The Île-de-France Mobilités application encountered a technical problem on January 2 and 3, 2023. 35,000 users who tried to buy transport tickets, such as a Navigo pass, were debited several times. Testimonials.
To start a new year, there is better. Many users of the Île-de-France Mobilités application faced a problem between the evening of January 2 and the morning of January 3, 2023. “ Technical concern on the Île-de-France Mobilités application concerning the purchase of your tickets », tweeted the service’s official account around 9:40 a.m. on Tuesday. Half an hour later, the incident was declared finished.
The inconvenience could have ended there. Nevertheless, people who tried, in vain, to use the application during this outage to recharge their Navigo pass, or other transport tickets, had an unpleasant surprise: that of being debited at each of their attempts. , while buying a pass, or another package, did not work.
35,000 people were debited multiple times
Contacted by Numerama, the press service of Île-de-France Mobilités specified that this technical incident ” led to what 35,000 people are charged multiple times “. In all, 100,000 transactions took place: 5,000 people tried to buy tickets between 10:30 p.m. and midnight on January 2, and another 30,000 between midnight and 10:30 a.m. on January 3.
Some have thus spent several hundred euros. The incident is all the more embarrassing as it occurs when the monthly Navigo pass package has just experienced an increase on January 1, 2023, from €75.20 to €84.10. At the beginning of the month and the year, we could expect many people to top up this ticket. ” Bonjour RATP and SNCF Connect were also affected, as this is a service made available to operators provided by Île-de-France Mobilités “Adds the press service requested by Numerama.
” I was charged 4 times while trying to take my monthly subscription via the app. The payments did not pass, I canceled and I started again, then I received all the invoices by email and the N26 notifications of direct debit “, tells Numerama a user of the app, Arnaud. He indicates that he was debited for a total amount of €336. ” I tried to recharge almost 10 times, according to my bank, it’s a pre-debit “, explains to us for his part Léo *, debited about 300 € in all.
” Refunds will be made automatically without the need to go through the after-sales service of the app “, Quickly indicated Île-de-France Mobilités, without really calming the dissatisfaction of the users concerned by these multiple debits.
“The pass was not loaded and I had to cheat on the metro”
In order to be able to travel despite everything, some have decided to go to the station to recharge their ticket at a terminal. Leo was thus able to recharge his card at a terminal, spending an additional €30. This is also the case of Arnaud, who nevertheless faced two errors with his bank card, ” for which I have not yet been charged “, he specifies. Other people reported online difficulties in paying at the station with their bank card.
“I am overdrawn, my card is blocked and I did not have lunch this afternoon”
Others finally decided to take the transport anyway, without a valid ticket. ” The pass was not loaded and I had to cheat on the metro as I was late and with 252 euros less (3 x 84 euros), so it was impossible for me to redo a paymenttells us Chloé*. Because of them, I’m overdrawn, my card is blocked and I didn’t have lunch this afternoon. »
Of course, the incident is not good publicity for the Île-de-France Mobilités application, but not all users are deterred from using it. This is the case of Arnaud: ” We must admit that it is very practical to use the app to recharge the pass. On the other hand, I will know that in the future if the first payment does not pass, I will not try to go further and I will wait for a communication from the RATP and/or IDF Mobilités. »
Other users are less accommodating, like Mathieu*, who is waiting for a refund of €84 after a futile attempt to load his Navigo pass onto his smartphone. ” If IDFM can’t get its app to work on the day most people go back to work, that’s a bit of a hassle. Especially on the day when there is a 9 euro increase in prices. »
Since the sums involved are substantial, users are impatiently awaiting their reimbursement. ” I hope the refund won’t take long, because having almost €350 out for transport alone is a bad way to start the month. », Worries Arnaud.
Île-de-France Mobilités told Numerama that people who were debited on the evening of January 2, between 10:30 p.m. and midnight, will be reimbursed on Friday January 6. For users who were debited between midnight and 10:30 a.m. on January 3, the transactions will be cancelled. For its part, RATP customer service evoked also this 3-day period and invites users to proceed with the purchase of a pass again.
*Names have been changed.
