Buying new access period / setting auto-renew

[pjohnkeaneParticipant]

I am signed up for the 24 hour access – figured that I only intend to use it occasionally, so this was all I needed. I also thought that I’d set auto-renew, but it turns out I hadn’t. Earlier in the week, I used the bikes for the first time, totally successfully and happily. Today, because I seemingly hadn’t auto-renewed, I couldn’t use the bike.

In this situation, if you go to the website:

* You can’t turn on auto-renew, because it complains that your access period has expired

* If you try to buy a new access period, it tells you that you’ll be charged £4 (including a new key), not £1

I furrowed my brow, then sent them an email. When I didn’t get a response for a few hours, I phoned up the helpline. My call was answered fairly quickly, and dealt with fairly quickly and efficiently. Assuming that they have actually fixed my problem (she said that she’d set auto-renew on my account so that it would ‘just work’ next time I use it. We’ll see).

[pjohnkeaneParticipant]

But I just logged in to the website and ticked the auto-renew box just in case.

[cyclingnewbieParticipant]

It is best to do this over the phone. The website is very hit and miss.

[pjohnkeaneParticipant]

Update to this thread.

This morning I tried to use the bikes for the first time since purchasing my new access period, but when I stuck my key in it just went yellow, then red. Tried at a couple of stations, no joy.

Checked the website, which told me the following:

Quote:

* Access period expiry date – Access period not yet started

* Access status – AWAITING ACTIVATION

Not sure whether “AWAITING ACTIVATION” just means that my access period hasn’t commenced yet, or whether my key isn’t activated at the moment (in connection with this access period). Though my “Key status” is “ACTIVE”.

So I called the helpline, but only got through to the overflow call centre where they just took my details and said a ‘service agent’ would call me back.

Currently disappointed and frustrated. The fact that the scheme isn’t working is revealing all sorts of problems with how the system behaves when it isn’t working – especially the difficulty that users have with working out WHY it isn’t working.

[pjohnkeaneParticipant]

Another update.

Yesterday evening, I tried bikes at a couple more stations, but got the yellow/red lights. No bike for me.

This morning, when I logged into the website it told me:

Quote:

Access period expiry date – 10 Aug 2010 18:30

Access status – ACTIVE

But doesn’t show any recent activity that suggests why my access period should have started at 18:30 yesterday evening… Hmm. Perhaps I should try and get a bike this lunchtime to see if it works, so my £1 isn’t wasted!

(I’d phone the helpline, but I’ve given up on that.)

[nccrowParticipant]

Same here, 2 days running: flashed yellow then red repeatedly, couldn’t get bikes out of several docking stations but a new access period started. I then found I COULD get a bike out a few hours later.

My hunch is it’s a problem with auto-renew: when you don’t have an active access period, on first attempt it rejects you beacause there’s a zero balance, and then starts an access period. However, your account is locked for a while, so you can’t undock any bikes , but later you can.

I put this suggestion to the help desk, who confirmed others had reported similar problems.

So I’m interested: do people with annual membership have difficulties undocking? An do other people with autorenew find the same?

[aschlosParticipant]

I’ve had the same problem and it is becoming really frustrating. I cannot get through to the help line and the website is so useless, my mind spins. I do not understand why there is no option to buy additional access without buying extra keys. Was it assumed everyone would buy annual memberships? Will those with annual memberships have to buy new keys once the year is up?

[pjohnkeaneParticipant]

Update from my end: tried again this morning, and it finally worked. @nccross, I like your hunch/suggestion. Makes sense. Well, it doesn’t in a “that’s how it should work” sense! But in a “that explains what’s going on” sense, yes.

The website seems to be down at the moment, so I can’t check what my access period / activity is looking like following my usage today.

[arh14Participant]

Glad to hear some people have been having the same issues as me.

Both were fairly minor but make no sense.

I signed up for 24 hours access without auto-renew. I wasn’t able to sign up for another 24 hours online, without obtaining a new key. The drop down box only had options for “I need 1/2/3/4 key(s)”.

After a phone call, they set up auto-renew and I signed up for another 24 hours (I plan on using it less than once a week).

The first docking point I tried in the morning didn’t work, so I walked 5 minutes to the next one and it did. Sounds like the same problem as nccrow.

Both of these seem pretty basic problems, oh well…

Other than that, it’s all been ace!

Absolutely brilliant to ride around on and let’s hope it improves (and enlarges!)

The only other issue I’ve had is a journey from Whitehall Place to the new Southampton Place point not being logged. But as I’ve not been charged either, that seems okay.

[qtaran111Participant]

@pjohnkeane, this does seem to be a glaring error with the website, that you cannot renew an access period without it automatically adding another £3 for another key.

When the scheme started, I registered and signed up for 24 hour access (to check the scheme worked). All went well, so I decided to renew access for a year. When doing this online, you choose an access period and it gives you a drop-down asking how many keys you want (1 – 4). There is no option for “none – I’ve already got a key!”

I gave in and did it the old fashioned way via phone no problem, but they really need to sort this out.

[bvpi157Participant]

Think hard about whether you want to auto renew if you have more than one key. otherwise you will be charged access for all keys, even if you only want to use one.

[Mister LParticipant]

So you can’t buy a 24 hr acess period online? I tried today and getting the same issue. It’s £4 instead of £1.

[Mister LParticipant]

Anyone? i still cant buy a 24hr access period online..

[Sven EllisParticipant]

I bought 24hr access and set up auto-renew. When we tried to use the keys for the second time, they didn’t work. The call centre was experiencing a very high etc. (on a Monday afternoon?) and would call me back (No, of course not). When I got home and checked, auto-renew was off and couldn’t be turned on. I called and was told that there was a glitch that wouldn’t let you do it online. They turned it on.

I don’t mind early problems. I mind that they know there’s a problem that leaves people standing by bikes, but can’t be bothered to email to warn to check the status of their auto-renew.

[TomJParticipant]

I started a year’s membership today after the first week’s trial expired. Did it over the phone with a short wait. My one concern is that my childhood nickname and postcode were all that stood between someone else and my credit card, and he told me my email address before asking me the password! All worked straight away, though.

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