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From Andreas Weller
Dresden. The Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe have canceled all subscribers who previously had the annual payment method for their contract. This also affects current contracts - everyone will have to pay more from August.
After multiple complaints and inquiries from the Sächsische Zeitung, one person affected received a special compensation arrangement. This was apparently an "oversight". This is not intended for all other DVB customers, as DVB spokesperson Falk Lösch explains.
In April, fares changed throughout the Upper Elbe Transport AssociationThis means that all tickets and season tickets have become significantly more expensive. Subscription customers who pay for their season ticket annually and in advance have been temporarily spared. However, these subscriptions are now being completely abolished.
How many Dresdeners are affected
The Dresden residents affected were informed of this by the DVB via a notice of termination. According to DVB, 1,040 customers in Dresden have chosen this payment method to date, as well as 8,500 young Dresden residents who go to school, study or are in training and use the education ticket.
For all these customers, there will no longer be an annual payment method from August. It will also be more expensive for the 1,040 subscription customers. They will have to pay the full current price of 66.90 euros per month.
Some, like the person affected by the special grace period, took out their subscription at the end of 2023 for the entire year 2024, for a contractually fixed EUR 62.40 per month at the time and paid the full EUR 748.80 in advance.
From August onwards, the man should therefore pay more than contractually agreed and paid in advance. After several complaints and an inquiry from SZ, the Dresden resident then received a goodwill offer to keep the subscription for the previous 62.40 euros until the end of the year if he books a subscription for 2025 at the normal price and with monthly payment. This "extra discount" was apparently a mistake and is therefore not available to the other 1,039 customers.
What's next for DVB customers
"The fare regulations within the Upper Elbe Transport Association have changed as of April 1, 2024," Lösch explains in response to a renewed request from Saxon.com. This has also been communicated publicly. "This means that new, slightly higher tariffs will apply for many subscription customers from April 1, 2024."
This also applies to customers who have paid in advance. "Without a contract adjustment or new contract, these passengers would be traveling with an invalid ticket," says Lösch.
"A fundamental right to further transportation at the lower fare cannot be derived and cannot be granted. In individual cases, the decision lies with the respective transport company."
DVB has already found a goodwill arrangement. "We will grant the 1,040 DVB subscription customers with a 12-month advance payment the previous tariff until August 1, 2024 and waive the tariff adjustment for three months. This is our concession for the necessary contract change to the now only valid monthly subscription."
© SZ
Further concessions and goodwill as in the case described are not possible, even if this constitutes unequal treatment. "Due to the fact that subscriptions with a 12-month advance payment could previously be taken out in any calendar month, equal treatment is not possible here. However, we consider a transition period of three months to be appropriate in terms of fairness towards other subscription customers with a monthly payment method. In order to eliminate this difference in future tariff adjustments, among other things, there are now only subscriptions with monthly payment."
This means that, unlike Springer, 1,039 DVB customers do not receive any "extra compensation".
Other DVB customers angry about handling
One Dresden reader, whose name is known to the SZ, finds this unfair. "I have read about the case, we have already complained to DVB in advance and have not received such an offer."
He and his wife have been subscription customers for around ten years and share a DVB ticket and a car. "If there is a solution, it should be for everyone. It can't be that there is a special solution for one person and 1,039 go away empty-handed," says the man.
"It's not about the 30 euros or so, but about how DVB deals with regular customers."
