MUNI jacked up prices for riders again. People unfortunate enough to have auto-pay into a Translink account got seriously jacked, as the powers that be decided to auto-deduct the highest possible pass price (went from $55 to $70) with very little notice. The one announcement was sent via email during the Christmas break, two weeks before the change took affect -- not good for anyone gone on vacation or needing to adjust pre-tax deductions. Many riders would probably opt for the $60 pass over the $70 one, the difference being the ability to also use it on BART but ONLY within city limits (there are plenty of buses that run the same route).
MTA spokesman John Goodwin said "his department hasn't received any complaints." Clearly these are the type of executives who make decisions to improve their short-term gain without thinking about the long-term effect on ridership or participation in Translink, which has had two decades to gain customers, but still seems to be floundering. Wonder why?
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Pre-tax Flex Spending Account
Be prepared to be EXTREMELY proactive if you think you're going to get all the money back that you put into your Flex Spending Account. As you get to the end of the year, if a charge is over what's left,(on the credit card they give you), the charge will bounce. So you'll need to charge the EXACT amount (we'll see if that works).
I write this as I'm on the line with "customer service" to find out if I'll be issued a new charge card for the following year. I've already punched about 5 phone tree options, one of the options doesn't clarify itself until you've failed three times, I've heard about 5 recordings, and now I'm at the ominous "silence" after which I anticipate getting hung up on - bingo. In the time it took me to write that, I heard a click and lost connection.
Second call, I reach the a raspy-voice sounds like heavy smoker who won't help me unless I provide my account number or social security number. The account number is on paperwork they sent a year ago, NOT on the credit card they issue. I don't want to endure hold again to dig through my old paperwork, so I give my social security number and complete information she needs to set up a false identity.
She informs me that even though the credit card they issue says it expires end of month, it's actually worthless and I have to submit a MANUAL claim for the end of year expenses (which I actually have until March to make). This entire interaction makes my head hurt, and realize that the amount of "tax savings" involved in these pre-tax "benefits" is not enough to pay for the time spent trying to straighten out the accounts involved.
I write this as I'm on the line with "customer service" to find out if I'll be issued a new charge card for the following year. I've already punched about 5 phone tree options, one of the options doesn't clarify itself until you've failed three times, I've heard about 5 recordings, and now I'm at the ominous "silence" after which I anticipate getting hung up on - bingo. In the time it took me to write that, I heard a click and lost connection.
Second call, I reach the a raspy-voice sounds like heavy smoker who won't help me unless I provide my account number or social security number. The account number is on paperwork they sent a year ago, NOT on the credit card they issue. I don't want to endure hold again to dig through my old paperwork, so I give my social security number and complete information she needs to set up a false identity.
She informs me that even though the credit card they issue says it expires end of month, it's actually worthless and I have to submit a MANUAL claim for the end of year expenses (which I actually have until March to make). This entire interaction makes my head hurt, and realize that the amount of "tax savings" involved in these pre-tax "benefits" is not enough to pay for the time spent trying to straighten out the accounts involved.
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