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a stinky ox 🐂

I'm actually a bit over an hour early at the place I need to go. Get to the car park "scan here to get payment app" oh joy. Download app. Enter car park code. Just Google pay and I'm done, yes?

No. Make an account. Attempt to log in. Says wrong password
Wtf. Make another account. Log in. There's short stay but only an hour and I'm a bit over an hour early. Piss. So I have to buy a DAY.
Enter reg no
Enter car make and colour.
Now I can Google pay?
NO enter all your card details.

Then enter your full name and address. Finally presspay and oh my fuck now Lloyds bank pops up ARE YOU SURE THIS ISN'T FRAUD and I have to go to THEIR app to biometric confirm.

Glad I wasn't rushing for a fucking train, jesus.

The old ticket machines were SO MUCH EASIER.

@llamasoft_ox Everything's getting influenced by Star Trek, but they keep adding the Torment Nexus. :blob_weary_face:

@llamasoft_ox it wouldn't be so bad if they at least all used the same app, but I literally have 5 different parking apps now, and they're all terrible!

Be careful with the code scan ones, too. Super easy for people to cover the QR with a sticker that points to their own dodgy app you're then entering card details in. Best to just search the app store to make sure you're downloading the proper one!

@dev_ric @llamasoft_ox We never use the phone apps for parking way way too easy to get scammed, it's coins or card or we leave. Especially now with this whole shit show about these parking fines happening, one the other day for a guy who was feeling nauseous, pulled into a permit only site, sign too tiny to read. £100 fine.

@TGG303 @llamasoft_ox as long as you install the referenced app from the app store instead of scanning, they're pretty safe. They nearly all use your GPS to guess the car park you're in so you just have to check that the number they show is the same as on the sign. It's actually useful to be able to top your payment up if you're not ready to head back yet, etc.

But yeah, the registration process and general UX is awful with them all. And the QR scams are ripe.

@dev_ric @llamasoft_ox we already check parking out prior to going anywhere & avoid those kind, Matt is very anti app as he has quite a bunch for our EV lol

@TGG303 @llamasoft_ox haha. As long as you're not missing out on going to nice places just because of the parking apps!

@dev_ric @llamasoft_ox Naw there are always plenty of car parks 😍

@llamasoft_ox Here they're mostly push button, get ticket, pay with debit card on your way out. At the commuter train station you just stuff cash into a tiny slot that matches the space where you parked.

@llamasoft_ox when your bank app pops up for you to validate the transaction it swaps the browser out of memory, so when you go back to the payment page the transaction has reset...

@bencurthoys @llamasoft_ox I also hate it when that happens.

@llamasoft_ox Yeah, reg number and contactless card is the most they should ask for. I don't have an EV (yet) but I gather charging points have mostly moved from dedicated apps and accounts and stuff to contactless, so it is at least possible for these things to move in the right direction. It'd be nice if parking did so too.

@llamasoft_ox and there's no guarantee that original QR code / web address is kosher, either.

@llamasoft_ox now try this in another country, where the app tells you that your license plate number is invalid because it doesn't fit the local format. Then try calling the support number on a Saturday evening.

@llamasoft_ox Not to be a smartarse, but it’s worth checking the parking QR codes are real, and not a scammer’s label stuck on top.