Stingy Machines of Munich: City Drivers Left High and Dry
Elderly Driver to Traverse Half of Munich for Low Fare of 2.20 Euros
By: Gabriele Winter
Unbelievable Stories
You think you've got it all figured out when buying tickets in Munich? Well, think again! Unsuspecting commuters have been left shaking their heads in disbelief after encountering DB (Deutsche Bahn) ticket machines that don't cough up change at the Sollner station.
Suspicious Slip Up
Ulrike Brock (66) learned this the hard way when she recently paid with a 20-euro note for a strip ticket at the Sollner station and didn't receive her 2.20 euros in change. Instead, she got a slip saying, "Overpayment Voucher - Redeemable at all staffed DB sales points." Talk about a nasty surprise! But that's not all. There are only three such points in all of Munich: at the main and east stations, and in Pasing.
Roswitha's Rude Awakening
Retiree Roswitha Neulen experienced a similar shock when paying for a strip ticket to the S-Bahn platform towards the main station with a 50-euro note and not receiving any change. To make matters worse, when she turned to a woman at the MVG customer center for help, she was told to go to the sales point in Pasing. The cherry on top? Security was even called to escort her out!
Lost in Translation
These ticket machines might as well be from another planet, with their high-tech language and lack of clear communication. Both women criticize that nowhere was there a hint that the machine wouldn't spit out change - otherwise, they would have simply paid with a card.
Bahn's Blunt Response
When questioned about the issue, DB stated, "One assumes that the machine couldn’t dispense change for technical reasons. In such cases, the machines issue a corresponding receipt, with which one can have the change refunded at all DB travel centers." predecessor. To get to one of these travel centers, Ulrike Brock and Roswitha Neulen would have to solve four strips, costing them 7.12 euros - time and money wasted!
MVG's Moral Dilemma
The MVG defended their image by stating, "We can't see any damage to our image. We don't want to evaluate the sales strategy of our partners." In fact, the MVG machines do offer change. It's just that at night, all machines are blue - so it can be a bit tricky to distinguish between them.
Hail No, Change Yes
To sum it all up, beware of the sneaky ticket machines in Munich. They might leave you high and dry or thinking you're being robbed. But remember, when in doubt, just pay with a card and grab a coffee while waiting for your change.
Insights:- DB and MVG ticket machines in Munich do not always disburse change.- To receive change, customers must go to a staffed DB travel center, which can be inconvenient and costly.- Customers can avoid overpayment by paying with a card or by using exact change.- Neither DB nor MVG seems to take responsibility for the confusion caused by these ticket machines.- Customers can differentiate MVG machines at night by their blue color.
- Despite working in diverse industries like finance, transportation, and possibly even technology, one might find similarities in dealing with machines that lack clear communication, as evidenced by the DB and MVG ticket machines in Munich.
- When relying on automation in the finance sector, such as automatic teller machines (ATMs), taking the right precautions to preventalteration or theft of currency becomes essential, as highlighted by Ulrike Brock and Roswitha Neulen's encounters with the uncooperative ticket machines in Munich.
