eNets payment is so unfriendly + Vista sucks

Previously, I heard from my friend that the back-end for eNets payment gateway was "upgraded". Not sure how it went, but today is the first time I experienced it from the "front" when trying to pay for some coach tickets.

I am using my Vista laptop with Firefox as the web browser.

1st Attempt
Upon checking out my shopping cart, I was redirected to eNets' Welcome Gateway, which required me to enter my email address (why? no reason? happy? or so they can blast marketing material at me? do they have the right?), and my choice of my payment. Hey! If there is only 1 choice of payment, do I still have to select it from a dropdown list? Why so mafan? Why can't they just detect it at the server side and then present the item to the user?

Nevermind, I submitted my details and selection to the server and was promptly presented with the next page. I tried to enter text into the Name textbox, but it was disabled. I can't enter any data at all!

Seems like eNets do not like Firefox, or because I'm not using the latest and greated Java 6 JRE (where got payment gateway ask you to upgrade your bloody JRE in the middle of a credit card transaction one? this must be the World Class syndrome, you want World Class service, you better be prepared to have world class JRE installed!)

So ok, I cancelled the transaction, no choice. Went out, closed my login session on the coach website. Started IE 7 on Vista.


Attempt Duo,
IE7 started up, I went inside through the same action. Luckily the coach website kept my shopping cart across session! (YAY!). Went to eNets website, duly typed in my credit card details, and then clicked the "Submit" button.

*BOOM*

Vista has halted all my web surfing for no reason. I can't go to yahoo mail, gmail, blogspot, etc.. Nothing! All the pages time out on me. MSN messenger is still running fine. This is not the first time my Vista has done this to me, sometimes all TCP connections get shutdown too. In fact, on my Vista laptop, if I even plug in a LAN cable into the port it will blue screen immediately and die. Yes, this is my Vista experience so far. It sucks. Today, the suckiness has dropped to a new low. It hasn't been this low in ages. Thanks alot, Bill Gates, and take your fishes along when you go. I'm not impressed by Vista lor...


Attempt 3
Really fedup. Rebooted laptop. Logged onto my Windows 2003 Server R2 SP2, 64-bit OS. Started up the IE7 on the server.

Login to the coach website, ah ha! my cart is still intact! no need for retyping all the details and selecting the seats on the coach. YAY!

Checked out the cart, go go go!!! Redirected to eNets.. and...

*engine dies*

The redirection failed. It just hanged there. I can't even get into the page to fill in my email and select the only payment choice from the dropdown list.

*pfffft* grrr!!!


Attempt 4
My Vista laptop is back, while waiting for the startup activities to finish (yes, after you login, Vista takes another 3-5 minutes doing its own thing, the harddisk activity doesn't stop as it starts up the rest of the stuff in the background. I have since disabled autostart for mysql, mssql 2005, etc. Even though the starting up is fast, it just postpones the actual work to after you sign in, bleah...).

Anyway, I digress... I started up my IE7 and went through the usual, familiar motions ALL OVER AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME FOR THE LAST TIME, and this time it works. I was able to get my payment processed and confirmed.


*whew* Imagine if this was the opening day for some blockbuster hit, or if I was trying to book a great seat for my family for the F1 race. This whole fiasco would ruin my chances to get the seat that I want, man...

eNets, the service is pathetic, and instead of providing a service to the user by adapting yourself to the user's environment (browser type, browser version, java or the lack of it), you force them to do it your way. Must be IE7, must have JRE, must be patient to use your crap. Next time I encounter this, I will go down to the shop and pay for it. I do not see the increase in service level that corresponds to the increase in your payment processing surcharge.

Extremely horrible experience...

World Class infrastructure for a World Class Event?

No, it wasn't to be so...

This is the headline from Straits Times article

Website booted him out three times
British Airways pilot Benterman takes 10 hours to get tickets for F1's first night race

To make it a double whammy, the permanent resident found, to his horror, that the seats he had reserved were lost when he was booted out of the website.

'It was absolutely frustrating and a disgrace,'' said the exasperated 39-year-old.

'I cannot accept not getting through to the website because it crashed. There is also no customer service number to call.''

Apparently, the website was supposed to be capable of handling 20,000 transactions per hour and the actual traffic apparently was way over what was expected.

Questions:

1. Did anyone take the last F1 race's figures for a comparison and benchmarking?
   
2. Was there a big change in the way the tickets are sold?
3. Did the system incorporate proper transactions handling, queueing and all that?
   
4. Was the system properly load tested before going live?
   
5. Was someone even monitoring the system after it went live? Why was no action taken? (cf. MRT down, buses were deployed)
   
6. Was there a contingency plan in place? (obviously not)
7. Could the launch have been scheduled in phases? (online sales first, then outlet sales?)
   
8. Were corners being cut in the system hardware so someone could save a few bucks? Or was the organize scammed by vendors who gave 3rd class hardware for 1st class prices? (which is normal)

According to the news on the radio this morning, a hardware upgrade should be sufficient to solve the problem. Shame on the SI (system integrator) and/or hardware vendors who supplied the "solution".

So, we'll see... :)