DASH_ERR04: Cant download old bills

[Anonymous]

Is anyone else getting this error when trying to download their Bill? I have cleared Cache, used different browsers and even different machines and can't download any of my bills. I was on live chat and was told that if I wanted the bill sent out then I would be charged! All I need is a copy of my Bill emailed to me for my accounts.

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Latest update from the community team: 

Hi guys,

Happy to confirm that the issue has now been fixed.

Thanks for your help and patience!

[Martin-O2]

Lets see if we can get it working on desktop too @Leanne4258! I'll drop you a private message so I can get a few details. 

[naples98]

There is no way this is a client-side issue. The error I get is "Userid: unauthenticated " even though I was just authenticated before I clicked on "Download and print latest bill". 

Maybe 10 years ago, I could see issues with different browsers because of how the browsers implemented HTML, etc. but today it should not matter if you are using IE, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc. Deleting cookies and clearing cache should not matter. 

This is an O2 server-side issue that they either don't understand or are not willing to address.

[pgn]

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@naples98 wrote:

Maybe 10 years ago, I could see issues with different browsers because of how the browsers implemented HTML, etc. but today it should not matter if you are using IE, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc. Deleting cookies and clearing cache should not matter. 

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You are assuming that O2's backend systems have kept pace with the rate of change of today's half-dozen main browser families... 

I'd love to get a decent packet capture of what's going on as O2's website hands the transaction over to the antiquated billing system at the backend 

You have a point. O2's IT vendor/provider(s) needs to engage with the problem, find root cause and fix it, not just apply a band-aid.

Any feedback, @Martin-O2? 

[Martin-O2]

@pgn, @naples98 Following the fix on this last year any further incidents are dealt with individually. Unfortunately I don't have any info on the back end systems or how this error ties into it. 

[gavod]

As some longstanding members of the community will know, I have been struggling with this problem for many years. The most recent intervention involved O2's IT department and we thought we had nailed it. However, I've just started a new contract and, lo and behold, the dreaded error has penetrated all defences and has resurfaced. This time, the chat agent said he could see that the problem was related to the number of accounts that were linked to the same email address and/or mobile number and asked me to ring 202. There, I was told that the problem is that when it tries to pass the account info to the back office system ("companion login"), which is where the historic bill details are accessed, it pings all the accounts that are linked to that email address and gets mixed up if there are too many of them (seven in my case), resulting in the error. By re-registering the account with a different email address (and userid) the problem seems to have been solved... at least for now. So, my recommendation to anyone who is experiencing this problem is to ring 202 and explain that you need your account to be registered to a new email address (obviously you need to have another email address available when you do this). I am moderately hopeful (which is more confident than I have ever been before) that we have finally found a solution to this problem. Expect me back with a vengeance if it resurfaces again!!!

[Cleoriff]

At long last @gavod. So pleased it's sorted . Fingers crossed.

[gavod]

I spoke too soon. The error has resurfaced even with the new email address, with two different browsers on the pc I normally use. However, this time I did get it to work on another pc. This problem has been bubbling around for many years now so I don't understand why someone in IT hasn't got to grips with it and worked out a permanent fix so the error never happens. Nobody seems to be owning the problem.

[Cleoriff]

@gavod

I use Firefox and it's working on my PC for me? I have just checked ...

[gavod]

I don't think it has anything to do with what browser one is using. I only said I'd tried it on one more than one browser because often one is told to clear cookies, which are associated with individual browsers. Numerous people in O2 have told me that there is a problem in the way the front end (user interface) website interfaces with the back end system to access the correct billing information, and that it's to do with having "too many" different accounts and mobile phone numbers associated with one online account. It has now reached the point where it seems to be generally recognised as a problem (which is an improvement over several years ago, when people didn't believe the problem existed) but everyone in O2 seems to have a different workaround, none of which are permanent solutions and none of which address the fundamental problem. Unless someone at a senior level in IT picks this up it will never be resolved. I have experience with managing technology in large companies and I am close to the point where I write a snotogram to a director.

[pgn]

You will be tagged as "one of the unfortunate minority",  I fear, @gavod.