EBS online support

billyhead

Has anyone else tried to get through to the online support number lately. Its a shambles. Your left on hold for ages and ultimately you end up getting nowhere.:mad:

Kamili

30 minutes on hold yesterday - massive issues with the app and new authentication system.

Absolute joke.

skinthegoat

I've just had the same today - 15 minutes on hold followed by no help. I use an iPhone 4, which is perfectly fine, but the EBS Authentication App regards it as obsolete and won't work with it. EBS are washing their hands of it, blaming EC regulations. I have no intention of throwing out a perfectly good 'phone simply because some slack-jawed imbecile cannot write backward-compatible software. Apart from the cost, mobile 'phones use a variety of rare metals, none of which will be replaceable when they run out, and to bin them every couple of years simply because Apple want you to buy a new one is nothing short of environmental vandalism. It looks as though it'll be cheaper to close my account.

skinthegoat

I was onto then about 2 weeks ago, got straight through and issue sorted without any hassle.

skinthegoat wrote: »

I've just had the same today - 15 minutes on hold followed by no help. I use an iPhone 4, which is perfectly fine, but the EBS Authentication App regards it as obsolete and won't work with it. .

I’m fairness an iPhone 4 is ancient and hasn’t been supported for years, even later models aren’t supported. Most apps will no longer work on it so you must not use many apps, you can’t expect people to keep making compatible apps for years. Time for you to upgrade, you will have a much nicer user experience with a new iPhone also.

skinthegoat

I’m fairness an iPhone 4 is ancient and hasn’t been supported for years, even later models aren’t supported. Most apps will no longer work on it so you must not use many apps, you can’t expect people to keep making compatible apps for years. Time for you to upgrade, you will have a much nicer user experience with a new iPhone also.[/QUOTE]

Yes, that's what EBS told me, but I find the suggestion indefensible on both financial and environmental grounds. And as an OAP, I probably have a different view than you do as to what constitutes 'ancient!'

skinthegoat

skinthegoat wrote: »

Yes, that's what EBS told me, but I find the suggestion indefensible on both financial and environmental grounds. And as an OAP, I probably have a different view than you do as to what constitutes 'ancient!'

Aside from the very large companies who produce apps such as YouTube you will find the majorly stop supporting older phones it’s just not worth their while.

There are also very legitimate security reasons. The older iOS software does not get updated and is thus not as secure as it needs to be so having financial apps running on it is inadvisable. You probably haven’t considered that.

As for the OAP comment, my father is retired and had to upgrade from the iPhone 4 over 2 years ago as the majority of apps didn’t work, he is in the process of upgrading again now to an even newer iPhone as he wants the improved performance etc.

billyhead

Likewise. I have a smart phone that is 5 years old and I cant get the authentication to work thus I cant use the online portal which should be an automatic right to allow you to check your balance, transfer money etc.:mad:

skinthegoat

billyhead wrote: »

Likewise. I have a smart phone that is 5 years old and I cant get the authentication to work thus I cant use the online portal which should be an automatic right to allow you to check your balance, transfer money etc.:mad:

This is my point. The previous poster's father was forced to replace a perfectly good 'phone for no other reason than planned obsolescence, and appears to be about to repeat the process. Viewed on a global scale, this sort of waste is catastrophic: we are squandering in a generation resources that will never be replaced, and for what? To line the pockets of the hucksters who control the process. To repeat, I don't want a new 'phone or any new features, nor did I ask for them: I want what I signed up for when I opened the account, and which is now denied me. This is, in my view, a swindle.

Jim2007

skinthegoat wrote: »

I've just had the same today - 15 minutes on hold followed by no help. I use an iPhone 4, which is perfectly fine, but the EBS Authentication App regards it as obsolete and won't work with it. EBS are washing their hands of it, blaming EC regulations. I have no intention of throwing out a perfectly good 'phone simply because some slack-jawed imbecile cannot write backward-compatible software. Apart from the cost, mobile 'phones use a variety of rare metals, none of which will be replaceable when they run out, and to bin them every couple of years simply because Apple want you to buy a new one is nothing short of environmental vandalism. It looks as though it'll be cheaper to close my account.

Many many applications no longer support iPhone 4 and expecting companies to spend time and money supporting it specially for you is simply not going to happen. If you don't want to move on that is fine, but don't expect the rest of the world is going to accommodate you.

skinthegoat

skinthegoat wrote: »

This is my point. The previous poster's father was forced to replace a perfectly good 'phone for no other reason than planned obsolescence, and appears to be about to repeat the process.

There is a lot more to it than that, he wants a newer phone faster phone, bigger screen, more memory, better battery etc. An iPhone4 is almost 10 years on the market it is very old at this stage and I can’t see any reason why it should continue to be supported.

Fol20

Kareem Immense Recorder wrote: »

There is a lot more to it than that, he wants a newer phone faster phone, bigger screen, more memory, better battery etc. An iPhone4 is almost 10 years on the market it is very old at this stage and I can’t see any reason why it should continue to be supported.

It’s all about numbers as well. If there was enough people using a specific model. It would justify the cost but I highly doubt that number is large given the phone is 10 years. Most people change phones every 2-4 years so expecting them to support a phone that has past its due date is a bit much.

At the same time. I use ulster bank and they allow a text message or using your card reader to get past that code issue. You would have thought a bank would offer more than one route just in case you have a situation like the above.

Ten Pin

If you can manage to get an android from someone you know who's upgrading (probably a lot of that happening this time of year), you could use that as long as the EBS app installs correctly. Try to get one that's a reasonably well known brand as EBS app might be fussy about some lesser known makes.

That will allow keeping your own phone as long as you want.

skinthegoat

Thanks to all who responded.

It looks as though I'm stymied here and my choice now is between calling in to a branch each time I need to do what I could previously do on computer, or simply closing the account. I have accounts at two other banks, both of which simply send a code to my 'phone when I log in, do transfers, &c., without my having to access a special application. Any banking that I do is done on a home computer, not a mobile 'phone.

It's all very frustrating, but thank you all for at least confirming me in my disappointment, and relieving me of any doomed hopes I might have entertained.

billyhead

As I said I have an old phone (5 years old) but the latest android OS and I still cant authenticate successfully. Its a complete pain in the ass.

Ten Pin

As I said I have an old phone (5 years old) but the latest android OS and I still cant authenticate successfully. Its a complete pain in the ass.

Did the app install and attempt authentication?

IIRC this is what I did...

1. Open app, it jumps into a chrome browser webpage within the app
2. Enter Customer ID, go to next page (think it said 'ENTER' or 'CONTINUE')
3. Enter the requested digits from the PAC, go to next page
4. Enter the 6 digit code sent in the post.

AFAIK you need to be logging in with a browser at the same time so that it somehow syncs between the device using the app and the browser login. In the browser, you repeat steps 2, 3 & 4 above and both app and browser will hopefully show a green tick and show 'AUTHENTICATED'

It took a couple of attempts which I presumed meant that another code through the post was required but the same code from the letter worked until it all synced and works ok now.

billyhead

Ten Pin wrote: »

Did the app install and attempt authentication?

IIRC this is what I did...

1. Open app, it jumps into a chrome browser webpage within the app
2. Enter Customer ID, go to next page (think it said 'ENTER' or 'CONTINUE')
3. Enter the requested digits from the PAC, go to next page
4. Enter the 6 digit code sent in the post.

AFAIK you need to be logging in with a browser at the same time so that it somehow syncs between the device using the app and the browser login. In the browser, you repeat steps 2, 3 & 4 above and both app and browser will hopefully show a green tick and show 'AUTHENTICATED'

It took a couple of attempts which I presumed meant that another code through the post was required but the same code from the letter worked until it all synced and works ok now.

I get the green arrow after I enter the unique code and it says authenticated but then it comes up with a message stating that it failed to authenticate and a null message and bounces back tot he legal disclaimer notice.

skinthegoat

skinthegoat wrote: »

Thanks to all who responded.

It looks as though I'm stymied here and my choice now is between calling in to a branch each time I need to do what I could previously do on computer, or simply closing the account.

Or get a newer iphone....

You will have to get one sooner or later so why not just bite the bullet and and upgrade now. Even going up to say an iPhone 7 wont cost you the world and will give you a few years of use before updates stop. It will be a far better to use also in every way.