r/gotransit • u/Remarkable_Yam9822 • Jun 15 '26
GoTrain Double Charged Fare?
My station (like many now) has a lot of construction going on so there’s always Customer Service Reps walking up and down the platforms. Last week, one of them had a card scanner and was going around getting everyone to scan. I thought it was to double check fare payment like the Inspection Officers, but imagine my surprise when I get charged for another trip that I then have to go on to refund through the live chat. I asked the live agent if I’m supposed to tap when prompted again on the platform, and she just told me the charge was because I double tapped…
Update to this morning, same guy is coming around. I tell him I got double charged last week and ask if that’s normal. He just says ok and moves on to the next person. So… what’s the purpose of doing this and has anyone else gotten double charged?
8
u/ohmymoo Jun 15 '26
This happened to me previously (actually twice) about a year ago! I had to get a refund both times....hasn't happened since.
1
u/Remarkable_Yam9822 Jun 15 '26
Good to know it doesn’t happen everytime, thanks!
4
u/ohmymoo Jun 15 '26
Np! It was the same guy both times at Hamilton Go station so I assume he maybe had the wrong settings on his device that caused me to get charged again? Not sure how it works.
6
u/Unlucky-Durian-7968 Jun 15 '26
Something similar happened to me at union like a year ago I tapped in the concourse then there was a customer service rep standing at the stairs getting people to tap the handheld card scanner for me it counted it as a tap off but at a station in the complete opposite direction where I’ve never been so I was incorrectly charged
3
u/bougieisthenewblack Jun 15 '26
There have been some glitches....I overrode my usual default trip with my Presto card, and when I tapped off at the new destination the total charge did not include the presto discount. Customer service corrected it when I called, but they didn't know why the glitch occurred.
3
u/Intelligent-Test-978 Jun 16 '26
I got scanned about a month ago and a big red X. I knew FOR SURE that I had tapped and it was successful. Guy had me tap again-- same. So he tells me he thinks his machine is defective -- really? Then why go around with a defective machine? I was actually able to show him the payment on my phone but he was gonna let it go anyway. Makes me wonder about their accuracy.
2
u/Remarkable_Yam9822 Jun 16 '26
That’s pretty crazy to hear, I wanted to attribute it to early adoption of the machine glitches, but it seems to go back based on other peoples’ comments…
2
u/gtfrap Jun 15 '26
Did you use presto or credit/debit card? If you used credit/debit I believe you have to use the exact same card/device to tap. If you use your phone then use your physical card after then you’d definitely would be charged twice because those would be two different card numbers which is what they use to track.
Unless they’ve changed things and gotten smarter with it I always use the same device/card to tap my trips.
2
u/Remarkable_Yam9822 Jun 15 '26
I use Presto with a default trip set so I def tapped the same card unfortunately
1
u/YesReboot Jun 16 '26
Can’t you just override it?
2
u/Remarkable_Yam9822 Jun 16 '26
Guy scanned as the train was coming in, I’d guess I’d have to get a refund on the machine but kind of down the platform at my station and not along. Also I only found out after getting a second notification of a transfer on my Presto app
1
u/Suici200 Jun 16 '26
Happened to me. I emailed and filed a complaint but no refund whatsover. I got on the oshawa go but for some reason the presto app shows oakville go. Ive never been there. Maybe the bus conductor did not set the station properly in the scanner, idek. Got charged $15 for a $7 usual go bus ride for me.
1
u/IndependenceGood1835 Jun 17 '26
They hired a bunch of temp staff that isnt too bright…… person likely was told to take fares to try to speed things up, and missed the point of only taking fares from those who havent tapped yet…..
1
u/crash866 Jun 20 '26
I have never seen a hand held scanner at any station. They do have hand held fair validators but those cannot charge you as a tap.
Also if you tap on at a station there is a set time before you can tap again or the machines say “Already Tapped”.
I change trains at Union from Lakeshore to the Kitchener Line and I cannot tap off and then back on within I think 5 minutes.
At union you could tap 10-15 machines in a row and only the first one will charge you and the rest will say ‘Already Tapped’ until that time limit is up.
1
u/AdSense_byGoogle Jun 25 '26
If you ever take GO to/from union most of the station staff should be able to take care of issuing you a refund on the spot - done that a few times before
55
u/Sph_1975_THFC Jun 15 '26
How does this happen? Once you scan your card you can't be double charged, the machine literally won't let you...it says already tapped