Blink changes usage rules on commercial charges

[DesertDenizen]

Odd. I have used the Blinks at my library several times, usual procedure of swiping my card and then entering my zip code at the prompt. Today I plugged in and it just started charging. No card, no zip code, the Blink screen was totally blank, but it was charging.

In the Blink L2, the hardware that controls the J1772 protocol is separate from the main logic board that does all the heavy lifting of running the screen, reading cards, querying the network, etc... If the logic board crashes in the right state, the J1772 would remain active and working, as you experienced. This is good or bad depending on your point of view.

How the hell do you people on this forum know so much?
It is a fine thing from my point of view. I can barely read the screen in the Tucson sun anyway.

 

[davewill]

How the hell do you people on this forum know so much?
It is a fine thing from my point of view. I can barely read the screen in the Tucson sun anyway.

I'm an embedded system programmer, and program hardware like this thing for a living. There's a couple of threads around here where people have taken the home units apart and snooped. There's even instructions on how to disconnect the logic board and turn your home Blink into a dumb EVSE...which was kinda tempting in the early days when a lot of them didn't work very well.

 

[DesertDenizen]

If I tried to take my Blink apart I would probably electrocute myself. I was getting the Self Test error messages, they sent someone out who did something and it operates great now.

 

[EricBayArea]

there was a box to check about the agreement. in fact, two boxes.
I tried not checking either, then only the one; it would not go through.
somehow I doubt you got a different webtool and set of prompts.

Sneaky

Yeah, the check box says, "I agree to the RPA Terms and Conditions." If you didn't know the acronym "RPA" or click the link to find out, you'd just skip right through.

It has been literally 1 month since I signed up for the Blink Membership and got suckered into the checkbox. I reached out to Blink support, regional ECOtality/Blink rep and someone else from Blink. My request got kicked up from Blink support to their "regional offices" and I have followed up every week since (probably annoying the hell out of Support).

Today I received an email from a Project Manager of Contracts at ECOtality who informed me that Blink and ECOtality have agreed to remove the link between the Blink Membership and the ECOtality RPA agreement. He said they are proceeding to make the necessary system changes and indicated that I am still being held to my original 8/9/2011 contract which ends on 4/30/2013 with the original Clause 13 regarding Changes. I assume it won't be immediate, but soon you will not see the RPA agreement checkbox during Blink Membership signup.

 

[FairwoodRed]

Erik,

Congrats on getting some progress with Blink. My own efforts haven't had any traction. I even suggested that a lot of people would be willing let them continue to collect data if they released them from the rest of the obligations. No response from Blink on that one.

 

[srl99]

Reminder - Blink Plus membership is $30/year starting "Jan 2013" (I don't know if it's Jan. 1). If you have been enjoying the free Blink Plus membership, here's a reminder to decide if you want to pay $30/year for it. As I have used about one hour of Blink charging in the past 4 months, I called today to downgrade my membership to the free level (and $1.50/hour charging vs $1.00/hour).

 

[ttweed]

Reminder - Blink Plus membership is $30/year starting "Jan 2013" (I don't know if it's Jan. 1). If you have been enjoying the free Blink Plus membership, here's a reminder to decide if you want to pay $30/year for it. As I have used about one hour of Blink charging in the past 4 months, I called today to downgrade my membership to the free level (and $1.50/hour charging vs $1.00/hour).

I called them a couple days ago about this and they confirmed to me that the date was Jan. 1 for the membership charges to kick in. Like you, I do not use the commercial chargers more than 60 hours per year, which would be the break-even point for a $30/yr. membership, so I will be downgrading my membership also. I mentioned to them that it would be nice if we could do that online, but at the moment I don't see any way to edit your membership level on the website. They said I would have to call.

I accepted the new RPA as is, since I have no plans to move anytime soon, but I may go ahead and ask that they turn over ownership to me according to the original timeline, if they will continue to service the device. Thanks to the forum for that tidbit! It's the kind of information we would never get if we didn't participate here.

TT

 

[philipscoggins]

I believe it's $30/year not $30/month.

I've never used a public Level 2 charger. Hope they don't sucker punch me with the DCQC charging going from free to $20/charge if you're not a premium member later this year...

Philip

 

[Volusiano]

I thought the Blink people told me when I signed up for the free Plus membership that it's good for 1 year before I have to pay $30/year. That was back in the summer sometime. Now I'm confused to hear that I'd get charged the $30/year comes January 1st 2013.

 

[DesertDenizen]

I thought the Blink people told me when I signed up for the free Plus membership that it's good for 1 year before I have to pay $30/year. That was back in the summer sometime. Now I'm confused to hear that I'd get charged the $30/year comes January 1st 2013.

Look on the Blink site and it clearly says the charge starts Jan 2013. I just called and got switched to basic. The only public Blink that I use has no charge anyway.

 

[Volusiano]

I thought the Blink people told me when I signed up for the free Plus membership that it's good for 1 year before I have to pay $30/year. That was back in the summer sometime. Now I'm confused to hear that I'd get charged the $30/year comes January 1st 2013.

Look on the Blink site and it clearly says the charge starts Jan 2013. I just called and got switched to basic. The only public Blink that I use has no charge anyway.

Here's the link where the Blink people told me that my free Plus membership should be good for one year (see post dated 7/13/2012 7:35pm by poster named "Blink"). However, I just called them now and they confirmed that the rate increase will go into effect on January 1st 2013 for my membership. So I guess they lied to me before on their response back in July.

I had them cancel my Plus membership and revert it back to free basic.

 

[oakwcj]

I thought the Blink people told me when I signed up for the free Plus membership that it's good for 1 year before I have to pay $30/year. That was back in the summer sometime. Now I'm confused to hear that I'd get charged the $30/year comes January 1st 2013.

Look on the Blink site and it clearly says the charge starts Jan 2013. I just called and got switched to basic. The only public Blink that I use has no charge anyway.

Can you provide a link for this? All I see is that the $30 fee is currently waived.

 

[Ingineer]

I'm very careful with the companies I share my credit card information with. I personally don't feel comfortable at all with sharing that information with ECOtality. With the Blink "guest" membership you don't get a RFID card. I think you get a one-time use PIN, over the Internet, after they charge the credit card you give them. It would be nice if ECOtality offered a card, with say a $20 balance and no expiration, that you could purchase with Paypal or a check, to keep in the car for an emergency charging situation.

why?
by US law, the largest liability is $50, and every card company I have dealt with always makes you whole if you show they are not your charges.

Yes, this is true. But be warned; this all changes if it's used as a Debit card with a PIN code. I'll share my credit card freely as needed, but I almost never type my PIN code into any equipment that is not owned by my Bank. There are millions of dollars stolen each day by fraudsters, and if you haven't reported your card stolen, the banks will usually not reimburse you for funds stolen in this way. (At least not without a fight!)

Be careful with your PIN on combo Debit/Credit cards. But as long as you carefully check each transaction posted as a credit card, you are covered.

-Phil

 

[ttweed]

I believe it's $30/year not $30/month.

Absolutely correct--that was a brain-fade on my part while typing my post. I went back and edited it.
Thx,
TT

 

[gaswalla]

Looks like they won't be charging membership fees just yet...

Annual Fees Postponed

Hi Everyone,

At this time, the annual fee for the Blink Plus membership plan will be waived until further notice. You will not be charged the annual fee for 2013, and we will give notice when the annual fee comes into effect with your Blink Plus membership plan. We hope you continue to take advantage of the Blink Plus membership!


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