TIL that tapping my transit card wrong cost me $12 in fees

I got a new TAP card in LA last month and didn't realize you have to tap it just right on the bus reader. The driver kept saying "try again" and after 3 failed taps it flagged my card as suspicious. Now they charged me a $12 replacement fee and I can't get my old balance back. Anyone else get hit with hidden fees from finicky card readers?

2 comments

2 Comments

keithbennett2d agoMost Upvoted

Man, I feel your pain. I had almost the exact same thing happen with my TAP card at a Metro station last year. The reader was so picky I had to hold it there for like five seconds and it still failed twice. Metro charged me a $10 fee for "suspicious activity" and I lost about $8 in stored fare. What finally worked for me was calling their customer service line right when they opened at 8am. I explained the faulty reader to them and after 45 minutes on hold they refunded the fee and restored my balance. You gotta be persistent with them though, they'll try to blame you first.

morgan.charlie2d ago

Wait, you actually got them to refund it @keithbennett? That's wild, I always assumed they'd never budge on those fees.