan630]

This explains all about transferring Chicago Card and Transit Card balances to Ventra.

http://www.transitchicago.com/news/default.aspx?Month=&Year=&Category=2&ArticleId=3205

Note that Chicago Card Plus balances cannot be transferred at "transfer events."

Thanks Mario. Why the heck does the CTA bury this information on their website. This information should be with the rest of the Ventra information.

If the CC Plus balances can be automatically transfered , why the heck can't the CC balances be transfered. Isn't it the same technology?

[Busjack]

Thanks Mario. Why the heck does the CTA bury this information on their website. This information should be with the rest of the Ventra information.

If the CC Plus balances can be automatically transfered , why the heck can't the CC balances be transfered. Isn't it the same technology?

The first one is a valid point, in that it is not on a main Ventra page, but was on a Press Release that got submerged through the passage of time.

On the latter, I'm sure it is with regard to all the b.s. about the various options on the CCP and how they were supposed to be transferred automatically. While the CCs could also be registered, apparently that was not a mandatory requirement, and the CC holders didn't have the account management tools that had to be transferred over for CCP users.

[MarioM]

Thanks Mario. Why the heck does the CTA bury this information on their website. This information should be with the rest of the Ventra information.

If the CC Plus balances can be automatically transfered , why the heck can't the CC balances be transfered. Isn't it the same technology?

Here is a pdf file with the transfer event calendar laid out in a more readable format:

http://on.ventrachicago.com/Transfer

[geneking7320]

It seems as though there is a longer interval between when the Ventra card pad is tapped and when the Go signal is flashed.

I have noticed this on CTA buses and L stations as well as Pace buses. Does anyone know why?

[Busjack]

It seems as though there is a longer interval between when the Ventra card pad is tapped and when the Go signal is flashed.

I have noticed this on CTA buses and L stations as well as Pace buses. Does anyone know why?

Maybe the radio data network or the computer that authorizes transactions is overwhelmed

[owine]

I've found the response time to be consistent with a regular contactless credit/debit card transaction, which is to say not immediate but not painfully slow. As previously stated, I wish there was some sort of processing graphic that comes up after a successful read but waiting for the Go/Stop result.

[Busjack]

I've found the response time to be consistent with a regular contactless credit/debit card transaction, which is to say not immediate but not painfully slow. As previously stated, I wish there was some sort of processing graphic that comes up after a successful read but waiting for the Go/Stop result.

I suppose it is one thing if you are at the checkout at a food store and have 200 items; another if the goal was to speed boarding on buses.

[jajuan]

Ok before we get too carried away with harping on a perception of speed not being there, let's remember they haven't worked out the bugs and glitches. For some that's more painfully apparent. So it's not too much of a stretch that in some cases boarding speed hasn't picked up. I've observed that when the system is working properly, tapping a Ventra card is relatively faster.

[sw4400]

It's pretty quick. I hold mine about 2-3 sec. against the reader so it picks it up and every time... "GO" appears. Those that only hold about .05 sec. get a "X STOP" very often. It's "Tap and go", but not "Wave and go". That's what a lot of people get confused by with this Ventra system. 2-3 Sec. is very quick time to board per customer. The magnetic stripe cards took about 4-5 sec., longer if there was an issue with reading them. People can be so impatient nowadays. I had a impatient customer a few nights back because their Credit Card wouldn't swipe and didn't like the delay while we had to use the embosser to use the card for the sale.