I posted this on my journal but some people think it best to publish this fuckery in a more public manner.
This is the reply email from EZ-Link dated 27 Nov. I sent them my
rant feedback regarding the EZ-Link automatic top-up facility charge of $0.25 for
each top-up on
6 October. LOL CUSTOMER SERVICE.
( tl;dr )Yes, I always am agitated AND CAPITALISE WITH NO REGARDS FOR importance in my complaint letters.
Basically the point of my rant was:
- who is getting the $0.25 top-up fee?
- why go ahead with the
mandatory switch when they seem so unprepared?
- why no response to letters in the press?
- what the $% have they been doing the past 9 months to be so unprepared for this switch?
Their reply:
Dear XXXX,
With regards to your query, with the urgency to roll out the EZ-Reload by Giro, manual forms were implemented. As EZ-Reload by GIRO is a new scheme, a new system has to be developed to support GIRO top-up transactions. As with any new system, time is required to develop, test and commission the new EZ-Reload by GIRO service prior to public launch.
The roll-out of the new top-up facility also took into consideration the implementation of reduced bus and train fares which was brought forward from October 2009 to 1 April 2009.
To accommodate system testing and fare verification so to ensure a smooth implementation of the reduced bus and train fares, the introduction of the top-up facility was thus rescheduled to 27 August 2009.
The nominal $0.25 fee covers the processing cost incurred in the provision of the EZ-Reload service. It is not imposed by the bank. It is to cover the entire end-to-end process of providing that service. This fee is incurred only when the automatic top-up facility is used. How often the card holder automatically tops-up his/her card depends on the extent of usage and how much customer tops-up his/her card each time.
Customers have the choice of the type of top-up they want for their card according to their lifestyle needs.
We would like to highlight that EZ-Reload is a premium service that is offered in addition to the numerous free top-up channels that are already available to commuters, such as General Ticketing Machines, Add-Value Machines, TransitLink Ticket Offices, Passenger Service Counters at MRT stations. In addition, top ups of ez-link cards at all DBS/POSB ATMs and AXS D-Pay stations are similarly.
Thank you.
Brgds,
Andrew Chan
Customer Service Hotline: 6496 8300
Basically the gist of the reply:
- SHUT THE #$^^ UP YOU HAVE NO CHOICE- reduced bus and train fares affect our systems because we suck at multi-tasking and/or our systems suck and can't handle both processes
- we use manual forms because we have committed to a date but it's not up yet due to above
- and then because we suck at implementing the new system at the new committed date, we are still stuck at manual forms
- $0.25 consists of printing that piece of paper so you can write on it and send it back to one of our poorly paid staff to key into system to send to the banks for approval
- we are now making even more money by discontinuing the previously free GIRO automatic top-up which one can apply for with immediate approval through one of those machines at MRT stations and without any fuss because the bank will just send a letter to your home in case of discrepancies.
Ergo, they lack preparedness. I don't even know who the #$^@ approved this mandatory switch when everything is so chaotic. Why can't the EZ-Link card readers read both the new and old cards?? The people who thought of this up through the chains of command are the least efficient bunch of people ever. BLOOD SUCKERS.
I pity the customer service guy all sorts of way because they must have serious backlog. My anger is directed at the company because they are just full of shit. ASDFGHJKL; I can't even calm myself down; the automatic GIRO top-up facility was the best thing ever because it was a necessity.
To be honest, despite my original email, still no idea who we can look for to have this weird/unethical practice by EZ-Link looked into.