Allow secondary accounts to access AGL app.

[NielFulton]

Here's an idea;

Allow secondary / authorized account holders to access the AGL App with their OWN user names.

Use Case:

My Wife and I are frequently traveling independently and both of us need to be across all aspects of the billing and utilities.

This means, - at any time, being able to see what bills are due at any point.

How can this be done if only 1 person (Namely the account holder) is permitted to access to the AGL account ?

Oh Yes, I realises that the solution you're going to give is "Why don't you just SHARE the username and password for the account?"

This would work FINE if there was no 2 factor authentication involved - Since, I I really dont believe that I have to spell this out for you - The 2 factor Auth only sends to a  *single* Mobile number or Email Address.

So, IN sharing the account details with my wife, I am already prevented from utilising increased security - which is *recommended* by you.

Not to mention that sharing authentication details is already increasing the risk of unauthorised access.

The fact that this can not be done is absolutely mind boggling - And if this is 'A limitation of your billing system' then I suggest you fire the halfwits responsible for choosing it or writing it, and invest in a proper system that will allow for this functionality.

Its. Not. Difficult.

[David_AGL]

Hi @NielFulton . Thanks for the feedback. As you've stated, only the account holder can manage an account (with some functions allowed by another nominated authorized person as well), and we strongly recommend not sharing login details. 

Can you provide an example of a system that allows you to manage a single account from separate logins in the way you're describing? 

One way to work around the specific issue you've mentioned causing trouble here (tracking and paying bills) might be to set up direct debit on your account.

Payments would be made automatically, and full billing history can still be tracked in your account when it's convenient to do so.

[NielFulton]

David,

1 - I find the blind assumption that my wife and I share the same bank account slightly .. confusing and rather old fashioned.
Is it common for AGL to be so backward with their policies and views of their customer base ?

Or has the assumption that ALL properties using AGL as their utility provider are sharing not only bank accounts but account logins for the app been made here ?

What about Share Houses (you know, properties with multiple tenants who are not related and do not share finances ) ?

Are you suggesting THEY share login details for the app so they can keep track of power usage and billing status ?

2 - Trying to reframe the issue at hand - which is that AGL DO NOT provide adequate security measures for ALL their customers across a variety of use cases - into one of "why don't you just use direct debit?" is underhanded at the least and I find your attempt to muddy the waters when it comes to this issue rather sad and transparent to say the least.

If, At any stage you actually *thought* about what I'd written, you would have perhaps concluded that suggesting 'why don't you use direct debit' was a completely redundant suggestion.
I say redundant, but what I really mean is ridiculously inappropriate.

It's bad enough that you have *forced* monthly payments on me, but at last check (And please correct me if I'm wrong here), I now have to PAY to receive paper bills simply so my wife and I can be across the state of the utility bills for our house because there is no other way to (securely) do the same thing we've been doing for over 15 years.

At the end of the day, your app and the access you offer is *insecure* when more than 1 person from a household wishes to use your 'mobile app'.

I wonder perhaps if the argument that you're *actively* discriminating against customers in similar situations by NOT providing them the ability to properly secure their account access as per the rest of your customer base could be made here.

Particularly as you've said yourself 'we strongly recommend not sharing login details'

3 - As for your request to list accounting packages which will allow multiple users to access the same account ;
No.
One would think that you should be perfectly able to do your OWN research on this - I can state that from a software engineering point of view that this completely possible - But what I NOT going to do is give you a list OR recommend a particular accounting/user management package - especially not without also providing you an invoice for consulting fees.

I would expect this is better addressed by YOU In House - I am however, happy to do some research for you and provide the information and an invoice for my time.

Now;

How do I, with the minimum of sodding about, arrange to have;

A: My Electricity and Gas accounts moved BACK to quarterly billing cycle
B: Have Paper Bills sent to our home address.

WITHOUT some operator trying to put me onto a new plan which will end up costing me MORE in the long run, or just plain telling me it cant be done ?

[Lester]

Not sure about gas account, but when we were automatically moved to monthly billing for our electricity a month or so ago, I just went in to the app and clicked account tab, then settings, there is Monthly billing listed where you can opt back to quarterly bills.

The monthly billing tab seems to take you to the website to change back over.