Dart Charge - be aware (1 Viewer)

[GeriatricWanderer]

After a couple more unhelpful replies from "Customer Service" I escalated this to Sanef's CEO. Reply today:

I've pointed out to her the impossibility of filling in a signature field on-line and told her that "In order to meet its contracted obligation of on-line cancellation, Dart Charge needs to create a specific facility which enables it, not some half-baked, cobbled together, fudge."

We shall see.

Well after 3 emails to the same less helpful customer services they have told me they cannot reply to anymore from me and I have to talk to their enforcement team (who probably sit in an adjacent room).
Thus far my approach has been via their enquiry process - I will now go through their complaints route (probably also in a next door office).
This battle has only just started

 

[GJH]

This battle has only just started

Yes. I've sent a follow-up, copied to Hewson and the customer service team

Dear Orla McElroy,

I forgot to mention that feedback and coaching needs to be provided not only to the CSRs but to Mr Hewson and his senior managers who allowed this situation to occur in the first place.

In any organisation it is the responsibility of the Chief Executive and senior managers to ensure that systems are implemented properly. By not doing so they fail not only their customers but also their employees who are left in the unenviable position of trying to defend the indefensible.

I hope Mr Hewson and his senior managers will have the good faith to acknowledge this.

Regards,
Graham Hadfield

 

[sussexlad]

I received my penalty charge notice from Dartford Tunnel today and the contents of the envelope did not offer me the opportunity to pay the standard charge (because this was my first offence).

I rang them up and without hesitation the Lady allowed me to pay £5 over the phone for my two journeys. She confirmed all charges on my account had been cleared.

That saved me £70!

Please note.

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[bigfoot]

This is a typical example of vague and contradictory terms and conditions that could only be understood by a 'Philadelphia Lawyer',and it gives the so called service provider opportunities to fleece people!
GWs case is a prime example of this. We have a Clear English Campaign who should become involved in this issue.

 

[GJH]

Several more e-mails yesterday between myself and Hewson ended with him saying that if I want to escalate this further I can do so through Highways England. Complaint sent to Highways England earlier this morning.

In the meantime, I received two reminders on 31 December that my registered credit card expires in February so signed on to my account to put the new expiry date on. Can I find out how to do it? Can I ^&*&*!! I've raised that with the Operations Manager at Sanef now.

 

[DavidG58]

Having used their prepay option just before Christmas and reading all the aggravation some of you seem to be having I cant see the point in an account. I think it is only cars that get a significant discount anyway

Unless I was local and used it a lot I wouldn't bother, once prepaid you have up to 12 months to use it, so even if plans change it is not a complete waste

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[Deleted member 29692]

In the meantime, I received two reminders on 31 December that my registered credit card expires in February so signed on to my account to put the new expiry date on. Can I find out how to do it? Can I ^&*&*!!

Easy peasy

Sign in, go to "My Details" at the top of the screen, then to "Change your payment details"

This thread has just jogged my memory to update mine. Took all of a minute and a half

 

[GJH]

Easy peasy

Sign in, go to "My Details" at the top of the screen, then to "Change your payment details"

This thread has just jogged my memory to update mine. Took all of a minute and a half

It doesn't have the option Nick. All it will allow me to do is change my Top-up method from Manual to Automatic (which I don't want).

 

[Deleted member 29692]

It doesn't have the option Nick. All it will allow me to do is change my Top-up method from Manual to Automatic (which I don't want).

Odd. You don't see this screen then?

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[GJH]

Odd. You don't see this screen then?

No. All I get is

Top-up method: manual
You must remember to add funds to your account yourself when your balance is low.
When your account goes below £10.00 email notification will be sent to remind you to topup. If account balance goes below zero, you will have 24 hours to add funds after that account will be closed and you may receive a penalty charge if you use the crossing and don't pay.

followed by a green button labelled "Pay automatically".

I didn't get an e-mail when my account went below £10 either (started at £10 and made two crossings last January which reduced it to £6.66).

Basically the web site is a shambles. It looks like it has been set up to cater for regular users and features which they don't use have just been ignored.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

I wonder if it's anything to do with a private company having to/trying to operate a system within the .gov.uk framework.

I use the Sanef operated (and I assume built) website for my Liber-t tag and it doesn't look, feel or work anything like the Dart Charge one which is a government one through and through.

 

[GJH]

I wonder if it's anything to do with a private company having to/trying to operate a system within the .gov.uk framework.

I use the Sanef operated (and I assume built) website for my Liber-t tag and it doesn't look, feel or work anything like the Dart Charge one which is a government one through and through.

Most likely to do with a private company cutting corners to save money.
After my IT career it pains me to see how many packages private companies implement which are not fit for purpose.

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[trophychap]

When I registered last year I opted to Top up Manually, we made one crossing and I received an e-mail from them saying I was below the agreed £10 minimum so please top your account up. (My wording there not the verbatim that was sent to my phone.)

So that entails me giving them another £10 so my investment with them will now be £18.33 instead of the £10.00 minus the one crossing charge that has been made.

Seems a bit of a scam to me if I have to hold that sort of investment with them without them paying me any interest on my holding.

 

[JockandRita]

When I registered last year I opted to Top up Manually, we made one crossing and I received an e-mail from them saying I was below the agreed £10 minimum so please top your account up. (My wording there not the verbatim that was sent to my phone.)

So that entails me giving them another £10 so my investment with them will now be £18.33 instead of the £10.00 minus the one crossing charge that has been made.

Seems a bit of a scam to me if I have to hold that sort of investment with them without them paying me any interest on my holding.

When I opened an account with £10.00, I chose manual payment. A couple of days later, I added £3.00. This was to test the email activation process when I made my return crossing. It worked.
I now have £9.66 in my account, which won't be used again until 14th April.

It's only the auto top up, that extracts a tenner each time from your account.

@GJH, go for it big time Graham.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[gus-lopez]

When I registered last year I opted to Top up Manually, we made one crossing and I received an e-mail from them saying I was below the agreed £10 minimum so please top your account up. (My wording there not the verbatim that was sent to my phone.)

So that entails me giving them another £10 so my investment with them will now be £18.33 instead of the £10.00 minus the one crossing charge that has been made.

Seems a bit of a scam to me if I have to hold that sort of investment with them without them paying me any interest on my holding.

You don't have to top up until you want to. I just let mine run down last year after 5 trips it had only£1.65p left in it. I didn't bother topping up until the end of the 12 month period from when I opened it the November before. Think they sent me another email as the year was coming up.
Just checked & they did. What you should also do is check after you have manually topped up that they haven't put the payment through more than once. Utterly useless system.

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[PeteH]

Bi

As I said - Typical performance when private sector Yee-Has are employed to do a job and cut corners to make more profit

A bit like our L-A Then?

Pete

 

[PeteH]

Well that has decided us...... if and when we venture to the continent of Europe we will be going via Newcastle or Hull.

Except sister-in-law gets VERY seasick so it'll be tunnel when we go to Italy with them and we will have to check out how to pay - or time it for the free period.

There is FREE period. Pray Tell? When?

Pete

 

[GJH]

Bi

A bit like our L-A Then?

Pete

No. But exactly like the private companies that win contracts from them and then refuse to perform when the have the council tied up.

There is FREE period. Pray Tell? When?

Pete

10pm to 6am, just as it was when the booths were in place.

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[PeteH]

10pm to 6am, just as it was when the booths were in place.

In the past I often did deliveries to Bluewater. It Always took the dart tag every time!.

Pete

 

[GJH]

In the meantime, I received two reminders on 31 December that my registered credit card expires in February so signed on to my account to put the new expiry date on. Can I find out how to do it? Can I ^&*&*!! I've raised that with the Operations Manager at Sanef now.

Just had a reply from the Operations Manager at Sanef. Cheeky beggars had changed my Top-Up method to Automatic without my permission, something I had specifically told them I didn't want, so that I had the options in Nick's post above.
I've changed it back to Manual and asked them to tell me how I can update my credit card details without being abused by Dart Charge/Sanef.

 

[JockandRita]

@GJH. Having just signed out my account, I was presented with a feedback page.

I suggested that they might look at providing an email and text service, for those wishing to either make changes or close their accounts. I'm not expecting a reply.

Cheers,

Jock.

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[GJH]

I've had a reply saying that switching to Auto Top-Up is the only way to change card details.

Looking into it further, though, I realised that there is no need for Dart Charge to keep card details of anyone using Manual Top-Up as all payments are one-offs and there is no requirement for the same card to be used each time. I also noticed that the messages sent reminding me to update the details addressed me as somebody using Auto Top-Up.

I've pointed out the Data Protection offence implications to Dart Charge and await their reaction

 

[Larby]

Was you hoping that they could have said something like this from the beginning?

Dear Sir,

Thank you for drawing our attention to the shortcomings in our website.
We will endeavour to resolve the problems you have identified.
Kindest regards

Customer Service Team

 

[GJH]

Was you hoping that they could have said something like this from the beginning?

Dear Sir,

Thank you for drawing our attention to the shortcomings in our website.
We will endeavour to resolve the problems you have identified.
Kindest regards

Customer Service Team

That's the sort of reaction I've had from responsible companies in the past

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[gus-lopez]

I suggested that they might look at providing an email and text service, for those wishing to either make changes or close their accounts. I'm not expecting a reply.

Cheers,

Jock.

I suggested that next time I manually top up they take one payment & not put it through twice.

 

[Gorse Hill]

What I wrote to Sanef:
Reply from Sanef:
My response to Sanef:

Typical performance when private sector Yee-Has are employed to do a job and cut corners to make more profit

Should have left it in public hands like labour wanted

 

[GJH]

Should have left it in public hands like labour wanted

The system reminds me of the ones Labour implemented in the DWP, packages (often from America and designed for different subjects) which simply were not fit for purpose.
Labour was responsible for far too much being forcibly contracted out to private sector "strategic partners" which then shafted the government (local and national).
Labour's headlong rush down the PFI route (which they should have controlled) is the cause of so much of the wasted spending in the NHS (to say nothing of all the money they wasted on NPfIT).

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[Cavs]

Should have left it in public hands like labour wanted

Should have stopped charging, as was promised. But then they wouldn't have been able run this experiment in widespread road pricing.

headlong rush down the PFI route (which they should have controlled) is the cause of so much of the wasted spending in the NHS

PFI was always insane and will always ending up costing more than public funding.

 

[GJH]

Should have stopped charging, as was promised. But then they wouldn't have been able run this experiment in widespread road pricing.

Yes, then the people of the Home Counties could pay the maintenance from their council taxes and the rest of us could use it for free

 

[peterc10]

The idea that the public sector are angels that always get things right and the private sector are evil and always get things wrong is absolute nonsense in my opinion. By the way so is the opposite suggestion.

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