Ventra - Feedback and Updates

[owine]

One way or the other, it's teething. Nothing is ever perfect (or near perfect) as you introduce something new into the ecosystem. I'll defer to the comment about the learning curve (but Ventra/Cubic/CTA isn't off the hook either).

This is my point. What many are terming the failure of the system overall is just expected teething.

[owine]

So it seems that your quantitative assessment* is that Ventra is worse, while I was only making a comparison of certain facial similarities.

Other difference is that one apparently can apply to insurers directly, who can't turn you down, while the only way for people with balances on the CCP who haven't been treated properly is to sit on hold.

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*for owine's purposes.

You can cancel and spend down a CCP and just purchase a new Ventra card. The transition is not the ONLY way.

[Amtrak41]

Apples and oranges. The federal government at least gave itself a six month window to work out the glitches while the CTA only gave itself three months. Also customers seeking healthcare do have several alternatives to the federal website. The phone process in the fed's case is relatively hassle free and the individual state websites, which the federal site was going to send people to anyway, are working with few problems. So folks are getting signed up. In CTA's case, if you're one of the unfortunate folks hitting a snag, then you have to deal with the crappy phone customer service agents.

On one of the cable or network news stations (not Fox) a few days ago, someone said they were testing and code-changing ACA software until 4 days before go-live.

I think it comes down to a lack of I-T Project management skills, perhaps too much outsourcing to India, making dates with incomplete projects, poor communication to business owner, and I-T management burying itself in incident ticket processes and "correct" paperwork rather than anything of any substance. CGI also got fired by Ontario over a healthcare package.

[Busjack]

You can cancel and spend down a CCP and just purchase a new Ventra card. The transition is not the ONLY way.

How about if they don't turn off your autoload (as has been reported, at least by CTA Tattler commenters)?

How many customer service calls have you answered?

[Busjack]

On one of the cable or network news stations (not Fox) a few days ago, someone said they were testing and code-changing ACA software until 4 days before go-live.

...

Weeze going way off topic, but CNN is now reporting that there was a test a couple of days before healthcare.gov was to go live and the computer crashed, but HHS didn't tell Pres. Obama about it.

[owine]

How about if they don't turn off your autoload (as has been reported, at least by CTA Tattler commenters)?

How many customer service calls have you answered?

I don't know. You said there's no alternative, there is something.

What are you asking with the second question?

[Busjack]

I don't know. You said there's no alternative, there is something.

What are you asking with the second question?

Because since you are asking all of us what the quantitative measure is, supposedly to "gotcha" us with some number you made up, maybe we would like to know what position you are in to imply that there is only a problem around the edges.

And, of course, why you think that any alternative, no matter how convoluted, is a practical alternative.

[owine]

Because since you are asking all of us what the quantitative measure is, supposedly to "gotcha" us with some number you made up, maybe we would like to know what position you are in to imply that there is only a problem around the edges.

And, of course, why you think that any alternative, no matter how convoluted, is a practical alternative.

I have no "gotcha." All I'm asking for is someone to state their opinion in the fashion of "I think 10% of all Ventra riders are getting screwed/charged incorrectly in some way shape or form". A quantitative measure is just putting a number on something. If we want to start doing a comparison of number of Ventra rides and number of Tattler/ChicagoBus complaints/issues that could be interesting too.

And I work in real estate, nothing remotely related to any company involved in Ventra. I have no bias in that regard.

[Busjack]

I have no "gotcha." All I'm asking for is someone to state their opinion in the fashion of "I think 10% of all Ventra riders are getting screwed/charged incorrectly in some way shape or form". A quantitative measure is just putting a number on something. If we want to start doing a comparison of number of Ventra rides and number of Tattler/ChicagoBus complaints/issues that could be interesting too.

And I work in real estate, nothing remotely related to any company involved in Ventra. I have no bias in that regard.

In the absence of any factual basis (such as discovery in the class action of Ventra records*), what we think is the percentage is not relevant, as I said before. And, obviously, you don't have a basis, either.

The only relevant thing is that in the over 6 weeks since this was supposed to be rolled out to the general public, it is still a mess to the extent that CTA had to admit the customer service and access number and card delivery problems. And since Brian Steele is in the PR business, perception is reality.

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* Going to the OT analogy again, at least HHS has numbers on how many hit healthcare.gov, how many were able to open accounts, and how many made an application.

[BusHunter]

I have no "gotcha." All I'm asking for is someone to state their opinion in the fashion of "I think 10% of all Ventra riders are getting screwed/charged incorrectly in some way shape or form". A quantitative measure is just putting a number on something. If we want to start doing a comparison of number of Ventra rides and number of Tattler/ChicagoBus complaints/issues that could be interesting too.

And I work in real estate, nothing remotely related to any company involved in Ventra. I have no bias in that regard.

10 percent is way too low. i think everyone is getting screwed in one way or another whether that's passes that expire early, double fare charges, or passes that transition to standard fare charges in the middle of the pass. If you need evidence, I can give eyewitness testimony that ventra did the first two things to me in the two weeks I used it. I've talked to people that are talking about no longer riding the CTA/Pace. They have had it, being repeatedly screwed. Enough is enough!! The smartest decision is to go back to transit cards if you can. When Dec 15th comes and everyone is getting screwed, the media backlash will take care of Ventra whether that means it's end or a software upgrade, but in it's present condition it's a joke.

[Amtrak41]

Was CC/CCP this troublesome with the website, over-charging, and a class action suit when it started ?

[jajuan]

So it seems that your quantitative assessment* is that Ventra is worse, while I was only making a comparison of certain facial similarities.

Other difference is that one apparently can apply to insurers directly, who can't turn you down, while the only way for people with balances on the CCP who haven't been treated properly is to sit on hold.

___________

*for owine's purposes.

From a customer relations standpoint. The feds have been reacting to mishaps immediately relatively speaking. CTA and Cubic let things that probably would have been minor mishaps balloon into major meltdowns by being in some ways slow to react and appearing to have too small of a contingency to mishaps.

[jajuan]

10 percent is way too low. i think everyone is getting screwed in one way or another whether that's passes that expire early, double fare charges, or passes that transition to standard fare charges in the middle of the pass. If you need evidence, I can give eyewitness testimony that ventra did the first two things to me in the two weeks I used it. I've talked to people that are talking about no longer riding the CTA/Pace. They have had it, being repeatedly screwed. Enough is enough!! The smartest decision is to go back to transit cards if you can. When Dec 15th comes and everyone is getting screwed, the media backlash will take care of Ventra whether that means it's end or a software upgrade, but in it's present condition it's a joke.

And saying EVERYBODY is getting screwed is overexaggerating the situation. And Busjack was fair enough in pointing out the spontaneous changing from a pass to a transit card happened on the lady's CCP, not Ventra card.

[Busjack]

Was CC/CCP this troublesome with the website, over-charging, and a class action suit when it started ?

Website, I don't know (and web access to personal accounts was only associated with CCP).

The overall answer appears to be no, but that's because use of mag stripe cards was established first, and then passengers were given the option to go over to CC or CCP for their own convenience. There were additional benefits for using the card, such as the short lived "Go Lane" on buses with wide front doors. It wasn't like there was any deadline to convert from a previous form of media to a new one, with no eventual choice to keep the old media.

There were complaints at the time that the cards themselves were flimsy, and over whether CTA would charge for a new one if the old one was broken.

[BusHunter]

And saying EVERYBODY is getting screwed is overexaggerating the situation. And Busjack was fair enough in pointing out the spontaneous changing from a pass to a transit card happened on the lady's CCP, not Ventra card.

Is it? Didn't you respond to me when I said my pass expired early that "that was OK I've had that happen to me" meaning your ventra pass expired early but that was OK? Believe me I'm not overreacting. I'm lucky if I've used the card 10-15 times before it double charged me. That part of the card is extremely unreliable. I don't see how anyone could use it and not be overcharged. I'll never use that part of the card again, I'll tell you that. That's how strongly I'm against it. For me it's strictly passes or transit cards or I won't use the system. I'm sure I speak for many others as well. So if you use ventra like I told a senior at Jeff Pk. "use it at your own risk" He told me that he has no choice. That is really the crime in this. We've lost the freedom to choose.

[brownliner]

 

or passes that transition to standard fare charges in the middle of the pass.

The source you cited for that says it was Chicago card plus that did that. I know you have a problem with facts getting in the way of your rants, but there are plenty of things to be annoyed with Ventra about without having to make them up.

[Rippler]

So what happens when November 15th comes around and we still don't have our Ventra cards?

I have a Chicago Card Plus and immediately responded to sign up for the new Ventra card back in August. September 4th I got the email with my login info (which I did log in and get set up), where it said I'll receive the card within 7-10 business days. Well it's almost 2 months later and I still don't have the card.

I finally called Ventra last week thinking maybe someone else got the card or it was lost in the mail, but no, they don't show my name as ever having been issued one yet, and assured me that more are going out this week, and another batch on November 5th. I'm not really optimistic at this point about having the card before the cutoff date for using the old cards.

So what happens when November 15th rolls around and some of us still don't have cards? Do we lose what's on the old Chicago Card Plus? Do we have to buy a Ventra Card at an el station and pay the $5 extra for it?

They really have not been very organized in this process. If there was no way they could meet the demand of mailing out the Ventra cards as they said, why bother sending out the emails saying within 7-10 business days? I'm really not too hopeful about getting a card before the deadline anymore and wondering what will happen at that point with the money on my old card, I really don't want to just lose $25+ for no reason.

[BusHunter]

 The source you cited for that says it was Chicago card plus that did that. I know you have a problem with facts getting in the way of your rants, but there are plenty of things to be annoyed with Ventra about without having to make them up.

Jajuan already posted that observation. I was reacting to him saying that not everyone is getting the shaft. There's no reason to flame me. I have tried to keep things civil. I suggest you do the same.

[nflyer22]

...I'm going to order one in the next several minutes after posting this message. I'll make another post when I do receive the card in the coming weeks, if not days, however long the card may take to get here in Urbana.

So what happens when November 15th comes around and we still don't have our Ventra cards?

I have a Chicago Card Plus and immediately responded to sign up for the new Ventra card back in August. September 4th I got the email with my login info (which I did log in and get set up), where it said I'll receive the card within 7-10 business days. Well it's almost 2 months later and I still don't have the card.

I finally called Ventra last week thinking maybe someone else got the card or it was lost in the mail, but no, they don't show my name as ever having been issued one yet, and assured me that more are going out this week, and another batch on November 5th. I'm not really optimistic at this point about having the card before the cutoff date for using the old cards.

...

Yes agreed. I did not forget about my original post; the card I ordered back in August has not arrived either.

Going back to what was said about the introduction of the Chicago Card/Chicago Card Plus, there were many perks that CTA made available to encourage their use back in the day, such as the mentioned Go Lane for faster boarding, but I remember at one point in time there was a 10% bonus when you loaded $20 or more onto your card (you add $20 and you automatically get $22). That was a true selling point for me; unfortunately the bonus got axed with the doomsday cuts.

Since the introduction of Ventra, I thought some similar perks would be offered to customers again to encourage their adoption into daily use (after all, it is set to replace the entire current fare system this time). Unfortunately it's a disappointment that CTA is relying on the debit card option and fees as the ups of the Ventra card, rather than specific transit benefits.

[Busjack]

....but I remember at one point in time there was a 10% bonus when you loaded $20 or more onto your card (you add $20 and you automatically get $22). That was a true selling point for me; unfortunately the bonus got axed with the doomsday cuts.

.....

The mag cards also had that bonus if you loaded up.

[nflyer22]

The mag cards also had that bonus if you loaded up.

Really? I remembered it was something exclusive to CC.

[Busjack]

Really? I remembered it was something exclusive to CC.

The theory was that CTA [back then] appreciated your money in advance, and, basically, there wasn't much difference between loading mag stripe cards and CC at the TVM.

See the below from a 2002 map:

[jajuan]

Is it? Didn't you respond to me when I said my pass expired early that "that was OK I've had that happen to me" meaning your ventra pass expired early but that was OK? Believe me I'm not overreacting. I'm lucky if I've used the card 10-15 times before it double charged me. That part of the card is extremely unreliable. I don't see how anyone could use it and not be overcharged. I'll never use that part of the card again, I'll tell you that. That's how strongly I'm against it. For me it's strictly passes or transit cards or I won't use the system. I'm sure I speak for many others as well. So if you use ventra like I told a senior at Jeff Pk. "use it at your own risk" He told me that he has no choice. That is really the crime in this. We've lost the freedom to choose.

No I did not say it happened to me. I said I carried over a habit of how I timed purchasing new passes as a precaution to my ventra card from my days of using mag strip passes Those two statements are not the same thing sir.In fact never encountered the early expiring pass as you have. So yeah your statement is still an overexaggeration. But do understand I'm speaking from the bass side of things. I can't speak from the transit value side of things because I need to ride too often for the transit card like aspect to be a viable option for fare payment.

[nflyer22]

The theory was that CTA [back then] appreciated your money in advance, and, basically, there wasn't much difference between loading mag stripe cards and CC at the TVM.

...

Thanks for that. My memory never caught that detail.

[MetroShadow]

Theoretically, they should have teethed it when they first started out by rolling out the student passes. In any event, there should have been a slower rollout to a select number of CC and CCP members instead of saying "this is the deadline." As was pointed out in some news reports, whoever Ventra is provided the worst service to theoretically CTA's best customers.

The employee passes were supposed to be the testing sample first, followed by the student/UPass groups. Those weren't "active" until the end of July (and technically the friendly test began a month and a half behind schedule).