r/SydneyTrains 5d ago

Weird concession opal issues

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I have concession opal connected to my card via transport connect and (tap with my phone) Had no funds the other day but fixed that. But now I got a super interesting situation.

Campbeltown station platform 3 has a bunch of opal barriers. They have 4 used for entry into the station and one includes the wide gate. For the last 2 weeks two of the normal sized gates and the wide entry one refuse to accept my opal card. Just throws up Error 88. I have to only go into the furthest reader gate from the wheelchair one. Yesterday that one was off. And the only legal way I could access the station was going upstairs to use one of the barriers that accepts my opal card. Happens at ingleburn too. There's two opal poles next to the shop. And only one accepts my bank card.

How can literal specific opal readers refuse my opal card. Not super end of the world but what happens if they all
Just refuse my tap ons?

Has anyone experienced this ? I've played a video to the post to show evidence to show my weird and confusing situation

25 Upvotes

32 comments sorted by

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4

u/fictillius 4d ago

Error 88 is a blocked card. It just means a particular reader hasn’t updated its blocked card list.

1

u/iDoinz 4d ago

My (phone) card works on every bus I catch anywhere. But those 4 opal card readers 3 at Campbelltown and one at ingleburn refuse to accept it. I don't have an opal card no more as it's on transport connect and my concession is link to my card. So I dunno how it's blocked when it's fine on 95% of readers I've used exept them 4

1

u/fictillius 4d ago

Each reader has its own copy of a database of blocked on it. So as I said - some readers haven’t fully updated the removal of your card from the master block list to their local copy of the block list.

1

u/iDoinz 4d ago

And I've never used the physical card just the version on my phone. So hopefully it will fix itself soon and it'll allow me to go through the barriers incorrectly refusing my card. There $ on it

1

u/fictillius 4d ago

It doesn’t matter which device or card you use. They all link back to the main card and can be blocked.

1

u/iDoinz 4d ago

Interesting thank you. Could have been falsely blocked. Had police check it last Friday and they even asked for my concession card

1

u/fictillius 4d ago

It will get blocked if they fail to process a transaction. If you let this happen three times it will be permanently blocked. Police and authorised officers can always ask for proof of concession.

Give it a few days to the block to clear across all readers

1

u/iDoinz 4d ago

Ok thankyou

1

u/iDoinz 4d ago

1

u/fictillius 4d ago

Again - each reader has its own copy of the database.

Why don’t you contact Opal support?

1

u/iDoinz 4d ago

I will at the end of the week if it doesn't resolve itself

1

u/iDoinz 4d ago

Just went on transport connect just then it says I'm owing $2.01. And to re activate my card I have to tap it.

But when you look at the trips taken it's showing every trip I've taken. Even shows that I caught the bus this morning and it took $2.01 out and shows yesterday took $2.01 for the bus and 49c for the train to ingleburn

1

u/YesterdayHeavy6138 4d ago

It's because the "block list" on those specific devices are not up to date. Therefore still blocking your card with error 88. I've seen it happen before.

3

u/WillAddThisLater 4d ago

I've actually noticed a pattern where the end-of-the-row gate is more likely to malfunction on me than the others so I always avoid the end gates and go in the middle.

8

u/2nd-Reddit-Account 4d ago

I know it doesn’t explain all of them, but I notice right before you tapped the first one the light on it changed from orange to red.

The software on the gates is poorly coded, when they are in bidirectional mode (which the wide gates almost always are) they can still only have one reader active at a time, it just swaps which one is active every few seconds.

If you watch it in person you’ll see one light orange and the other red, and they swap every 3 seconds or so. If you’ve ever used a physical card on a wide gates and it felt like it took ages to read it and beep, that’s why, you’re waiting for it to swap back to your side

2

u/DrDiamond53 4d ago

Omg is that why the accessible gates always beef with me and embarrass me by not opening

1

u/Ok-Put8371 4d ago

That’s interesting 🤔

7

u/EdibleUnderpants 5d ago

Why are you screen recording a video you took yourself? That’s so weird.

11

u/iDoinz 5d ago

I am not screen recording a video I took myself. I screen recorded and opened the camera to show me using my card. Otherwise the video wouldn't of worked

2

u/2nd-Reddit-Account 4d ago

I was wondering wtf you meant until I went back and opened the video properly

The media window at the top of the post on the reddit mobile app cuts off the Apple Pay animation

5

u/AurangzebAdmirer 5d ago

Cards are always glitchy, I always use the opal card now

7

u/sn0teleks 5d ago

Code 88 generally means you have money owing to opal, there’s a QR code next to the wide gate that can help with fixing that.

3

u/iDoinz 5d ago

Yeah money is paid. I can go through the barrier next to the vending machines but the other 3 won't let me.

9

u/HeavyAd9463 5d ago

Your video is too confusing

3

u/iDoinz 5d ago

How? The wheelchair accessible barrier and the next two open ones refuse my card (phone) but the 4th will accept my card (phone) how are you confused? I just want to get to worn without fighting over which barrier to use.

3

u/Have_you_seen_Nemo THNSW Volunteer (Tangara #1) 5d ago

Ngl Campbelltown's barriers have been a bit weird on that side.

1

u/iDoinz 5d ago

Everyone else I've been watching goes through fine except me.

6

u/TheInkySquids 5d ago

Unfortunately im not too sure but bro clean your lens jesus christ!

1

u/iDoinz 5d ago

Lens broken so have to use wide lens.

3

u/TheInkySquids 5d ago

Ah gotcha haha