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Old 01-14-2011, 11:19 AM
 
8,767 posts, read 18,664,202 times
Reputation: 3525

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It's 2011. Computers have been in common use for the better part of a quater century now. Purchasing goods online now is as common as buying goods at the local store. Though when it comes to purchasing an Easy Pass for the Maine Turnpike you'd think it was 1911!!

A quick search on the MTA website should have been a clue of what was to come. No little icon to press to sign up for the Easy Pass. They did have a place where you could go to download the order form. Fine I'll just fill out the form and take it in to their office and pick up the transponders there.
It will save time and they won't have to ship them to me. WRONG. Even though we drove to Portland, handed in the paperwork, and paid the fees they do not have the transponders at their office!!! They SHIP them! "They should be there within a week" was their claim as we left, puzzled, at this archaic way to do business.
Well the "week " has come and gone by several days and my son has already left to go back to school in New York WITHOUT his Easy Pass!
So now on top of the hassles of driving to Portland to deliver the order form and waiting for the stupid transponders to be shipped obviously via parcel post from Hawaii, we have to pay full freight for the tolls for my son ($30.00) and ship the transponder to his school when and if it ever shows up.
Thanks Maine Turnpike Authority! With such efficiency and convenience I'm surprised your roads are paved!!
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Old 01-14-2011, 11:33 AM
 
1,594 posts, read 4,095,609 times
Reputation: 1099
Customer service has rarely been the MTA's strong suit beyond making sure the pavement is plowed to bare asphalt in every snow storm that occurs while the legislature is in session. It's what comes of an entity that receives very little oversight from the legislature or anyone else.
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Old 01-14-2011, 11:50 AM
 
36 posts, read 71,943 times
Reputation: 28
I got mine at a AAA, same day, but not in Maine.
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Old 01-14-2011, 12:37 PM
 
Location: South Portland, Maine
2,356 posts, read 5,717,874 times
Reputation: 1536
Quote:
Originally Posted by Maineah View Post
It's 2011. Computers have been in common use for the better part of a quater century now. Purchasing goods online now is as common as buying goods at the local store. Though when it comes to purchasing an Easy Pass for the Maine Turnpike you'd think it was 1911!!

A quick search on the MTA website should have been a clue of what was to come. No little icon to press to sign up for the Easy Pass. They did have a place where you could go to download the order form. Fine I'll just fill out the form and take it in to their office and pick up the transponders there.
It will save time and they won't have to ship them to me. WRONG. Even though we drove to Portland, handed in the paperwork, and paid the fees they do not have the transponders at their office!!! They SHIP them! "They should be there within a week" was their claim as we left, puzzled, at this archaic way to do business.
Well the "week " has come and gone by several days and my son has already left to go back to school in New York WITHOUT his Easy Pass!
So now on top of the hassles of driving to Portland to deliver the order form and waiting for the stupid transponders to be shipped obviously via parcel post from Hawaii, we have to pay full freight for the tolls for my son ($30.00) and ship the transponder to his school when and if it ever shows up.
Thanks Maine Turnpike Authority! With such efficiency and convenience I'm surprised your roads are paved!!
I know exactly what you mean. over the years while already having one I have had to phone call them and/or go there IN person to deal with stuff.... usually billing related..

Their website is out of date and ordering forms??? come on.. My guess is the board is made up of some part time way over the hill old farts (no offense to the old fart board members ) who just havent caught on with the times..
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Old 01-14-2011, 12:52 PM
 
Location: Maine's garden spot
3,468 posts, read 7,239,173 times
Reputation: 4026
Quote:
Originally Posted by flycessna View Post
I know exactly what you mean. over the years while already having one I have had to phone call them and/or go there IN person to deal with stuff.... usually billing related..

Their website is out of date and ordering forms??? come on.. My guess is the board is made up of some part time way over the hill old farts (no offense to the old fart board members ) who just havent caught on with the times..


Hey Bob!, I think we've been insulted!
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Old 01-14-2011, 01:29 PM
 
Location: Bangor Maine
3,440 posts, read 6,545,596 times
Reputation: 4049
Maineah - My suggestion would be to send the letter that you posted here to the "letters to the editor" departments of both Bangor Daily News and the Portland Press Herald. I think both of them would find it interesting to print. They love it when they can get a controverys rolling. Looking forward to seeing it in my morning paper! More people should be aware of this kind of treatment by an institution that is paid for by the public.
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Old 01-14-2011, 02:32 PM
RHB
 
1,098 posts, read 2,150,392 times
Reputation: 965
Hey, maybe in our new Governor would like to streamline the MTA, bring it up to speed, maybe save us some money?
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Old 01-14-2011, 03:17 PM
 
Location: Sacramento, CA/Dover-Foxcroft, ME
1,816 posts, read 3,390,311 times
Reputation: 2896
I have one in my van, car and motorcycle out here. I'm always amazed at the number of people that don't have them yet. Here is a picture of the pay lane. Plus we use them to get across (one way) all the 7 bay area bridges. I think they're all $5.00 now. Except the Golden Gate which is almost $10.00. No toll roads though.



And up a little closer shows the fees. One says Milpitas $.35 and the other Calavaras $.50. I use them when it's stacked in the morning commute. Then it truely is an express lane.



They make them relatively easy to get out here. Just get on line and order I think. My office manager ordered all 3 of mine. So I really don't know. Nevermind. It probably took a month.
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Old 01-14-2011, 04:25 PM
 
Location: Northern Maine
10,428 posts, read 18,677,040 times
Reputation: 11563
They used to bulk ship new sending units. People would see a bill for a trip they didn't make. It turns out that all the units in the UPS truck were reporting as the truck went through the tolls.
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Old 01-14-2011, 04:28 PM
 
Location: 3.5 sq mile island ant nest next to Canada
3,036 posts, read 5,885,931 times
Reputation: 2171
Quote:
Originally Posted by RMoore007 View Post
I have one in my van, car and motorcycle out here. I'm always amazed at the number of people that don't have them yet. Here is a picture of the pay lane. Plus we use them to get across (one way) all the 7 bay area bridges. I think they're all $5.00 now. Except the Golden Gate which is almost $10.00. No toll roads though.



And up a little closer shows the fees. One says Milpitas $.35 and the other Calavaras $.50. I use them when it's stacked in the morning commute. Then it truely is an express lane.



They make them relatively easy to get out here. Just get on line and order I think. My office manager ordered all 3 of mine. So I really don't know. Nevermind. It probably took a month.
Boy the plows do a great job of clearing the snow for you folks.
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