SmartTAG User Warns Others About Getting Overcharged At Toll Plazas
He was charged almost five times more than the usual rate.
By Tang Ruxyn — 06 Jun 2016, 11:24 AM
As more and more tolls plazas in Malaysia switch to the cashless payment system, the public is increasingly reliant on using the Touch 'n Go and SmartTAG for a smooth journey
However, it has come to Malaysians' attention that SmartTAG users are possibly at the risk of being overcharged because of a faulty system
A Facebook user by the name of Sai Yew Lee, shared his personal experience on how he was overcharged by an exorbitant amount while passing through a toll on his social media account on 3 June, Friday.
Lee said that the incident happened on 1 June, Wednesday, when he was driving from Jalan Tunku Abdul Halim (previously referred to as Jalan Duta) and passing through the Rawang Selatan toll plaza.
To his own surprise, Lee was shocked to find out when the value stored inside his card dropped to about RM50 or so when the initial value was at RM100 or more before he passed the toll.
"This means that Plus Highway charged me more than RM50.00 for a trip that cost less than RM10.00," he said on his Facebook post.
According to Lee, he contacted Touch 'n Go and Plus Highway but the explanations given were less than satisfactory
Lee said that both companies gave him a similar answer when he inquired on why such a thing happened.
Apparently, they said that such cases are very common, and is most probably caused by a faulty magnetic reader. They added that the public can go to any Plus office to get an immediate refund.
However, what really shocked Lee was the answer given by the companies when he asked what happens if a wrongly charged SmartTAG user is unaware of the inaccurate amount deducted from his or her card.
"If you don't complain, we won't know and there will be no refund," said the representatives from the Touch 'n Go and Plus office, according to Lee.
Lee has proceeded to seek for a refund, but he is very concerned of how no action has been taken to rectify this "very common" issue
"Are Plus Highway and Touch n’ Go doing enough to protect our interests? Where are their social responsibilities?" asked Lee on his Facebook post.
"Both companies were giving me no other solution but forcing me to drive to their office for a refund. Is it fair?"
Lee's Facebook post has already been shared for more than 17,300 times as of today, 6 June, 9:15am.
Lee's unpleasant experience is nothing new. In 2010, The Sun Daily released reports on motorists being "overcharged" at local toll plazas.
The paper learnt that some motorists realised they had an incorrect balance when exiting the highway although the charge stated for the journey was accurate.
For example, a motorist with a card balance of RM40 completed a RM7 journey, and the reader showed a new balance of RM23, instead of RM33.
A Touch 'n Go spokesperson explained to The Sun Daily then that there are a few possibilities on why certain motorists can be "overcharged" and that includes incorrect usage of SmartTAG, a weak SmartTAG battery, or a system error where the reader fails to detect the card at the entry of the toll plaza thus assuming that the motorist has come from the furthest toll plaza.