E-Pass Tag: Blessing or a Curse?

Last February 2011, Wife bought an E-Pass tag for me, since she knows that I'm quite impatient in dealing with long lines on the toll gates. Despite my reluctance to use the e-pass tag due to horror stories I read from other users, I used it after it was activated by Skyway Corporation.

Its really more convenient to use the e-pass tag, as it was now a breeze to pass the SLEX toll gates. However, when I reviewed my e-pass tag statements for February and March this year, that is when the months of disappointments and helplessness began.

I live in Binan, Laguna using the Carmona/Binan Exit whenever we enter SLEX. Out of 11 supposedly Carmona entry points, I was surprised to see 7 cases of Calamba as my entry point, 5 on February and 2 on March statements. At Php 46 overcharge for every case, I asked the Skyway Corporation to credit back to me the total amount of Php 322 last 04 April 2011 through an email. 

I also told them to fix their e-pass sensor in Carmona, for me and for other motorists as well. The following day, Ms. Ronette Rojas of Skyway Corp. replied that they will credit back any adjustment to my account. I responded with my thanks and a follow up question if they have tested or fixed the e-pass tag sensor in Carmona Exit, but I have not gotten any reply.

A month after, I received my e-pass statement for month of April 2011. Again, the same overcharging of Calamba as entry point showed up on 4 out of 11 cases of my entry in Carmona Exit. It also showed that they have only reversed 4 out of supposedly 7 overcharges on my February and March statements. 

So I sent another email to Ms. Rojas last 06 May 2011, complaining for the 3 unrectified overcharges, and 4 new overcharges. I copied 3 journalists (Vic Reyes, Backseat Driver & Motoring Today of Philstar), Mr. de Jesus of DOTC, Mr. Imperial and Mr. Corpuz of TRB on my email, but most of them bounced back. Below is the original transcript of my "violent" reaction to Skyway Corps' insensitivity.

"If you will check my address, my residence is only 5 minutes away from Carmona Exit. I also don't have any exit records to Calamba. You have cameras installed in your toll gates, so you could verify my vehicle as it entered the Carmona entry points on the date and time records.

Perhaps its not only me who complained about this, as I also know a neighbor who has similar complaint and she never use her epass tag nowadays. Skyway Corp. could use our money rightaway whenever we load epass tag credits, and yet most of us gets unknowingly cheated by charging us the farthest entry point? Is this what we, as loyal customers deserve?

It is disgusting to learn that your epass tag system shows errors inspite of having been used for more than 10 years now. And your company's blind eye on this "error" is highly questionable as it works in Skyway Corporation's favor. This is literally highway robbery, electronic style.

On my 2 previous emails below, I asked you to check your epass machine in Carmona toll gate, but your management seem to have ignored it. Why? Is it because the machine's error works in your company's favor, as innocent epass tag users gets overcharged? What if the same epass machine "defect" also occur in your other toll gates? How many millions of pesos have had your company illegally collected from us epass tag users?  What happened now to business ethics?

Let me state the following requests from a "hostage" epass user like me:

1. Rectify my charges, as well as the overcharges to other epass tag users who used the Carmona entry point. Same with your other customers on other toll gates that exhibited the same overcharges. Please do this initiative even if your customers did not asked for it, as part of your management team's conscience and corporate social responsibility.

2. Fix the software or hardware of the malfunctioning epass machines. Perform regular tests and maintenance, to protect your customers' interests, not only your interests.

3. If you cannot perform the number 2 request, at least have the courtesy to inform your customers, and shut off the malfunctioning epass machine. Offer to retrieve the epass tags of dissatisfied customers, with full refund of their tags' purchase price."

Only when I sent a follow up email last 12 May 2011 did I received a reply from Ms. Rojas last 13 May 2011. Still the same verbatim about reversal of charges, BUT NOT A SINGLE REACTION to my request or complaint about the defect of their e-pass tag system. From then on, I avoided using my e-pass tag when entering SLEX through Carmona Exit. We literally hide it below the seats on the second row of my Mitsu Adventure, to avoid detection and feared overcharging by their e-pass machine readers. The only exception was on the morning of 23 May 2011, as I'm in a hurry to get to the office.

Middle of this week, I received my e-pass statement for May 2011. I was terribly disappointed again to see that my 23 May 2011 entry via Carmona Exit showed erroneous Calamba Exit as entry point. At this time since the last week of April, each overcharged case means Php 50 wrongfully debited from my e-pass account. So I sent another complaint email to Ms. Rojas last 08 June 2011, and she replied the following day that the disputed charges were credited back to my e-pass account last 03 June 2011. When I checked it last Thursday, they were all credited back, except the sole remaining 23 May 2011 overcharge.

To those E-Pass tag users who have read this post and similar stories, I suggest that you scrutinize your e-pass tag monthly statements of account. To those who are planning to buy a new e-pass tag for Php 2,500/pc, think twice about it if you are willing to undergo my experience.

I hope that more conscientious people in Skyway Corporation, TRB, and DOTC act on my unfortunate experience after reading this blog post.

  
Update as of 14 Dec. 2012:

Skyway's E-Pass service still sucks! I loaded P500 each last Oct. 30 & Nov. 29 thru BPI online payment, but they were not credited to my account when I checked my last 2 statements. This morning, I got "invalid tag" display when I entered SLEX, learning from their staff that I have negative balance. But when I checked my epass balance online a few minutes ago, I still have Php 457 positive balance. 

Until now, they cannot get it right, and the problem still work on their advantage. Nakakainis na sila!