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Ecotricity app not working

12K views 93 replies 27 participants last post by  davebodger  
#1 ·
I'm currently sat at the services and the app keeps giving me:

"Something has gone wrong along the way. Please try again shortly."

This isn't very helpful. Is anyone else having problems today?
 
#5 ·
The charger appears to have no signal or some kind of problem.

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After trying to activate the charger without using the app at all, it seems to work. Is this some kind of fallback for if the charger can't communicate and it just lets you charge for free?

I've tried to activate another charger and that worked ok, so it seems to be some kind of issue with this one specifically. The charger ID is 1240 if anyone else wants to try it.
 
#6 ·
I think the fallback is that it dispenses free charges if the post comms fail. It's the only reasonable thing to do.

Unfortunately if the post is ok but the app doesn't work you are stuffed if it is out of hours unless you can get someone else with the app to start the charge remotely for you.
 
#11 ·
I'm assuming it gave me a free charge because the comms are down, it seems logical but not confirmed.

Has the WiFi icon always been there? That's interesting, I've never really paid attention.

The smartphone app could really do with a better message to explain what happened. I think they actually have more of an issue on their end for this.
 
#12 ·
It's a bit annoying because I made the trip over to come and do some further digging on the smartphone app following on from the password reset thing: One password reset to rule them all!

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#28 ·
Anyone could write a script to do this quite easily. It's 1 single API call to determine the state of the charger and then all you need to do is fire another request to cancel the session if it does activate.
 
#29 ·
Just try to activate the charger from the app if you get the error message I did, it can't communicate with the pump. If the pump is powered up and working it should be dispensing free electrons.
 
#23 ·
In the same style of the shopping channel adverts...

"Have you charged more than 10 times on the Electric Highway?

You need the RoboBlock 503K Ultra..."

"This pocket sized device ensures that you no longer fall foul of those pesky fees and range anxiety becomes a thing of the past"

"Available now for only ÂŁ60 from all leading dodgy looking websites that you shouldn't trust your own card details to"

Cell Phone Jammer: Mini Portable CDMA, 3G, GSM Phone Jammer

"Warning: use of the RoboBlock 503K Ultra may cause loss of Facebook access, prevent Snapchat and generally be detrimental to a normal way of life within a 8m radius. Chance of criminal prosecution likely and no responsibility is accepted for loss or damage caused by the use of the product."
 
#30 ·
This is the problem now. Is it actually offline as in broken or offline as in no comms which means you could still charge?
 
#33 ·
I can fire the API call to cancel the session faster than you could mash the buttons on the charger to start the session :-D
 
#34 ·
I think there needs to be some ethics here. We need partnership with Ecotricity - even if we dont believe in the newly introduced charging.

We need a postive dialogue, with Ecotricity, that ensure that we get the best Quality of Service. It's bad form to say 'in the clear' that users will play with the Wifi/3G Comms and rip-off Ecotricity.

I suspect that much that is written is tongue-in-cheek - but who knows if Ecotricity will read it that way?

What we need is to provide advice on how to maintain 'reliability'. A switchover to free is a sensible idea, use of a 'White List' would be less available (you would have to be a returning user). If Ecotricity want the revenue (and no free service) - then, maybe, they could have an automate phone service which would take you CC details and enable the machine for one standard charge. But that would need your phone to trigger the unit (wifi/ Bluetooth) - once and once only - tricky?
 
#39 ·
I think there needs to be some ethics here. We need partnership with Ecotricity - even if we dont believe in the newly introduced charging.

We need a postive dialogue, with Ecotricity, that ensure that we get the best Quality of Service. It's bad form to say 'in the clear' that users will play with the Wifi/3G Comms and rip-off Ecotricity.

I suspect that much that is written is tongue-in-cheek - but who knows if Ecotricity will read it that way?

What we need is to provide advice on how to maintain 'reliability'. A switchover to free is a sensible idea, use of a 'White List' would be less available (you would have to be a returning user). If Ecotricity want the revenue (and no free service) - then, maybe, they could have an automate phone service which would take you CC details and enable the machine for one standard charge. But that would need your phone to trigger the unit (wifi/ Bluetooth) - once and once only - tricky?
Where is there a lack of ethics? Perhaps your comment wasn't aimed at me but the only thing I'm interested in is conducting research to the highest ethical standard. If I were to find any problem or something open to abuse, Ecotricity would be notified privately so that they could resolve it, just like I have done in the past.

If Ecotricity were willing to open a dialogue with me, that'd be fantastic. Right now I'm flying around blind trying to conduct this research. If they were to provide me with some useful information it could cut a considerable amount of effort required. This results in problems being found and resolved faster if they exist. Withholding information doesn't stop issues being found, it just means it takes a little longer to find them.

If Ecotricity are listening, I'd love you guys to get in touch and see how we can work together.
 
#35 ·
ET could setup an SMS responder that fired the API to start the pump when it's sent the pump ID (and some method of identifying the user). Exactly the same way some parking companies do it.

Heck I could do that myself, but the issues of holding multiple people's account details and people getting shirty when it doesn't work for some reason.. not worth it.