Car park pay stations Options

[massifheed]

Has anyone else had problems paying for their parking with a credit/debit card at either Northbrook Street, or The Kennet Centre?

I used the Kennet Centre car park twice at the weekend, and tried to pay with a card both times. The first time it returned a "Payment not accepted" error message, but worked on the second attempt.

The second time I parked there it returned the same error twice, after which I gave up and paid with the change I had on me.

This has happened to me numerous times when I normally park in Northbrook street, but usually it fails on the first try, then works on the second attempt.

I wonder if it's restricted by how many people can try and pay with a card at the same time (concurrent connections to the payment authorisation service), or something similar. It seems strange that it usually fails on the first attempt, but works on the second.

Anyone else had this?

[Guest_xjay1337_*]

I would always pay by cash personally. Never trust a ticket machine with your card details.



I think they need to communicate back to verify the details of your card, whether wireless or wired...if that connection is down then it wouldn't work. I would expect it to be quite intermittent personally.

[JeffG]

Do you have to swipe, or does it read the chip? Quite often those magnetic strips misread, especially if the card is not sparkly clean.

[massifheed]

Do you have to swipe, or does it read the chip? Quite often those magnetic strips misread, especially if the card is not sparkly clean.

I'm assuming that it reads the chip, as you don't swipe it, but rather insert the card into the machine in the same way that you would in a shop.

It's strange though, because it gets as far as asking for the PIN, it then tells you to remove the card while it processes. It's only after that that it returns the error. I'm assuming it has to be down to the connection back to the card payment service. Given that it's happening in both car parks it shows that it's not just the machines in one location.

[massifheed]

I would expect it to be quite intermittent personally.

It certainly is intermittent, but I can't see why it should be. I've never had it happen in a shop or restaurant. If restaurants can manage to let people pay at their table with a card via a wireless card machine then I can't see why a static pay station in a car park can't have a reliable connection.

[Guest_xjay1337_*]

Because it probably was a project put out and sold to the lowest bidder.
Could be either a duff machine or a duff connection..are there other pay booth things in there. Try those, if that works...well your solution is solved that'll be £350 please.

[massifheed]

Could be either a duff machine or a duff connection..are there other pay booth things in there. Try those, if that works...well your solution is solved that'll be £350 please.

I'm assuming that you don't have a customer-facing role where you work then?

[Guest_xjay1337_*]

I do. I don't charge them, that's what the company is there to do
I do a lot of free help for customers. Normally the endings-slash-outcomes are very happy.

At least I didn't tell you to switch it off and then back on again.

[massifheed]

At least I didn't tell you to switch it off and then back on again.

True, but you did say...

...are there other pay booth things in there. Try those, if that works...well your solution is solved...

Which, considering I'd already mentioned that the problem was the same at two different car parks, is a wonderful demonstration of not putting a great deal of effort into understanding the problem.

You don't work for BT, do you?

[Guest_xjay1337_*]

Can I interest you in upgradings your mobilings into a servicings that's offerings a higher level of broadbandings?
Sorry I mis-read, I often skim read because reading takes a lot of effort.

I don't work for BT, they are even more useless than I am.

[Biker1]

I don't work for BT, they are even more useless than I am.

If you worked for BT they would not let you access this forum from work, let alone spend most of your time on here.
Whoever it is you work for they must be very lenient with your time on line!!

[Guest_xjay1337_*]

Yeah they are good place to work, don't get me wrong.
Right now I don't have many projects, I'm studying for exams. But I don't learn well from studying textbooks (basically what I'm doing) - so every 20 mins I take a 5 min break otherwise my mind melts and I end up nearly falling asleep.

[Vodabury]

I would always pay by cash personally. Never trust a ticket machine with your card details.

I think they need to communicate back to verify the details of your card, whether wireless or wired...if that connection is down then it wouldn't work. I would expect it to be quite intermittent personally.

What's the significance of the photo (not copied here) you linked to?

[spartacus]

Never trust a ticket machine with your card details.

.
.
What's the significance of the photo you linked to?

Dat is George Abdggwengo calling to ask for your bank details and sort code....
Nigerian banking scam

[massifheed]

Dat is George Abdggwengo calling to ask for your bank details and sort code....

And to let you know that there is a pigeon in your bank account.

[Guest_xjay1337_*]

And that he needs to remove the monies....in order to catch the pigeon.
I can do his voice really well.