20% Touch & Go Rebate

Its 4:30am, and I can't sleep coz of a bloated stomach and caffeine overdose (tea and coke during dinner). I was reading Paul Tan's article on the touch&go rebates, and got inspired to rant. Read at your own risk.

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M'sians and Singaporeans love sales and rebates. I don't deny that I do. My favourite 4-letter word is SALE. My favourite 2 words are "Warehouse SALE" and favourite number is 7 because always looking for 70% discount. Well, in fact, my favourite number is 7 coz of a few reasons, not to be elaborated here.

So an announcement of rebates will get us (chinese fellas) all worked up, informing our entire network of kiasu fellas to start lining up to redeem the rebate. "Better be the first to get the rebate, after the gomen change their mind, then how?"... "The early bird catches the worm." DISCLAIMER: This is a flawed sweeping statement that may contain inaccuracies as it is my own personal opinion based on personal observation and experience, and it may not apply to you, fellow chinese reader, if you don't fit into this category. (In case I get sued by a slighted chinese lawyer for sedition or inciting racial slurs. With great freedom (of speech) comes great responsibilities!)

Anyway, back to the T&G rebate. I think the whole system is silly. Read the excerpt below, blatantly copied from Paul Tan, for context:

"Claiming your rebate is not automatic. Each calendar month, you will have to bring your card to the Touch ‘n Go center at Faber Towers or KL Sentral, or selected highway sales centres. If you qualify for a rebate, the 20% rebate will be credited into your card on the spot. You can only start collecting your rebates beginning 5th October 2009."


1. I agree with Mr. Tan that the rebate should be based on total amount, and not the frequency of the amount. That would give customers more incentive to spend more. Now I'm thinking about all the available cheap tolls to get to work.


2. I definitely won't purposely drive to Faber tower or KL Sentral to get a RM 35.20 rebate. Parking, jam and wasted time (during office hours) will kill me. The toll booths that I may use (not on my daily route to work) are:
Jalan Duta
• Damansara - to go holidaying (maybe twice a year)
• Batu Tiga - when I visit my relatives (which is about twice a year)
• Subang - when I'm in a rush (maybe twice a year too)

Paying a RM2.00 toll + RM4.00 petrol + 20 minutes time to redeem RM 35.20 seems like a better deal than going to Faber Tower/KL Sentral.


3. On my way to work, I've calculated the the frequency & amount of toll CAN be at:
a) Max - 110 times, total of RM 176 monthly
b) Min - 44 times, total of RM 66 monthly *this is what I'm paying

I can save about 15-30 minutes a day by using Max tolls in (a). This is max 11 hours a month.

Therefore, factoring my rebates for Max tolls in (a), I should be paying RM 140.80 a month if I want to "redeem" T&G rebates.

So the final question is... should I pay RM 74.80 more, to save 11 hours in a month?

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