No Charge to Charge - BLINK IS CHARGING CC!

[mikesus]

I confirmed with Blink that fast charge stations are charging $6.99 when they shouldn't. This is showing up in a few ways according to the tech that I spoke with. a) instead of seeing the nctc and $0.00 to charge, you will see $6.99 when you scan your card. b) it will show charge for this session $0.00 but charge you ANYWAY. First level support was telling folks "we will see if we can get it credited, but we can not guarantee it" (they are being given a new script so I was told)

What is TRULY disappointing is Nissan's response. "We will make a note of it" Seriously? They are advertising this to attract first time EV'ers and not caring if they are actually honoring the NCTC is a bad move.

 

[Deleted member 14045]

I was getting charged at a charge station that was on the no charge to charge map and I had a relatively long, drawn out battle with the Blink folks and the EZ Charge folks about it. I got the run around, and even got told that the charger location was in a different state at one point. Eventually I made enough noise about it with both Blink and EZ Charge that Blink just gave in and credited my account, then they put the charger on the program. I frequent that charger, and just used it Friday. I just now checked my account online. I wasn't charged.

If your station is listed on the EZ Charge map, I say you make a bunch of noise about it. Call EZ Charge and report the issue. Tell EZ Charge that you want them to file a complaint with Blink for not playing nice with the program. Call Blink and report the issue, and if you don't get what you want, ask to talk to a supervisor. If you still don't, just hang up and call right back 5 minutes later, and someone else will pick up the phone.
https://www.ez-charge.com/stations/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Remember, when you get them to play nice with the program, you're doing it for fellow Leaf owners, not just yourself.

 

[mikesus]

The first station that I was told that I would not be charged was credited. The second station was not as I didn't charge but I had a LONG talk with level 2 tech. I informed him there is a big difference between FREE and FRAUD. You can't say its FREE then charge someone, then refuse to credit them. Any first year law student could eat them up on this.

My biggest gripe is that this program is to attract NEW EV owners. Scaring off newbies is totally not cool.

 

[2k1Toaster]

My biggest gripe is that this program is to attract NEW EV owners. Scaring off newbies is totally not cool.

That's the first mistake. No public charging should be guaranteed. If free public charging had any more than 0% bearing on your decision to purchase a Leaf, that's a problem.

 

[mbender]

My biggest gripe is that this program is to attract NEW EV owners. Scaring off newbies is totally not cool.

If free public charging had any more than 0% bearing on your decision to purchase a Leaf, that's a problem.

And that's an opinion.

Maybe someone without access to home (or apartment, or condo) level-2 charging wanted to go electric, saw the promotion, and figured they could manage using (free) public charging alone for two years. They get a two-year lease, and try to work with their landlord, HOA or whomever to arrange home charging. A LARGE number of people are still unable to charge where they park overnight even using 110V.

And there are other possibilities, but it doesn't matter: Nissan and the networks are promoting and promising a financially measurable benefit, but are not delivering it (smoothly, dependably, uniformly). At best they deserve "grief" for this. "Worse", public chastisement; and "worst", lawsuits.

 

[mikesus]

My biggest gripe is that this program is to attract NEW EV owners. Scaring off newbies is totally not cool.

That's the first mistake. No public charging should be guaranteed. If free public charging had any more than 0% bearing on your decision to purchase a Leaf, that's a problem.

The only bearing it had on my purchase was making it a few weeks earlier than planned. My office is moving and I will be able to make it to the new location on a single charge. The current location is good for 4 days of the week.

I did say New ev owners tho

( I used to own a Solectria, so other than the fact that the vehicle is "new" I hardly qualify as a "new" EV owner)

 

[mikesus]

My biggest gripe is that this program is to attract NEW EV owners. Scaring off newbies is totally not cool.

If free public charging had any more than 0% bearing on your decision to purchase a Leaf, that's a problem.

And that's an opinion.

Maybe someone without access to home (or apartment, or condo) level-2 charging wanted to go electric, saw the promotion, and figured they could manage using (free) public charging alone for two years. They get a two-year lease, and try to work with their landlord, HOA or whomever to arrange home charging. A LARGE number of people are still unable to charge where they park overnight even using 110V.

And there are other possibilities, but it doesn't matter: Nissan and the networks are promoting and promising a financially measurable benefit, but are not delivering it (smoothly, dependably, uniformly). At best they deserve "grief" for this. "Worse", public chastisement; and "worst", lawsuits.

Agreed. With modifications to my route, it adversely affects me as I have to charge on the way to work and the way back instead of near work, but it was a factor in getting the car this Month vs next month. If I paid for charging to my soon to be old work location, I would be looking at close to $30 a week for the next 4 weeks where I would have simply waited. Am I a fool for believing that they would deliver on their promise? I don't think so. BTW, my dealer didn't think so either as he stated "We are selling it this way, they need to fix this"

 

[Deleted member 14045]

My biggest gripe is that this program is to attract NEW EV owners. Scaring off newbies is totally not cool.

That's the first mistake. No public charging should be guaranteed. If free public charging had any more than 0% bearing on your decision to purchase a Leaf, that's a problem.

Free public charging is actually part of what got me off the fence about it. I had been casually looking at EVs online for maybe a year or so, and sort of glancing over at the HOV lane and guestimating how much time it would save me on my commute, but I just didn't want to go through the hassle of figuring out where to put a new outlet in my garage, getting an electrician to come out, researching chargers, calculating costs, etc. The Leaf, with it's low lease payment (about 1/2 the $$$ that my GMC Yukon was burning in gas), it's 120V EVSE/charger, and a free charging card... all of that eliminated my concerns. For the first 3 1/2 months of ownership (um, leasership), I just used the EVSE/charger that it came with, and the free charging card. That gave me plenty of time to think about the rest.

So, I totally agree. The program's lack of reliability is scaring off potential newbies. It was an unpleasant experience to find out that a major part of my decision criteria proved to be bordering on fraudulent. In fact, when I was finally able to get EZ Charge to pursue Blink, "fraud" was the word I used, and I think that's what got their attention.

 

[mbender]

FYI, there are two other short, but relatively current, posts on this same topic. See

EZ Charge Card NOT Easy.... and
file a compliant together-Free to Charge does not work

I don't know if or how (moderator?) they can be combined, but it would probably help if they were.

 

[hsriser]

I totally rely on NCTC to charge on my way home from office. Luckily I have an eVgo quick charger on the way and haven't been charged so far.

 

[mikesus]

I totally rely on NCTC to charge on my way home from office. Luckily I have an eVgo quick charger on the way and haven't been charged so far.

Guess I should correct it to read Blink NCTC...