New Tabcorp Website

[becareful]

Has anyone been able to get the new Tabcorp website to function correctly? All I want to do is be able to see the results for previous races but the stupid site wont let me! When I select the meeting from the first list sometimes it changes to that meeting but other times it decides that I really meant to select a different meeting completely. When I do get the right meeting and try to select the race it either:
1. Gives me the next race to start instead of the one I selected (so I get race 5 instead of race 2 for example)
OR 2. Kicks me out of the prices altogether and back to the main page.

Bring back the old site - may not have been as pretty but at least I could get the information I wanted! You would think they would have at least tested the damn thing before putting on their live site!

:mad:

[umrum]

yep is working fine for me B.C.

just select the race twice i think in the scrolling list

[Chrome Prince]

Becareful,

I have exactly the same problems as you.

Ridiculous that the site was released without all this ironed out, they never even asked for beta testers.

They could have let it go for a month and then acted on problems and feedback before release it just before a weekend.

Mayhem will rule on Saturday!

[tragic]

try IAS.com

[Chrome Prince]

On 2003-09-04 17:35, tragic wrote:
try IAS.com


Very true tragic, they've lost me forever now, even if they fix the problems, the site is "klunky" to say the least.

Just a pity as I get the tote divvies and closing prices from there for my database, and I reckon it'll take me the best part of a day to get that info now.

[kenchar]

get them from http://www.expertform.com/ 3 state totes and bookie prices.

Cheers

[Chrome Prince]

On 2003-09-04 18:20, kenchar wrote:
get them from http://www.expertform.com/ 3 state totes and bookie prices.

Cheers


Thanks Kenchar,

I'll investigate this further.

[becareful]

Tragic/kenchar,

I don't use Tabcorp for betting but my automated stats collection grabs the tote prices from their site just before the jump and again after the results are posted. Well it did before they went and stuffed it all up.....

[becareful]

Neil,

Yes it is a bugger to say the least. I know of a couple of unhappy people (including me!) and I am sure a lot of others. I have managed to work out their meeting codes and page nameing conventions BUT if the Tabcorp website thinks that you are entering the code directly rather than using a link on their site it doesn't give you what you want. I believe (but I haven't confirmed this yet) that this will make it impossible to use the site with certain non-Microsoft web browsers. Apparantly their customer service dept was totally swamped today with calls and from what I have heard there weren't too many positive comments! Hopefully a lot of those customers will take their business elsewhere - I certainly am (not that I did much business with them anymore - just the occassional exotic).

[puntz]

wheels of change

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: puntz on 2003-09-15 22:11 ]</font>

[becareful]

A bit more info that I have discovered and some other stuff passed on to me by someone else in the same boat as me:

The new Tabcorp site uses a combination of "cookies" and the "referral address" (this is some information that your web browser sends to the website that tells the website whether you have entered the address directly or clicked on a link and if so where that link was) to intentionally try to block anyone using automated software from retrieving information from their website.

The way that have done it, however, has also stopped a lot of normal users if they have higher security settings on their PC than the standard or if they are not using a recent version of Internet Explorer. A LOT of users who want to protect their online privacy by turning off "cookies" within their browser will be unable to use the new site.

My friend, who has spoken to someone within Tabcorp, has reported that Tabcorp was not aware of the number of users who were using data retrieval software. According to this source Tabcorp are reconsidering the policy and may look at re-opening the old site for those who cant access the new one.

Personally I am not holding my breath as I doubt anything will be done. I am sure the intention was to cut the amount of traffic to their website by eliminating the automated access component and who cares if it pi**es a whole lot of people off! No doubt the customer service people would like the problem fixed but the big bosses don't have to take the calls so they will only be looking at the bottom line in terms of dollars spent on internet bandwidth charges.

[Chrome Prince]

Clearly an attempt to block automated retrieval.

There are results only available for the last 12 months now.

Prior they had at least 4 years worth.

I agree it's a bandwidth issue, and if past experiences tell me anything - they won't be fixing anything too soon, regardless of feedback.

I know of at least 10 commercial programs that use data from the site, both for retrieval and bet placement, let alone all the individuals who have writtren their own programs.

They've successfully snookered all players
:evil:

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Chrome Prince on 2003-09-05 15:37 ]</font>

[Neil]

Hi Chrome Prince,
Once again it shows the utter stupidity of those running SuperTab.

1. They don't have flexi betting.

2. They don't have first fours.

3. Now they're going to lose all the turnover generated by computer programs which no longer work using SuperTab internet data to the NSW and UniTab sites. These TABs Management can hardly believe their luck. They must be laughing.

Cheers, Neil.

[puntz]

So what does all this mean, no more freebies reading the markets?

[Chrome Prince]

Well it's official now...The Tabcorp site is well and truely st*ffed.

Here's a recount of my day!

Tried to login to my account around 11am.
ERROR-page could not be found.
Finally got in after rebooting at around 12:00
Was placing bets (to use up what's left) and got booted and logged out.
Tried to log back in and got a message saying that I was already logged in.
Tried to logout and got a message saying I was already logged out :lol:

Rebooted and tried to login again.
got error page could not be found.

GAVE UP!

Went to normal page to look at approximates and results.
For a while it went o.k.
Then every time I went to look at the approximates for race 6 Sydney, I got directed to race 5 Albion Pk Harness.

Went and had a coffee.

Came back and tried other races, sometimes it worked, other times I got night meetings (dogs and trots).

Used Unitab for the rest of the day.

Won't be going back.

[Mark]

Chrome Prince

Your last 2 lines say it all.
Is there some way that this thread can be sent to Tabcorp?

[Debug]

Unless SuperTab come up with something more reliable or stable for computer programs to retrieve race prices from their site I will be recommending my customers using SuperTab and all future clients to use either UniTab or the NSW TAB.

[shy]

I know Unitab looks the most rudimentary of the tab sites, but all the info you need is within 1 click. I love all the results being visible on one page! And lately the results have been posted within seconds of the end of the race. Give me simple usability over flash any day!

[Chrome Prince]

Unitab actually have a very good formguide which you can import to excel and make your own ratings. O.K. it's not as comprehensive as some, but provides some data you can work with.

[OZDOC]

If Anyone would like some basic download applications ( Built in Excel to download the form Past results and Tommorrows Racing ) for UniTab Let Me Know and Post your email Address.

You Will also need to have an Account open with them as you need to activate the account to get the expanded form Guide.

R
Pete

[enjay]

OZDOC

Would love to take you up on your offer.
EMAIL sabu@northnet.com.au
Thanks heaps..
enjay

[NANOOK]

Use the WATAB very quick, easy to navigate, years of results. The best by far!

[becareful]

Nanook,

I agree - WATAB is the best TAB website for extracting results from - they have their results available in a text format that is incredibly easy to load into a database, etc. Their internet betting also has the best feature - you can CANCEL your bets up to 60 seconds after you place them (assuming race hasn't jumped).

Of course all my betting goes through IAS now but when I did bet with the TABs the WA was my favourite!

[Ron50]

Hi Ozdoc,
Could I have the info re basic excel for downloading from Unitab please.
Regards,
Ron

[Ron50]

Hi Ozdoc,
Sorry I did not give you my email address.
Cheers,
Ron.

nald50@yahoo.com

[Goldcoaster]

Hi Ozdoc,
Would love your program.
chard_@hotmail.com
Thanks

[OZDOC]

On 2003-09-14 07:50, Goldcoaster wrote:
Hi Ozdoc,
Would love your program.
chard_@hotmail.com
Thanks


goldcoaster, see post unitab downloads and reply to that but send me onther email besides the hotmail one as it does not like the attachments in most cases
r
pete

[Chrome Prince]

See that the navigation bugs were still on the website yesterday.

Again, after selecting a race it still sometimes navigates to the wrong race and venue.

[Seeker11]

On 2003-09-14 14:46, Chrome Prince wrote:
See that the navigation bugs were still on the website yesterday.

Again, after selecting a race it still sometimes navigates to the wrong race and venue.


Its the 17th and the thing is still doing it. I liked the old layout...bring it back and admit defeat Supertab.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Seeker11 on 2003-09-17 12:10 ]</font>

[Chrome Prince]

Hi Seeker,

Yes, I agree.

It's stupid because from what I can gather, it's simply a coding issue, which could be fixed in a few hours.

They tried to do something too advanced without trialling it first as a beta version.

With a site with so much traffic, whomever, oversees the internet side of things should be sacked and replaced immediately.

Or were they being dictated to and all recommendations ignored.

I think it's a case of "get up it running by such and such a date!"

The bottom line is BAD MANAGEMENT as usual.

[kenworth]

OZDOC
Hi Pete,
Would you please e-mail your excel program.
Thanks a lot,
Ken
e-mail: kenfinde@tpg.com.au