Why is Smartgate so dodgy?

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#1419284 2-Nov-2015 21:42

I didn't have any problems and I have a hefty bread now vs my clean shaven passport photo so I was actually quite surprised..

Technofreak

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#1419285 2-Nov-2015 21:44

It's always worked for me.

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Rikkitic

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#1419344 2-Nov-2015 22:28

Has never worked for me. I usually say so to the official and insist on joining the foreigners queue.

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porche20002

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#1419355 2-Nov-2015 22:47

Flown back and forth between AU and NZ a lot this year and last. I was on an almost expiring passport with a pre-pubescent photo of me and it still worked almost every single time.

There was this one period where it failed on re-entry into Sydney and also when I went back to NZ it also failed. I mentioned to the the customs officer and he said there was a message or comment attached to my passport. I think he either removed it or something but after that worked every time. Not sure if that had anything to do with it but probably not.

Renewed my passport about a month ago (gutted to miss out on the 10 year passport) and haven't had any issues since.

On a side note, I got to use the next generation SmartGate machines at Sydney airport a few weeks back and they are so much easier. No need to print out a ticket or go to a kosk. Just slide your passport in, photo and you're done!

Kyanar

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#1419387 3-Nov-2015 00:47

Rikkitic: Has never worked for me. I usually say so to the official and insist on joining the foreigners queue.

I think I might try this. It's got to be faster than spending ten minutes in the automated queue only to be told by the stupid machine to join the manual queue which by this point has backed up to ten minutes long because of that one elderly couple that speak no English that can't quite grasp the concept of declaring things.

k1wi

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#1419407 3-Nov-2015 01:52

I've never had a problem, but my American wife got 'stuck' once - though only because she wasn't smiling when she went. So now she just has to smile.

The US previously allowed smiles in the passport photo, so she has to match her smiling photo for Smartgate to work.

Actually, in my experience, the 'neutral expression' photo requirement now is borderline offensive to most Americans I've talked to about it. Too much like a mugshot.

Wheelbarrow01

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Chorus

#1419439 3-Nov-2015 07:58

One customs officer said that it won't recognise you if you haven't shaved recently

That sounds like rubbish to me - When I got my passport renewed in late November last year I was sporting a hideous Chopper Reid handlebar moustache - a truly frightening growth. I've been to Australia a few times since then, clean shaven each time and never had an issue.

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Kyanar

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#1419768 3-Nov-2015 13:07

Wheelbarrow01:

One customs officer said that it won't recognise you if you haven't shaved recently

That sounds like rubbish to me - When I got my passport renewed in late November last year I was sporting a hideous Chopper Reid handlebar moustache - a truly frightening growth. I've been to Australia a few times since then, clean shaven each time and never had an issue.

Agreed. I can't imagine the system being intentionally this brittle. But if that's not it, then I can't imagine why a photo taken merely two years ago suddenly has a hit rate of only 25% or less.

Jase2985

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#1419769 3-Nov-2015 13:10

it depends on how you look compared to that photo

put on weight, facial hair, vastly different hair style, wear glasses, had any surgery?

many different reasons it wouldn't work

mdooher

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#1419810 3-Nov-2015 13:42

My wife has to make sure her hair is in a similar style to her photo. Weird because I thought that wouldn't matter, perhaps it's the shadowing or similar.

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sbiddle

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#1419844 3-Nov-2015 14:05

mdooher: My wife has to make sure her hair is in a similar style to her photo. Weird because I thought that wouldn't matter, perhaps it's the shadowing or similar.

Hair makes no difference at all - in fact it's not even part of the algorithm used as part of the biometric fingerprint.

mdooher

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#1419943 3-Nov-2015 15:07

sbiddle:
mdooher: My wife has to make sure her hair is in a similar style to her photo. Weird because I thought that wouldn't matter, perhaps it's the shadowing or similar.

Hair makes no difference at all - in fact it's not even part of the algorithm used as part of the biometric fingerprint.

that's why I think the hair shadow must do it. But whatever it is she only gets through if she changes her hair

Matthew

afe66

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#1419955 3-Nov-2015 15:29

Never failed for me.
Although couple weekends ago flew back Oz to Wellington and the queue for smartcard was very long so I joined manual processing line and went through in a quarter of the time. !

A.

sbiddle

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#1419970 3-Nov-2015 16:01

afe66: Never failed for me.
Although couple weekends ago flew back Oz to Wellington and the queue for smartcard was very long so I joined manual processing line and went through in a quarter of the time. !

A.

Wellington doesn't enough machines now, especially if a few of the Aussie flights arrive at the same time.

MikeAqua

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#1420005 3-Nov-2015 16:33

I travel a lot and I have never had an issue and I have never seen anyone have any problems except not following instructions.

My weight and beard length tend to vary quite bit.

Mike

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