Dartford Crossing account

[elsie]

I have a Dartford Crossing account with an automatic top-up.
Since the change in the system and the need to revalidate my payment account in July 2023 I'd not been able to access any of the details of crossings and charges to the account (I have the cars of several UK relatives on my account as well as they only use the crossing a couple of times a year, so it saves them needing to remember to pay the charge).
I'd tried several times since that July revalidation request to view/download the crossing details I'd been charged for without success. All I knew from my bank account was there had been one top-up. There weren't even any replies when, several times, I sent messages asking for the information. There was still no information when I tried last Friday.
But today, all the 2023 monthly statements are again available.

[hughnique]

My son has had trouble with his account on this crossing ending in a 37£ fine when he had already paid, you just can't argue with them.

[elsie]

I wrote too soon. The beta software (the only option) is still unfit for purpose.

Last night my account balance yo-yoed between two figures in four separate e-mails as, for some reason in order they updated my payment method, deleted my direct debit, tried to take a direct debit which failed, did a "reversal" of £10 and now, overnight, they've taken £10 from my bank card.
My account balance is £10 less than it should be.

This was one e-mail last night
Your account balance is £14.00. Your account balance is at or below your threshold level of £5.00. We will take a top-up payment of £10.00 from your bank account ending [there were no account details here] within the next 5 business days.
So in Dart Crossing/National Highways land, 14 is less than 5!

If you try to make a complaint, the process concludes with requiring confirmation of contact details. The last line of that is a mobile telephone number. There is a drop-down box of worldwide country codes and a box for the number with a note above saying "Mobile number optional". Leaving it blank is not an option. Trying a French mobile number gives "The non-UK phone number entered is invalid, please try again". It is impossible to send the complaint without completing those boxes with a UK mobile number..

I still have unanswered outstanding December complaints from the inability to give accurate data.
I wonder how long it will take to resolve the above.

[hughnique]

Sounds as though they have bought a computer system from the Post Office.

[elsie]

It seems very similar to the England/Wales Probate search system which was "upgraded" in 2022 and is still in beta. The whole of the database and search system was a complete mess and returning no/wrong/missing results
https://forums.lc/genealogy/index.php?t ... site.3396/

[niemeyjt]

Car tax website is also beta. Maybe it is so they can use that as an excuse when there is a cock-up?