PIM, Cuidar and other Argentine government apps

There are 44 replies in this Thread which has previously been viewed 8,579 times. The latest Post () was by serafina.

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    I want to get a Telepase for the road tolls, so I opted for the non credit card version which requires PIM, the virtual wallet for use with your mobile phone. I also understand that you can top up PIM with Mercadopago, which is another advantage, thus not needing a credit card.

    It says dial *456# on your phone, then type in your DNI and you should be registered with PIM. The trouble is that it doesn't work work. It uses a data protocol called USSD - Unstructured Supplementary Service Data, sometimes referred to as "Quick Codes" or "Feature codes", is a communications protocol used by GSM cellular telephones to communicate with the mobile network operator's computers - which Claro is up tp speed on.

                                         

    Anyway, I end up going around in circles, which is so typical of Argentine efforts to make life simpler. I even downloaded the app, even though the app isn't even advertised anywhere, not even on PIM's own website.

    After investigating this, I discovered that the service has been dogged by problems, not least the waste of AR700 million on an app that doesn't even work and loads of people have their money locked up in the system.

    Check out the comments on the PIM Arg Facebook page, which should be enough to steer well clear.

    https://www.facebook.com/pimargentina

    Google Play comments

    https://play.google.com/store/…es_CL&showAllReviews=true

    PIM: El fracaso de la tarjeta del Nación, detrás de la polémica de Grabois y Mercado Libre

    Caveat emptor!

    i use pim also, same way as u, for the peajes! Though, the app does not work since months!!!!!

    Might be connected to that!

    and I tell you, not only days or weeks .......think it's around 6 months since it worked!!!!! If u go in and read the reviews by the app , you can see when it started not to work hahaha!

    Btw, don't think u can top it up and charge money via ML...... Because I already had that idea....charge it via ML, and then extract money via PIM....to bypass the ATM fees. I normally charge credit via pagofacil or rapipago........

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    I cracked on with this quest and eventually they phoned me.

    A very helpful young lady, who wouldn't stop talking just like all customer service centres here, ran me through the activation process (which I'd already done fifteen times) and eventually said that they were having 'problems with the system' - a catch-all for FUBAR.

    She then said they would investigate the case and we would try again.

    I then said that I had downloaded the Android app and she quickly said 'Oh, that doesn't work.'

    I kid you not.

    I then said that I only wanted it for Telepase (the toll card) and that I would be topping it up with MercadoPago, at which she interjected with 'Oh, that doesn't work either.'

    Then I told her that I had heard about loads of people telling me that the service hasn't been working properly for about six months, at which she replied, 'Yes, we are aware of that but it's on a case by case basis.' whatever that means.

    We left things so that she would get back to me and we would try again to activate my account, which probably isn't worth it now that MPago won't work with it.

    I think she's probably having a lie down in a darkened room as we speak, poor lass.

    sorry to hijack thread......but I find it hilarious how slow things goes in copying good stuff from first world countries......like this stuff virtual wallets etc.

    Look at how Uber had huge advance until the cabs started to offer something similar........look at the 3 big banks that now wanna copy the QR code system from mercadolibre......But years after mercadolibre have already implemented it....ohhhh boy.....even copying they are bad at.

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    You're not hijacking @JAN , everyone can join in :)

    Anyway, I must be more persistent than I thought, but how can it be so difficult to get a simple app to work?

    A few years ago some Argie game devs made a Falklands war game using the Half Life engine where you get to kill British soldiers. Bad taste yes, but they couldn't even get that right as it was a pitiful sight.

    my guess without knowing for sure: they like to invent the wheel new all the time, since it's more profitable...... corruption!

    For sure the have huuuuge departments, offices and ten of thousands of engineers doing all this stuff......even that u could just call a already developed company to come and start up in a day......

    And then of course u want that it does not work perfect, so that u can justify a huge staff of people to troubleshoot and so on.....

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    Quote from Splinter

    A few years ago some Argie game devs made a Falklands war game using the Half Life engine where you get to kill British soldiers. Bad taste yes, but they couldn't even get that right as it was a pitiful sight.

    In 2014, when I arrived here, I was approached for the translation of a role play game. I liked the idea and it looked like a good way to put one foot on the local market. Since it was a sort of start-up/private project of one developer, it was pro-bono.

    I worked on it one week, trying to make the dialogues as engaging as possible. I also offered to play the game and see if the wording needed to be adjusted (to fit the screen/the scene).


    The developer advertised the game on a crowdfunding platform, but it never reach their target, so it was abandoned.

    There goes my week of work and free advertisement.

    The demo of the game was / is (?) available on Steam and had good reviews. The Italian translation was never implemented in the demo. Can I say I am not pleased?

    so, reinstalled PIM, just to see if it worked again...

    But before final installment I got this small message:



    Are u kidding me????

    I thought it was a joke first....

    Splinter what I don't like is how it's formulated: giving permission when you are interacting with AN app......could be any app, not only PIM!

    Giving permission to someone inspect the window content that you are interacting with, I don't think is a good idea either.....could be any app, WhatsApp, banking etc.

    You are basically giving out a blind approval to whatever....

    Splinter .....u c that the new certificate, permission to circulate will only be available through CUIDAR????


    Seems like we will have no choice to avoid it.....though I will look into it tomorrow and see if it get updated on mi Argentina and if u can still apply for it via the website.

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    I still have it on Mi Arg app but it expires on 25th May and I really don't like the idea of using another crappy fucking Argie spyware app quite frankly.

    I'll try it and see if it works, but I've read reports of incompatibility and the police not even being able to corroborate the QR with their own cellular phones.

    Not to mention that it's compulsory, has geo-tracking and knows where you are 24/7, which is very distasteful indeed.

    Control, control, control.

    exactly, I'm fully the same opinion!

    The app is fishy!

    Anyway I just applied for the new certificate via the web just like last time, I hope it goes through!

    No cuidAR rastreAR for me please!