Why is Smartgate so dodgy?

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Kyanar

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#183885 2-Nov-2015 16:23

So having flown between Australia and NZ twice in the last week, I'm left wondering why Smartgate is so dodgy and considering how dodgy it is, why not just drop the thing?

So passing through customs (NZ twice, AU twice), my track record is two for two failure on the NZ side, and one of two failure on the AU side. Just "couldn't match your photo" and off into the queue to see a customs official. I would just join the customs queue directly, but apparently they don't like that -you must join the ten times longer and five times slower queue to use the automated photo-matching-failure machines so that you can be told to join the "everyone else" queue which is moving at a rate of about one per 30 seconds.

Anyone else have problems with these blasted things?

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#1418971 2-Nov-2015 16:30

No problem at all and I've used them about ten times. You're not supposed to pull faces at it.

ubergeeknz

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Vocus

#1418974 2-Nov-2015 16:31

No, used them many, many times. Never an issue.

openmedia

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#1418977 2-Nov-2015 16:33

Must remember to take my glasses off and then no issues.

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

sbiddle

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#1419005 2-Nov-2015 16:59

Never had an issue in probably 50 flights over the last few years, and based on my observances the failure rate (ie non match) is very low.

I have however seen the odd non responsive touchscreens and kiosks that require rebooting because they've encountered an error.

If your photo isn't matching the quality of your passport photo was potentially not very high or you had a facial gesture that it can't match.

dm2000

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#1419010 2-Nov-2015 17:10

I have used it a few times, without any issues. I did however have to take off my glasses.

Andib

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#1419015 2-Nov-2015 17:16

I've used it quite a few times over the past year both in NZ and AU and have never run into any issues.

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richms

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#1419017 2-Nov-2015 17:18

Only person I know who has issues with it has lost a shedload of weight since their passport was done so doesnt have the giant chin anymore.

Perhaps this is a good reason to get a new passport once you can get a 10 year one?

Richard rich.ms

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timmmay

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#1419020 2-Nov-2015 17:22

I use it rarely, but it's always worked perfectly.

KiwiSurfer

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#1419021 2-Nov-2015 17:22

Has worked flawlessly for me the few times I've used it since I got my new passport. Have heard good reports on it too. Agree with the others that it's likely to be an issue with your passport photo, wearing glasses and/or not having a facial expression matching the one in your photo. It's a machine after all so it can only compare to the photo provided in the passport so if there's an issue with either the source or the image it's comparing to, then you'll run into problems regardless of how good the technology is.

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Handle9

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#1419022 2-Nov-2015 17:25

I've used it a couple of dozen times here and Australia and never had an issue.

throbb

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#1419057 2-Nov-2015 18:10

Used it many times with no failures, no massive ques either

freitasm

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Geekzone

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#1419065 2-Nov-2015 18:24

No problems here either and been to Australia twice in the last two weeks.

Inphinity

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#1419068 2-Nov-2015 18:30

Has always been fine for me, and have not seen many failures for others while waiting.

Kyanar

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#1419226 2-Nov-2015 20:12

Huh. Interesting that it's just me (and the roughly ten others that got singled out for rejection by the machine while I was queueing).

One customs officer said that it won't recognise you if you haven't shaved recently (really?!? That's some useless technology!), and richms' suggestion makes me believe that if you do any exercise at all, you may as well just go join the "Dumbgate" queue because Smartgate sure as heck isn't going to work. Unfortunately my passport is only two years old, so that's a lot of validity lost if I renew now.

grant_k

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#1419231 2-Nov-2015 20:26

Kyanar: ...
Anyone else have problems with these blasted things?

Yep, it never works for me and I've tried it 4 or 5 times now. My wife gets through every time without a hitch.

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