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_fionangan(Initiate)Initiate
1 July 2021

Hi there

I am trying to verify my identity documents to set up myGov id so that I can get access to Online services for business so that I can sort out my SGC.

I get stuck at verifying the documents - my license and visa (using a foreign passport) - so I called the help line and it took over half hour to get back to me. Long story short - I was told to repeat what I was already doing about 10 times. If I scan or manually enter the details it doesn't do anything, the thumbprint just flashes over and over again - the app needs to be closed down to and reset to have another go. This is terrible - I want to call a number but I wait ages and don't get anything resolved.

Is there someone who has had the same issue (looks like many complaints about this app) who can help me sort this out.

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27 replies
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3,538 views
27 replies

Most helpful response

Most helpful reply

EmilyATO(Community Director)Community Director
8 July 2021

Hi @fifieldt and @fionangan

I'm really sorry this has been a frustrating time, and I know you're just trying to get it sorted. Rest assured, your feedback and comments are not taken lightly, and we've passed them onto the relevant team working on this.

The issue is being investigated and a fix will hopefully be implemented soon. In the meantime, I encourage you to keep trying as the documents should eventually verify. I also want to say thanks sharing your experiences - we always want to know if something's not working quite right. Keep us posted if you come across anything else in the app, like error codes.

Hope to update you with some good news soon.

All replies

EmilyATO(Community Director)Community Director
2 July 2021

Hi again @fionangan

Happy Friday!

I've sent you an email to the email address you've registered your ATO Community account. Just looking to grab some more info off you. Please let me know if you don't receive the email :smileyhappy:

fifieldt(Initiate)Initiate
5 July 2021

Hi @EmilyATO ,

Just in case you're interested in further experience with phone support, I just got told on the phone that:

  • Experiencing an issue like this for only 'a few hours' isn't a big deal
  • Waiting 30 minutes on the 'thumb print' screen is not long enough, and I should try waiting for an hour. Trying 3-4 times is not enough, I should keep trying again.
  • Unless there's an error code, there is nothing the support line can do.
  • It might be a known issue, but the help line is not allowed to share any information about what they know
  • There is no capability (if it is a known issue) to be contacted when the issue is resolved

Eventually, the agent offered to help me lodge a complaint, but only after 15 minutes of going in circles about there being 'nothing they could do'.

EmilyATO(Community Director)Community Director
5 July 2021

Hi @fifieldt

I'm really sorry you had that experience on the phone. Was that the myGovID support line you spoke to? It's really frustrating when mobile apps don't work properly - so we'll try to get to the bottom of it.

I'm going to send you an email to the email address you registered to ATO Community with. Please let me know if you don't receive it.

_fionangan(Initiate)Initiate
6 July 2021

Thank you - sorry for the delay in response I'm still getting used to this way of communicating.

I did receive the email and someone called me yesterday to troubleshoot but unfortunately we're just going around and around in circles.

He verified my license manually once I gave approval and it turns out while my middle name on my license is just the initial, the person I spoke to could see the full name. That in itself is inconsistent.

I had to force close the app so many times and now the list of documents aren't even visible.

I'm only doing this to set up Online services for business - this should be the easy part but it's causing a complete headache.

fifieldt(Initiate)Initiate
5 July 2021

I'm seeing the same problem, only with an Australian passport.

Scan in the document, it correctly recognises the details, tap submit, and it then just sits on the thumbprint flashing over and over again for more than 30 minutes. No error messages.

It looks like this person had the same issue:

https://community.ato.gov.au/t5/Digital-services/MyGovID-passport-verification-not-loading/td-p/135542

I tried force closing the app and logging in again after 20mins as suggested in that thread, but no luck. In fact, on logging back in again I can no longer upload any documents for verification (the options are just gone)!

fifieldt(Initiate)Initiate
6 July 2021

Just in case anyone is following this thread, an update. I'm trying again today. Interestingly, when I opened the app this time, the options to upload documents had re-appeared (previously had to reset the app to get that). However, Australian Passport was missing from the list. So, I'm trying with an Australian Drivers License this time. Unfortunately, exactly the same issue with the license as the passport - as much flashing thumbprint as one could ever want :)

Fluxpavillion(Devotee)Devotee
7 July 2021

@alfrednewman i don't think that's a fair comment.

Do you think ALL government employee's are responsible for the myGovID app? People who work behind the scenes have to read your unhelpful comment who are actually here trying to help people and i've seen some amazing answers on here from other members and the ATO mods.

Be kind, its free and makes you feel good

fifieldt(Initiate)Initiate
8 July 2021

A new day, a new update.

So, it looks like the series of complaints might have resulted in someone manually approving the passport validation (though I was never notified of this). After a further 4 attempts, the drivers license eventually went through and that was apparently enough to complete the identity verification process and I'm in.

Unfortunately, the communication aspect of the complaints process did not work. Contact within 72 hours was promised and that didn't happen. So, the onus is somehow now on me to try to contact them to figure out what went wrong and how we can improve this so people like @fionangan @Brooke02 and myself can potentially avoid being treated as we have been.

fifieldt(Initiate)Initiate
8 July 2021

Addendum:

Called the complaints hotline (Scott was extremely polite!), but they noted the reason for the lack of contact was that noone had been assigned to take care of the case yet. Scott is letting them know I called.

Most helpful reply

EmilyATO(Community Director)Community Director
8 July 2021

Hi @fifieldt and @fionangan

I'm really sorry this has been a frustrating time, and I know you're just trying to get it sorted. Rest assured, your feedback and comments are not taken lightly, and we've passed them onto the relevant team working on this.

The issue is being investigated and a fix will hopefully be implemented soon. In the meantime, I encourage you to keep trying as the documents should eventually verify. I also want to say thanks sharing your experiences - we always want to know if something's not working quite right. Keep us posted if you come across anything else in the app, like error codes.

Hope to update you with some good news soon.

fifieldt(Initiate)Initiate
12 July 2021

An update, in case anyone is on the edge of their seat looking for the next installment of this saga.

Some time after our friend Scott (again, excellent service from Scott and his colleagues on the main complaints line today) prompted a department to assign a "resolver" after not hearing anything within the promised timeframe, one as assigned. No notification of this, so I waited for a few more days before having to call in and find this out.

The notes on the file indicate that the "resolver" did indeed attempt to contact me, but couldn't get in touch since I was overseas. Based on the description, it seems like they might be dialing a different number than the one on the complaint. What happened next is extremely irritating:

  • After 15 minutes (it takes that long to get through the switchboard, complaints hotline IVR system and let the complaints staff find the relevant file) I am finally connected to the resolver. We speak for a few seconds and the call just becomes dead air.
  • Called back, another 15 minutes, got through, dead air.
  • Called back, another 15 minutes, got through, dead air, but this time the excellent complaints line staff had let the Resolver know about the issue and instructed him to call me back.

The Resolver was friendly but had just been handed the case. Resolvers are from the complaints division, rather than having a relationship with MyGovID. We spoke for half an hour and I brought him up to speed with the issues. He noted he's handled many complaints related to MyGovID recently, and did ask some basic questions to ensure we weren't missing something simple. While he took notes, he asked if I could write up the issue in email and send a screenshot, which is what I'm doing now.

fifieldt(Initiate)Initiate
23 July 2021

Week 3 update

I've spoken to my "Resolver" on the phone a couple of times. He's always been very friendly and provided information as soon as he recieved it.

At the moment we're waiting on some other department to get in touch with me, which is slated to happen within 7 days.

_KRo0911(Newbie)Newbie
22 July 2021

I am having the same problem and so is my partner. My partner is under pressure to lodge a return from 2017 or face legal action. He called the ATO and was told to keep trying. We have tried day and night. We have tried drivers licences, passports, medicare card. The drivers licence worked. Unfortunately the thumbprint just keeps circling. We don't have time for this.

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_fionangan(Initiate)Initiate
23 July 2021

After a few weeks, escalations and complaints I finally got my issue sorted.. then someone went in and didn't read the notes on my case and undid everything that had been done - I couldn't believe it. Lucky I had the phone number of the person who helped me resolve it at the start so I called him back and he was very helpful.

My advice, make a complaint whether it's online or phone call or here in this forum and they will call you back eventually. It shouldn't be that hard, that app is terrible - it would save them alot of time if they just fixed the app.

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fifieldt(Initiate)Initiate
3 Aug 2021

Great to hear it was eventually sorted @fionangan ! That must be a relief.

Week 4 update

Noone from the other department (I assume MyGovID) got in touch with me as promised.

My 'resolver' did phone back, wasn't surprised to hear this, and noted continued rising number of complaints about the issue. However, he had receieved a response back after escalating to MyGovID. Unfortunately, it was the same condescending one we've been receiving since the beginning - "nothing we can do, just keep trying, no other information available". (cc @EmilyATO - just so community team is aware that there has been no improvement to the service provided over the four weeks since we've been discussing this issue)

Obviously that wasn't OK with me, so I've asked my 'resolver' to escalate again, and we'll see if someone from MyGovID bothers to get in touch this time :)

fifieldt(Initiate)Initiate
24 Aug 2021

Week 7 update

Resolver called this week, cheerful and helpful as ever. He's working to find out why noone has got in touch, and the complaint deadline has been extended while we wait for that to happen.

fifieldt(Initiate)Initiate
1 Sept 2021

Week 8 update

Someone from MyGovID got in touch for the first time!! Unfortunately, I was asleep and the call went to voicemail, and there wasn't a number to call them back. I've provided a detailed list of my availability to my Resolver who is helping to arrange another attempt. Here's hoping for something of substance to close out the second month.

Another interesting thing that happened this week is that the MyGovID Terms of use were updated. I'm not sure if it was there before, but did you know that MyGovID has no availability, security or performance guarantees? I found that interesting, and concerning.

fifieldt(Initiate)Initiate
13 Sept 2021

Week 9 update

I spoke to a representative from MyGovID last week, and it was a good conversation.

What we learned is that when MyGovId is verifying documents, they're sending them to a service run by Services Australia. The connection between these two services appears tenuous and prone to failure. There have been issues with firewalls preventing connections or causing time-out issues.

Since this issue spans a governmental boundary, it is more difficult to solve. MyGovID has responded by setting some services to automatically reboot several times a day to 'clear out' these bad connections. This is the source of the advice that anyone encountering issues should close their app and try again later.

However, it seems that the underlying issue where document verification can show the loading screen indefinitely remains for now.

During my call, I was able to explain the kind of service people in this thread have been receiving. The MyGovID representative was surprised to hear that we are being told to watch the loading screen for hours, or keep trying for days.

I encouraged the representative to be more transparent about the issues, make changes to the application to improve the user experience and improve the support experience. Hopefully, having actually talked to someone things might improve.

This is probably the end of my weekly updates, but if I hear anything further I will let you know.

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Terrible experience verifying myGov identity documents | ATO Community