COVID-19 and the GA

[ajs1k]

My company has mandated work-from-home for the foreseeable future. Will there be any consideration to extending the amount of time a GA may be Hinterlegt?

I have already used up the normal 30 days worth of Hinterlegung but obviously if I am no longer spending 4-hours in the train each day to get to the office it is would be super if the Hinterlegung period would be able to be extended.

Many thanks,

A.

[MarinaZ]

Hello @ajs1k 

Thank you for your query.

The GA travelcard can currently only be deposited for 30 days. There are currently no plans to change the terms and conditions. For further information, please contact the GA Service Center: 0848 44 66 88 (CF0.08/min) / ga@sbb.ch.

I wish you a nice day.

Kind regards,

Marina.

[ajs1k]

Thanks Marina. I was actually hoping for a bit more flexibility on this. Other players in the transport industry have offered such things as robust cancellation policies, one-time flight-date changes, etc. I certainly don't intend to give up my GA altogether, but then again it makes zero sense to have to pay 600CHF a month for something that, in the interim, I can no longer use.

Would you be able to highlight this up to management and see if there is any change of heart?

Thankyou !

A.

[ThopTv]

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[JeanVD]

Hello Sandral,

I totally agree with Ajs1k, the SBB should adapt to current situation in Switzerland and follow what the autorities suggest. A medical certificate doesn't make sens, as its linked to a recommendation from the federal authorities. I'm exactly in the same situation so I think that SBB should step up and show the "good example" in such an uncommon situation.

G.

[Billy]

Hi I agree. I cancelled my ga but won’t take effect until 27 th April . Until then I used the 22 days left on my postponed 30 days until 9th April but still have to pay until 27th which I won’t use. It’s daylight robbery and on top of that they are cancelling trains left right and center and still expect us to pay. I don’t even know if I’ll have a job after this. Sbb should be ashamed of themselves. If there was competition in this monopoly then I would use another train company. 

[SandraI]

Hi @ajs1k 

The GA travelcard can be deposit during the validity period of your travelcard for a maximum of 30 days per travelcard year. It's not possible to extend that period.

If someone sends us a medical certificate confirming the inability to travel (doctor's certificate), a pro rata refund will be granted. 

Kind regards
SandraI

[RG22]

Dear @SandraI 

My company applied home office starting 17th of March with no date to go back to the office so far (pending to see the progress of the current situation). I tried since then to contact SBB by phone with no luck as per now. 

I have a monthly GA and I already used the 30 days of deposit. What do we do in this case? Is there any plan to extend this timing? is there a way to contact SBB regarding deposit by mail or by the swisspass app? By phone is not possible.

Thanks for your help, 

[ManuelaPf]

Hello @RG22 

GA travelcard customers also have the option of cancelling their GA travelcard at the end of each month of subscription after the minimum contract period of 4 months has been reached, subject to a notice period of 1 month.

Kind regards
ManuelaPf

[d99SO]

Dear @ManuelaPf,

The ability to cancel the GA is of little to no use right now. If people start cancelling their GA right now, they will still have to pay until the end of April.

So they are still paying for the entire time where they cannot/ should not use the GA.

[SandraI]

Hi @d99SO 

d to the tariffs and conditions of the Swiss Association of Public Transport. If they make provisions for this, we will follow suit immediately. 

Kind regards
SandraI

[Zurbi]

@SandraI 

The state forbids to travel and SBB (let's not forget state owned) is cashing in on travel cards without hesitation showing absolutely zero flexibility or goodwill towards their loyal GA customers - are you kidding me?!

1) stubbornly following the standard terms & conditions in a national state of exception is principally not understandable. Even more given the drastic reduction of service. Why is SBB not extending the 30 days of suspension?

2) If the suspension time cannot be extended for whatever reason, why is SBB at least not accommodating regarding a shortened period of notice for cancellations? It should in principle be possible to cancel a service such as the GA at any time. In times of great uncertainty a month notice period illustrates SBB's absolute lack of interest for customer experience or satisfaction. 

[ajs1k]

Since the SBB appear to have their hands tied, I just wrote to the VÖV and the BAV. I eagerly await their reply.

[ajs1k · Accepted solution]

Hello everyone, here's the reply I received from the Federal Transportation Office:

Vielen Dank für E-Mail. Die momentane Situation verlangt von allen viel ab. Das Vermeiden von sozialen Kontakten und das Distanzhalten ist ungewohnt und einschränkend. Auch die Empfehlungen des Bundesamts für Gesundheit zur Meidung des öffentlichen Verkehrs ist für viele eine herausfordernde Umstellung.

Ihre Forderung können wir deshalb gut nachvollziehen. Ihr Anliegen betrifft jedoch nicht ausschliesslich die SBB, denn das GA ist ein gemeinsames Produkt der gesamten Schweizerischen öV-Branche und berechtigt zur freien Fahrt mit über 250 verschiedenen Transportunternehmen.

Die Tarifhoheit und somit die Verantwortung für Anpassungen der Tarife und Sortimente, liegt bei den Transportunternehmen und nicht beim Bund. Diese Aufgabe nimmt die öV-Branche zusammen mit der Alliance SwissPass wahr, welche als nationale Tariforganisation des öffentlichen Verkehrs auftritt.

Die öV-Branche prüft derzeit eine nationale, einheitliche Entschädigung für Inhaberinnen und Inhaber von Jahresabonnementen und möchte diese zeitnah definieren. Bei Änderungen informiert die öV-Branche unter https://www.allianceswisspass.ch/coronavirus.

Already there is the notion that you can deposit your GA starting from a date in the past (assuming you haven't used it in the meantime, I assume) and you can also deposit your GA online. Of course as my contact mentions it's not a matter that the SBB can decide by themselves but let's keep an eye on the swisspass webpage above and see what transpires in the coming days.

Stay healthy everyone - hang in there.

[Billy]

They are saying nothing. Went to the gare and was met with a I don’t care robot and was told we don’t give a ***** basically. Still have to give a months notice to cancel. I had to use the last yearly 22 days of my 30 pause which I wanted to use in the summer and Christmas and I’ll still have to pay for 18 days I won’t use and they are running skeleton service and late trains etc and expect use to still pay. Money grabbing thieves. Gonna contract the newspapers after this is over. It’s disgraceful.  

[d99SO]

@SandraI 
I agree with what the others mentioned:
With the current situation where people are actively encouraged to stay at and work from home and with the announced stepwise reduction in train connections, it does not make sense to stay with the same conditions. For example, I used most of my deposit days for when I was on vacation. My current billing period is from the middle of March to the middle of April. SBB's offer is greatly reduced during that time and we are encouraged to use those only if absolutely necessary. I don't think it's fair that the same fees and conditions are applied under these circumstances. 

[ajs1k]

According to the latest announcement, "Das GA kann 30 Tage und ohne Gebühr hinterlegt werden".

This is great news - thank you SBB!

[ajs1k]

Hm. Upon reading further it then says "Für die Hinterlegung des GA gelten die aktuellen Bestimmungen, d.h. das GA kann 30 Tage und ohne Gebühr hinterlegt werden." - so no progress in fact at all.