Job Discussion Forums

[Maitoshi]

I recently lost my teikiken (commuter pass). I asked the station attendant about getting a replacement, as I had about 3 weeks of use left on it. He seemed sympathetic, but said I would have to buy a new one, since they cannot be replaced.

What's the point of having my name, birthday, etc. (other than for identifying the user) if these things cannot be replaced if lost? Now I'm regretting having figured out how to buy and use the darned thing. Guess it's back to juggling one-way tickets and pockets full of change.

Does anyone know if the attendant was giving me the time, or if these things really can't be replaced if lost? I really wish my train line used IC cards like my bus line.

[Pitarou]

I think you are confusing the card with the account.

When I lost my PASMO card, I had pay a fixed fee to replace the card, but whatever was on my account stayed on my account.

[Maitoshi]

Thank you, Pitarou, but the teiki is different from an IC card. I have a TOICA card, too. So long as that's registered, I only need pay a ¥500 deposit for a replacement card and the balance on the account is mine to use again. The teiki lets me on and off a specific train between two stations for one month, three months, or six months, depending on how much I prepay. I bought the one month pass and lost it a little more than a week later. I think I left it in a pocket of a shirt that I sent to the cleaners. Will call them to see if they found it. I figured that the card should be replaceable, because it had my name, age, birthday on it and my TOICA is replaceable, but the guy at the station said teiki aren't replaceable in this manner. My wife says she thinks this is the case, but she was in the States with me for over a decade, so she's not sure. At this point, I'm just really hoping the drycleaner has it.

[Inflames]

They can't be replaced. When I had a paper one, I always kept it in my wallet, only taking it out to go through the turnstiles (which is what everyone else I've seen does).

Can't you get a teikiken for your card? I ditched the paper one a long time ago - now I use a PiTaPa one (I live in Kansai).

[Maitoshi]

I wish I could combine them. Maybe I can...thanks for the idea! I was keeping it in my wallet, but kept nearly dropping my bag/wallet trying to fish the darned thing out, so I started using my pocket while in transit. Just forgot to transition it back to my wallet.

[Maitoshi]

Got it back! The dry cleaners held it for me. Still going to look into combining the next one with my IC card, though. Thanks for the help!