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Worth reading all the way down perhaps ... several e-mails back and fro
Replies from Mr Hogg :
Dear Mr ......
Email copied below was received yesterday evening.
Lets hope a speedy and amicable resolution can now be reached
Yours sincerely
Adrian Hogg
And from Octo telematics to Mr. Hogg
Dear Mr. Hogg,
we are already in touch to Mr. ......
Please contact us if we can assist further.
Kind regards
Raffaella
And Octotelematics reply to me :::
Dear Mr. ......,
Apologise for the late reply.
We took serously Your request and we rise a complain.
Regarding Your request: we are able to provide (to this email address You are writing from, that is in Your contract with us) the vehicle's position in Your last attempt to verify it by your mobile. Please confirm You require it by answering to this mail.
If You kindly provide us an answer as soon as possible, we can produce this proove immediatly.
Thank You
Kind regards
Raffaella
Octotelematics Uk Support Team
So Octo are TRYING to help but still do not seem to have a solution. Just maybe able to end the last location / sat.status. So not much help.
No response to request for refund / extension to subscription and suggestion of breach of contract due to their failure to provide the paid for / contracted service.....
So finally Octotelematics sent me proof that their tracking centre does know where my car is, only took 2 months.
But now I no longer receive any response to SAT.STATUS requests 4 sent in February no reply to any and only the first shows as being deducted from my credits. I have to assume all SMS commands are non functioning and I'm unwilling to test just in case it's a one way trip!
Have started to use Twatter to have a go at them... @OctoTelematics Why does the system installed in UK Subaru WRX STis no longer respond to SMS requests. Service has been down for at least 5 months, initially not reporting vehicle location but now just doesn't respond. Support no help in resolving, what a useless system this is!
Have had an initial reply, for what it's worth:
Hi there, we received your message. Just to let you know that I've asked internally for what the next steps should be and will keep you posted shortly! Thank you!
Have gone back with:
You've a lot more dissatisfied UK Subaru Octo/MetaSat tracker customers than just me. Taking the issue into DM is fine, I will share your replies with fellow owners. We pay for a service that doesn't work anymore & need compensating for the appalling lack of service from Octo!
Had a call from Oct in Italy requesting my bank details, the guy seemed quite stressed and even more so after he suggested I'd cancelled my subscription and I went nuts with him ... anyway once we'd sorted the miscommunication out on their part, it transpired that Octo UK had told him to issue a refund as Compensation for the issues.
I got the impression he thought the SMS responses were all coming through, had to shatter that for him. Out of the 5 requests I sent on Sat/Sun, I only got 2 responses back. He was going to pass the detail back to the UK team. He also said that the UK team were still investigating why we don't receive location information...
Awaking thread ...
just tried sat.status and got a response same as Don above.
GPS N.A
VEHICLE LOCATION ADDRESS. Not Available.
After last round of communications, involving IM's Adrian Hogg, Octotelematics told him they had contacted me directly and resolution was in hand .... I got a basic apology e-mail ( feb ) and offer to tell me where my car was at last sat.status! Mr Hogg backed out saying they had told him it was sorted.
So IM think Octo have solved it and I am happy AFAIK,
Had no response since Feb 19.
So mailed Octo again today inc. Mr Hogg , reinforcing subscription extension / refund since Sept 18 when I found this problem, and update on when they would get it to work.
Probably have to telephone the UK office ( run by Italians ... probably a redirection to Italy head office? ) who will again tell me it is all set up by Subaru / IM and all is working at their end.....
We wait again....
Off to rattle Twitter now..... ( Cheera Abre, nice to see some £££ movement for you so far! ).
Well I finally received some compensation, a month after being told I would. But this isn't about the money it's about a service that no longer functions in the way it used to, as we know.
Then there's the overall response from IM/Subaru/Customer Services, which is pitiful. But as customers I don't think we're of any interest with our old discontinued cars. They clearly don't consider the possibility of selling another Subaru to any of us.
Octo keep telling my device is working, but to take the car back to my dealer for them to check it, but when I ask what they're supposed to be checking they can't offer any suggestions.
From my perspective I believe there are 2 issues:
Firstly the lack of location data, although I'm beginning to suspect this is not a fault, but by design and we'll never see it restored. I'm thinking it's GDPR related under the guise of privacy of user data.
Secondly the mobile network Octo partner with here in the UK. I've asked which network they use in the UK, but got no response. I suspect EE and in that case I'll never get good coverage around where I live, unless the wind is blowing in the right direction. I've been doing sat.status checks for the past couple of months when out on my travels and it's hit or miss whether I receive a reply. If I'm in an urban or city area I nearly always see a response, but if I'm in a rural hilly area there's next to no chance.
On the subject of Twitter, I received an arsey DM from them the other day: Please note that this team manages a a social media account and that for data privacy reasons we have dedicated teams for client services and helping to resolve requests. In this case, we have gone above and beyond internally to try and speed up the resolution of the issue at hand. Additionally, please note we do not tolerate aggressive language such as "BS".
If using antisocial "Social Media" is the only way to illicit action from Octo, you set yourselves up as an open target for this type of contact. Perhaps if your organisation had done something to resolve the issue affecting UK Subaru owners instead of letting it carry on for over 6 months we wouldn't have arrived at this place. As for going above and beyond, hellooo that's called customer service, but clearly Octo don't do that. As for your aggressive language quip, I don't tolerate paying for a service and not getting what I pay for, I think Octo sensibilities over non agressive slang pale into insignificance next to that.
It'd been a pissy day and I was grumpy
Anyway I'm not giving up for now, I can be a really annoying git when I put my mind to it, some might say thats all the time
I got slightly better responses from Twittering them and then posting on every twitter post regarding Subaru/metasat and posting a link to this thread!!
AND after mailing them again and Adrian Hogg at IM, copying my earlier comments and requests and their replies to me ( and IM that they had contacted me privately and it was being sorted .... so Mr.Hogg left it to them ) I got some sort of useful response.
"we are in contact with the IT team, who's providing to solve this issue. They are testing the solution.
Hopefully we will produce a confirmation to You as soon as possible.
In order to provide Your movement/ position by this email service, we need a formal request from your email, with copy of Your passport attached.
Please ask a day (maximum 48H) in order to have a faster reply (it is not an automatic one).
Regarding the refund/extension, i forward your request to the finance office.
Thank You
Kind regards
Raffaella
Octotelematics Uk Support Team"And from Twitter... Hi, thanks for reaching out. Hope you are well! We've double checked with our service center and they will reach out to you directly in order to instruct you with the refund process. Please bear in mind we are the social media team (but are happy to try help). Alternatively, should you not hear from them please feel free to reach out directly to servizioclienti@octotelematics.com. Thanks!
So, a multi barrelled "polite" but firm approach seems to get some movement, and suggesting a class action suit for all Subaru owners with Metasat, and that I will claim any and all consequent costs if my insurance company deem Metasat no longer approved ( i.e. new tracker, increase premium etc. ) may yet get some traction.
I replied with a redacted copy of my passport.. lets see what they do in 24 - 48 hours ( from 9/4/19 13:00 ish )
NO reply from finance team despite what the Twitter team said.
NO response from Octo re: providing vehicle position despite their response stating maximum of 48 hours reply after my reply on 9/4/19. ( now evening of 14th April 2019.
Adrian Hogg is on hols until 23/4 so no help there ( they had told him they were in direct contact with me and it was almost solved! Back in Feb).
Maybe let those TV consumer programmes know what's happening and let them investigate / name/shame ??
I feel your frustration!
Have patience regards payment, mine took a month to come through, although they did blame the bank for some of the delay.
As for location information, once I'd sent my passport details it took them a day to reply with the detail. Not to have received anything from them by now is just unacceptable.
I've already said what I think of IM/AH and the Customer Service provided, they/he just look for the easiest way to palm off issues without having to do anything themselves.
Naming and shaming might work, but I wonder if there are enough of us to generate interest, programme producers are only really interested in eye catching issues.
Missed a call from Octotelematics this afternoon and now too late to call back so tried a "sat.status" message and got a full gps data reply with co-ordinates, but not the "vehicle located at ......" one.
Looks as if they may be getting somewhere...............
Have emailed them and will follow up on Tuesday.
Last edited by Don Clark; 18 April 2019 at 07:59 PM.
Missed a call from Octotelematics this afternoon and now too late to call back so tried a "sat.status" message and got a full gps data reply with co-ordinates, but not the "vehicle located at ......" one.
Looks as if they may be getting somewhere...............
Have emailed them and will follow up on Tuesday.
Had a further call from Octotelematics (not a holiday in Italy) and was told in broken English although the full info is available at their end, they are still working on getting it fixed, to send all the data as before and that I can claim a refund.
Checked the Subaru Telematics website and the communications pages no longer work as expected.
Just had a call from Octo to say they've resolved the issues at their end and that the service has now been restored.
Obviously not going take their word for it, so will need to get the car out and do a sat.status in an area with better mobile coverage, as my garage appears to have become a black spot for reception.
Managed to set off the alarm today changing wheels (tilt sensor activation).
Almost immediately checked my phone to find the 2 messages as we used to get so looks as if all fixed.
Is everyone happy with their tracker now?
I got a call from them a few weeks ago to tell me that the system was working and to let them know if I still had problems. I tested the system and still got no location update so I called them back and told them.
Since then, they have never been in touch and the system still does not work for me. When I check the Metasat subscription page, I see that my credits have now expired, which may explain why I don't get a response, but I am obviously reluctant to recharge the account with another 100 Euros if the system is not fixed! I have asked for a refund of credit for the duration that I was not working, but did not get anywhere there.
It appears to be working.
The only thing I have noticed is that it depends on the phone reception in the area you're in.
Mine used to work fine with the car in the garage, but doesn't anymore, I've tried it else where and it seems fine.
Makes me think they're on the EE network which has always been totally sh*te where I live...
They just called me back, and guess what? - The thing is broken again!
(They have confirmed that my GPS receiver is OK, and the problem is "just" with their IT system)
They have no idea who long it will take to fix, but they will call me back when it is working - that does not sound like it will happen any time soon!
The refund/extra credit question "has been passed to their Back Office" - not holding my breath on that one either !
When it's working properly you get two messages, one with the GPS data and a second with the car reg and location (street name).
On a sat.status request I did not receive the second message but as the GPS data is now complete it includes the location as lat/long co-ordinates.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I no longer get SMS messages on alarm activations or sat.status requests.
I've been on to Octotelematics for over 4 months about it, the service has become a joke since the issues we saw in 2019.
My main issue is, I don't know when the SMS messaging stopped working. It certainly wasn't working in January this year when I set my alarm of by accident.
I just tried logging in to the site with the correct https address which was working and it won't let me in now...
Mine is still working and have just recharged my Communication credits.
messages sent to +39 339 994 3201 (MetaSAT Italy)
messages received from +39 339 990 3344
Just now
I would Email: support.uk@octotelematics.com again to find out why you cannot login anymore
I also received my refund.
Last edited by Don Clark; 30 June 2021 at 04:57 PM.
Hi Don
Yep those are the numbers I have for the send and receive.
O2 confirm my sent messages are being delivered, just need Octo to sort out why they don't respond to me.
I've now added the web login issue to the ongoing email...
Andrew
I got the refund / free year ( forgot which ) and this xmas had forgotten to recharge the credits. I know it was working as when it was in garage for cambelt etc. the alarm / tracker sent me a text about battery off! and again when garage were testing the car!!
Thought had better pay for recharge in March, worked OK ( not sure which web site, may have just searched on google ? ) and let me log in fine.
Paid.
Seems to work fine now, 2 txts, GPS and english address data!
I got the refund / free year ( forgot which ) and this xmas had forgotten to recharge the credits. I know it was working as when it was in garage for cambelt etc. the alarm / tracker sent me a text about battery off! and again when garage were testing the car!!
Thought had better pay for recharge in March, worked OK ( not sure which web site, may have just searched on google ? ) and let me log in fine.
Paid.
Seems to work fine now, 2 txts, GPS and english address data!
V
Yes, I forgot to renew in November, hence the posts, but have still been receiving messages. If I use "Sat.Status" I only get the one message which includes SAT condition; IGNITION setting; GSM %; BATT voltage; TEMP; SPEED; GPS co-ords and DATE/TIME, not like the full address in the set of alarm messages.
13 February 2019, 03:17 PM
anyway once we'd sorted the miscommunication out on their part, it transpired that Octo UK had told him to issue a refund as Compensation for the issues.
